St. Therese of Child Jesus is among the most loved and admired saints of the Catholic church. Her autobiography has made her an object of admiration of many who wish to pursue holiness in life. “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens, I will spend my heaven by…
It was a practice to send an obituary notice to other Carmels when any Carmelite nun dies. A month before St Therese died one of the nuns said, “I really wonder sometimes what mother prioress (superior) will be able to say about Sr. Therese. It won’t be easy, for though the little sister is very good…
St Therese became one of the most popular saints of the twentieth century. Pope Pius XI made her the “star of his pontificate”. She was beatified in 1923, and canonized in 1925. Therese was declared co-patron of the missions with Francis Xavier in 1927, and named co-patron of France with Joan of Arc in 1944. On October 19, 1997 Pope John Paul II declared her the…
Love of God The year before Therese died, her sister Marie told her: “You are possessed by God, literally possessed, exactly s the wicked are by the devil.” Therese herself told Celine, her sister, I don’d believe I’ve ever been more than three minutes at a time without thinking of God.” Celine appeared to…
Our Lady was never far from Therese’s thoughts. She spoke of her frequently in her letters. To a missionary priest she wrote: “What a joy to remember that the Immaculate Virgin is our Mother! Since she loves us and knows our weakness, what have we to fear.” She always presented her petitions through Our Lady…
Through what she did and wrote she showed how, in the daily business of life, we can make sure that we are advancing along the path of perfection. She called it “the little ways of spiritual childhood”. Benedict XV said that it holds “the secret of sanctity” and Pius XI declared that “human society would…
Little queen I met in Lisieux, Can I forget that glow in your eyes? Dressed up as though grown up matured, On your way to enter Carmel. And your father, carrying your bags, Could not reach up, you were too fast. You were joyful, leaping all the way All you wanted was to be His…
Vox Divini 