Preface to the English Edition Of 1930
No more eloquent testimony has been or could be given to the Saint whose complete Autobiography is here published for the first time in English, than the words of His Holiness Pope Benedict XV on March 17th, 1918, in the decree proclaiming that the Holy See might safely proceed to canonization. After stating how: "the pious daughter of St. Francis of Sales received from Jesus Himself the mission of making known the riches of His Divine Heart that men might come to it as a fount of grace and model of virtue." the Holy Father adds these striking words, "the historian may say to-day her story is complete; the theologian and canonist have carried their researches and examinations to the full length; from the hands of even the most critical the arms have fallen...there can be no room for delay in recognizing the universal character of her apostolate." Then referring to the former decree of January 6th, 1918, approving the miracles, Pope Benedict says, "the previous decree enlightened you as to the sanctity of the devotion to the Sacred Heart; to day's decree should fill you with love for it. The first decree might counsel virtue, the last should persuade you even to heroism in the practice of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus." At the conclusion of the decree, His Holiness repeats again with an emphasis truly remarkable, "devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus supposes also triumph over human respect."
These passages are noteworthy because consciously or unconsciously they are in perfect harmony with the conclusions at which a prayerful reader of the Autobiography will arrive, viz., that the Saint is appealing to every heart and to answer the appeal will often be a call to heroism. Read in this spirit these pages, touching in their simple obedience and humility, will not only enlighten and convince the mind but their wonderful unction will inspire the peace and confidence Our Lord Himself promises. We are in communion with a Saint; we are privileged to share her fears, her ecstasies of love, even the very weaknesses that are her true strength. All this is a great means of grace offered to whoever will take it in the spirit of living faith. The Autobiography is not merely a book for spiritual reading, it is a treasure house of spiritual strength and encouragement to be read kneeling at one's prie-dieu or, better still, in the presence of that Divine Master Who deigned Himself to write its most glowing pages first on her heart as she bowed prostrate in adoration before His Eucharistic throne.
A word as to the book itself is necessary. The best history of the Autobiography is gathered from the depositions of Sister Claude de Farges, who was infirmarian at the Convent of Paray-le-Monial during the last illness of the Saint, given in the process of 1715. Apparently as the Sister states, the dying religious religious in the midst of the consolations she experienced became alarmed at the very thought of any honour being paid to herself or her writings after her death and so she said "write, I beseech you, dear Sister, to Father Rolin and ask him to burn my letters and to keep inviolably the secret which I have so often asked of him" Not content with this, a little later she more earnestly implored the same Sister "to burn the copybook which you will find in the cupboard and which was written by order of my confessor, Father Rolin of the Society of Jesus, who forbade me to destroy it myself before he had examined it"
This copybook is the Autobiography which is still treasured at Paray-le-Monial as a precious relic. It measures about seven inches by nine inches and contains sixty-four pages, clearly and closely written by the Saint's own hand. Father Francis Rolin, S. J., had ordered her to write this account of Our Lord's relations with her soul. She obeyed with great repugnance, encouraged even by her Divine Spouse Himself it would seem, and the work was completed in 1685. Fortunately the Father had forbidden her to destroy the writing and happily also the veneration of Sister de Farges for her patient caused her to disobey the request. Indeed the good Sister persuaded St. Margaret Mary that it was a more perfect act to give the key of the cupboard to the Reverend Mother and to make a sacrifice of everything else into the hands of God. This was promptly done "although it cost her not a little" and the sacred manuscript was saved.
Father Gallifet, S. J., was the first to publish it in a treatise on the Sacred Heart which appeared in Rome in 1726 and afterwards in 1733 in French. However, certain liberties of style and diction were taken in these and subsequent version altering the authentic text. In the translation before us the original has been most exactly followed and praiseworthy effort has been made to preserve the simple charm of the Vie par elle-meme published at Paray-le-Monial in 1918 and which has already passed well beyond ten thousand copies.
The Sisters of the Visitation, Walmer, have indeed merited our gratitude for making this great spiritual heirloom of their Institute accessible to all in English speaking countries.
The life of St. Margaret Mary Alacoque >>>
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