Dina, concert pianist

In June 1918 Dina had already returned to Quebec having completed the two years of study.

 In New York Dina had begun to suffer from a period of intense spiritual darkness and suffering which would continue on her return home. She was still filled with a great love for Jesus but He was often silent and a frightening interior struggle began, from which she could not escape – this was indeed difficult.

So now I am asking if you have ever experienced an interior struggle? You want to do something and then you do the opposite.  You resolve to live in a certain way, but then let yourself be carried away by the influence of what others do.  You are annoyed by things and people, but do not know how to overcome these feelings.  A temptation presents itself and you cannot overcome it. It is true that you suffer in all this.  The same happened to Dina.  Perhaps it will help you to know what she did.  She did not change the plan she had made for her prayers, but rather prolonged them and learned to discern where the voice of Jesus could be heard. She did not want to be carried away by any illusion.  Try this  remedy, I am sure that you will feel a great and helpful peace.

After the two years in New York, Dina outwardly continued her ordinary life as a young woman: going out with her friends, meetings, accompanying her mother in visits to needy people, some excursions and concerts … without neglecting her studies, the piano by herself and harmony through a correspondence course. From time to time she asked herself why she was making such an effort; she felt that she would never reach the level she aspired to.  One day she heard within her the voice of Jesus who said to her: “Your knowledge of music will protect your vocation, but, above all  you will do good by your writings”.  Dina did not understand and said to herself, “By my writings?” Little did she imagine what, one day as a Sister, what would be asked of her by the superior.

Yes, although she does not know it yet, it refers to her Autobiography which she will begin to write in March 1924 and which today has been translated into several languages; Spanish, English, Italian and German. Many people have read it and it has done and does great good to so many.  I hope that it will do the same for you. When reading it, some of the expressions used may not be familiar to you, but try to look beyond the words… you must remember that Dina is using the vocabulary of French spirituality in the first decades of twentieth century… which would have been deepened during formation as a religious.

In Quebec the concert season, as such, now opened up before Dina. The simplicity of her dress, her attitude and self-presentation charmed everyone.  Before every concert Jesus asked her to sacrifice success, something which she did, and offers Him a possible failure. However, the audience applauds her, praises her and encourages her to carry on – saying that she would go far, a brilliant future lies before her. But she always retained her beautiful simplicity. Kindly and simply she accepts all the demonstrations of encouragement, but deep down they only convince her of her lack of ability and even though she admits to success, she feels empty before it and it arouses only indifference within her.  Nobody notices it but we know what suffering this praise caused her.

Do you understand? Within her Dina vibrates with the music and she composes pieces some of which have been preserved. Perhaps the best known is the one called the Ricordanza”. If you ever hear it you will come to understand the power, beauty and harmony of the chords. If you would like to listen to it, you can find it on the Web.