September with St. Therese - September 13

Welcome to our series tracing the last month of St. Therese's life on this earth which was September 1897. It's called September with St. Therese and I hope you will visit here every day for an inspirational message about our dear little saint.

We will bring you excerpts from Her Last Conversations and Novissima Verba which follow her struggle the last few months of her life. On days for which there are no specific quotes, I will select a passage from one of her writings.

"She was much sicker and her feet were swollen since the evening before. We could not make the least movement around her, such as moving the bed slightly or touching her because it caused her much suffering, so great was her weakness. We were not aware of this at first, and both Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart and I took he pulse for a long period of time. She didn't show any sign of fatigue at first in order not to cause us any anguish, but finally, not being able to stand any more pain, she began to cry. And when we arranged her pillows and her bed cushion, she groaned, saying in a gentle tone of voice:
'I would like...I would like...'
"What would you like? I asked:"
'To cause my sisters no more pain; and in order to do this, that I go very quickly.'
"At this moment, she was looking at Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, and gave her a ravishing smile; it was Marie especially to whom she feared causing any sorrow.
Since we had not succeeded in arranging her bed cushion properly, for we dared not move her too much, she said gently, while supporting herself on her hands and attempting to do it herself:"
'Wait, I'll push myself to the end of the bed, making movements like a little grasshopper.' Excerpted from Her Last Conversations.

"Someone brought her some violets.
'Ah, the perfume of violets!...'
"Then she made me a sign wishing to know if she could breathe their perfume without immortification." Excerpted from Novissima Verba.

St. Therese, open our hearts to accept the sufferings that Jesus sends us. Teach us your little way and help us to see the graces that can come from joining our sufferings to the passion of Jesus.