BRO. MARCEL VAN: SUFFERING 3
The ideas presented here come from the dialogues Bro Marcel
Van had with the Lord Jesus, with the Blessed Mother, and with St Therese of
the Child Jesus (it is indicated who is speaking or sending the message) with
whom he enjoyed spiritual conversations. Brother Marcel’s holy life did not
rest on these conversations but rather on his deep love for God, his obedience
to his will, and his commitment and service to others. He died as a “confessor
of the faith” – one who lived his faith heroically in the midst of trials – in
a North Vietnamese Communist prison where he strived to bring joy and faith to
his companions, Catholic or not.
5.3 help in suffering
Jesus: Go to sleep and do not worry about suffering; you'll
take care of it when it comes. It is currently the time of the nap; do what you
have to do for the moment, you'll know the rest later. Your sister Teresa has
already told you this many times. Enough. Go to sleep...
Jesus: Before receiving this kiss, you will have to endure a
lot of suffering; but these sufferings, I will choose them so that they are not
above your strength
Jesus: You can not understand how Love must suffer even more
than you to make you suffer. (see Lm 3, 33) [...] You do not have the strength
to endure suffering even for a long time. And yet, little brother, your
strength is love; and this strength can even make you able to accept all my
sufferings, with those of Mary and all your brothers and sisters the saints,
and to endure them also with joy.
Thérèse: Jesus, by sending you suffering, will certainly
give you the strength to accept it with joy. Look at me, little brother. Formerly,
I suffered like you, my sufferings even lasted longer than yours;
However, I was able to get through because the suffering is
not our work but that of Jesus, it is himself who must take care of everything
... Little brother, keep your soul in peace and, at moment of the test, I can
also help you at least a little
Therese: Little brother, great as your sufferings are,
always remember that I too suffered, but Mary consoled me. It will be the same
for you. Mary will never depart from you in your sufferings. Moreover, when you
suffer, it is still she who has the most to suffer, since she is your Mother.
Marcel: O Mother Mary, I always have the cross in my hand.
But I love Jesus very much, and loving him, I love the cross at the same time;
by loving the cross, I must necessarily love you too ... It is so, O Mary, my
Mother. If I did not have you for Mother, my sighs could not be turned into
roses. Is it not true, Mother? At this, there is nothing surprising because I
know that nothing passes by your hands without acquiring a new beauty. In these
conditions, I can, without having too much to blush, recognize me as the dear
little friend of Jesus.
