Thanks, but this is about the daughter, the Carmelite from Lisieux. I'll post something about the mother (the lacemaker) a bit later today. She is the patron of all my lacemaking.
Sr. Claire On Tue, Oct 21, 2008 at 7:11 AM, Shere'e <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > From the Patron Saints Index: > > Saint Therese of Lisieux > > Also known as > Francoise-Marie Therese Martin > Teresa of the Infant Jesus > the Little Flower of Jesus > the Little Flower > Therese of the Child Jesus > Memorial > 1 October > Profile > Born to a pious middle-class French family of tradesmen; daughter of > Blessed > Louis Martin and Blessed Marie-Azelie Guérin Martin, and all four of her > sisters became nuns. Her mother died when Francoise-Marie was only four, > and > the family moved to Lisieux, Normandy, France to be closer to family. Cured > from an illness at age eight when a statue of the Blessed Virgin smiled at > her. Educated by the Benedictine nuns of Notre-Dame-du-Pre. Confirmed there > at age eleven. Just before her 14th birthday she received a vision of the > Child Jesus; she immediately understood the great sacrifice that had been > made for her, and developed an unshakeable faith. Tried to join the > Carmelites, but was turned down due to her age. Pilgrim to Rome at for the > Jubilee of Pope Leo XIII whom she met and who knew of her desire to become > a > nun. Joined the Carmelites at Lisieux on 9 April 1888 at age 15, taking her > final vow on 8 September 1890 at age 17. Known by all for her complete > devotion to spiritual development and to the austerities of the Carmelite > rule. Due to health problems resulting from her ongoing fight with > tuberculosis, her superiors ordered her not to fast. Novice mistress at age > 20. At age 22 she was ordered by her prioress to begin writing her memories > and ideas, which material would turn into the book History of a Soul. > Defined her path to God and holiness as The Little Way, which consisted of > child-like love and trust in God. She had an on-going correspondence with > Carmelite missionaries in China, often stating how much she wanted to come > work with them. Many miracles attributed to her. Declared a Doctor of the > Church in 1997 by Pope John Paul II. > Born > 2 January 1873 at Alcon, Normandy, France as Francoise-Marie Therese Martin > Died > 7pm Thursday 30 September 1897 at Lisieux, France of tuberculosis > Venerated > 14 August 1921 by Pope Benedict XV > Beatified > 29 April 1923 by Pope Pius XI > Canonized > 17 May 1925 by Pope Pius XI > Patronage > African missions > against bodily ills > against illness > against sickness > AIDS patients > air crews > aircraft pilots > Anchorage, Alaska, archdiocese of > Australia > aviators > Belgian air crews > black missions > Cheyenne, Wyoming, diocese of > Fairbanks, Alaska, diocese of > florists > flower growers > foreign missions (1927) > France (1944 by Venerable Pope Pius XII) > Fresno, California, diocese of > Juneau, Alaska, diocese of > Kisumu, Kenya, diocese of > loss of parents > missionaries > parish missions > Pueblo, Colorado, diocese of > restoration of religious freedom in Russia > Russia > sick people > Spanish air crews > tuberculosis > Witbank, South Africa, diocese of > World Youth Day > Prayers > Novena I to... > Novena II to... > Novena III to... > Prayer I to... > Prayer II to... > Act of Oblation to Merciful Love, by Saint Therese > > Representation > roses > Discalced Carmelite nun holding a bunch of roses > nun with roses at her feet > Images > Gallery of images of Saint Therese > Storefront > Commercial Links related to Saint Therese > Poems by Saint Therese > My Song of Today > To Live of Love > Canticle to the Holy Face > Thou Hast Broken My Bonds, O Lord > Jesus, My Well Beloved, Remember Thou! > To The Sacred Heart > The Eternal Canticle > I Thirst for Love > My Heaven On Earth > Additional Information > Book of Saints, by the Monks of Ramsgate > Catholic Online > Columbia Encyclopedia > Divini Amoris Scientia: Saint Thérèse proclaimed a Doctor of the Universal > Church > Friends of Saint Therese > Google Directory: General > Google Directory: Online Biographies > Google Directory: Devotions > Google Directory: Essays > Google Directory: Shrines > Google Directory: Online Works > Inside the Vatican > Lives of the Saints, by Father Alban Butler > Lives of the Saints, by John J Crawley > Our Sunday Visitor's Encyclopedia of Saints, by Matthew Bunson, Margaret > Bunson, and Stephen Bunson > Papal Homily at the Canonization of Saint Thérèse > Sacred Heart Parish, Waterlooville, UK > Saint Thérèse's First Communion > Saint Thérèse on her "King", her "Incomparable Father" > SaintCast - audio > Testimony of Marie of the Angels of the Sacred Heart > Testimony of Mother Agnes of Jesus > Testimony of Sister Geneviève of Saint Teresa > Vehementer exultamus hodie: Bull of Canonization of Saint Thérèse > Zélie Martin: A Mother's Heart > > Translate > español | français | deutsch | italiano | português > Readings > Saint Thérèse asks her father permission to enter Carmel > Saint Thérèse asks her Uncle Isidore Guerin permission to enter Carmel > Saint Thérèse asks the Bishop of Bayeux permission to enter Carmel > Saint Thérèse asks Pope Leo XIII for permission to enter Carmel > Saint Thérese on Prayer > Saint Thérese on Suffering > > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > For me, prayer is a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward > heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and > joy. - Saint Therese of Lisieux > > What beauty? I don't see my beauty at all; I see only the graces I've > received from God. You always misunderstand me; you don't know, then, that > I'm only a little seedling, a little almond. > > Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness > of > our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do > them. > > Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > O Jesus, Your little bird is happy to be weak and little. What would become > of it if it were big? Never would it have the boldness to appear in Your > presence, to fall asleep in front of You. Yes, this is still one of the > weaknesses of the little bird: when it wants to fix its gaze upon the > Divine > Sun, and when the clouds prevent it from seeing a single ray of that Sun, > in > spite of itself, its little eyes close, its little head is hidden beneath > its wing, and the poor little thing falls asleep, believing all the time > that it is fixing its gaze upon its Dear Star. When it awakens, it doesn't > feel desolate; its little heart is at peace and it begins once again its > work of love. It calls upon the angels and saints who rise like eagles > before the consuming Fire, and since this is the object of the little > bird's > desire the eagles take pity on it, protecting and defending it, and putting > to flight at the same time the vultures who want to devour it. These > vultures are the demons whom the little bird doesn't fear, for it is not > destined to be their prey but the prey of the Eagle whom it contemplates in > the center of the Sun of Love. > > Saint Therese of Lisieux, from Story of a Soul > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Kneeling before the tabernacle, I can think of only one thing to say to our > Lord: "My God, you know that I love You." And I feel that my prayer does > not > weary Jesus; knowing my weakness, He is satisfied with my good will. > > Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Our Lord needs from us neither great deeds nor profound thoughts. Neither > intelligence nor talents. He cherishes simplicity. > > Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > The practice of charity, as I have said, dear Mother [Mother Agnes, i.e., > her sister Pauline, prioress at the time], was not always so sweet for me, > and to prove it to you I am going to recount certain little struggles which > will certainly make you smile. For a long time at evening meditation, I was > placed in front of a Sister who had a strange habit and I think many lights > because she rarely used a book during meditation. This is what I noticed: > as > soon as this Sister arrived, she began making a strange little noise which > resembled the noise one would make when rubbing two shells, one against the > other. I was the only one to notice it because I had extremely sensitive > hearing (too much so at times). Mother, it would be impossible for me to > tell you how much this little noise wearied me. I had a great desire to > turn > my head and stare at the culprit who was very certainly unaware of her > "click." This would be the only way of enlightening her. However, in the > bottom of my heart I felt it was much better to suffer this out of love for > God and not to cause the Sister any pain. I remained calm, therefore, and > tried to unite myself to God and to forget the little noise. Everything was > useless. I felt the perspiration inundate me, and I was obliged simply to > make a prayer of doing it without annoyance and with peace and joy, at > least > in the interior of my soul. I tried to love the little noise which was so > displeasing; instead of trying not to hear it (impossible), I paid close > attention so as to hear it well, as though it were a delightful concert, > and > my prayer (which was not the Prayer of Quiet) was spent in offering this > concert to Jesus. > > - Saint Therese of Lisieux, from Story of a Soul > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Our Lord does not come down from Heaven every day to lie in a golden > ciborium. He comes to find another heaven which is infinitely dearer to him > - the heaven of our souls, created in His Image, the living temples of the > Adorable Trinity. > > - Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Since my longing for martyrdom was powerful and unsettling, I turned to the > epistles of Saint Paul in the hope of finally finding an answer. By chance > the twelfth and thirteenth chapters of the first epistle to the Corinthians > caught my attention, and in the first section I read that not everyone can > be an apostle, prophet or teacher, that the Church is composed of a variety > of members, and that the eye cannot be the hand. Even with such an answer > revealed before me, I was not satisfied and did not find peace. > > I persevered in the reading and did not let my mind wander until I found > this encouraging theme: "Set your desires on the greater gifts. And I will > not show you the way which surpasses all others." For the Apostle insists > that the greater gifts are nothing at all without love and that this same > love is surely the best path leading directly to God. At length I had found > peace of mind. > > Love appeared to me to be the hinge for my vocation. Indeed, I knew that > the > Church had a body composed of various members, but in this body the > necessary and more noble member was not lacking; I knew that the Church had > a heart and that such a heart appeared to be aflame with love. I knew that > one love drove the members of the Church to action, that if this love were > extinguished, the apostles would have proclaimed the Gospel no longer, the > martyrs would have shed their blood no more. I saw and realized that love > sets off the bounds of all vocations, that love is everything, that this > same love embraces every time and every place. In one word, that love is > everlasting. > > - from the autobiography of Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Above all it's the Gospels that occupy my mind when I'm at prayer; my poor > soul has so many needs, and yet this is the one thing needful. I'm always > finding fresh lights there, hidden and enthralling meanings. > > - Saint Therese of Lisieux > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Really, I am far from being a saint, and what I have just said is proof of > this; instead of rejoicing, for example, at my aridity, I should attribute > it to my little fervor and lack of fidelity; I should be desolate for > having > slept (for seven years) during my hours of prayer and my thanksgivings > after > Holy Communion; well, I am not desolate. I remember that little children > are > as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as well as when they are > wide awake; I remember, too, that when they perform operations, doctors put > their patients to sleep. Finally, I remember that: "The Lord knows our > weakness, that he is mindful that we are but dust and ashes." > > - Saint Therese of Lisieux, from Story of a Soul > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Jesus set the book of nature before me and I saw that all the flowers he > has > created are lovely. The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily > do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple > charm. > I realized that if every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose > its loveliness and there would be no wildflowers to make the meadows gay. > > It is just the same in the world of souls - which is the garden of Jesus. > He > has created the great saints who are like the lilies and the roses, but he > has also created much lesser saints and they must be content to be the > daisies or the violets which rejoice his eyes whenever he glances down. > Perfection consists in doing his will, in being that which he wants us to > be. > > Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be - and > becoming that person. > > - Saint Therese of Lisieux, from Story of a Soul > > ---------------------------------------------------------------------------- > ---- > Oh! no, you will see...it will be like a shower of roses. After my death, > you will go to the mail box, and you will find many consolations. > > - Saint Therese on 9 June 1897 after Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart told > her we would be very sorry after she died > > - > To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: > unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to > [EMAIL PROTECTED] > - To unsubscribe send email to [EMAIL PROTECTED] containing the line: unsubscribe lace [EMAIL PROTECTED] For help, write to [EMAIL PROTECTED]
