“When you find your path, you must not be afraid.  You need to have sufficient courage to meet difficulties.  Disappointments, defeat and discouragement are the tools that God uses to show us the way!”  [Paul Coelho] Have you ever felt betrayed, hurt, disappointed and let down by those whom you thought were your friends, people whom you trusted implicitly? This ...

“When you get lost in a really strange place, nothing is more comforting than finding a  friend [or friends] whom you trust and who can show the way.”                                    [Toba Beta]   The sisters had finally reached dry land.  As they took their first faltering steps, it seemed that the whole Island of England was heaving and dipping, knocking them ...

“The more you go with the flow of life and surrender the outcome to God, the less you seek constant clarity and the more you will find that fabulous things start to show up in your life.”                                                                          [Mandy Hale – The single Woman] 1848 had been a year of political upheaval in France but in the peaceful countryside of ...

“When there’s a big disappointment, we don’t know if that is the end of the story.  It may be just the beginning of a great adventure! Life is like that.”    (Peria Chodron – ‘When things fall apart.’)  It seemed to Euphrasie that things were indeed falling apart!  The thought of going back to school at the age of nineteen years ...

“Circumstances may cause interruptions and delays, but never lose sight of your goal.  Prepare yourself in every way you can by increasing your knowledge and adding to your experience so that you can make the most of opportunity when it occurs.” [Mario Andretti – Racing Driver] It was October 1848.  After a long, tiring and  eventful journey, Euphrasie had finally arrived ...

“It is always harder to be left behind than to be the one to go.”   [Brock Thoene]  Guilt and grief were like dark clouds hanging over the Barbier household, even though Adele and Louis had now, albeit reluctantly, agreed to allow Euphrasie to go to the convent.  It was days before anyone could broach the painful subject of her leaving ...

“Opposition should never keep you from the work that God has called you to do.  God blesses you when you stand up for what you believe in despite opposition.” [Jim George]  Euphrasie’s dreams and God’s plans for her were  gradually becoming clearer, since now, thanks to Fr. Lefournier, she knew of a Missionary Congregation for sisters in Cuves.  With the ...

‘Tragedy should be used as a source of strength. No matter what sort of difficulties, how painful experience is, if we lose hope that is our real disaster!’                                                          [Dalai Lama X1V] 1845 heralded a year that was to bring tragedy and heartbreak to the Barbier household!  Euphrasie was now sixteen years old and her sister Nathalie a year younger.  ...

“There is always one moment in childhood when a door opens and lets the future in.” [Deepak Chopra] Euphrasie’s happy school days passed all too quickly and it was when she reached the age of thirteen that a door did, in fact, open and let the future in – a door that she did not particularly want to go through. ...

“I have dreamed in my life, dreams that have stayed with me ever after, and changed my ideas.  They have gone through and through me….. and altered the colour of my mind… and my life.”                                                                                                                   [Emily Bronte]  Euphrasie was just six years old when the family moved from Louvigny back to Caen, a small town in Normandy, France.  While ...