A SAMPLE OF CLAIRE'S WORDS
« I am not alone. Jesus is with me. »
(at 2 and 1/2, when her mother had to leave her alone for a moment)
« I want to be a saint so I must make sacrifices. »
(age 6 and 1/2, to her mother)
- Have you thought of offering your heart and your day ?
« Of course ! What else am I here fort ? »
(age 7, to her mother)
« Do you know what I want to be when I grow up ?
- Yes, I can guess. You want to become a nun.
« No, even stronger than that. »
- Then I cannot guess...
«. I want to be a saint that's it. Now that's tougher than becoming a nun,
isn't it,? »
(to her father at age 8 and 1/2)
Journal entries at age 13 :
« Jesus, be sure to tell our Father that I adore Him and will spread his
glory as much as I can. Tell our Mother that I try to be pure and kind like
her. Tell the Holy Spirit that I need Him to help me love you more. Thank you
; back to you tomorrow. »
« Thank you for giving me the strength to make sacrifices. I really need it
to give you more soul's. »
« I will now pray and make as many sacrifices as I can for sinners, heathens,
persecutors, for missionaries and for those who cannot be baptized. »
« Jesus, help me receive the sacraments often and go to Mass more often so
that God's grace continues to grow in me. Help me never separate from you and,
on the contrary, bring others close to you. »
« Help the small acorn I am grow into a large oak tree with you. Help the oak
tree make many other acorns. »
« Oh, merciful Lord, I am deeply sorry for all the sins in the world. I will
try to do as much good as possible by being a missionary and proclaiming your
glory. But please help me fight against sin and conquer the devil so that
God's cause can triumph within me. »
« I have too much happiness. It is overt lowing. Do you want me
to give it to you ? I am happy, happy, full of joy (the joy of God's children,
perhaps ?); a joy that cannot be defined. »
(age l4 and 1/2, to her parents)
« When you think of it, it is funny to realize how many
reasons there are for happiness f Life is nothing but happiness. It is people
who turn it into woe. If only everyone could understand this ! »
(age 16, to her parents)
« Never lose heart ! That's the worst thing to do. As soon
as you begin to feel weak call on the Virgin Mary and your guardian angel. You
are ~sure they will help you. They are the best friends and have lots of power !
They won't let you down. Then thank them. The remedy is excellent. »
(age 16 and 1/2, to a friend)
Being a saint means loving the ordinary things of life for
God, with God and with His divine grace and strength.
I always thought it was acceptance and not love. This changes everything and is
brilliant. That must be from where God's joy comes from. Acceptance is a rather
neutral feeling, even thought it is better than submissiveness.
But when it comes down to it, love is the only feeling good enough for God. You
don't just accept as kiss from your parents, you love the kiss because it comes
from your parents.
- to accept is just like saying well, I just got a nasty blow, might as
well see the good side and offer it up to God ;
- to resign oneself is like saying this blow annoys me but in any case
there is nothing to do about it but to give it up to God.
- to make it an act of love is to say God was good enough to send me this
blow so that I can offer it to Him with all my heart for his glory.
Nevertheless, it takes a thick coat of holiness to turn everything into an act
of love. »
(17 October 1972, journal entry)
« I would like to give happiness to everyone I come in
contact with and sow joy. Sister Theresa waited to get to heaven to spread
happiness. I want to spread happiness on earth.»
(1972, to a nun)
« I must definitely show proof of God through joy... fancy
words are not enough. »
(March, 1973, to her parents)
« I am continually immersed in joy and inner peace. I
love everyone and feel like making everyone happy. That's what the joy of God's
children must be. And I have been looking so long for it !
(28 July 1974, to her parents)
« I pray for you. Trust the Holy Virgin and get used to
her constant presence at your side. The more you realize how close she is to
you, the closer she gets. You cannot escape the radiance of her serenity and
peace. The main thing is to believe it. »
(20 August 1974, to a friend)
« I now realize how much everything in life must be
turned to God. If you really think about it, it doesn't even take any effort ;
it is so very natural. »
(2 October 1974, to her parents)
« Beyond my intimacy with the Holy Virgin I find God's
love. It is great, surprising and so simple »
(4 October 1974, to a friend)
« This faith that overfills me now, I would like to pour
into you, give you the recipe. Read the Holy Bible, starting with Saint John,
say the rosary, take a few minutes a day to say your prayers. Christian charity
is to love others because God loves them. That's what, among other things,
overturns me with divine joy. »
(10 October 1974, to a friend)
« I am amazed by the quantity of God's love and I admire
that He has given me so much grace in return for nothing. »
(November, 1974)
« I am so happy that it I should die right now I think I
would go straight to heaven ; heaven is the praise of God and I am there
already. »
(to her mother, several days before she came down with her last, unexpected
illness).
