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THE PRAISE OF GLORY , (library) 1953 #ihU4,h,tJ«AYl5 DOM EDMUNDUS KENDAL, D.D., O.S.B, Imprimatur. DOM AIDANUS GASQUET, O.S.B. Cong. Angli* Abbas Prases. £tihtl ®b*tat. F. THOMAS BERGH, O.S.B., Censor Depuxatus. Imprimatur. EDM. CAN. SURMONT, VlCARIDS GENERALIS. Westmonasterii, Die 10 Octobris, 1912- SISTER ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY. Frontispiece. THE PRAISE OF GLORY REMINISCENCES OF SISTER ELIZABETH OF THE TRINITY A CARMELITE NUN OF DIJON, 1901-1906 AUTHORIZED TRANSLATION BY THE BENEDICTINES OF STANBROOK FROM THE SIXTH AND ENLARGED EDITION OF THE FRENCH WITH AN INTRODUCTION BY THE REV. FATHER BENEDICT ZIMMERMAN, O.C.D. SECOND ENGLISH EDITION R. & T. WASHBOURNE, LTD. PATERNOSTER ROW, LONDON AND AT MANCHESTER, BIRMINGHAM, AND GLASGOW BENZIGER BROTHERS: NEW YORK, CINCINNATI, CHICAGO 1914 [All rights reserved} MARY IMMACULATE, QUEEN AND BEAUTY OF CARMEL, OUR BELOVED MOTHER, DEIGN TO ACCEPT THE DEDICATION OF THIS HUMBLE VOLUME AS A HOMAGE OF OUR DAUGHTERLY LOVE, AND TO OFFER IT AS A PRAISE OF GLORY TO THE MOST BLESSED TRINITY — CONTENTS PAGES Introduction : Rev. B. Zimmerman, O.C.D. - - ix Approbations of the French Edition : Mgr. des Monestes, Bishop of Dijon - - xii Mgr. Dadolle, the late Bishop of Dijon- - xvii Introductory Letters : Mgr. Altmayer, O.P., Archbishop of Sinnade - xx Mgr. Sagot du Vauroux, Bishop of Agen - xxii The Very Reverend Father Prior, O.S.B., of the " Abbaye de la Reine du Ciel," Louvain - xxviii I/Abbe Ch. Sauve, S.S. - xxxiv Rev. Pere Foch, S.J. .... xxxvi Pere G. Vallee, O.P. .... xxxix Author's Introduction ----- xlii PART I DIVINE PROVIDENCE FORESTALLS THE WAY family, Chapter I. : Childhood. —Elizabeth's birth, and education — She overcomes her natural defects of character—Death of her father—Her conversion Her musical talent — Her first Communion —The " " House of God —Visits to Carcassonne - 3 — 14 to give Chapter II. : The Divine Call. —She resolves herself wholly to God—Her vow of virginity—Her home—Her vocation is tested—Her sister pleads for her— Elizabeth's diary - - - 15 — 28 Chapter III. : The Mission of 1899.— Apostolic zeal Correspondence with grace—Sorrow for sin—A general confession—Fervent gratitude—The end of the mis- sion - 29—40 Chapter IV. : Supernatural Virtues.— Sister Elizabeth's spirit of prayer—Her degree of prayer—Her influence — O crux, ave, spes unica! — Her intercourse with Carmel—Her last retreat while in the world - 41 — 52 vi — —A CONTENTS vii Chapter V.: Farewell to the World. — Tarbes and Lourdes —The Carmel of Dijon—The hour of grace —Faith and self-renunciation —Letters and souvenirs —August 2, 1901 - 53—64 PART II AT CARMEL Chapter VI. : The Postulant.—The chief characteristics of a Carmelite vocation—Impetuous joy —Recollection —Echoes from the cloister— Fervent preparation for her clothing—The ceremony - - 6j 78 Chapter VII. : The Novitiate.—" The dark night " The reward of trial —The secret of happiness—The profession retreat—The bride of Christ—Sanctity Heaven within the soul - 79 92 Chapter VIII. : "Laudem Gloria."—A life of faith The teaching of St. Paul Laudem gloria—The spirit of praise perfects the virtues—Second portress—The guardian angel—A penitential spirit— Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity in community life - - 93 — 108 Chapter IX. : The Inner Life.—Continual prayer—The retreat of 1904—Prayer—Devotion to the Holy Trinity and the Blessed Virgin—November 21, 1904—"The " only thing I do is to enter into myself - 109— 118 Chapter X. : Sister Elizabeth and her Family Circle. —The first anniversary—All Souls' Day, 1902—Filial affection — Divine Providence — " My two lovely " lilies —The mystery of divine adoption - 1 19 — 132 Chapter XL: "Sola Soli."— Letters of condolence !" "How simple it is to die —Thirst for self-sacrifice —Retreat of 1905 —Impressions of the last hour— presentiment - 133 — 141 PART III THE THRESHOLD OF ETERNITY " " Chapter XII. : God calls Laudem Gloria to Him- self.— St. Joseph, the patron of a happy death— helpful retreat—Lent and St. Paul—The Venerable Marguerite du Saint Sacrament—Palm Sunday— Self- surrender—A sudden improvement in health—Letters to relatives - 145 — 159 —A— 1 viii CONTENTS »AGB Chapter XIII. : Transformation into Jesus Crucified. — The altar of sacrifice— Past and present—A touching interview—Letters—The glories of Carmel—A royal palace ..... 160— 17 " Chapter XIV. : Close to the Sanctuary. —The Angel of Lisieux "—A night of grace—The Queen of Virgins and Martyrs — Janua cali — The little tribune — August 2, 1906—Last retreat - - 172 184 Chapter XV. : Joy in Sacrifice. —Nocturnal Lauds—The school of the saints — Confidential letters — Strong advice—Thirst for self-abasement—Humiliations— characteristic letter—Life echoed in a letter - 185 — 194 Chapter XVI. : Last Consolations.—Overflowing charity —October 4—The triduum—With Him she loved Preparing for a clothing—The ceremony—The " con- " suming fire .... 195 — 208 Chapter XVII. : From Calvary to Heaven. —The last visit to the parlour — Love and glory — Extreme unction—The dying nun—A symbolic dream—The Angelus—Heaven—The Feast of the Dedication 209— 224 Appendix : The Last Retreat of " Laudem Gloria" - 227 Prayer of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity - 260 Letters of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity to a friend ------ 261 Letters to M. le Chanoine A - - 265 Letters to Madame - - 271 Letters to someone who wished to become a Carmelite - - - - - 281 Fragments of Letters - - - - 283 Letter from M. l'abbe D to Madame Catez - 285 A Second Retreat of Sister Elizabeth - - 289 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS TO FACE PAGE Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity - Frontispiece Elizabeth at three years of age - - - 14 Elizabeth on the day of her first Communi n 28 Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity on he Clothing day 78 — INTRODUCTION Elizabeth Catez, the daughter of an officer in the French army, was born July 10, 1880. The family settled at Dijon, and after the premature death of the father, the mother devoted herself entirely to her two daughters, who, in return, were passionately fond of her and of each other. It was an ideal household pious, but not narrow-minded, cheerful, and evidently in comfortable circumstances. At the time of her first Communion Elizabeth learnt to overcome her temper ; she also made up her mind to become a nun— indeed, the thought was not new even then. The wise mother did not oppose the child, but her education must be completed. An attractive proposal of marriage was but half-heartedly entertained by the mother, and not at all by the daughter. Instead of this, the love of our Lord grew steadily in the child's heart until it reigned supreme, and at length exclusively. The mother foresaw the ultimate issue, but demurred until the daughter had come of age, and then she hastened the sacrifice which must have been greater for her than for her child. The latter entered the Carmelite convent at Dijon, August 2, 1 901 ; took the habit on the Feast of the Immaculate Conception, made her profession January 11, 1903, received the veil on the 21st, and died, after an illness of eight months, November 9, 1906. ix a x INTRODUCTION It was a short and happy, if uneventful, life. There is a custom in many convents of sending out a circular after the death of a nun, giving a short account of the life and virtues of the deceased. In this case the Superiors and sisters were able to say much of the interior life of Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity. Many of the recipients thought that where there was so much to say there might be more, and with the help of notes left by the deceased, the reminiscences of friends, and letters written both before and after her entrance into " " religion, a Life was published in 1 909, and found so many readers that reprints followed each other in rapid succession. The present volume is a transla- tion of this " Life." The reader will instinctively turn to another " Life" of a French Carmelite nun, Teresa of the Holy Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, known as the " Little Flower of Jesus," who was the senior of Elizabeth by six, and predeceased her by nine, years. They were, therefore, not exactly contemporaries. They had much in common, but there is also a difference which appears in their photographs : the " Little Flower " looks merry, Elizabeth happy. A large tree is covered with thousands of leaves, all similar, but no two alike. Happiness is the dominant note in the life of Elizabeth. It was the result of her exquisitely tender love of our Lord— sound, wholesome love, not in the least hysterical ; a love that made her yearn for humiliation, mortifica- cation, and even suffering, in imitation of Jesus. " Do not deceive yourself," said a friend. " God takes such souls as yours at their word. ... By entering Carmel you are plunging into an abyss of INTRODUCTION xi suffering. ..." She replied : " I am ready to take the plunge. I hope to suffer severely, that is my reason for entering Carmel ; and if the good God were to deprive me of suffering for a single day I should fear He had forgotten me." Accordingly she had much to suffer, but her suffering was ever tempered with an overwhelming sense of happiness. It would seem, however, that she was spared—as M " was also the Little Flower —the keenest trials, such as a sense of dereliction and interior darkness ; perhaps these are reserved for maturer years. As an example of the kind of suffering that fell to her lot may be mentioned the pathetic story—though belong- ing to the earlier part of her life—of the conversion of Monsieur N , so passionately prayed for during a mission at Dijon.

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