Her life

Between the ages of 27 and 29, in the years following the key visit of the two Capuchin monks in 1928, Marthe understood little by little that the Lord wanted to entrust her with a mission. Initially, conscious of her limitations, she wanted to remain hidden... But in 1933, she received a revelation from Christ and understood that the Lord was choosing her for a Work that he wanted to start at Châteauneuf-de-Galaure, with a priest whom he « would make known in his own time », a Work he called « the great Work of my love». The task was therefore to make known the love and mercy of God.

The first building block of this edifice was to be a school. A school where children can learn « to know God and to love him », in this village where militant atheism was a powerful force. For her, childhood is a favourable time in life for meeting God: she saw the school as the ideal place for « learning to live everything – work, recreation, rest, prayer, service – through love». But the circumstances seemed to be so hostile that Marthe experienced a real inner struggle before being able to talk to her parish priest, Fr Faure, about the project. The priest took some time to discern, and, once launched, the initiative did indeed encounter many obstacles. However, for the start of the 1934 school year, seven young girls made the trip to the school.

The second stage would be the creation of the Foyers de Charité. It was the meeting on 10 February 1936 between Marthe Robin and the spiritual father that helped her to discern her own vocation. As for Fr Georges Finet, he found in Marthe the instrument that God was giving him to save souls. Together, they built the future Foyers de Charité on these words given by Jesus to Marthe in the following prayer:
« I want the Work to be a Foyer that is resplendent with light, charity, love, a life-giving oasis for discouraged souls, the house of my Heart open to all ».

The intuition was new. Later on, especially after the Second Vatican Council, other communities would reproduce this model of community life; but Marthe Robin and Father Finet were the real pioneers in this area. The work became an international work that spread all over the world.

During the Second World War, Marthe began to receive several great theologians. Fathers Réginald Garrigou-Lagrange, Paul Philippe, André Feuillet and Henri Manteau-Bonamy came to see the little farm woman who had not even been able to pass her primary school certificate because of her health problems. They were all won over and influenced in their theological work as a result of meeting her.

Marthe Robin also had some great friendships with some intellectuals of the period, such as Paul-Louis Couchoud, a holder of an agrégation qualification in literature, a doctor of medicine and a notorious non-believer until his conversion, or the philosopher Jean Guitton of the Académie Française.

In the spiritual tumult that followed the Second Vatican Council, many future founders came to see Marthe to find out, with her help, where God was leading them. Others came to see her seeking inner renewal, or to ask for the active support through her prayer of the communities that were emerging.

Among those who visited Marthe frequently was Fr Epagneul, founder of the Frères missionnaires des Campagnes (Missionary Brothers of the Country); Sister Magdeleine de Jesus, founder of the Little Sisters of Charles de Foucault; Fr Talvas, creator of the Nid (Nest), an association that helps prostitutes; Jean Vanier, founder of L'Arche. As a result, many new communities have maintained deep spiritual affection and ties with Marthe: Emmanuel Community, Community of the Beatitudes, Community of Saint John, Little Brothers of Mary - Mother of the Redeemer, Little sisters of Nazareth, Missionaries of Our Lady, "Claire Amitié", Fraternité Bethléem-Saint-Benoît, Communauté Nouvelle Alliance, L'Eau Vive, Focolare Movement, etc...

This is how, over the course of the years, Marthe became a key spiritual figure despite being bedridden in the darkness of a room that she never left. During her life, she received more than 100,000 people in her room. Actresses and very simple people, ministers and truckers, composers, journalists and the farmers of the district, many priests and bishops... so many visitors from such diverse backgrounds, were among those she received and listened to.