The Brimming Thimble

The Martin Family

I’ve been reading Story of a Soul ~ the Autobiography of Saint Thérése of Lisieux and I came across an excellent explanation of something I have often wondered about.

It was Pauline*, too, who received all my intimate confidences and cleared up all my doubts.  Once I was surprised that God didn’t give equal Glory to all the Elect in heaven, and I was afraid all would not be perfectly happy.  Then Pauline told me to fetch Papa’s large tumbler and set it alongside my thimble and filler both to the brim with water.  She asked me which one was fuller.  I told her each was as full as the other and that it was impossible to put in more water than they could contain.  My dear Mother helped me understand that in heaven God will grant His Elect as much glory as they can take, the last having nothing to envy in the first.

I remember hearing or reading about God not giving equal Glory to all those in heaven, but wherever I read it, it was just mentioned in passing.  It has been something I have often wondered about though as it surprised me.  When I think about it, I wonder about it much in the same way as Thérése did.  Wouldn’t those  given less Glory be somehow unhappy or jealous of those given more?  What of those above? What more would they receive?  I would usually not allow myself to think on this for very long, because I knew these thoughts were simply wrong, but I still couldn’t stop thinking them from time to time.  This little demonstration, given to Thérese by her big sister and Mother, explains so much.  I sit here and marvel at the folly of these human thoughts of mine that should have nothing to do with heaven, but come unbidden just the same.

 

 

*Thérése’s older sister, her second Mother two times over as she “adopted” Thérése when their mother died and she was also Mother Agnes of Jesus at the Carmelite Monastery.