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~*`ST. THERESE` LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS`*~
~*`ST. THERESE` LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS`*~ ~*`+`*~ St. Therese, "The Little Flower" 
Therese Martin was the last of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon, France...However, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood. Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything. At the age of 14,on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that transformed her life.
From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, Instead of keeping herself happy. At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in His merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love You!"
The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, "Story of a Soul". She described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." Therese lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.
Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title "little flower" remained with St. Therese.
Her inspiration and powerful presence from heaven touched many people very quickly. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Had she lived, she would have been only 52 years old when she was declared a Saint. "My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said. "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Roses have been described and experienced as Saint Therese's signature.
Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." She has been acclaimed "the greatest saint of modern times." In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Therese a Doctor of the Church - - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world.
"The Message of St. Therese is Beautiful, Inspiring, and Simple. " ...anonymous writer... ===============~*`+`*~=============== ~*`ANGEL OF ROSES`*~{Inspirational} ~*~*~*~ ~*~`ANGEL OF ROSES`~*~ 
I walked into the grocery store not particularly interested in buying groceries. I wasn't hungry. The pain of losing my husband of 37 years was still too raw. And this grocery store held so many sweet memories. ~*~*~*~ 
~*~*~*~ Rudy often came with me and almost every time he'd pretend to go off and look for something special. I knew what he was up to. I'd always spot him walking down the aisle with the three yellow roses in his hands. Rudy knew I loved yellow roses. With a heart filled with grief, I only wanted to buy my few items and leave, but even grocery shopping was different since Rudy had passed on. ~*~*~*~ Shopping for one took time, a little more thought than it had for two. Standing by the meat, I searched for the perfect small steak and remembered how Rudy had loved his steak. ~*~*~*~ Suddenly a woman came beside me. She was blond, slim and lovely in a soft green pantsuit. I watched as she picked up a large pack of T-bones, dropped them in her basket, hesitated, and then put them back. She turned to go and once again reached for the pack of steaks. ~*~*~*~ She saw me watching her and she smiled. "My husband loves T-bones, but honestly, at these prices, I don't know." I swallowed the emotion down my throat and met her pale blue eyes. "My husband passed away eight days ago," I told her. Glancing at the package in her hands, I fought to control the tremble in my voice. "Buy him the steaks. And cherish every moment you have together." ~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~ She shook her head and I saw the emotion in her eyes as she placed the package in her basket and wheeled away. I turned and pushed my cart across the length of the store to the dairy products. There I stood, trying to decide which size milk I should buy. A quart, I finally decided and moved on to the ice cream section near the front of the store. If nothing else, I could always fix myself an ice cream cone. ~*~*~*~ I placed the ice cream in my cart and looked down the aisle toward the front. I saw first the green suit, then recognized the pretty lady coming towards me. In her arms she carried a package. On her face was the brightest smile I had ever seen. I would swear a soft halo encircled her blond hair as she kept walking toward me, her eyes holding mine. As she came closer, I saw what she held and tears began misting in my eyes. ~*~*~*~ "These are for you," she said and placed three beautiful long stemmed yellow roses in my arms. "When you go through the line, they will know these are paid for." She leaned over and placed a gentle kiss on my cheek, then smiled again. ~*~*~*~ I wanted to tell her what she'd done, what the roses meant, but still unable to speak, I watched as she walked away as tears clouded my vision. ~*~*~*~ I looked down at the beautiful roses nestled in the green tissue wrapping and found it almost unreal. How did she know? ~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~ Suddenly the answer seemed so clear. I wasn't alone. "Oh, Rudy, you haven't forgotten me, have you?" I whispered, with tears in my eyes. ~*~*~*~ ...He Was Still With Me, And She Was His Angel... ~*~*~*~
~*~*~*~ ~*dobhran's greetings newsletter*~ ~Author Unknown~ ~*~*~*~ *********************************** ~*graphics & music*~ ~*Presented by: ~`mary jane's poetry`~ ~Copyright@2007~ CopyRights Reserved*2008*~ *©*Feb*2013*' Revised Excerpts '.... ~*Never Ending Circle Of Love Manuscripts' *~ ....angelic*heavenly*star... 
a.k.a.~'MJB'~ ***`+`*** `I am but a star in the heavens above guiding over you in God's eternal love I once was a soul like you on earth now a heavenly star in miracle of rebirth! ~*~*********************************************~*~ Vote for this poem
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