 ST. THERESE'S ACT OF OBLATION AS A VICTIM OF DIVINE LOVE This Act of Oblation St. Therese carried in a copy of the Holy Gospels, near to her heart night and day. O my God, Most Blessed Trinity, I desire to love Thee and to make Thee loved, to labor for the glory of Holy Church by saving souls on earth and by delivering those who suffer in Purgatory. I desire to accomplish Thy Will perfectly and to attain to the degree of glory which Thou hast prepared for me in Thy Kingdom; in a word, I long to be a Saint; but I know that I am powerless, and I implore Thee, O my God, to be Thyself my sanctity. Since Thou hast so loved me as to give me Thine Only Son to be my Saviour and my Spouse, the infinite treasures of His merits are mine; to Thee I offer them with joy, beseeching Thee to behold me only through the eyes of Jesus and in His Heart burning with love. Again, I offer Thee all the merits of the Saints, in Heaven and on earth, their acts of love and those of the holy angels; and finally I offer Thee, O Blessed Trinity, the love and merits of the Holy Virgin, my most dear Mother; to her I entrust my oblation, begging her to present it to Thee. Her Divine Son, my well-beloved Spouse, during the days of His life on earth told us: "If you ask the Father anything in My name, He will give it to you." [John xvi. 23] I am, then, certain that Thou wilt hearken to my desires. My God, I know it; the more Thou willest to give, the more dost Thou make us desire. Immense are the desires that I feel within my heart, and with confidence I call upon Thee to come and take possession of my soul. I cannot receive Thee in Holy Communion as often as I would; but Lord, art Thou not Almighty? Remain in me as in the Tabernacle; never leave Thy little victim.  I long to console Thee for the ingratitude of the wicked, and I pray Thee to take from me the power to displease Thee. If through frailty sometimes I fall, may Thy divine glance purify my soul immediately, consuming every imperfection, like to fire which transforms all things into itself. I thank Thee, O my God, for all the graces Thou hast showered on me, in particular for having made me pass through the crucible of suffering. It is with joy that I shall behold Thee on the Last Day, bearing Thy sceptre, the cross; since Thou hast deigned to give me for my portion this most precious cross, I have hope of resembling Thee in Heaven, and of seeing the sacred stigmata of Thy Passion shine in my glorified body. After exile on earth, I hope to enjoy the possession of Thee in the eternal Fatherland, but I have no wish to amass merits for Heaven; I will work for Thy Love alone, my sole aim being to give Thee pleasure, to console Thy Sacred Heart, and to save souls who will love Thee for ever. At the close of life's day I shall appear before Thee with empty hands, for I ask not, Lord, that Thou wouldst count my works. ... All our justice is tarnished in Thy sight; therefore I desire to be clothed with Thine Own Justice, and to receive from Thy Love the eternal possession of Thyself. I crave no other throne nor other crown but Thee, O my Beloved. In Thy sight time is nothing; one day is as a thousand years. [Ps. lxxxix. 4] Thou canst in an instant prepare me to appear before Thee.  In order to live in one act of perfect love, I offer myself as a victim to Thy merciful Love, and beg Thee to consume me unceasingly, letting flow into my soul the floods of infinite tenderness which are contained in Thee, so that I may become a martyr of Thy Love, O my God. May this martyrdom, having first prepared me to appear before Thee, break life's thread at last, and may my soul takes its flight unhindered to the eternal embrace of Thy merciful Love. I desire, O my Beloved, to renew this offering to Thee an infinite number of times, with every beat of my heart, "till the shadows retire," [Canticle of Canticles, iv. 6] and I can tell Thee my love, face to face through all eternity. Amen.  Contact Us HOME--------------------------SAINTS www.catholictradition.org/Lisieux/oblation3.htm |