St. Therese, "the little flower"
St Therese...
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.
St Therese, age 14 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. St Therese, age 23 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.
St Therese as 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.
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`SOCIETY OF ST. THERESE THE LITTLE FLOWER:
Monday, November 04, 2013: Memorial of Saint Charles Borromeo
First Scripture Reading: Romans 11: 29-36
Gospel Reading: Luke 14: 12-14
View Daily Scripture
In light of today's Scripture readings, Fr. Bob's Prayer is:
God of Justice and Mercy, You want all people to share in the banquet of your love and life. St. Martin was such a powerful example of following Your will - he worked with criminals, slaves, poor and discarded people - those oppressed by social, racial, and economic
injustice and discrimination. He showed Your compassionate Face in a very human way.
You are such an awesome and loving God. You have been so merciful and understanding of me. Knowledge of how compassionate unconditional is Your love overwhelms my soul.
You are so good! You move me to tears.
I could never deserve the love You have lavished on me. I seek only to be faithful to
You and to build Your house where all Your children are welcomed.
Help me not to be selective in my love and service. Teach me to welcome each and every
person You send into my life. Help me to welcome all people, especially
those who are fragile, forgotten, and forsaken - those I'm uncomfortable with.
Empower me to welcome them to the banquet of Your love and justice by the way I treat
and share with them today. Give me sight to see their beauty and Your face in them.
