Today we celebrate one of the most popular saints, at least in recent times, St Therese of Lisieux or the "Little Flower."
I've had my own experiences of Therese's beautiful way of answering prayers - letting "fall a shower of roses" - that is, by sending a rose in some manner to the petitioner of prayer. I've received both single roses and once led to a rose garden of more than 200 species of rose!
(photo from http://www.shoal.net.au/~mwoa/order_of_saint_charbel/saint_therese.html).
The Holy Father, Pope Francis apparently has his own devotion and answered prayers from St Therese, one of recent:
"Bergoglio, who has always considered the flower a 'sign' of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and of her intercession, received one out of the blue, the day after the peace vigil for Syria." See the whole article here at the Vatican Insider.
There's much to learn about this very humble and simple saint. What attracts so many including myself (aside from the tangible answer to prayers) is the simplicity and child like virtue of her "little way". As explained by a website devoted to her and her spirituality, Society of the Little Flower; "'Everything is grace' is probably the theme song of her spirituality." The simplicity of sanctity is very attractive because it's not so much about doing extraordinary things but doing ordinary things with extraordinary love!
Also from that website explaining her "little flower" spirituality is her in her own words from her autobiography, The Story of a Soul:
"Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understand how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. So it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."
At the end of this month much of the culture will be celebrating Halloween and donning masks taking on some other identity. I suggest let's just be content in who God made us to be - but do so with greater love!
St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for us!
I've had my own experiences of Therese's beautiful way of answering prayers - letting "fall a shower of roses" - that is, by sending a rose in some manner to the petitioner of prayer. I've received both single roses and once led to a rose garden of more than 200 species of rose!
(photo from http://www.shoal.net.au/~mwoa/order_of_saint_charbel/saint_therese.html).
The Holy Father, Pope Francis apparently has his own devotion and answered prayers from St Therese, one of recent:
"Bergoglio, who has always considered the flower a 'sign' of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux and of her intercession, received one out of the blue, the day after the peace vigil for Syria." See the whole article here at the Vatican Insider.
There's much to learn about this very humble and simple saint. What attracts so many including myself (aside from the tangible answer to prayers) is the simplicity and child like virtue of her "little way". As explained by a website devoted to her and her spirituality, Society of the Little Flower; "'Everything is grace' is probably the theme song of her spirituality." The simplicity of sanctity is very attractive because it's not so much about doing extraordinary things but doing ordinary things with extraordinary love!
Also from that website explaining her "little flower" spirituality is her in her own words from her autobiography, The Story of a Soul:
"Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understand how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. So it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."
At the end of this month much of the culture will be celebrating Halloween and donning masks taking on some other identity. I suggest let's just be content in who God made us to be - but do so with greater love!
St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for us!
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