Childhood

Elizabeth's birth, family, and education — She overcomes her natural defects of character — Death of her father — Her conversion — Her musical talent — Her first Communion — The "House of God" — Visits to Carcassonne.

God, Who cc gives His angels charge over us, to keep us in all our ways/'¹ lovingly prepared the ways of Elizabeth when He formed the home to which to entrust this predestined soul.

Her father, Francois Joseph Catez, belonged to one of those families of Northern France in which religious and high principles are transmitted as the glory of their race. During his military career he always won the confidence of his superior officers, the love of his fellows, and the affection of all, by his uprightness and noble qualities.f grave by Commandant de C , printed in the Sfmaine Religieuse de Dijon.²

Divine Providence bestowed upon him such a wife as he deserved. She was a member of the Rolland family, a race of Southern origin, whose name, renowned in the army, was also characterized by devotion to religion, to honour, and to its native country.

Marie Rolland possessed the simple yet steadfast faith of her mother, a native of Lorraine, and was fitted by special refinement of soul for the mission reserved for her. She was an enthusiastic admirer of St. Teresa, the great Carmelite reformer, and delighted in copying out the finest passages of her works, little suspecting that these quotations would one day bring the soul of her child into communication with that of the seraphic Mother, thus " nourishing " her early childhood <c with this heavenly doctrine."*

Divine Providence watched from the first hour over the precious life which these pages are to describe.

Her parents awaited, with unmixed joy, the little j one who was to complete their happiness. But joy j was turned into the deepest anxiety : the mother's j life was in jeopardy and the child's despaired of. j Captain Catez, actuated by vivid faith, hastened ta the chaplain of Avor, and asked him to say Mas9 that the dreaded catastrophe might be averted. The priest went to the altar, and the Holy Sacrifice, offered before the throne of God, won the desired grace. Hope rekindled, and towards the end of the last Gospel little Elizabeth began her life on July i 8j 1880. The day was Sunday — a coincidence which; she afterwards considered the first call to her special] : * Collect for the Feast of St. Teresa.

vocation, or what was, at least, the chief characteristic of her religious life — to be a " praise of glory " to the Blessed Trinity.

Her baptism, on the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen, July 22, may also be regarded as chosen by Providence, which often conceals a Divine plan beneath apparently accidental circumstances. The child, regenerated under the auspices of the great penitent, early showed a special devotion to the saint, whom, innocent as her girlhood was, she resembled in more ways than one.³ Wounded by the same love, she understood the eager search, the silence at the feet of the Saviour, the longing to follow Him even to Calvary, to the perfect union He grants to privileged souls.

Yet the first years of her life gave no presage of her future. Elizabeth, naturally very lively, was, until she was seven years old, subject to bursts of temper, contrasting strangely with the extreme gentleness of her sister Marguerite, two years her junior. She seemed to think that all must give way before her. Fortunately, her mother was firm as well as tender, for her affection rested upon a supernatural basis only too rare even in Christian homes. Madame Catez felt no diffidence about undertaking her daughter's education, especially as in the undisciplined little character she recognized unusual qualities of heart and energy to which she appealed. The most severe punishment for the child, and one which conquered all her stubbornness, was to forfeit her mother's kiss before going to sleep at night. The day would come when Elizabeth would bless her mother for having taught her self-conquest by love — a valuable lesson, to become the law of her soul, and to lead her by repeated efforts up the steep summit to perfection.

The Catez family moved from Bourges into Burgundy : first to Auxonne, and then to Dijon, where a severe trial awaited Elizabeth. Almost immediately after her arrival God called to Himself her grandfather on her mother's side. Monsieur Rolland, a highly distinguished man, was, above all, a good Christian. Skilled in Fart d'etre grand-pere, he knew how to place himself on a level with his little granddaughters, and to delight them with tales that both fascinated and formed their young minds. Elizabeth grieved deeply over his loss. Eight months after, her father also was torn almost suddenly from his loving family. Yet the twofold sorrow does not seem to have had the decisive influence over her life which brought about what she styled her " conversion." God reserved it to Himself. It was due to her first confession, which made a deep impression on the child, awakening in her the spirit of religion. Henceforth she firmly resolved to struggle against her besetting fault, which, however, did not damp her high spirits and natural gaiety,

Elizabeth greatly enjoyed the few weeks spent during her holidays at the camp of Chalons, with its

CHILDHOOD stirring military life and sham fights at the time of the manoeuvres. Her soul, full of harmony, delighted in the musical talent which already rendered her attractive. Some children's concerts were organized at Dijon to promote competition among the young performers ; Elizabeth's brilliant and expressive style was particularly admired, although, being but eight years old, she could hardly reach the pedals. She took her audience by surprise by her execution of Steibelt's V Or age. People were astonished at the precision of her execution ; her little fingers seemed scattering pearls.

Such a brilliant success at so early an age might have been dangerous to the little girl, but her mother's vigilance, seconding the work of grace, knew how to preserve in her all the candour and humility which distinguished her through life. When, after being warmly congratulated, the child asked her mother : " How did I play my piece ?" Madame Catez, dreading the slightest reeling of vanity, answered : " Pretty well." " I shall take more pains next time," answered Elizabeth, and never recurred to the praise she had received. Her heart, already enamoured of the Divine Ideal, was preoccupied with the one thought of her first meeting with Him of Whose love she already felt the presage.

At the time she was deeply interested in the catechetical instructions in preparation for her first Communion. The struggle with her impulsive nature was bearing fruit ; the nearer the great day approached, the more numerous were her victories over a will which had already mastered itself. How longingly she sighed for April 19, 189 1! At last the day broke on which her soul was to be filled with the light of heaven.

She had opened her heart on the previous evening to the devout chaplain of the camp at Avor, who had baptized her, and who had come to assist at her first Communion. The good priest, deeply affected by what he had learnt, wondered what would be the destiny of the child over whom he seemed to see the hand of God.

Elizabeth wept silently during the touching ceremony. " When we left the church," relates the friend who made her first Communion at the same time, " she said, c I am not hungry ; Jesus has fed me.' ' How often have we ourselves heard her say, after being absorbed in prayer : " Oh, how He has fed me with Himself!"

In the evening she met at the Carmelite Convent the nun who, as Prioress, would eight years later console her during her weary two years⁴ waiting. " She made an indelible impression on me," writes the Reverend Mother. " I told her that, according to the meaning of her name, she was the happy little 1 House of God.' She was greatly struck by the idea. I wrote it out for her on the back of a picture, little thinking that the mystery of the Divine indwelling in her soul would become the watchword of her spiritual life."*

This mystery was no longer hidden from her, for

" Ton nom beni cache un mystere Qui s'accomplit en ce grand jour. Enfant, ton cceur est sur la terre,

Maison de Dieu (Elizabeth) du Dieu d'amour."

the Divine Guest had revealed Himself to her that very morning. Elizabeth did not tell the hidden secret of this first meeting, but others divined that it had been profound and decisive. Nothing proved it so conclusively as the visible change that took place in her from that auspicious day. Henceforth the sweet child became perfectly gentle ; no movement of impatience was ever noticed in her, only at times a tear glistening beneath her eyelashes revealed her inward struggle. The priest in whom she confided could not sufficiently admire her energy in controlling the fiery temper and strong affections that characterized her.

The enemy of all good, envious of the peace of so pure and faithful a soul, strove to disturb her. In order to try the child He loved so tenderly, God allowed her to pass through a period of scruples and distress ; but the patience and kindness of her confessor, which induced her to confide in him, made her realize the goodness of God Himself, and thus restored her to perfect peace.

At thirteen years of age she composed a memorare to her holy patroness, of which the childish wording contrasts with the depth of sentiment. The feeling of exile, the thirst for perfection, for the infinite, which made our little angel live less in this world than in heaven, are already noticeable.

" Remember, O Saint Elizabeth, my patroness and my heavenly guardian, that I am thy little charge ; help me in this desert land, and uphold me in my weakness. Give me thy virtues, thy gentle humility, thy sublime charity. Ask God to change my faults into virtues, as He changed the bread thou heldest io THE "PRAISE OF GLORY"

into roses. Grant me the wings of hope that I maymount to heaven, and receive me thyself at the gate of Paradise when God calls me to Him. Amen.

"Elizabeth Catez."

Unfortunately, we can discover in her diary no trace of her daily efforts and struggles before attaining the transformation at which she ceaselessly aimed. Her longing to escape notice made her destroy⁵5'" the pages that would have rendered it easy to reconstruct her whole life, as a child and as a Carmelite, with all the charm that characterizes her letters. Gracious and high-minded as she was, as a religious said, on leaving her after an interview in the Carmelite parlour: "She really has charming qualities." Indeed she was charming in every way, and all the more so because she never seemed to suspect it. " If you could see the beauty of a soul in a state of grace," said our Lord to Saint Catharine of Siena, " you would die of love for it." " Such was the first impression made on me," said a priest charged with the care of Elizabeth's soul a few years later, cc when, as its director, this pure soul displayed itself before me in all its candour and innocence, as limpid as the pure crystal of translucid water. A restrained enthusiasm gave ardour to a piety that was simple, orderly, and perfectly natural in its supernatural character ; there was no exaggeration or craving for what was unusual. The self that is so detestable never seemed to have been born in her." Let us rather say that it was kept in check by a longing for suffering very rare at an age when nature thirsts for every pleasure. Her heart, given up to divine love, found no rest save in pain. Though still a child, she craved for immolation ; each leaf of her diary echoes with generous aspirations of which she never wearies ; and in what words does she express them ! * She did more. She gave herself as a sacrifice as far as her life admitted of it, and sacrifice, constantly offered, softened her, and formed her as an imitation of her Divine Model Whose sweetness and humility she would soon exemplify, until, raised to heroism, she would receive from Him the imprints of the cross.

Before going further we give the reminiscences of a venerable Canon of Carcassonne, with whom the Catez family often stayed for a short time. The worthy priest knew Elizabeth well, as from her earliest days she had made him the confidant of her secret feelings.

" Hymn to Suffering.

" Strike me, loved Suffering, strike with crushing blow ! Strike, strike, O Pain, that I desire to bear ; Thou who didst not e'en the Redeemer spare, Be thou my hope whilst dwelling here below !

" Strike ! for I cannot live apart from thee ! Strike ! that my Jesus may behold in me One nailed in anguish on the cross with Him, Whose lips drink from the chalice' bitter brim.

" Strike ! for in sacrifice and trial a joy Dilates my heart with bliss without alloy, Since I dare hope my anguish may impart Some solace to my Saviour's grieving heart !"⁶

" What can I say of her who chose me for her friend but that she was a saint ? A saint, indeed, in the widest acceptation of the word. So firmly was I convinced of it that I wrote one day to her mother : c I burn all the letters I receive except Elizabeth's, which I preserve carefully, and will leave to your grandchildren. Who knows whether they may not be wanted some day for her beatification or canonization ?'

" God is wonderful in His saints, and His grace, skilled in its work, began its labours early in this predestined soul.

" Elizabeth was saintly from her earliest years. I affirm that she never flagged. Ask her mother, who will tell you that in our conversation and correspondence we never styled her by any other name than c our little saint.' I believe that she died in her baptismal innocence.

" She was the more praiseworthy because she was naturally lively, ardent, and passionate. Born in a camp, the child and descendant of soldiers felt their warm and generous blood course through her veins. She might easily have been hot-headed, wilful, and hasty. Fortunately, her vivacity was balanced by her two-fold affection — for God and for her mother. For her mother, to whom she was absolutely devoted ; and for Him Whom she always named in fervent accents l Him.' She fixed her large, beautiful eyes — with their heavenly expression that you know so well, Reverend Mother — on God and on her mother, and her constant question was : c What must 1 do?'

" She was very fond of playing with her little friends, and no one knew better than she how to make

CHILDHOOD the games amusing. I can see her now on our excursions among the mountains, woods, and fields, crossing the rivers, always at the head of the band. A single look or word from her mother would stop her in the midst of her most giddy flight.

"What a contrast to her little sister Marguerite, who was just as good and charming ! The one active, exuberant ; the other so calm and serious that we nick-named her c Justice.' u When Elizabeth left the world her only regret was for her mother.

" Why did she thank me before recommending her mother to me? Because she had always thought that I favoured her vocation. I do not deny it ; indeed, I had the courage to say to her mother : c She belongs to God rather than to you !'

" One evening the little girls, tired of playing, were talking together in their childish way. Elizabeth, by an artful little trick, managed to draw near me, and even to clamber on my knee. Bending towards me, she whispered, < Canon, I am going to be a nun ! I will be a nun !" I believe she was only seven years old. ... I shall always remember the angelic way in which she said it ... as also her mother's rather irritated manner as she asked: c What is the foolish little creature saying ?' i4 THE "PRAISE OF GLORY"

" Madame Catez well knows the cloister where she sought me next day. She asked me anxiously whether I believed the vocation to be genuine, and I stabbed her to the heart by answering : c I do f

"The holy woman has climbed her Calvary; she has borne her share in her daughter's immolation. Tearful but faithful to her post, like the Mother of Jesus, she has offered the sacrifice. God will reward her as she deserves. Meanwhile she has the glory and consolation of having given a great saint to heaven.

" Others, more fortunate than myself in having witnessed it, can describe how Elizabeth prepared for the great day of her first Communion. I can only say that from that time I never saw her pray, or heard her confession, or gave her Holy Communion, without saying to myself, c The child is an angel !' "

ELIZABETH AT THREE YEARS OF AGE.

To face Page 14.⁷

Footnotes

1. Ps. XC II. ↩

2. From a speech relating to Captain Catez, delivered over his ↩

3. Elizabeth liked to link together the feast of the saint with the commemoration of her own baptism. In 1905 she wrote : "To-morrow is the Feast of St. Mary Magdalen, of whom the Truth declared, ' She loved much.' It is a feast of my soul also, for I shall keep the anniversary of my baptism ; and since you are the priest of love, I beg you to consecrate me to Him at Holy Mass. Baptize me in the Blood of the Lamb, so that, being a stranger to all love but His, I may love Him alone with a passion ever deepening until it attains that blessed union destined for us by God in His eternal and unchangeable will." ↩

4. The simple little picture, carefully preserved, is inscribed with these lines : ↩

5. With the exception of a manuscript book from which we shall make some extracts. ↩

6. We find other traces belonging to this period showing her craving for the cross. No doubt our little sister's first attempts at poetry are very faulty, yet how touching are the verses she wrote on Good Friday, inspired by the sufferings of our Saviour ! ↩

7. I shall never forget her last visit. We were feeling sad at the prospect of a parting which we knew would be final. Her mother was weeping, but the child, forcing back her tears, leant towards me, and murmured two words which I alone could hear: c Thank you. . . . Mamma!' I never saw her again. May her prayers win me the grace to meet her in heaven ! ↩