St. Therese of Lisieux died in 1897. She was sick for months and in June she had to rest. In the evening of July 8, Therese was taken to the infirmary where she stayed until her death.

On July 17, she made her now famous prediction: “I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making others love God as I love Him, my mission of teaching my little way to souls. If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.”

Therese’s condition worsened on July 28. The doctor thought Therese was going to die and she was anointed and received Holy Viaticum in the evening. However, Therese didn’t die and her condition improved. She said, “I do not desire to die more than to live; it is what He does that I love.”

Therese received Holy Communion for the last time on Aug. 19. She offered up the reception of her last Holy Communion for an unfaithful priest who had abandoned his vocation.

During her sickness, Therese continued to experience the terrible temptations against faith. She said, “Must one love God and the Blessed Virgin so much and still have thoughts like this! But I don’t dwell on them.”

Therese remained humble in the infirmary. Once she was corrected for showing impatience with a nun, and she said, “Oh! how happy I am to see myself imperfect and to be in need of God’s mercy so much even at the moment of my death!”

Therese experienced moments of uncertainty as she faced death: “I am afraid I have feared death. I am not afraid of what happens after death; that is certain! I don’t regret giving up my life; but I ask myself: What is this mysterious separation of the soul from the body? It is the first time that I have experienced this, but I abandoned myself immediately to God.”

Therese’s agony began on Sept. 29. She suffered greatly. At one point she said, “When am I going to suffocate entirely? ...I can’t stand any more! Ah! pray for me! Jesus! Mary! I will it!”

In the evening, a priest came to hear her confession; when he came out of the infirmary, he was very much moved and said: “What a beautiful soul! She seems to be confirmed in grace!”

Thursday, Sept. 30, was the final day of Therese’s earthly life. She suffered terribly in the afternoon and the community gathered around her. When the Angelus bell rang at 6 o’clock, Therese looked at the statue of Our Lady for a long time. She was holding her crucifix firmly. As the community had been almost two hours in the infirmary, the Prioress allowed the Sisters to leave. Therese sighed: “Mother! Isn’t this the agony? Am I not going to die?” The Prioress answered: “Yes, my poor child, but God perhaps wills to prolong it for several hours.” Therese said: “Well, all right! Ah! I would not want to suffer a shorter length of time.”

Her head fell back on the pillow and was turned toward the right. The Prioress had the infirmary bell rung, and the Sisters quickly returned. Hardly had the community knelt at her bedside when Therese pronounced very distinctly, while gazing at her crucifix: “Oh! I love him!” And a moment later: “My God, I love you!”

Suddenly her eyes were fixed on a spot just a little above the statue of the Blessed Virgin. She seemed to be in ecstasy. This look lasted for the space of a “Credo.” Then she closed her eyes and expired. It was 7:20 in the evening. Her head was leaning to the right. A mysterious smile was on her lips. She appeared very beautiful. Therese was 24 years, nine months old. She was buried on Oct. 4.

                                               小德蘭進入永生 


聖女小德蘭死於1897年。她生病了幾個月,到六月,她不得不躺下來休息。七月八日的黃昏,她被送到病房,亦是她人世生命中最後的安所。

七月十七日,她作了有名的預言:「我感到我的使命快要開始,就是使人去愛天主,如同我愛了祂一樣。我的使命是教導靈魂關於我的神修小道。假如天主同意我的請求,我的天堂會在世界上渡過直到世界終結。對!我願意用我的天堂於世上行善。」

七月二十八日,小德蘭情況轉差;醫生以為她再不能存活,因此她在黃昏領了傅油和臨終聖體。不過,小德蘭病況居然有進展。她說:「我並不渴望死多於渴望活;衪所作的就是我所愛的。」

八月十九日,小德蘭領了聖體 ── 是最後一次,她把那一次領聖體的神功,為一位離棄聖召的神父而奉獻。

病重期間,小德蘭仍經常受到違反信德的誘惑;她反思道:「像我那麼愛天主和聖母的人,仍然會有這樣的思想!但我不停留在這些思想上。」

病榻中的小德蘭,維持了她的謙遜。有次她表現對一位修女不耐煩,被別人指正;她的反應是:「噢!我真高興見到自己的不完美並需要天主的慈悲,甚至到我臨死前!」

面對死亡,小德蘭都有所躊躇:「我想可能我對死亡感到恐懼。我不懼怕死後會是怎樣;這是肯定的!我不後悔交出我的生命;但我自問:靈魂與肉身奧妙的分離是什麽呢?這是首次有這種感受,但我完全交託自己給天主。」

九月二十九日,小德蘭痛楚加劇。她曾說:「我何時會完全窒息呢?… 我不能再忍受了!噢!為我祈禱!耶穌!瑪利亞!我願意!」

在黃昏,有神父來幫小德蘭辦告解。之後,那神父很感動地說:「一個多麼美麗的靈魂啊!她像是被確定於聖寵中!」

九月三十日星期四,是小德蘭人世生命的最後一天。當天下午,她異常辛苦,修院各人都圍到她的病榻前。黄昏六時三鐘經的鐘聲響起,小德蘭緊握苦像,凝視著聖母像良久。

眾人圍繞著小德蘭已差不多兩個小時了,院長准許她們離開。小德蘭嘆聲問道:「姆姆,這是否臨終痛苦?我是否要死去?」院長答道:「這是,我可憐的孩子,但天主可能會延長這至數個小時。」小德蘭回應說:「好,不要緊!我不想縮短受苦的時間哩!」她的頭微微右傾在枕上。院長見狀,把病房的鈴響起,召喚修院眾人,她們又都圍跪到小德蘭的床前。小德蘭注視著苦像,清晰地說:「噢!我愛祂!」不久,又說:「我的天主,我愛祢!」

突然,小德蘭的眼睛凝望著聖母像稍高的位置,有如神魂超拔的。不多久,她呼出了最後一口氣 ── 時下午七時二十分,她的頭右傾,口角掛著微笑,面目美麗,終年二十四歲又九個月。十月四日,她的遺體被埋葬。