September with St. Therese - September 4

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 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.

"Some said that Sister St. Stanislaus called her an angel because of the smiles and signs of affection Therese showed her for the least service:
'It's in this way that I've taken God in, and it's because of this that I'll be so well received by Him at the hour of my death.'

"I'm very happy that meat disgusts me because then I find no pleasure in it."
"(They were serving her a little meat.)"

"At the moment when I was leaving the infirmary to go to the refectory:
'I love you!'

"When the Angelus was ringing:
'Must I extend my little hands?'
'I answered: 'No, you're even too weak to recite the Angelus. Call upon the Blessed Virgin by simply saying: 'Virgin Mary!' 'She said:
'Virgin Mary, I love you with all my heart.'
'Sister Genevieve said: 'Tell her that you love her for me, too.'
Then she added in a whisper:
'For Mlle. Lili, for Mamma, for godmother, for Leonie, for little Marie, Uncle, Aunt, Jeanne, Francis, Maurice, little Roulland and all whom I love.'

"She had a desire for a certain type of food, a very simple one, and one of us told our Uncle about it:
'It's very strange that we make this known in the world! Well, I offered it up to God.'
'I told her that it wasn't my fault, for in fact I had forbidden it. She replied by taking the little plate:
'Ah! it's offered up to God. It no longer matters. Let them think what they want!'

"During Matins:
'Little Mother, oh! how I love you!'
With a pretty smile, trying to speak:
'Let's say something, just the same; let's say...If you only knew how the thought of going soon to heaven leaves me calm. However, I'm very happy, but I can't say that I (am) experiencing a living joy and transports of happiness, no!'

"I asked: 'You prefer to die rather than to live?'
'O little Mother, I don't love one thing more than another; I could not say like our holy Mother St. Teresa: 'I die because I cannot die.' What God prefers and chooses for me, that is what pleases me more.' All excepted from Her Last Conversations.

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.