ST ZELIE MARTIN | KAIROS GLOBAL | JULY 2022

Author: Jisha John

St Zelie Martin chats with a little girl

Zelie: Little child with the golden hair, where do you believe God is?

Girl: He is up there in the blue heavens.

Zelie: What a lovely verse! Praise God!

Girl: Yes, it’s a charming one. I learned it from St Therese's autobiography, Story of a Soul.

Zelie: She used to recite it often. We never got tired of listening to it a hundred times. There was something heavenly about it.

Girl: As always, I'm blessed to have you today with me. Welcome Aunt Zelie.

Zelie: It's a pleasure meeting you, my friend in Christ.

Girl: You and Louis Martin are truly an inspiration on how to raise children. That God raised them all to the honours of the altar is proof. 

 Zelie: It wasn't easy but it was possible as we know everything is possible with God. We move ahead by his grace. When I was young, I desired to be a religious nun, but I was not received due to my poor health. Louis also desired priesthood but he too was not admitted. God's plan was different, and it was beautiful.

 Girl: Were you devout even as a child?

Zelie: My parents inculcated ardent faith and values in all three of us children. My mother was very strict at home and I sometimes felt that she didn't love me. That was a painful and bitter experience of my childhood. But it made me closer to Mamma Mary and helped me give my kids what I lacked as a child. So, I believe every suffering is an experience that fine-tunes us. I was being ploughed, manured, pruned and cut to bloom and bear flowers in the Lord’s garden.

 Girl: It's challenging but appealing too. How did you enter the sacrament of Holy Matrimony?

Zelie:  Oh! I would love to share my love story. One day Louis and I passed each other on the Saint Leonard Bridge. We glanced and I heard an inner voice telling me that this was the man heaven had set apart for me. We got married a few months later. Initially, for almost ten months after our marriage, we observed a celibate life but later, on the guidance of our spiritual director, we changed that and prepared ourselves for parenthood.

Girl: How sweet! Your first meeting was so simple yet so special that it gave me goosebumps. 

Zelie: Yes, indeed those words were the Lord’s assurance. Love from heaven!

Girl: True. Dear Aunt, what surprises me the most is that you ran a successful business, even as a mother of nine children. 

Zelie; Actually, I learned the importance of work and finances in the family at an early age. I prayed for God’s providence often to make the right choice and always sought the intercession of Mamma Mary. On the feast of the Immaculate Conception, December 8, 1851, I heard an inner voice telling me ‘Undertake the making of point d'Alencon lace.’ That's how the business started. I was a trained lacemaker.

Girl: Running a business needs more attention and responsibility than being employed. And I understand that you were quite famous in the industry.

Zelie: Praise God! When I speak about balancing work and family, I must admit that there were many challenges. I often wished to be less successful in business so that I could spend more time with my family. There were imperfections. We were ordinary people. But we had an extraordinary God with us always. It was once suggested to Louis by his confessor to keep his store open on Sundays till noon, but he disagreed. We weren't eager to amass a great fortune but we made God our first priority. There were many ups and downs. Louis even discontinued his work to join my business. I would wake up early morning at 4.30 and slept only by 11.30 pm on most days. Still, we always found time for prayer, Holy Mass and took kids along with us on our visits to the needy and the sick. 

Girl: How do you recollect life apart from all this?

Zelie: We had our share of joys and sorrows but we managed to stay united in love always. Louis was truly a gift.

Our siblings too helped us. We remained connected through frequent letters.

Every child added to our happiness and their innocence compensated for all the pain.

I would say I found meaning and purpose of my life in family. I went through deep sorrow after the loss of our four children. It accompanied me closely till we reunited in heaven. But God’s grace helped me cope with it. 

Girl: Oh Aunt! Your convictions are giving me new insights. 

 All five of your children chose religious life as their vocation. That’s something so beautiful!

Zelie: It was purely their choice and we were very happy about it. Each one was a gem of a kind with a unique character and personality. 

Girl: Do you mean that all of them were always calm and pious at home?

Zelie: No. Not at all. In fact, they were loud and cheerful, the naughtiest among the five was Therese. She used to cry for small things and then cried for having cried! Celine and Therese were inseparable. Maria and Pauline were very sweet and talkative. Both of them were sent to boarding school for higher studies. Leonie was a bit different from them but very good at heart. We prayed regularly for all of them. The girls were very fond of each other and this was a beautiful sight to behold.

Once, little Therese kissed me and said, ‘Oh, how I wish you would die, my poor little mother.’ We scolded her for saying so. But her reply surprised us. She said, ‘But it is how you could go to heaven, you told me that we have to die to go up to heaven.’ She wished the same for her Papa too. How sweet!

Girl: Yeah. That’s sweet and innocent. 

I’ve read that you died of breast cancer at an early age.

Zelie: That was a crucial time my dear. I longed to live long with my family. I was deeply concerned about my daughters too. But God's plan was different and I must say it was the best.

Girl: It's always the best. I understand now that even ordinary people can be holy in life. That sainthood isn't reserved for a few.

Zelie: Yes, my child. We are all called to be holy in our circumstances. Crises and problems are a part of life, adding to our holiness. 

Girl: I too humbly wish to be holy, my Jesus.

Zelie: God grants the genuine wishes of your heart. It will definitely be granted. I too will pray for you, my child.

Girl: Thank you so much Aunt Zelie. Your life, holiness and sainthood strengthens us.  

Zelie: Sure dear.

Girl: That strengthens. Regards to the Martins.

Zelie: Let us unite in heaven. 

God's grace is sufficient for us.

Bye dear.