MEMORIAL

"HIS PENSEES, NEVER FINISHED AND PUBLISHED POSTHUMOUSLY IN 1670, PRESENT PASCAL'S APOLOGIA FOR THE CHRISTIAN FAITH. ADDRESSED TO THE INTELLIGENT SKEPTIC."

"THE MOST INTIMATE RELIGIOUS WORK IS THE MEMORIAL. THIS SCRAP OF PAPER, WHICH RECORDS PASCAL'S EXPERIENCE ON ONE UNFORGETTABLE NIGHT IN 1654, WAS FOUND IN THE LINING OF HIS COAT AFTER HIS DEATH FOR HE CARRIED THIS REMINDER ABOUT WITH HIM ALWAYS."


"THE YEAR OF GRACE 1654,
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 23, FEAST OF ST. CLEMENT, POPE AND MARTYR, AND THE OTHER MARTYRS.
EVE OF ST. GRISOGONO, MARTYR, AND OTHERS
FROM ABOUT 10:30 IN THE EVENING TILL ABOUT HALF PAST MIDNIGHT,


FIRE.

"GOD OF ABRAHAM, GOD OF ISAAC, GOD OF JACOB"
NOT OF THE PHILOSOPHERS AND OF THE LEARNED.
CERTAINTY. CERTAINTY. FEELING. JOY. PEACE.
GOD OF JESUS CHRIST.
MY GOD AND YOUR GOD.
YOUR GOD WILL BE MY GOD.
FORGETFULNESS OF THE WORLD AND EVERYTHING, EXCEPT GOD
HE IS ONLY FOUND BY THE WAY THAT IS TAUGHT IN THE GOSPEL.
GRANDEUR OF THE HUMAN SOUL.
RIGHTEOUS FATHER, THE WORLD HAS NOT KNOWN YOU, BUT I HAVE KNOWN YOU.
JOY, JOY, JOY, TEARS OF JOY
I HAVE DEPARTED FROM HIM:
THEY HAVE FORSAKEN ME, THE FOUNT OF LIVING WATER.
MY GOD, WILL YOU LEAVE ME?
LET ME NOT BE SEPARATED FROM HIM FOREVER.
THIS IS LIFE ETERNAL, THAT THEY KNOW YOU, THE ONE TRUE GOD,
AND THE ONE THAT YOU SENT, JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST.
JESUS CHRIST.
I LEFT HIM, I FLED HIM, RENOUNCED, CRUCIFIED.
LET ME NEVER BE SEPARATED FROM HIM.
HE IS ONLY KEPT SECURELY BY THE WAY IS TAUGHT IN THE GOSPEL:
RENUNCIATION, TOTAL AND SWEET.
COMPLETE SUBMISSION TO JESUS CHRIST AND TO MY DIRECTOR.
ETERNALLY IN JOY FOR TODAY'S EXERCISE ON THE EARTH.
MAY I NOT FORGET YOUR WORDS. AMEN."