I hope, brother, that if I were to leave exile, you would not forget your promise to pray for me. I do not wish for you to ask the Lord God to free me from the flames of purgatory. Saint Therese told her daughters, when they wanted to pray for her: “It does not matter to me at all if I stay in purgatory until the final judgment, as long as I save even one soul with my prayers!” These words resonate in my heart; I would like to save souls and forget myself for their sake. I would like to save them even after my death, so I would be glad if you would say: “God, allow my sister to continue helping you to be loved.”
(Therese of Lisieux, letter 221, to Father Roulland, March 19, 1897)
