Quote of the day, 23 April: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

1 In your love, exiling yourself on earth,
Divine Jesus, you sacrificed yourself for me!
My Beloved, take my life completely.
I want to suffer, I want to die for you…

R. 1 Lord, you yourself told us:
“You can do nothing greater
Than to die for those you love,”
And my supreme Love
Is you, Jesus!…

2 It is getting late, the day is now far spent.
Come guide me, Lord, on the way.
With your cross, I’m scaling the hill,
Stay with me, Heavenly Pilgrim……..

R.2 Your voice echoes in my soul.
I want to resemble you, Lord.
I crave suffering.
Your fiery word
Consumes my heart!….

3 The eternal victory is yours.
The angels are delighted to sing it,
But to enter into your sublime glory,
Lord, it was necessary for you to suffer!…

R.3 What scorn did you not receive
For me, on the foreign shore?…
On earth I want to hide myself,
To be the last in everything
For you, Jesus!…

4 My Beloved, your example invites me
To humble myself, to scorn honors.
To delight you I want to stay little.
In forgetting myself, I’ll charm your Heart.

R.4 My peace is in solitude.
I ask for nothing more…
To please you is my only task
And my beatitude
Is you, Jesus!…

5 You, the Great God whom all Heaven adores,
You live in me, my Prisoner night and day.
Constantly your sweet voice implores me.
You repeat: “I thirst…I thirst for Love!…”

R.5 I am also your prisoner,
And I want in turn to repeat
Your tender, divine prayer:
My Beloved, my Brother,
I thirst for Love!…”

6 I thirst for Love, fulfill my hope.
Lord, make your Divine Fire grow within me.
I thirst for Love, so great is my suffering.
Ah! I would like to fly away to you, my God! 

R.6 Your Love is my only martyrdom.
The more I feel it burning within me,
The more my soul desires you  
Jesus, make me die
Of Love for You!!!…

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

The Canticle of Sister Marie of the Trinity and of the Holy Face
Written by her little Sr. Th. of the Ch. J.
PN 31, May 31, 1896

Thérèse of Lisieux, S 1995, The Poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, translated from the French by Kinney, D, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Copyright Natalie Ewert (All rights reserved), used by permission.