#isidoreguerin — Public Fediverse posts
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Sts. Louis & Zélie Novena 2025, Day 4: Hope in Eternal Life
READING
I have the hope, and even the conviction, that our dear father was well received by God. I want my death to be like his. We’ve already had three Masses said for him. We intend to request a great number of them so that, if he has anything to atone for, he’ll quickly be delivered from Purgatory. His grave will be very near that of my two little Josephs.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 38 to her sister-in-law Céline, 3 September 1868REFLECTION
Zélie demonstrates the mature Catholic understanding of hope that navigates between presumption and despair. She can declare both her “conviction” that her father was well received by God and her intention to request many Masses “if he has anything to atone for.” This isn’t contradiction—it’s theological maturity.
What makes this spiritual balance even more remarkable is the timing: Zélie wrote this letter just ten days after burying little Joseph. In the depths of compounded grief—losing her infant son and her father within days of each other—she still maintains this delicate hope that avoids both presumption and despair.
Zélie’s hope holds both spiritual confidence and practical humility. She trusts in God’s mercy while honoring the Church’s teaching about purification. Her hope works through love, expressed in arranging Masses for the repose of her father’s soul—the same love that will soon lay him to rest near her “two little Josephs.”
PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z & Martin, L 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, trans. Hess, AC, ed. Renda, F, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
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SCRIPTURE
While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
READING
Your letter did me good. I’m truly grateful for all your concern for me, and I thank you for it. I’m resigning myself to the will of God, although it’s very hard to lose such a pretty little girl [Hélène died 22 February 1870 at the age of five years and four months, on Marie’s tenth birthday].
Saturday night she still came downstairs to be with us. We always gave her meat broth with a little vermicelli [pasta] and barley water. She was so tired of it that the maid said to me, Friday night, that it would be better to give her a light bread soup. I listened to her. The little one ate some twice on Saturday, and she liked it so much that I gave her some again on Sunday, at noon. That’s what I regret and what I will regret my entire life. However, I don’t think that was the cause of her death because she passed away from weakness.
Sunday night she had trouble breathing, and I sent for the doctor right away, He wasn’t there and didn’t come until Monday morning. He told me the child had a mucous fever [inflammation of the mucous membranes in the digestive tract and lungs] with congested lungs, that she was in very great danger and that I shouldn’t give her anything but broth. However, he gave me permission to add a little vermicelli or semolina when I told him that she didn’t want to drink clear broth.
After he left, I looked at her sadly; her eyes were dull, there wan’t any more life in them, and I began to cry. Then she put her two little arms around me and consoled me the best she could. All day she had been saying to me, “My poor little mother’s been crying!” I spent the night with her, a very difficult night. In the morning, we asked her if she wanted to take some broth. She said yes, but she couldn’t swallow it. However, she made a supreme effort, saying to me, “If I eat it, are you going to love me better?”
Then she took it all, but afterwards she suffered terribly, and I didn’t know what was happening. She looked at a bottle of medicine the doctor had prescribed and wanted to drink it, saying that when she had drank it all, she would be cured. Then, around a quarter to ten, she said to me, “Yes, in a moment, I’m going to be cured, yes, soon….” At that moment, while I was holding her, her little head fell onto my shoulder, her eyes closed; then five minutes later she didn’t exist anymore….
That made an impression on me I’ll never forget. I didn’t expect such a sudden end, nor did my husband. When he came home and saw his poor little daughter dead, he began to sob, crying, “My little Hélène! My little Hélène!” Then together we offered her to God.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 52 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore and his wife, Céline
24 February 1870PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/07/lzmnovena24-6/
#CélineGuérin #children #death #familyLife #HélèneMartin #illness #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
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SCRIPTURE
A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.READING
You know all that glitters is not gold. The main thing is to look for a good woman whose interests center on the home, who is not afraid of dirtying her hands with work, who devotes time to her appearance only as much as she has to, and who knows how to raise children to work and be holy.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 10 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
14 July 1864PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/04/lzmnovena24-3/
#children #familyLife #holiness #home #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #marriage #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #work
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SCRIPTURE
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.READING
When I think about what God has done for me and my husband, God, in whom I’ve put all my trust and in whose hands I’ve put the care of my whole life, I don’t doubt that His Divine Providence watches over His children with special care.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 1 from St. Zélie Martin to her brother Isidore Guérin
1 January 1863PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-1/
#DivineProvidence #familyLife #God #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #novena #prayer #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust