Some words from Elisabeth Leseur
“The world approves and countenances nearly everything. To the squandering of time or fortune or one’s heart, and even to the most blatant acts of folly and guilt, it closes its eyes, smiles at, or gives its applause. On the other hand, do not think of consecrating any part of yourself or your time or money to the cause of God. Such a thing is not pleasing to this frivolous world, which considers itself to be robbed of all you give to eternal things and to your brothers; and it will not allow such theft. The love of God is the only eccentricity the world does not accept and will never accept.” - Elisabeth Leseur
The above quote is from My Spirit Rejoices: The Diary of a Christian Soul in an Age of Unbelief. I am forever indebted to Elisabeth Leseur and her story because she gives me so much hope. In a nutshell, she was a Catholic laywoman whose husband Felix was an atheist and did everything he could to tear her away from her faith. The result was that she clung more fiercely to her faith, offered up her sacrifices and sufferings for his conversion, and kept a diary. After she died, Felix found her diary and not only became a Catholic, but became a priest.
Reading her secret diary revealed to me the depth and richness of her interior life. It also helped me to further discover, nurture and cultivate my own, which has been such a gift and consolation to me. Her story made me realize I’m not alone in having loved ones who don’t share the same faith as I do, and that it’s not my job to change them. My job is to love those God places in my path, and to follow to the best of my ability His promptings about what I practice and believe.
“To act while physically exhausted and to suffer without any sensible consolation is perhaps to merit what our prayer would not have been worthy to obtain. Only sacrifice is certain to go straight to the Heart of Jesus.” - Elisabeth Leseur
“Let each one of our words and deeds contain a principle of life that, penetrating other spirits, will communicate light and strength and will reveal God to them.” - Elisabeth Leseur
“In prayer we do not see the result of our efforts, however certain they may be; we are truly instruments in the hands of the divine Artist. We can remain humble even while knowing the great joy of working for God’s glory and the good of souls. Let that, O Lord, be my portion and my task, and in silence let me do Thy will alone.” - Elisabeth Leseur
Her story is an inspiration, and her diary is solid spiritual reading. Her intercession is invaluable for those who have loved ones with seemingly irreconcilable differences, and those suffering from breast cancer (the cause of her death). It is also my understanding that they were open to children had God granted them the gift of parenthood. So perhaps her prayers would be valuable to those desiring children, and at the very least those who feel called to spiritual motherhood and a life of deep prayer.