“I looked upon myself as the little

servant of the Holy Family.”

(Words of the Sister.)

The life of a Carmelite, according to St. Teresa, should be one of special devotedness to the glory of God and the service of the Church by prayer and penance. The illustrious Reformer repeated continually to her spiritual children: “My daughters, we have not come to Carmel to repose or to enjoy ourselves, but to labor, to suffer and to save souls.”

From the moment of her arrival, our little Breton postulant felt that she should be thoroughly imbued with this spirit. “The God of mercy,” said she, “manifested the designs he had in view in calling me to the religious state; designs well suited to give me an exalted idea of the sublime vocation I had embraced. The object of all the previous communications with which Our Lord had hitherto favored me, was the sanctification of my own soul. I labored exclusively for myself, as I was only charged with the care of my own perfection. But when God called me to Carmel, where I was to devote myself solely to his glory, the necessities of the Church and the salvation of souls, he deigned to teach me to nature of the devotedness, the spirit of sacrifice and the zeal for the salvation of others, sublime virtues of which, as yet, I knew nothing. On this subject I received the following communication, which I have always regarded as the foundation-stone of the Work of Reparation: for before speaking to me openly of this great work, Our Lord waited until I had obtained my superior’s consent to make the act of perfect abandonment which he required of me. This communication remains engraved on my heart, but as I did not make a written account of it, I can only narrate from memory what transpired.”

“One day, after I had received holy communion, Our Lord, accompanied by an angel, condescended to manifest himself to my soul. He showed me the multitudes that were daily falling into hell, and then expressed his wish that I should offer myself without reserve to his good pleasure; moreover, that I should abandon to him all the merits I might acquire in my new career, for the accomplishment of his designs. He promised me that he would take care of my interests, that he would cause me to participate in all his merits, and would himself, be the director of my soul. The angel (elsewhere she states that it was the archangel Raphael), urged me to consent to this magnanimous proposal. It seemed to me that he envied my happiness, for being purely spiritual he could neither suffer nor merit. This celestial spirit assured me that if I consented to Our Lord’s request, the angels would surround my death-bed and defend me against the assaults of the devil.”

“How I longed to make this act then and there! I was almost on the point of offering the sacrifice to the Lord; but either because my Divine Master had advised me differently, or that I was afraid to stray from the path of obedience, I did not comply with his wish, thinking that I ought to have the permission of our reverend superioress. To obtain this, I briefly transcribed the communication and presented it to her, as I had been accustomed to do with my confessor. Our good Mother, not aware of the manner in which Our Lord conducted me, did not give much credit to what her little postulant related, but she wisely said: ‘My child, this abandonment which you desire to make, is no ordinary act, therefore, as I have yet no authority over you I cannot counsel you, and for much greater reason, cannot permit you to make it.’ As I had a very great love for obedience, I submitted respectfully to the opinion of our reverend mother; yet her decision grieved me. I returned to Our Lord and said. ‘Behold, my sweet Savior, obedience prevents me from complying with thy demand’; but thou dost behold the inmost recesses of my heart, and therefore, know that I have offered thee all that I can give.’ Our Lord, for the moment, seemed satisfied with my good will; nevertheless, he inspired me several times to reiterate the same demand. It was only after I had obtained the permission of my superiors that he fully communicated to me the Work of Reparation. Our prudent mother, perceiving from this that I received extraordinary favors, took steps to ascertain the nature of the spirit which conducted me; she forbade me to pay any attention to these supernatural operations. Then I no longer heard any interior words, and Our Lord seemed to submit himself with me, in some manner, to holy obedience.’

This superior, to whom Our Lord, for the moment, was thus submissive, was Mother Mary of the Incarnation; had he not appointed her his immediate representative to this vessel of election, to the chosen soul whom he proposed to make an instrument of mercy! It is important that we should make the acquaintance of this venerable mother immediately, as she plays a conspicuous part in the communications of Sister St. Peter,

The venerable mother Mary of the incarnation was a Breton. She was born at Paimbaeuf, under the “Directoire” on the 9th of January 1785. At that time, the law required children to be taken before the Municipal officers to have their names inscribed on the civil register.

This child was presented, bearing her mother’s name, Marie Angélique. The municipal officers, all Revolutionists, were averse to such a pious Christian name, and gave her one of their own choice, directing that she should be called Virtue. Thus it was that Divine Providence made use of the wicked to give a characteristic appellation to this child of benediction from the moment of her entrance into the world. All the innocence and strength of character comprised in the beautiful name, Virtue, was fully exemplified in her future life. At her birth she could only receive the sacrament of Baptism informally, because of the persecution; a few years later, all the attendant ceremonies were administered. She appreciated so well the grace of regeneration, that on hearing a person speak of infidel lands, she claimed: “Oh! how I pity the poor children of those countries who have not as I have had, the happiness of being baptized!” Angélique early became inured to sufferings, her parents having met with reverses of every description. Once her mother was congratulated for having a child of such promise, mature beyond her years, but she was heard to reply: “Alas! she has so often seen me weep!”

This worthy lady, left a widow after the Revolution, removed to Tours. Her little daughter, though so young, gave early evidence that she understood the happiness of knowing and loving God. She had most celestial inspirations, and seemed naturally averse to all the pleasures of the world; God was not long in manifesting to her his designs. At the age of thirteen or fourteen, passing before the devastated church of the Carmelites, she felt inwardly moved to enter. Kneeling on the steps leading to the sanctuary, she gazed intently on the painting of our Blessed Lady which hung on the wall at considerable height, in front of the grating which separated the choir of the religious from the church. She then thought to herself: “How happy should I be, if one day I were admitted among those who have dwelt within these venerable walls!” Immediately she heard a voice reply: “Persevere, and thou shalt taste this happiness.” At this moment she was seized with a presentiment of sorrow; a crushing weight seemed to have fallen on her soul, and she fell prostrate on the pavement, shedding an abundance of tears: her sobs and sighs were re-echoed by the deserted building. Terrified, the poor child ran to a friend to relate what had happened; the latter said earnestly: “My child, I have long foreseen that you will one day be a religious.”

The world was not long to retain this innocent dove, who at the age of seventeen flew to the bosom of Carmel. After the Revolutionary storm had swept by, the Carmelites found shelter in an old monastery purchased with the fruit of their toils and self-denials. Marie Angélique, renouncing the tender care of an affectionate mother, presented herself to share that poverty which was the portion of the daughters of St. Teresa, who soon discovered the treasure they had acquired and lost no time to enhance its value; they submitted her to the most rigorous trials of obedience in order to destroy her self-will completely. Their efforts were not fruitless, for when still a young professed, she was called upon as Mistress of Novices, to form others to religious perfection;

The many sacrifices and privations which the community had suffered during those years of distress, had prematurely ruined her health, and brought on a long and painful illness to which she finally succumbed. Nothing could induce her to deviate from her usual routine of labor, prayer and penance. Appointed treasurer, she managed the modest finances of the house with such prudence and ability, that the monastery was soon relieved from the extreme indigence into which it had been plunged by spoliation.

Elected prioress in 1834, she made some important improvements in the old monastery, which had been restored to them in 1822. It was in this place that she had received the first call of grace. When obliged by threats of municipal expropriation to leave this venerable asylum, the task of constructing a new monastery devolved upon her. She succeeded marvelously in her enterprise, with the assistance of St Teresa. Her charity was inexhaustible: from the depths of her solitude she extended both spiritual and temporal aid to all the wants made known to her by Divine Providence. We find that she was instrumental in the re-establishment of the Carmelite friars in France, by the charity rendered two Spanish religious who had been brought prisoners to Tours. She procured their release, and provided for all their necessities until they were able to rejoin the reverend Father Dominic and other exiled priests who were to found a new monastery. A person of superior mind, she elicited the admiration of all those with whom she had any intercourse; it was said, “What a pity such a remarkable woman is shut up in a cloister!”

The venerable Mothers who had received her, considering her as the chain destined to link together ancient and modern times had, as she often remarked, bequeathed to her “the custody of the sacred traditions of the order on the peril of her soul.” She accepted it on those terms and under those conditions. To insure their preservation, she gathered together with pious respect from Tours and the other monasteries of France, the rules, religious regulations, and all the customs pertaining to monastic discipline. From these she compiled, “The Carmelite’s Treasure” a most precious work, well adapted to preserve the traditions of the Order in France.

As superior, Mother Mary of the Incarnation knew admirably how to combine firmness with gentleness. Although it pained her to reprehend or chastise others, yet she never for an instant hesitated when the necessity of the occasion demanded, or the dictates of her conscience deemed it expedient. Her lively faith and experienced judgment were always guided by the rules of Christian prudence and by the most scrupulous discretion. One of her special gifts was the discernment of spirits. Obedience was the infallible mark by which she judged between the operations of grace and those of nature; this, in her opinion, was the touchstone of real virtue. When necessary, she administered humiliations in good doses, and manifested an apparent indifference for the communications confided her.

Such was the course pursued by this prudent Mother in regard to the young Breton aspirant committed to her care. To discover the spirit by which she was influenced, the reverend mother adopted the method pursued by Perrine’s former confessor, and directed her to give a written account of all that concerned her celestial communications. Whenever her spiritual daughter presented herself with her paper, the Mother would take it quietly, lay it aside and continue her occupation, intimating thereby that she would attend to it when time permitted, after she had disposed of all other matters.

The special devotion of our young postulant, was a tender love of the holy Infancy of Jesus. Let us not deprive her of the pleasure of describing the manner in which she was attracted by grace, previous to her reception of the holy habit.

“When but an infant in Carmelite life, Our Lord gave me a special attraction to the mystery of his holy Infancy, and made known what he desired of me. The following exercise, consisting of a special devotion for every day of the month, was traced out in my mind; I practiced this exercise with great consolation and with much profit. I looked upon myself as the little servant of the Holy Family, and offered to serve them. I longed to bear their livery in being clothed with the habit of the Carmelites, beseeching our reverend mother to grant me this inestimable favor, notwithstanding my great unworthiness. Accordingly, I received the holy habit on the 21st of May, 1840, during the lovely month dedicated to her, through whose intercession I had obtained the grace of being called to the religious life. On that memorable day of benediction, I consecrated myself anew to the Holy Family in a most particular manner. The following is the formula which I wrote and placed on my heart during the ceremony:

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph! Most holy and admirable family, I beg of you to receive me to-day as your little servant; this is the most ardent desire of my heart. I beseech you to hear my prayer, for I am firmly resolved to be forever faithful; and though I cannot immolate myself by the vows of religion, nevertheless, I beg of you to receive my desire of fulfilling them, and to grant me the grace to accomplish them as perfectly as if contracted. O most Holy Infant Jesus! Grant that I may he as submissive to the Holy Ghost and to my superiors as you were to the most Holy Virgin and to St. Joseph. And thou, O Mary, conceived without sin, obtain for me that I may never tarnish the brilliancy of the angelic virtue of purity. O blessed patriarch St. Joseph, thou who hast practiced holy poverty in so eminent a degree of perfection, and who hast sacrificed thyself for the Holy Infant Jesus and the most Blessed Virgin, his mother, obtain by thy example and thy powerful influence with God, that I may love and practice holy poverty to my last breath, that I may make it a duty and a pleasure to sacrifice myself for my sisters. O most Holy Family! grant that I may glory in being your humble servant. Deign to receive me on this happy day, and give me in proof of your acceptance of my offering, the grace of acquitting myself worthily of the divine office, that I may recite it with respectful attention and loving fervor; grant that I may be as vigilant at matins as if I were in Heaven, enraptured by the grandeur of God and the splendor of his glory. Amen.”

“After this consecration, I regarded myself as the little domestic of the Holy Family, and in all my occupations I had the intention of serving them at Nazareth. I had but one more ambition, that of being the little Ass of the Infant Jesus. If the royal prophet David looked upon himself as a beast of burden before the Lord, with how much more propriety could I not designate myself the Ass of the Infant Jesus? Reflecting, that the Son of God reduced himself to such poverty for our love, that he was necessitated on his triumphant entry into Jerusalem, to send his disciples to borrow so humble an animal, saying on his part, that ‘the Master had need of it,’ I exclaimed: ‘My good Savior, now that thou art in Heaven, I desire thou shouldst have an ass on earth, entirely at thy disposal, whom thou mayst lead about at pleasure, wherever thou wilt; accept me, I beg of thee. As well as I can remember, I was most desirous of knowing if Our Lord accepted my offering, and I believe I even prayed to the Holy Family with that intention. Afterward, I proceeded to my appointment in the following manner.”

“Our reverend Mothers were then on their retreat; during this time, the postulants and novices took their recreation in the novitiate. One evening, as we were all assembled before a picture of the Holy Family at the hour of recreation, I proposed to my companions to make a sheepfold for the Holy Family in such a manner, that each would be consecrated to them according to the office, or title drawn by lot; the proposition was unanimously accepted. It was decided that one of us should be the ass of, the Infant Jesus, another the ox, another the sheep, and so on. The convention was held, the billets drawn, and to my great joy, I was chosen by Providence to be the Ass of the Infant Jesus. I inquired into the characteristics of the ass, for I  wanted to avoid its defects. A postulant, who possessed one in the world, gave me all the necessary information.— We could not have passed a more pleasant recreation.— My billet was couched in the following terms: ‘The Ass of the Holy Infant is stubborn, he is idle; he will walk only in by-ways, but he has resolved to correct these defects. His office shall be, to keep the Infant Jesus warm, to carry him on his journeys; and in a word, to render to the Holy Family all the little services in its power.’”

“I was enchanted with my new title; but I thought there was still something more to obtain before I could validly assume the duties of my office. This was the approval of our reverend mother, whom I prayed to have the kindness to sign my billet; for said I, our dear Mother represents Our Lord; if I can obtain her signature it will be a certain proof that the Divine Infant accepts me as his little ass. Our reverend mother was very much amused with our simplicity. ‘I have no objection,’ said she, ‘to sign your little billets.’ She became a child with her children, practicing the saying of St. Paul, making herself all to all, to gain all; and we thus obtained her signature. I was quite serious in thus offering myself to the Infant Jesus; I regarded it as a little contract by which I could comply with the request of Our Lord, made some days after my entrance into religion, that of giving myself entirely to Him together with all that I could do for the accomplishment of his designs; for I felt myself continually urged to make the act of abandonment. The permission of my superiors, only, was wanting. When our reverend mother signed my billet, I hoped that I could make my little sacrifice to the Holy Infant. However, to be more certain, I spoke to our reverend mother and asked her if she would be willing to give up her little Ass entirely to the Infant Jesus, that he might do with her as he wished. She replied: ‘No, my child; tell Him that I only lend her, I cannot yet give her up entirely.’”

“There were many other painful refusals in store for me; a perfect abandonment to God for the accomplishment of his designs might have entailed results which I could not then foresee, being so little initiated in the ways of the Lord. Our wise and prudent mother wished first to exercise this poor and ‘miserable instrument in the virtue of obedience and in the renunciation of self-will. I offered myself to the Lord as a loaned Ass, through the hands of Mary and Joseph. This little act of simplicity was, I believe, very pleasing to the Divine Infant, for he began to direct me anew in his ways; this was in fulfilment of a promise he had made after my entrance into Carmel. I regarded my soul as the poor stable of Bethlehem; and considering the Holy Infant Jesus reposing in my heart, I adored him in union with tire Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, and I offered to be his little domestic. I was his little Ass in prayer, stimulating myself to keep him warm by the ardor of my love; his little domestic in action, by performing for the Holy Family all the duties imposed on me, imagining myself to be in the house of Nazareth The Divine Infant inspired me to honor him each day of the month by a special devotion.”

We give here an extract:

MONTH OF THE HOLY INFANT JESUS.

On the 15th of the month, she celebrated the Espousals of the Holy Virgin with St. Joseph, engaging herself to labor for them as their little servant.

The 16th, was consecrated to the mystery of the Incarnation. On the nine following days, she honored the Holy Infant in the womb of his Virgin Mother; then she accompanied the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to Bethlehem.

On the 25th, she celebrated the birth of the Divine Infant.

On the 26th, she united her homage to that of the shepherds.

On the 27th, she adored him in his circumcision, when he was named Jesus.

On the 28th, she honored him in union with the Magi,

On the 29tli, in his presentation in the Temple.

On the 30th, in his flight to Egypt.

The first seven clays of the following month were consecrated to the Infant Jesus in his exile; then she honored his first steps, his first words, his first actions, his purity and his simplicity.

On the 8th, she celebrated the return of the Holy Family to Nazareth.

On the 9th, she contemplated Jesus commencing to work with St. Joseph.

On the 10th, she honored the obedience which the Divine Infant rendered his parents.

On the 11th, his affection for his Blessed Mother and for the faithful Guardian of his holy infancy.

The 12th, she consecrated to the Holy Child in his twelfth year, going to Jerusalem with the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph to celebrate the Passover and to manifest his love.

On the 13th, she adored him in the midst of the Doctors of the Law, defending the rights of his Father.

On the 24th, she rendered her homage to the Holy Child, found in the Temple by Mary and Joseph, returning in their company to Nazareth, where he was subject to them. This completed the month of the Holy Infancy; the following day, the 15th, she recommenced. The thought of the Divine Infant, in union with whom she performed all her actions, rendered every occupation easy and agreeable, and thus the time passed imperceptibly.

“But,” said she “Satan, pride itself, was jealous when he saw me honor the humiliation of the Word Incarnate. One day, when I had performed an action which undoubtedly, was very displeasing to him, he endeavored to be revenged as follows: That night, after retiring, and just as I was falling asleep, I felt on my head something like a great, ugly beast which seemed to be trying to smother me: immediately I had a presentiment that it was the devil, he was pressing my head. I cried out to the Blessed Virgin to come to my rescue. On hearing this sacred name he took to flight, I then offered a prayer of thanksgiving, after which, if I remember rightly, I began to sing these words, so terrible to the infernal spirits: ET VERBUM CARO FACTUM EST, ET HABITAVIT IN NOBIS! This took place during the grand silence: though I did not really see the devil, yet from the extraordinary sensation experienced in my soul, I understood that it proceeded from more than an ordinary dream. Satan, undoubtedly, wanted to smother the Ass of the Divine Infant, but the Blessed Virgin came to her assistance.”

This devotion of Sr. St. Peter to the Holy Infancy, was cherished by her to her last breath. Though by the call of divine grace, she was to accompany Our Lord in the most dolorous scenes of his Passion, yet she was incessantly drawn back to this first consoling mystery of his life, the sweet and innocent impress of which her virginal soul always retained.

To maintain herself always in contemplation of the Divine Infant, she ornamented two little statues, one of which she called her little king, and the other, her poor king; both being appropriately decorated to represent the character which her ingenious devotion gave to each one. She carried one or the other constantly with her: and on her death-bed we shall see how her pious and grateful charity easily found the means of gaining graces from her little Kings for the benefactors of her monastery.