Here below we have a letter from St. Therese of the Child Jesus to her sister Leonie. Her understanding of who is God, what pleases Him is simply mindblowing.

LT 191                From Thérése to Léonie.

July 12, 1896

J.M.J.T.

Jesus                                                                   July 12, 1896

Dear little Léonie,

I would have answered your charming letter last Sunday if it had been given to me. But we are five, and you know I am the littlest… so I run the risk of not seeing the letters until after the others or else not at all… 1 saw your letter only on Friday, and so, dear little sister, I am not late through my own fault…

If you only knew how happy I am to see you in these good dispositions…

I am not surprised that the thought of death is sweet to you since you no longer hold on to anything on earth. I assure you that God is much better than you believe. He is content with a glance, a sigh of love… As for me, I find perfection very easy to practice because I have understood it is a matter of taking hold of Jesus by His Heart. … Look at a little child who has just annoyed his mother by flying into a temper or by disobeying her. If he hides away in a corner in a sulky mood and if he cries in fear of being punished, his mamma will not pardon him, certainly, not his fault. But if he comes to her, holding out his little arms, smiling, and saying: “Kiss me, I will not do it again,” will his mother be able not to press him to her heart tenderly and forget his childish mischief?… However, she knows her dear little one will do it again on the next occasion, but this does not matter; if he takes her again by her heart, he will not be punished…

At the time of the law of fear, before the coming of Our Lord, the Prophet Isaias already said, speaking in the name of the King of heaven: “Can a mother forget her child?… Well! even if a mother were to forget her child, I myself will never forget you.” What a delightful promise! Ah! we who are living in the law of love, how can we not profit by the loving advances our Spouse is making to us… how can we fear Him who allows Himself to be enchained by a hair fluttering on our neck. 

Let us understand, then, how to hold Him prisoner, this God who becomes the beggar of our love. When telling us that it is a hair that can effect this prodigy, He is showing us that the smallest actions done out of love are the ones which charm His Heart.

Ah! if we had to do great things, how much we would have to be pitied?… But how fortunate we are since Jesus allows Himself to be enchained by the smallest things…

It is not little sacrifices you lack, dear Léonie, is not your life made up of them?.. 1 take delight at seeing you before such a treasure and especially when thinking you know how to profit from it, not only for yourself, but for souls… It is so sweet to help Jesus by our light sacrifices, to help Him save souls that He bought at the price of His Blood and that are awaiting only our help in order not to fall into the abyss…

It seems to me that if our sacrifices are the hairs which captivate Jesus, our joys are also; for this, it suffices not to center in on a selfish happiness but to offer our Spouse the little joys He is sowing on the path of life to charm our souls and raise them to Himself…

I intended writing Aunt today, but I have no time; this will be on next Sunday. 1 beg you to tell her how much I love her and dear Uncle as well. I am thinking very often of Jeanne and Francis.

You ask me for some news about my health. Well! dear little sister, I am not coughing anymore. Are you satisfied?… This will not prevent God from taking me when He wills; since I am putting forth all my efforts to be a very little child, I have no preparations to make. Jesus Himself will have to pay the expenses of the journey and the cost of entering heaven….

Adieu, dear little sister, I love you I believe more and more….

Your little sister, Thérèse of the Child Jesus rel. carm. ind.

Sister Genevieve is very happy with your letter; she will answer you the next time. All five of us kiss you….