Oh may there "a rain of roses on your head a rain of roses at your hour of death shower roses on your head shower roses at your hour of death obtain for you the need to keep your heart and mind pure like her own to receive the hoped for graces from the Lord's infinite Goodness You may put all your confidence in her her "Little way" has reached you too yes you implore your intercession for you so ardently desire a rain of roses on your head a rain of roses at your hour of death shower roses on your head shower roses at your hour of death little by little you come to littleness little by little to serve and love Him best little by little you're on your "Little way" ..you became a mirror of angelic purity of love as strong as death casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends you as graces for the salvation of your soul playful recognize that a little bit of bitterness
that sweetness force in face of troubled hour enchant in you Saint Theresa's little flower Adapted from P. K.'s - Rain Of Roses But whenever we mean one thing, wholeheartedly, another is right there, tugging on our-feelings. Strife is our closest companion. Don't lovers constantly tread over each other's boundaries, after mumbled vows about space,sustenance, and home? Isn't it time to free ourselves, with love, --from the one we love, and, trembling, endure . . . ? For to stay is to be nowhere at all. .. Like garden flowers opening their petals early only to wither quickly .. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, "Robin Carlsen" <maskedzebra@...> wrote: > > "*From a distance* it appears all roses *to do good to souls*, making them love God more and molding them according to one's personal views and ideas. *At close range* it is totally the contrary, the roses disappear; one feels that to do good is as impossible without God's help as to make the sun shine at night. One feels it is absolutely necessary to forget one's likings, one's personal conceptions, and to guide souls along the road which Jesus has traced out for them without trying to make them walk one's own way. But this is still not the most difficult thing; what cost me more than anything else was to observe the faults and lightest imperfections and to wage a war to the death on these. I was going to say: unhappily for me! (but this would be cowardly), and so I say: happily for my Sisters, since the time I took my place in the arms of Jesus, I am like the watchman observing the enemy from the highest turret of a strong castle. Nothing escapes my eyes; I am frequently astonished at seeing so clearly, and I find the Prophet Jonah very excusable when taking to flight rather than announcing the ruin of Niniveh. I would prefer a thousand times to receive reproofs than to give them to others; however, I feel it is necessary that this to be a suffering for me, for, when we act according to nature, it is impossible for the soul being corrected to understand her faults; she sees only one thing: the Sister charged with directing me is angry, and all the blame is put on me who am filled with the best intentions. > > I know very well that your little lambs find me severe. If they were to read these lines, they would say that it doesn't seem to be the least bit difficult for me to be running after them, to be speaking severely to them when showing them that their beautiful fleece is soiled, or to be bringing them some light tuft of wool which they allowed to be torn by the thorns along the way. The little lambs can say what they please; in the depths of their hearts they feel that I love them with a real love, that never will I imitate '*the hireling who sees the wolf coming and leaves the sheep and takes to flight*.' I am prepared to lay down my life for them, but my affection is so pure that I don't want them to know it. With the grace of Jesus never have I tried to attract their hearts to me; I understand that my mission was to lead them to God and to make them understand that here on earth you are, Mother [Prioress of the Carmel], the visible Jesus whom they must love and respect. > > I told you, dear Mother, that I had learned very much when I was teaching others. I saw first of all that all souls have very much the same struggles to fight, but they differ so much from each other in other aspects that I have no trouble in understanding what Father Pichon was saying: "*There are really more differences among souls than there are among faces*." It is impossible to act with all in the same manner. With certain souls, I feel I must make myself little, not fearing to humble myself by admitting my own struggles and defects; seeing I have the same weaknesses as they, my little Sisters in their turn admit their faults and rejoice because I understand them *through experience*. With others, on the contrary, I have seen that to do them good I must be very firm and never go back on a decision once it is made. To abase oneself would not then be humility but weakness. God has given me the grace not to fear the battle; I must do my duty at all costs. I have heard the following on more than one occasion: "If you want to get anything out of me, you will have to win me with sweetness; force will get you nothing." I myself know that nobody is a good judge in his own case, and that a child, whom a doctor wants to perform a painful operation upon, will not fail to utter loud cries and to say that the remedy is worse than the sickness; however, when he is cured a few days later, he is very happy at being able to play and run. It is exactly the same for souls; soon they recognize that a little bit of bitterness is at times preferable to sugar and they don't fear to admit it. > > Sometime I can't help smiling interiorly when I witness the change that takes place from one day to the next; it is like magic almost. A Sister will come and say to me: 'You were right yesterday when you were severe; at first I rebelled, but after I recalled everything, I saw you were very right. Listen. When I was leaving you, I was thinking I had enough and I said to myself: I am going to find Mother Prioress and tell her that I will go no more with Sister Therese of the Child Jesus. But I felt it was the devil who inspired this thought in me, and then it seemed that you were praying for me. I remained calm and the light began to shine, but now you must enlighten me further. This is the reason I came.' We quickly began to talk the matter over; I am very happy to be able to follow the inclination of my heart and not serve up the bitter dish. Yes, but I notice quickly that I must not advance too far, for one *word* could destroy the beautiful edifice constructed in tears. If unfortunately I say one word which seems to soften what I said the evening before, I see little Sister taking advantage of the situation; then I say a little prayer interiorly and truth always wins out. Ah! it is prayer, it is a sacrifice which gives me all my strength; these are the invincible weapons which Jesus has given me. They can touch souls much better than words, as I have very frequently experienced. >
