To be recited on the Feast of the Annunciation at
eight o’clock¹ in the morning.

Chapter 13

Among the Fathers of the Church disputing with competitive spirit to know, which virtues of Our Lady had rendered Her most pleasing in the eyes of God and worthy of being His Mother. There are some, who had thought with reason was Her virginity. They thought from being the greatest among all pure creatures, by an intentional vow, had raised the divine standard of virginity in the world. And Our Lady had surpassed all the grace, perfection and sanctity of all the other Saints together. I say the same regarding an act so heroic that was done from this young virgin of following the example of the Queen of Virgins.

Catherine had a haste and perceiving mind, which she would study every means to testify more and more of her love for Jesus Christ. She had devoted to examine everything that was done for pleasing the Lord and would immediately place into practice. This was the reason that while having passed some days at Montreal, where for the first time that she had seen Sisters and she had been so charmed with their modesty and devotion. She had informed most thoroughly with regard to the manner these holy Sisters were living and the virtues they were practicing. She learnt that they were Christian virgins consecrated to God and through a vow of perpetual chastity.

She would give me no peace until I granted her permission that is, to have made the same sacrifice of herself. This was her greatest glory before God and considering her from that aspect alone, which she had deserved to receive many graces during her lifetime and bring about so many great miracles after her death. She served God, but for Him alone and from the only desire to please Him. God had preserved her, because she was for more than twenty years in an angelic purity of soul and body. She had aided herself in this preparation of renouncing marriage from a resolution to guard her virginity, which was contrary to the custom of the other girls. And He prepared her through generously raising her above the persecutions that she had suffered, because she did not want to marry. Almost as soon as she arrived at the Sault, which Catherine had resolved to lead a life of virginity and kept this a secret until again being persecuted that obliged to disclose her decision.

After Catherine had declared that she would prefer to accomplish her purpose without any further delay, and so much did she want as soon as possible to belong only to Our Lord, to make Him that entire sacrifice of herself and from a promise not possible of being repealed. The thing was so unusual and appeared differently with the life of the Natives. I had thought it right not to precipitate matters and give her plenty of time to consider carefully a matter of such a consequence. I had well proved her for sometime, which I had after seen the great progress that she made in every sort of virtue and above all with what profusion God communed with His servant.

I was again convinced it was the spirit of God was acting in this excellent girl that is to say, it seemed to me the purpose of Catherine could come from no other source than from Him. Thereupon, I had at last given the permission that she desired. It would be difficult to place in words of the joy she felt and fervour with that she had prepared of so great an act. When this day that she so waited had last arrived, which was the happiest and most beautiful day of her life, that she made one more effort to offer her sacrifice for the Lord and with all the devotion and ardour she could command.

It was the Feast of the Annunciation, Saturday March 25, 1679 that at eight o’clock in the morning when a moment after Jesus Christ gave Himself to her in Holy Communion, which Catherine Tekakwitha had completely given herself to Him. She had renounced marriage forever with a vow of perpetual virginity for Him and in imitation of the holy Sisters. With a heart all embraced with His love, which she had begged Him to be her only Spouse and accept her as His bride. She prayed to Our Lady, which she had a tender devotion and to present herself to Her divine Son. Then she had made a double consecration in one single act that is, offering herself entirely to Mary and instantly having Her to be her Mother and accept her as Her daughter, which was at the same time that she had dedicated herself to Jesus Christ.

After she had passed some hours at the foot of the altar, she was always on her knees in holy meditation and perfect union with God. In this manner, the great act had taken place and the greatest desire of Catherine was achieved. I had thought surely that such a resolution must have been inspired in her through the Holy Spirit. I have found it difficult to describe the devotion of a soul, which the spouse of Our Lord was already so full of pious unction and offered her sacrifice to God. And the Angels, who stood looking on as witnesses had known and surely were in admiration of this difficult thing to do, which was from so an eminent of a soul and the burning love in a woman. They were overwhelmed with joy when they beheld this Native girl placed with them through a vow of chastity. In truth, after her heroic sacrifice had been made, which she had no longer seemed of this world and led a life most like to that of the Angels. Her conversation was of Heaven alone and her soul had already tasted of its gentleness while she mortified her body from new austerities, which was joined to her intense striving to be constantly united to God.

She had exhausted her strength and she had fallen very more ill the same summer and scarcely escaped death. She had retained a great pain in her stomach and accompanied with frequent vomiting with a low fever that gradually undermining her, which lessened her to a condition of weakness from that she was not able to raise herself. Although of her infirmities, it had taken courage such as hers to support these sufferings. All the fervour of her devotion had never lessened until she died. On the contrary, her spirit seemed to have taken new strength at the expense of her body and she sought new means that is, to have sanctify herself as she approached the end of her days.

The just persons are admirable in their own manners and the more they had realized their end is near, which rapidly they would advance in perfection. They are holy misers and never content with what they have given to God, but they had wanted always to give Him more and receive more from Him in return, which is to have gathered greater riches to their eternity.

This chaste girl had accumulated a large number of riches for her eternity during the two years and a half that she lived at the Sault. This was from the remarkable things that she accomplished there and we have seen here. And even more from the constant practice of Christian virtues, which she had possessed in such an eminent degree and it would be difficult to judge the one that shone forth the most. The nearer that she approached the end of her days, the more visibly that she had shone forth in all these virtues, because she practiced all these virtues with such edification. Although I have already given some beautiful examples of her virtues and before speaking of her death, which I would want to say a little more concerning the one, which is the most admirable in the Saints and is the only virtue leading to real sanctity.

¹Standard time