At the School of St. Therese, continued!

Can you believe February is almost over?? That means we only have 2 more days for Chapter Two of Story of a Soul. Are you in? I am, but boy do I feel like the heroine of The Paradise Project (you can check out the kindle version by clicking title preceding parentheses1) - I can make a misadventure out of any adventure! Marcel's Book Club, our own little Paradise Project, is only in month two, and already (like in month one) I'm scrambling.

No matter, this is the Little Way after all, and I don't know if you are as creative as I am in this realm, but I find that (the Little Way) such a great excuse for just about all my faux pas. Even the one I just made (isn't there a plural of faux pas? No time to even google it!)! If that seems to be taking the easy way out - well that's the idea!

The important thing is (and I'll fight for this to the end) to have fun while we're being good, and that we can manage even under deadline. Not to mention keeping promises (another important thing), and since I had said in our last post (just below this one) that I'd give you more of the new (old) book that's recently and delightfully come my way, well, first things first. There's plenty of time tomorrow and the next day for our meeting of Marcel's Book Club, and it's only fair I give you slackers a heads up so you can start reading Chapter Two asap (and don't worry - I say "slacker" with only great tenderness and a big smile. I'm a slacker too!). Right after you finish reading this post, maybe!

Which means I'd better keep this post short, so neither you nor I have time to forget we're supposed to be reading the very lovely and original text that started it all. Though this is Marcel's Book Club, so forgetting is absolutely an option!

What I'm going to write about today (before I forget this goal and promise too) is from At the School of St. Therese written by Mother Agnes in the style of a dialogue between the Little Soul (that would be ours) and Therese. As with any good book, I want to transcribe every word for you here, but seeing as we only have a couple days in which to post this, then read Chapter Two of our Great Book, then meet back for another posting of Marcel's Book Club, my guardian angel is urging me to not give him a heart attack (yes, I know technically that makes no sense since angels don't have bodies - but think about it - how could an angel be heartless?), and so he suggests this one most wondrous passage . . . It falls under the subtitle "How we must interpret the counsel 'not to shed tears before God.'" Here goes, then:

The Little Soul: You also said that in our sorrows, 'We must not weep before the good God.' Yet on certain days it seems to me that little children have no other means to regain courage, than to pour out their little troubles before their father or mother. I even thought that to tell Our Lord what saddens us is giving Him a proof of love and confidence . . . With a friend like Jesus, must not everything be shared, sorrows as well as joys? Otherwise, it seems to me that our close intimacy with Him might be diminished.

[Isn't this just the best? Marcel is the little soul, now I see that! Well the book was written either before he was born or when he was rather a young child, but you can see how Therese, in the midst of the bliss and plentiful knowledge of the Beatific Vision, sees all with God's sight, and inspires Mother Agnes with Marcel's own - later! - words.]

Therese: Do not be uneasy, the words which trouble you were a somewhat special counsel . . . There are cases indeed in which to dwell inwardly on our little daily sufferings, to brood over them before God, may encompass the soul in the net of sadness: then it is good for her to spread her wings and fly - thus losing sight of herself. But on the contrary, in other circumstances, it would be a lack of simplicity towards God not to unburden ourselves before Him of the weight which oppresses us. See, He Himself advises it, I nearly said orders us to do so, in His Gospel: 'Come to Me all you that labour and are burdened and I will refresh you.'  Moreover, believe me, He is so good, that to comfort a soul is always the sweetest consolation of His Heart.

Little Soul: Oh, Saint Therese, what an amount of good you do me! . . . Yes, you show me the Divine characteristics such as I always secretly imagined them to be, without daring to believe that my thoughts were right.

Therese: It is because she knew it well that the holy foundress of my Carmel in Lisieux, Mother Genevieve, sometimes said to sorely tried souls: 'Go and confide in the good God . . . complain to Him . . . He loves complainings . . .' 

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So there you are! I'm going to end now because I bet you have just as many loving complaints as I do! Not to add to your to do list, but I think Marcel must be laughing, this is so much fun! 

To do:
1. complain to Jesus (lovingly and just see if it doesn't end in laughter!)
2. read Chapter Two of Story of a Soul
3. come back to Miss Marcel's Musings soon for MBC, February edition!

oh, and let's not forget to pray!

4. pray our little prayer together

Ready? We can check off that box in a jiffy:

Draw me, we will run!

Wasn't that easy? I'm hoping our little way through Chapter Two is just as simple and delightful. See you here again soon! And don't forget to enjoy the last moments of February - it's not every month that can be so short, so cold, and so useful for getting us to pour out our complaining hearts to little Jesus!