October 1st is the Feast of St. Therese of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who died at the age of 24 in France in 1897.
Generations of Catholics have admired this young saint, called her the "Little Flower", and found in her short life more inspiration for their own lives than in volumes by theologians.
Yet Therese died when she was 24, after having lived as cloistered Carmelite for less than ten years. She never went on missions, never founded a religious order, never performed great works. The only book of hers, published after her death, was an brief edited version of her journal called "Story of a Soul." (Collections of her letters and restored versions of her journals have been published recently.) But within 28 years of her death, the public demand was so great that she was canonized.
St. Therese is the patron saint of missions and as such our Archdiocese has a special devotion to her.
In reflecting on our lives as missionaries of the Gospel it is important that we remember her lead in this life, namely by keeping Christ at the centre and focus of our lives. I find a great deal of inspiration in her simplicity of life and in her desire to devote herself to knowing Christ and His will for her and for her world.
For St. Therese this lead to a life of contemplation. For those of us who choose to live within this world with it's hustle and bustle it can be the determination to carve out moments to reflect on God's activity in our lives and dedicate ourselves to learning God's will for us.
St. Therese, bless our diocese with your intercession and lead us more closely to discovering Christ's Presence in our lives.
Generations of Catholics have admired this young saint, called her the "Little Flower", and found in her short life more inspiration for their own lives than in volumes by theologians.
Yet Therese died when she was 24, after having lived as cloistered Carmelite for less than ten years. She never went on missions, never founded a religious order, never performed great works. The only book of hers, published after her death, was an brief edited version of her journal called "Story of a Soul." (Collections of her letters and restored versions of her journals have been published recently.) But within 28 years of her death, the public demand was so great that she was canonized.
St. Therese is the patron saint of missions and as such our Archdiocese has a special devotion to her.
In reflecting on our lives as missionaries of the Gospel it is important that we remember her lead in this life, namely by keeping Christ at the centre and focus of our lives. I find a great deal of inspiration in her simplicity of life and in her desire to devote herself to knowing Christ and His will for her and for her world.
For St. Therese this lead to a life of contemplation. For those of us who choose to live within this world with it's hustle and bustle it can be the determination to carve out moments to reflect on God's activity in our lives and dedicate ourselves to learning God's will for us.
St. Therese, bless our diocese with your intercession and lead us more closely to discovering Christ's Presence in our lives.
