“Unfortunately when I have compared myself with the saints, I have always found that there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand trodden underfoot by passers-by. Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new."
I have a little story about an experience I had with St. Therese that I would like to share with you - for your discernment: Just before coming into the Catholic Church (25 years ago), I had been reading a book on the Saints, and being a Protestant at the time, I had a problem with asking for their intercession even though I knew at that time my heart was leading me to the Church. One morning I asked St. Therese to give me a sign if it was OK to pray for their intercession. That same morning I was in my garden wanting to clip some roses to put in the house, but noticed that there were only a few very small unopen buds. About an hour later, I walked past my glass doors and noticed a yellow rose in full bloom just outside the doors. I knew it was an answer to my prayer as only a miracle could make that happen. I have another story about Therese who interceded for my husband and I to move to Hanceville AL near Mother Angelica's Monastery and Shrine - but that's a long one, and if Our Lord wishes me to post it, then I will at a later date. She is a very powerful Saint before God!
Sounds perfectly "sane" to me, Lynne! When my family lived in Syracuse in the '90s, my workplace was only 1.5 miles from home, so I would often walk. I'm sure people in the nearby neighborhood became accustomed to me tramping by their houses. Sometimes they would say hello as I passed. One day in winter- it was chilly I recall, about 10 F with a few inches of snow on the ground. I would pray as I went along and I suddenly encountered the strong and beautiful scent of roses which stopped me in my tracks right in the middle of the side street. I started circling around trying to pinpoint the exact location of the source, but couldn't find it. The smell was simply all around me! I must have looked comical, though, because a woman came out and asked me if I was OK; I struck her as very disoriented going in circles and looking confused! I chalk that one up to Therese. I think she was teasing me and just wanted to say hello! Safe in the Company of my sister Therese!
Our second Parish Church is St Thereses is a little jewel and has stained glass windows showing snaps Thererese's life. At the back they have a little Shrine with pictures and a lovely while marble statue of the saint. I am constantly surprised at amount of roses left there, some in colours I never knew existed. I was always touched by part in teh story where she choked up warm blood but in penance did not look at her bloody hankerchief until morning. It was at that moment I think she knew she was going home to heaven. She was so ready to go.
St Therese by the manner of her death reminds me of the words of the Book Wisdom sometimes read at funerals: Wisdom of Solomon 4:13 “He, being made perfect in a short time, fulfilled a long time:” Poor Therese had a truly terrible death. A true martyrdom. Seh died of TB, a terrible deathi ntself which has been compared to having yuor chest filled with pieces of glass. Her Mother Superior ; something of a neurotic refused to pay for painkilling morphin eas she thought Therese wasn't really suffering. Therese asked for the strongest sister onlly to move her in bed her agony was so intense. The young saint also asked drugs not to be left near her she was so strongly tempted to suicide in her agony. But the strongest suffering came from the Dark Night she was thrust into. God no longer present and terrible temptaions to despair. Thed evil was given fulll free reign to attack and try her. Little wodner then that St Therese is often felt present and prayed to at exorcisms. She was a warrior saint, don't let the flowers fool you.
Yes, but the flowers are the fruit of her union with our Crucified Lord. "My God, my God, why hast thou abandoned Me!"
I wonder did you ever read this old post... http://motheofgod.com/threads/the-saint-whom-i-call-my-heavenly-sister.4432/
Thank you all for posting these links, to grow, so helpful. I have said the 24 Glorias yesterday on her Feast Day. Let's see if I can do it for 8 more days.
Since we are witnessing to the wonderful miracles through the intercession of our dear Saint Therese, I feel urged to also tell this story about her intercession as I remember it: Years ago, while visiting the Monastery and Shrine of Mother Angelica’s in Hanceville, Alabama, my husband and I met a realtor there who was converted by Mother. My husband, being in the building business, wanted to look at land for sale around the Shrine, so we went with her to see the lots that were available, but they were not close to the Shrine but several miles away so we were not interested. As we drove down Mother’s road (this is the road going into the Shrine), we noticed a vacant lot just outside the gates and a bit down the road, and my husband asked the realtor if it was for sale. She replied that the lady who owned it would never sell it. After our visit, we went back home to our horse farm in Gainesville, FL. A few days after returning home we received a phone call from the realtor who informed us that the lady who owned the property wanted to sell it. Well, back into the car we went and drove 7 hours back to the Shrine. We put a deposit on the land with the stipulation that we would have a few weeks to be sure that we wanted it. We went back home and prayed a nine-day Novena to St. Therese asking if it was God’s Will that we should build a house and move there, that she was to give us a sign – roses. On the last day of the Novena, we told Therese that if we were to move to Hanceville that she would have to let us know this day. That afternoon we went to Mass, and after Mass a good friend walked up to us and said, “I was going through some things and I don’t know why, but I felt I had to give this to you.” She handed us a picture of St. Therese holding a bunch of red roses. Needless to say, my thoughts immediately went to – what am I going to do with my horses and how do we build a house when we already own one? On the day we were supposed to sign the papers for the property, we drove back to Hanceville and while there, we got a phone call from our son who was on summer break from college saying that a realtor came to our door and asked if he could show a couple our farm. They had just been driving by and thought about building one like it. We allowed them to see the house, and the next day we were handed an offer on our farm! To make a long story short, we did build that house in Hanceville where we met Deacon Bill Steltemeier and his wife, Ramona, who became our good friends. I was so blessed to have met Mother Angelica and many others involved in EWTN and the Shrine. My husband volunteered at the Shrine gift shop and I took care of Mother’s three draft horses. By the way – Jesus took care of my horses going to others as I could not take them with me. Our dog, Otis, went with us to Hanceville. Everything fell into place as we put our trust in God and He took care of everything. Back to St. Therese – while living near the Shrine we were given a gift of a first-class relic of St. Therese that now sits in our grandson’s bedroom (Elias is now 10 years old). Elias had several problems and had been to many doctors to find out what was wrong with him. They never did agree on his problem, but each doctor he went to put him on medications. Today he is med free, but still has a few problems, but nothing like he had before our prayers to St. Therese and placing her relic in his room. We lived in Hanceville for one year, and shortly after our move there found out the reason that Jesus wanted us to move. He had a mission for us that was accomplished. After that year, we moved back to Gainesville, which is a whole other story. Below is the picture that was given to us by our friend (MaryAnn - that's you if you are reading this!) that brought us to Hanceville. It sits in a prominent place in our house.
As well as St Therese's autobio, 'Story of a Soul', there are some wonderful other books out there giving insights into the saint and her life. The best I ahve read are reclooctions of her last conversations which as far as I recall come in two volumes....now let me see... Ah yes I see you can get this on Kindle. It is really the most wonderful resource if you, like me love St Therese. I think one surprising thig I learnt from this book was the therese knew God had raised her to be a saint and that after her death she would be decalred one. Also she had very great insight into her mission on Earth and in Heaven. In other words she knew what she born to do and where she was going in the future. I find this very consoling. She had spiritual, 'headights', so to speak. She was not totally in the Dark. https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B01EKG5DBA/ref=dp-kindle-redirect?_encoding=UTF8&btkr=1 'Those who attended St. Thérèse of Lisieux during her last illness were living in the company of one of God's "greatest" saints, one prepared for our times. Fortunately for us they did not simply listen to her conversations, but wrote down what they remembered. This volume brings together their reports of Thérèse's "final words" during her last months, including some of her most famous sayings, such as "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth." The book includes general and biblical index, with 12 photos and fully linked Index.'
Another book I liked I found in the monastery library and that was one that put together all the known photos of her ever taken..now let me see if I can find if it is still in print.... Wow!! They actually have this on Amazon!! It is very expesnive new but you can get it quite cheap second hand. You get to see pictures there you would never see anywhere else. https://www.amazon.co.uk/Photo-Album-Saint-Therese-Lisieux/dp/0870611771
