One cannot be devoted to the Holy Wounds of Our Lord Jesus Christ without acknowledging the role played by a Visitation nun of Chambery, France, Venerable Mary Martha Chambon, in the renewal of this devotion.This humble and illiterate lay Sister was mystically commissioned by Jesus during her lifetime (1841-1907) to renew our attention and reverence of the Sacred Marks of His Passion.
In addition to this central mission, Ven. Mary Martha had the immense privilege of seeing Our Lord in His Divine Childhood for most of her life. This mystical gift was granted to her from her First Holy Communion and was especially enjoyed by her during the Christmas season .
During Sister Mary Matha’s retreats her divine little Helper, Jesus, often unveiled His Heart to her to show her how we must have the simplicity of a little child.
“A child clings trustfully to its parents because it knows they love it and will forgive anything. I ask you not to waste your time of your retreat in searching out your faults but to spend it in thinking of Me.”
Jesus invited her to go to Communion “ as a little child goes to the table of its father. If you are hungry, come and eat, but you first of all must become a little one. A child’s soul is innocent, simple, trustful. When a soul is in such a state of infancy, she can come straight to Me. There is no obstacle.”
The feast of feasts for Ven. Mary Martha was the happy night of Christmas. Then did the Divine Infant flood her soul with joy so inexpressible that she lost all count of time,.
She understood that she was to offer Jesus to the Almighty Father in His infancy; “ You should often present Him thus, for everything is contained in the offering of this Little Child.”
We can learn from this holy Visitandine’s experiences of the Divine Childhood of Jesus.
May we become spiritual children as we approach Christmas and cling trustfully to Jesus, asking for the gift of simplicity , thinking deeply of Jesus, offering Him to His Father, and preparing to receive Him with innocent and trust.
Source: Sister Mary Martha Chambon of the Visitation, by Lady Cecil Kerr, pages 115-117