Conclusion
Marie Noël has given to the 20th century some important texts in the literature of 'mysticism' (while regularly asserting that none of her texts qualified as such), giving expression to the experience of faith, of interior spirituality. It was in this genre that this woman, who was always careful not to depart from the traditional model of femininity, made her name. This was no accident. As the philosopher Françoise Collin has shown, the literature of mysticism offers women the possibility of addressing themselves to God without the intervention of men as intermediaries. This is not to say that her testament of faith speaks only to women. On the contrary, many critiques of her oeuvre have been written by men. For many Catholics, her literature is a guide and support in their spiritual journey, as are the works of other mystics, such as Saint François de Sales and Thérèse de Lisieux. As an example, brother Christophe Lebreton[1] , a Trappist monk in Tibhirine who was assassinated in Algeria in 1996 cited one of her poems in his Journal. But one could cite again and again the believers who have referred to her. In comparison to the work of mystics in the preceding centuries, the texts of Marie Noël are much more daring. For Catholic practice has changed. In the context of the increase in individualism and the decline in adhesion to the discourse of clerical norms, the relationship with religion has been altered. The issue for believers is no longer to demonstrate their allegiance to an institution, but to express their faith while proving their creativity in doing so. Religious socialisation is now through choice and it is important to express that choice. The question for the believer is less the stability of his/her relationship with the institution than how its creed is experienced and the manner in which the authenticity of belief is seen. Through her own account of herself where her heart of hearts is revealed with the greatest audacity, Marie Noël has shown the way.
