REVELATION OF NOVEMBER 20, 1843

Our Lord again urges Sister Mary of St. Peter to abandon herself as a complete victim to God for the accomplishment of His plans. Therefore He tells her once more to seek the permission of her superiors to make this Act of Self-Oblation.

ON THE EVE of the day of the renewal of my vows, November 20, having made a spiritual Communion, I became aware of the presence of the Holy Child Jesus in my soul, Who urged me once again to offer Him an act of perfect sacrifice of myself for the accomplishment of His plans. For this Act of Oblation our Lord had first asked me a few days after I had entered the convent, that is, about four years ago. At that time, one morning after receiving Holy Communion, I saw our Lord Who was accompanied by an Angel. Then I was given a vision in which I saw hell. After that our Lord spoke to me saying that He wanted me to offer myself entirely to Him, and that I should willingly promise to endure everything He might send me, in order that His special plans might be accomplished. He furthermore wanted me to surrender to Him whatever merits I might gain in my new career, for this same end, namely, that His designs might be fulfilled.

At the same time He made me comprehend that He Himself would look after my interests, that He would allow me to share His merits, and that He would Himself become the director of my soul. The Angel at His side urged me to consent to so magnificent a proposal, and he even seemed envious of my good fortune. He appeared in a way to regret not having a body, giving me to understand that whereas it was possible for me to acquire merit, he himself was unable to do so. Furthermore, this heavenly spirit told me that if I gave my consent to our Lord's proposal, the holy angels would surround my bed at my death and would defend me from the snares of the demon.

Although I felt strongly attracted to make this Act at once, I did not do so right away. I decided instead to wait until I could receive the advice of the Mistress of Novices, who was also the Prioress, but after speaking to her, she in her wisdom answered me, "My child, the Act of Sacrifice to our Lord which you ask my permission to make is not an ordinary one. Since you are only a postulant, and as yet I have no right over you, I cannot permit it."

I was to be refused more than once, and although I felt myself forcibly drawn to make this act of complete self-abandonment, yet one thing was always lacking and that was permission.

Finally it happened that on March 25 of that year, being the Feast of the Annunciation, I wrote out an Act of Self-Oblation which I made, offering myself to the Child Jesus, but He now made me understand that I had received permission to make this Act only partially, because I had not explained to my superior the true nature of this oblation, and that as a result He accepted it only as a simple and ordinary act of dedication, and nothing more. Furthermore, the Divine Child made me understand that if I really wanted my soul to be entirely His in order that He could work in it all that He desired, it was necessary for me to ask my superiors again for their full consent.

I therefore approached my superiors begging them to allow me to make this Act of Sacrifice the next day, November 21, the Feast of the Presentation, but our worthy superiors again refused me permission. Our Lord then seemed satisfied with my good will, for I saw now that this would not prevent Him from giving me His Revelations concerning the great Work of Reparation.