This week was the 68th anniversary of the death of Mother Yvonne-Aimée, a foundress born in Brittany, renowned for her generosity, patient suffering, and total oblation to the will of God. Dom Mark Kirby (of Silverstream Priory) writes of a gift he acquired by reading about her:
About thirty–five years ago, after having tried for a very long time, as most monks do, to practice the ceaseless prayer of the heart, I came, providentially, upon a rare and out–of–print biography of Mother Yvonne-Aimée, and learned of her Little Invocation, O Jesus, King of Love, I trust in thy merciful goodness. One day, kneeling before the Blessed Sacrament without trying to think of anything in particular, I realized, to my surprise, that the prayer was repeating itself ceaselessly and effortlessly in my heart. I found myself praying the Little Invocation at every waking moment and even during the night, in a way similar to the practice of the “Jesus Prayer” by monks of the Eastern Church. Over the years, the grace of ceaseless prayer by means of the Little Invocation has not abated. It is always there: a gentle murmur of confidence bubbling up deep inside.
I am excited to begin to incorporate this into my prayer life, since constant aspirations of love are so pleasing to God and fruitful for the soul. Mother Yvonne-Aimee was also dedicated to the sanctification of priests, which should be dear to all of our hearts. Read all you can about this heroic woman (who no doubt was a tremendous witness to the power of forgiveness as well, given her assault!)
[nota bene: there is a confraternity dedicated to Jesus, King of Love, which anyone can join.]
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