(This Act of Oblation (Oblation to the child Jesus) by St. Thérèse of Lisieux was one of the key hallmarks of her attaining the heights of holiness in such a short time.)
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http://www.sttherese.webhero.com/
PRAYER TO OBTAIN HUMILITY
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 ye shall find rest to your souls..”
11 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.”
12 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.”
13 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 the 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 humiliation, so that I may “have part with Thee”14 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 recognize 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
10 John. xii. 26.
11 Matt. xi. 29.
12 John. xiii. 15-17.
13 Phil. ii. 7.
14
Cf. John xiii. 8. 6
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,
male my heart like unto Thine.”
 |
| Christ. Franz Ittenbach. The Child Jesus of Ittenbach, called “of Messine” because it had been brought to Lisieux by Sr. Marie of the Trinity from her Carmel in Paris, avenue de Messine. |
PRAYER TO THE HOLY CHILD
O Jesus, dear Holy Child, my only treasure, I abandon myself to Thy every whim.
I seek no other joy that that of calling forth Thy sweet Smile. Vouchsafe to me the graces and the virtues of Thy Holy Childhood, so that on the day of my birth into Heaven the Angels and Saints may recognize in Thy Spouse : Teresa of the Child Jesus.
http://www.sttherese.webhero.com/PRAYER TO OBTAIN HUMILITY
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 ye shall find rest to your souls..”
11 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.”
12 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.”
13 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 the 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 humiliation, so that I may “have part with Thee”14 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 recognize 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
10 John. xii. 26.
11 Matt. xi. 29.
12 John. xiii. 15-17.
13 Phil. ii. 7.
14
Cf. John xiii. 8. 6
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,
male my heart like unto Thine.”
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