Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and Sacristans
From left to right: Marie of the Sacred Heart, Agnes of Jesus (Pauline), Genevieve of the Holy Face (Celine), Marie of the Eucharist (Marie Guerin) kneeling and Therese.
Many know the photograph of St. Therese, shown posing in her work of filling the ciborium with hosts for the daily conventual Mass.
The photograph was taken by Celine with her sisters and her cousin, in the sacristy courtyard. The scene shows the work of the sacristan and the making of hosts. In the same month of November 1896, Therese wrote a poem called “The Sacristans of Carmel,” in rhyming octosyllabic verse.
The poem was written for Sr. Marie Philomena, who had asked Thérèse for something she could sing while baking. Later, all of the sacristans and altar bread bakers got to know the poem, and sang it regularly in their work, to whatever familiar tune they chose that would match the meter.
1. Here below our sweet office
Is to prepare for the altar
The bread and wine of the Sacrifice
Which brings to earth—“Heaven”!
2. Heaven, O supreme mystery!
Hides itself under humble bread,
For Heaven, it is Jesus Himself,
Coming to us each morning.
3. There are no queens on earth
Who are happier than we.
Our office is a prayer
Which unites us to our Spouse.
4. This greatest honor of this world
Cannot compare
To the peace, profound and heavenly,
Which Jesus lets us savor.
5. We bring a holy envy
For the work of our hands,
For the little white host
Which is to veil our divine Lamb.
6. But his love has chosen us.
He is our Spouse, our Friend.
We are also hosts
Which Jesus wants to change into Himself.
7. Sublime mission of the Priest,
You become our mission here below.
Transformed by the Divine Master,
It is He who guides our steps.
8. We must help the apostles
By our prayers, our love.
Their battlefields are ours.
For them, we fight each day.
9. The hidden God of the tabernacle
Who also hides in our hearts,
Oh, what a miracle! at our voice
Deigns to pardon sinners!
10. Our happiness and our glory
Is to work for Jesus.
His beautiful Heaven is the ciborium
We want to fill with souls!...
Kinney, Poetry (pp. 170–71), slightly modified to make it more literal.
Photo: Archives du Carmel de Lisieux - Photo #40 - November 1896
