Diptych St Theresa of the Child Jesus in meditation with a Quote on Confidence

Description Diptych St Theresa of the Child Jesus in meditation with a Quote on Confidence

The photo chosen for the right panel dates from November 20, 1894, the day of the profession of sister Marie-Madeleine du Saint-Sacrement, a novice of Saint Thérèse. On this date the health of Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus again inspires some concerns to those around her due to a bad cough.
This photo comes from a set that includes the four Carmelite sisters and Mother Marie de Gonzague. At that time Céline was still a postulant, but for the occasion she put on the habit of novices with the white veil. The group is gathered in the courtyard of Lourdes, now disappeared, which was roughly at the current location of the shrine. Due to the 9 second exposure, the characters give the impression of boredom and constraint. Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus is absent and a little sad. But this face is called to a certain notoriety. After the death of the Saint of Lisieux, a sister of the white veil (converse), Sister Marie of the Incarnation, had the idea of isolating by cutting the photograph of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and sticking it on a photograph of the community cemetery. This was the starting point of the composition: "Thérèse in meditation in the garden of the monastery", which is found in the various editions of the History of a Soul, from 1902.
The face of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus served as the basis for the portrait of Sister Geneviève: "Thérèse en ovale". This face of "Thérèse in oval" redrawn by Sister Geneviève was then put back on Thérèse's body in meditation; this is what explains, taking still other retouching, the many variations of this subject.

On the left panel was inscribed a sentence from a letter from Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus written to Céline who was still in the world then, as indicated by the date: October 1893. Céline entered Carmel not before September 14, 1894, after the death of their father on July 29, 1894. In this Saint Theresa of Lisieux encourages us to see Jesus everywhere, in pain, in joy even if he is hiding. At the memory of this invisible presence our soul must sing. The passage from which this quote was taken can be found in the description of the Diptych of the face of Ste Thérèse with the rosary (D85A)



Quotation :

Confiance !
C'est la main de Jésus qui conduit tout.

Sainte Thérèse de l'Enfant Jésus
et de la sainte Face