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| The Story of a Soul |
Listening
to many friends talk of their devotion to The Little Flower and their love of her “little ways” over the years led me to pick up a copy of the writings and
biography of St. Therese of Lisieux to discover the beauty for myself. Upon
reading “The Story of a Soul,” I was unprepared for the depth of faith and
devotion shared by The Little Flower. Written
in a loving, personal tone, her writings begin by explaining her complete
devotion to Jesus and Our Lady from a very young age and reflect her
experiences, thoughts and feelings throughout her life and years of illness
until her death at age 24.
Not
knowing what to expect picking up the book, I was immediately struck by the humbleness
of her writing; that someone of such great faith would be so humble. Her personal thoughts reveal a real, flawed
woman who worked diligently through her little ways to bring herself closer to
God. St. Therese longed to sacrifice all
she could for God, offering up her physical and emotional suffering to Jesus
throughout her short life, praying that it would bring her closer to heaven.
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| St. Therese of Lisieux |
I am
stunned by the simpleness of her faith. And it was simple, as she even states,
and beautiful. “…I just act like a child
who can’t read; I tell God quite simply all that I want to say and He always
understands.” Reading her words, you do
not wonder how someone who died so young became a Doctor of the Church. God graced her with the amazing gift of pure
faith.
“Prayer,
for me, is simply a raising of the heart, a simple glance toward Heaven, an
expression of love and gratitude in the midst of trial, as well as in times of
joy; in a word, it is something noble and supernatural expanding my soul and
uniting it to God.”
If
she lived today, I can only imagine what the media or popular culture would say
about a young girl wanting so desperately to dedicate her life to God. With such determination to join a cloister at
age 15, that she personally petitioned the Pope during a visitation in Rome. I
don’t imagine they would be very kind to her or understand her devotion, much
as many around her failed to truly comprehend her at the time.
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| The Little Flower |
This
book inspires me and spoke to my soul like none other. No wonder so many have a devotion to The
Little Flower. She speaks with such
clarity on very serious matters of faith.
Her little way of turning small things into an opportunity to worship
and sacrifice, will bring you closer to God on a path you didn’t expect. St.
Therese gives us exactly what she wanted to find for herself. “I will find a little way to Heaven, very short and direct, an entirely new way.”
“The
Story of a Soul” changed a part of how I view my love for God. This book, for
me, is a perfect example of why we read and study the Saints. Her amazing example of devotion, sacrifice
and her “little way to Heaven” brought me a step closer to Jesus, deepening my
own faith. I predict this book will be
one I read again and again throughout my life as I attempt to emulate her
simple faith and devotion to an ever-present, loving God.
