First confession
Oh! dear Mother, with what care you prepared me for my first confession, telling me it was not to a man but to God I was about to tell my sins; I was very much convinced of this truth. I made my confession in a great spirit of faith, even asking you if I had to tell Father Ducellier I loved him with all my heart as it was to God in person I was speaking.
Well instructed in all I had to say and do, I entered the confessional and knelt down. On opening the grating Father Ducellier saw no one. I was so little my head was below the arm-rest. He told me to stand up. Obeying instantly, I stood and faced him directly in order to see him perfectly, and I made my confession like a big girl and received his blessing with great devotion for you had told me that at the moment he gave me absolution the tears of Jesus were going to purify my soul. I remember the first exhortation directed to me. Father encouraged me to be devout to the Blessed Virgin and I promised myself to redouble my tenderness for her.38 Coming out of the confessional I was so happy and light-hearted that I had never felt so much joy in my soul. Since then I’ve gone to confession on all the great feasts, and it was truly a feast for me each time.
38. “I then passed my rosary through to have him bless it. It was evening and on the way home when we passed under a street light I looked at it from all sides. ‘what are you looking at, Thérèse?’ you asked. ‘I want to see what a blessed rosary looks like.’ This amused you. I remained a long time affected by the grace I received.” (Histoire d’une Ame).