urging her to the entire immolation of herself. She herself said that she expected this aid from God because of her efforts in cooperating with His grace: "If you faithfully continue to give pleasure to Him in small things, Jesus will feel bound to help you in the greater." Speaking of the day of her Confirmation, she said: "On that day I received the gift of fortitude in suffering—a gift I needed sorely." When others marveled at her heroic patience, she exclaimed: "I have not yet had a moment's patience! It is not MY patience. People do not understand. It is Jesus who does all, and I—I do nothing but be weak and little." It is in this sense that she would have us interpret her memorable and prudent remark: "I could never ask greater sufferings of God. If He were to increase them, I would endure them gladly, because they would be of His sending. But if I were to ask for them, they would be my own, and I should have to bear them all alone; and I have never been able to do anything by myself." St. Therese fully realized the source whence she drew the strength to endure her long and painful martyrdom: "How utterly impossible it is to put such feelings into oneself! It is the Holy Ghost who blows where He lists, who gives them to us." Thus, by the gift of fortitude, St. Therese became strong with Divine strength and endured with joy what, humanly speaking, was quite unendurable—nay, her heart leapt spontaneously for joy at each opportunity for suffering, as that of a famished man does at the sight of food. Does mine…? How important it is for me to beg and dispose myself for the gifts of the Holy Ghost!
(2) Her Helmet:—Confidence in God.—St. Therese had sounded the depths of the tender Heart of God and knew that she could rely wholly upon Him. "O Jesus," she cried out, "suffer me to tell Thee that Thy love reaches even unto folly. What wilt Thou but that my heart should leap up to Thee? How could my trust have any bounds?" It was her strength in weakness: "When in the morning we feel no courage or strength for the practice of virtue, it is really a grace: it is the time to 'lay the axe to the root of the tree,' relying on Jesus alone…. He helps us without seeming to do so."
