Servant of God, Claire de Castelbajac

[NadaTeTurbe]

I just finished to read the life of Ven. Claire de Castelbajac, and I wanted to share it with you. 

Here you can read her life : http://www.boulaur.org/abbaye-cistercienne-sainte-marie-de-boulaur/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=60&Itemid=75#autres langues (select GB for the enlish version. Here is another story of her life with many example of her piety as a child http://www.clairval.com/lettres/en/2003/10/07/2081003.htm  ) As you can see, it's a very simple life. She was a normal young, not even a religious ! But she lived absolutely for God and by God, she lived the little way of Ste Therese with joy... All was joy in her life, it's what touched me while reading her life... 

 (Claire working on a restauration in Assisi) 

Here are some quotes by her that I love : http://www.boulaur.org/abbaye-cistercienne-sainte-marie-de-boulaur/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=61&Itemid=76

« 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)
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. »
 

A prayer through her intercession : 

O God of Love, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, we adore you and give you thanks for having given us in Claire de Castelbajac a model of Christian life.  Your grace led her to discover that our vocation to happiness already begins here on earth. We ask you, through the intercession of our heavenly Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, whom Claire loved so much, the glorification of Claire on earth, so that the secret of her joy, rooted in love and trust in God, will illuminate our time, shine on young people and raise up many fervent vocations of love. Also grant, through her intercession, the grace that we ask you to give, Father, in your merciful love: ... Amen.

 

 

Claire de Castelbajac pray for us ! 

Edited September 11, 2015 by NadaTeTurbe

[Charbel]

Beautiful! Thank you for thinking to share with us Nada. I love hearing about people like this, who were just so on fire with love for Jesus!  

This part is very nostalgic for me:

«. I want to be a saint that's it.

  I will definitely be getting a book on her.

[AveMariaPurissima]

Those quotes are beautiful!!

[BarbTherese]

Thank you very much for sharing what you have.  Claire was not only a lay person but also a follower of The Little Way of St Therese and these do speak to me.

[NadaTeTurbe]

I tried to look if there was a biography on Claire in english, but there's not. Anyway, the one that I read and who is very good is "Claire de Castelbajac, Que ma joie demeure" by Dominique-Marie Dauzet 

Barbara, I really understood the Little Way of Ste Thérèse after reading the life of Claire ! I had read the "Story of a Soul", but I did not liked the writing. But now I really feel like I understand it and that I can live it with joy, too ! 

Reading the life of a young, lay, girl, like me, who was so in love with Jesus gave me so much energy. Since reading her biography, I have been more thankful than usually, and my prayer was better than usual !! 

[MarysLittleFlower]

Oh neat! I love the little way too. I should read her life. I think the quote on love / acceptance is amazing.