Story of a Soul

Written for a Novice

O JESUS! When Thou wast a wayfarer upon earth, Thou didst say:—"Learn of Me, for I am Meek and Humble of Heart, and you shall find rest to your souls."²⁸⁵²⁸⁵Matt. 11:29. O Almighty King of Heaven! my soul indeed finds rest in seeing Thee condescend to wash the feet of Thy Apostles—"having taken the form of a slave."²⁸⁶²⁸⁶Phil. 2:7. I recall the words Thou didst utter to teach me the practice of humility: "I have given you an example, that as I have done to you, so you do also. The servant is not greater than his Lord... If you know these things, you shall be blessed if you do them."²⁸⁷²⁸⁷John 13:15-17. I understand, dear Lord, these words which come from Thy Meek and Humble Heart, and I wish to put them in practice with the help of Thy grace.

I desire to humble myself in all sincerity, and to submit my will to that of my Sisters, without ever contradicting them, and without questioning whether they have the right to command. No one, O my Beloved! had that right over Thee, and yet Thou didst obey not only the Blessed Virgin and St. Joseph, but even Thy executioners. And now, in the Holy Eucharist, I see Thee complete Thy self-abasement. O Divine King of Glory, with wondrous humility, Thou dost submit Thyself to all Thy Priests, without any distinction between those who love Thee and those who, alas! are lukewarm or cold in Thy service. They may advance or delay the hour of the Holy Sacrifice: Thou art always ready to come down from Heaven at their call.

O my Beloved, under the white Eucharistic Veil Thou dost indeed appear to me Meek and Humble of Heart! To teach me humility, Thou canst not further abase Thyself, and so I wish to respond to Thy Love, by putting myself in the lowest place, by sharing Thy humiliations, so that I may "have part with Thee"²⁸⁸²⁸⁸Cf. John 13:8. in the Kingdom of Heaven.

I implore Thee, dear Jesus, to send me a humiliation whensoever I try to set myself above others.

And yet, dear Lord, Thou knowest my weakness. Each morning I resolve to be humble, and in the evening I recognise that I have often been guilty of pride. The sight of these faults tempts me to discouragement; yet I know that discouragement is itself but a form of pride. I wish, therefore, O my God, to build all my trust upon Thee. As Thou canst do all things, deign to implant in my soul this virtue which I desire, and to obtain it from Thy Infinite Mercy, I will often say to Thee: "Jesus, Meek and Humble of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine."

²⁷⁵John 16:23. ²⁷⁶Ps. 39:4. ²⁷⁷Cant. 4:6. ²⁷⁸Cf. Cant. 5:2. ²⁷⁹Cf. Isa. 53:3. ²⁸⁰Cf. Ps. 136:4. ²⁸¹Sister Mary of St. Peter entered the Carmel of Tours in 1840. Three years later she had the first of a series of revelations concerning devotion to the Holy Face as a means of reparation for blasphemy. See Life of Léon Papin-Dupont, known as "The Holy Man of Tours." ²⁸²Matt. 10:34. ²⁸³Cf. Ps. 143:1, 2. ²⁸⁴John 12:26. ²⁸⁵Matt. 11:29. ²⁸⁶Phil. 2:7. ²⁸⁷John 13:15-17. ²⁸⁸Cf. John 13:8.