tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-332432462024-03-18T20:31:07.103-07:00St. Therese's Little Way"...is the path of spiritual childhood, it is the way of trust and entire self-surrender...I feel that my mission is now to begin, my mission to make others love the good God as I love him, to give my little way to souls." - St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.comBlogger96125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-52967563697874800482016-01-02T09:47:00.000-08:002016-01-02T09:47:27.324-08:00Happy Birthday St. Therese of Lisieux <div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpwiiG7HkFAwGhJGLiS3IdqIcUO3RyWXi_4xc3U0rm6X07vdlH1_Ntpueab5DPzDVzEeliIPEEV8oXkx-gD5aucU-31qoNQ2-Nx2MapcPvCFZHvviXBM5tnAmcNWe8zeYMQxP/s1600/Therese+at+3+revised.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjXpwiiG7HkFAwGhJGLiS3IdqIcUO3RyWXi_4xc3U0rm6X07vdlH1_Ntpueab5DPzDVzEeliIPEEV8oXkx-gD5aucU-31qoNQ2-Nx2MapcPvCFZHvviXBM5tnAmcNWe8zeYMQxP/s320/Therese+at+3+revised.jpg" width="209" /></a></div>
Our dear little St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face was born into this world 143 years ago today, January 2, 1873, the last of nine children born into the devout French family of Zelie and Louis Martin. She was baptized two days later and given the name Marie Francoise Therese Martin, being named first after the Blessed Virgin Mary, as were all her sisters.<br />
Here she is photographed at age three and we can already see that look in her eyes. That far away look of longing to devote her life to God, something she realized at age three and wrote about in <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/stofsoauofst.html">The Story of a Soul</a>, the book that revealed the depths of our little saint's holiness to the world. <br />
Just two years later at age five, St. Therese would lose her mother and experience that profound loss in the comforting arms of her older sisters and devoted father. Her oldest sister Pauline took over as a mother figure and did her best to continue her younger sister's immersion and education in the Catholic faith.<br />
Here's an excerpt about St. Therese's younger years from <i>Collected Little Flower Works</i> by Albert Dolan, published in 1929 by Carmelite Press. "There then we have Therese, the baby of three and four years, vain of her beauty; proud of her pretty dresses; eager for praise and notice; inclined at times to fits of temper and stubbornness; so proud that when offered a coin to stoop humbly and kiss the ground, she refused to bend. Nevertheless, this very human little girl became one of the greatest of all the Saints. No little of the Little Flower's influence over souls is due to the evil inclinations and other human imperfections which we notice in her youth. Her complete eradication of those faults has taught thousands, and should teach us, the possibility of complete victory over our faults if we imitate the Little Flower's Little Way of humility, prayerfulness and trust in God."<br />
Through these postings, I hope to explore the development and perfection of 'the little way' in St. Therese's life and bring her incredible message of total trust and confidence in Jesus to those who cross my path. When she came into my life in 1997, I was ready for a new way for my life. I just didn't know it would turn out to be St. Therese's 'little way.' May she be an inspiration to you as well.<br />
The image above <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/st-therese-at-age-3.html">of St. Therese at age 3</a> is available for purchase on my <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/">website</a> called <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/">the little way</a> that is devoted to St. Therese and offers authentic holy cards and photos of her published by the Office Central de Lisieux in France. The website also offers books and gift items centered around carmelite spirituality.<br />
Let me close with this prayer...St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting aside all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br />
<br />Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-6440152300564062922015-12-31T10:07:00.003-08:002015-12-31T10:11:33.768-08:00Spiritual Roses from St. Therese of Lisieux<br />
I'm returning after taking a few years off from blogging about St. Therese's 'little way' with my heart full of gratitude for her intercession in my life. The graces I have received are completely unearned...they have been given to me by Jesus through the intercession of our Blessed Mother and St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. <br />
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAirn0vX-jXx2CXpPaSAnkQHfZ_UjZEgr86vcDfKWXEOTEtDcwF0-LwwKXbHjqfW-NfhagVvtLEY1cp9yJBZRkZzdEOjHDn_Mt7NfMKzc8inl3NgpN0kbb5zeROIYXGFaQsZd/s1600/More+mother+than+queen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: left; float: left; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgLAirn0vX-jXx2CXpPaSAnkQHfZ_UjZEgr86vcDfKWXEOTEtDcwF0-LwwKXbHjqfW-NfhagVvtLEY1cp9yJBZRkZzdEOjHDn_Mt7NfMKzc8inl3NgpN0kbb5zeROIYXGFaQsZd/s320/More+mother+than+queen.jpg" width="171" /></a> For all those who may still doubt the power of embracing your 'littleness' through humble obedience of what Jesus asks of you, let me assure you what you must do. Cast all of your cares, sorrows, defeats, humiliations, desires and unfulfilled promises at the feet of Jesus and ask only what His will for you is. Then, with complete confidence and trust, move forward in carrying out your reason for being here. <br />
I have accepted that Jesus asks me to be one of St. Therese's little army who helps win souls for her to bring to Jesus. <br />
As we approach the anniversary of St. Therese's birth on January 2, let us remember to ask our Blessed Mother to shelter and guide us on our path to live what our dear little saint calls "her little way of spiritual childhood." <br />
Her beautiful quote on this holy card commemorates the statue called Our Lady of the Smile, so called because it came alive and smiled at her, curing her of a difficult childhood illness. We should see our Blessed Mother as just that, our heavenly Mother, going to her for comfort and encouragement in our daily lives. <br />
This holy card was out of stock until recently on my <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/">website</a><span style="color: white;"> </span>called <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/">the little way </a>that is devoted to St. Therese and offers authentic holy cards and photos published by the Office Central de Lisieux in France. It also offers books and gift items centered around carmelite spirituality.<br />
<br />
Let me close with this prayer...<br />
<br />
St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that he sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br />
<br />
<br />Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-61619760907982069012009-02-23T07:32:00.000-08:002009-02-25T05:03:26.747-08:00St. Therese and Her Little Way - Like a Drop of Water Thrown Into a Flaming Furnace<span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#990000;"><em>Spiritual Roses</em> from I Believe In Love by Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbee, a personal retreat based on St. Therese of Lisieux. </span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span></span><br /><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDWkruNr-wSvE8YJ_3f9jqKEOB34c1wqBu6hFiTeoR_d-4RPiSLQQx5Sq-xjDFd6FUEaJvtOd2BkIsbg22-BcODLD-la5SxL4dsBc7pNA_rn8GRSRCnNQVzhLg5Kg2PuMMfvl/s1600-h/I+Believe+In+Love.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5306016431213824994" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjfDWkruNr-wSvE8YJ_3f9jqKEOB34c1wqBu6hFiTeoR_d-4RPiSLQQx5Sq-xjDFd6FUEaJvtOd2BkIsbg22-BcODLD-la5SxL4dsBc7pNA_rn8GRSRCnNQVzhLg5Kg2PuMMfvl/s400/I+Believe+In+Love.jpg" border="0" /></a><br /><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o94KHlP-zVVn3YqDtKIb73avjJcDlC3XIzFsS-2VGRzVITM8D5u4MTzmuiciFL3h-t7a_Udaqua3my_Hu5mXC6mvKKUT7n3UNB8SFwpvGLTIcBo6FY-eFnN3FpdXL5kfHZRf/s1600-h/I+Believe+In+Love.jpg"></a>I'm blogging from this incredibly important book published in 1969 by a French priest who truly understood the spirituality of our dear little saint. Next to Story of a Soul, this book has been the most important for my carmelite spiritual journey. After reading it, I was able to focus and hold on to the truth that Jesus indeed loves me more than I will ever comprehend. Trust, trust, and more trust is the key to our spiritual growth. When we trust to the point of 'folly' Jesus rewards us with opportunities for more trust and sends us graces for our santification. "This spiritual classic has long been beloved by Catholics for its wondrous distillation of the teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into a reader-friendly set of meditations. It’s perfect as a personal retreat when you have only a few moments to spare each day — and for spiritual reading anytime and anywhere. Fr. Jean C. J. d’Elbée, a French priest deeply imbued with St. Thérèse’s spirit, brings you St. Thérèse’s teachings on God’s love and the confidence in Him that it should inspire in your soul; humility, peace, and fraternal charity; the apostolate; the Cross; and what it means truly to abandon yourself to Divine Providence. I Believe in Love has helped countless souls embark on the way to the Father. It will help you focus on Him throughout each day, rest in Him amid your troubles, and live joyfully with Him at every moment! " Excerpted from the back cover, published by Sophia Institute Press.<br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">CHAPTER TWO - HUMBLE CONFIDENCE Continued</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">"It is true that instinctively we seek to climb the rough stairway of perfection instead of taking the gentle elevator of the arms of Jesus. This is because we have been told so often of our miseries. We have been told, and rightly, that we are miserable; and then, we have been told about Jesus that He is good, yes, but not enough that He is wondrously good, infinitely good, infinite charity. No one has told us at the same time that He is Savior before He is Judge and that, in the Heart of God, 'justice and peace have embraced'.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">We have been trained in the habit of looking at our dark side, our ugliness, and not at the purifying Sun, Light of Light, which He is, who changes the dust that we are into pure gold. We think about examining ourselves, yet we do not think, before the examination, during the examination, and after the examination, to plunge ourselves, with all our miseries, into the consuming and transforming furnace of His Heart, which is open to us through a humble act of confidence.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">I am not telling you, 'You believe too much in your own wretchedness.' We are much more wretched than we ever realize. But I am telling you, 'You do not believe enough in mercuful love.'</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">We must have confidence, not in spite of our miseries, but because of them, since it is misery which attracts mercy.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Oh, this word, <em>mercy -- misericordia -- 'miseris cor dare,'</em> a Heart which gives itself to the miserable, a Heart which nourishes itself on miseries by consuming them. Mediate on this word.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">St. Thomas says that 'to have mercy belongs to the nature of God, and it is in this that His omnipotence manifests itself in the highest degree.'</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Little Therese perceived this when she wrote these lines which complete and crown her maunscript: 'Yes, I sense that even if I had on my conscience all the sins which can be committed, I would go, my heart broken, to repent and throw myself into the arms of Jesus, for I know how much He cherishes the prodigal child who returns to Him. It is not because the dear Lord in His provident mercy has preserved my soul from mortal sin that I am lifted up to Him by confidence and love.'</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Again, shortly before her death, speaking to Mother Agnes, she said, 'You may truly say that if I had committed all possible crimes, I would still have the same confidence; I would feel that this multitude of offenses would be like a drop of water thrown into a flaming furnace.' All possible crimes, a multitude of offenses, a drop of water in an immense furnace; that is the proportion.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">And this affirmation is so logical, it is irrefutable."</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;">To be continued on the next blog. </span></p><p><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#000099;"><span style="font-size:130%;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /></span><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;"></span></p>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-9127627392216164042009-02-16T08:43:00.000-08:002009-02-25T05:06:41.392-08:00<em><span style="font-size:180%;color:#990000;"></span></em><span style="color:#990000;"><span style="font-size:180%;">Spiritual Roses from <em>I Believe In Love by Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbee,</em> a personal retreat based on St. Therese of Lisieux.</span></span><br /><br /><p><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o94KHlP-zVVn3YqDtKIb73avjJcDlC3XIzFsS-2VGRzVITM8D5u4MTzmuiciFL3h-t7a_Udaqua3my_Hu5mXC6mvKKUT7n3UNB8SFwpvGLTIcBo6FY-eFnN3FpdXL5kfHZRf/s1600-h/I+Believe+In+Love.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5303442297342391042" style="DISPLAY: block; MARGIN: 0px auto 10px; WIDTH: 184px; CURSOR: hand; HEIGHT: 299px; TEXT-ALIGN: center" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi9o94KHlP-zVVn3YqDtKIb73avjJcDlC3XIzFsS-2VGRzVITM8D5u4MTzmuiciFL3h-t7a_Udaqua3my_Hu5mXC6mvKKUT7n3UNB8SFwpvGLTIcBo6FY-eFnN3FpdXL5kfHZRf/s400/I+Believe+In+Love.jpg" border="0" /></a></p>I'm blogging from this incredibly important book published in 1969 by a French priest who truly understood the spirituality of our dear little saint. Next to <em>Story of a Soul</em>, this book has been the most important for my carmelite spiritual journey. After reading it, I was able to focus and hold on to the truth that Jesus indeed loves me more than I will ever comprehend. Trust, trust, and more trust is the key to our spiritual growth. When we trust to the point of 'folly' Jesus rewards us with opportunities for more trust and sends us graces for our santification.<br /><br /><br /><em></em><br /><br /><br /><span style="font-size:85%;"><span style="color:#339999;">"This spiritual classic has long been beloved by Catholics for its wondrous distillation of the teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into a reader-friendly set of meditations. It’s perfect as a personal retreat when you have only a few moments to spare each day — and for spiritual reading anytime and anywhere. Fr. Jean C. J. d’Elbée, a French priest deeply imbued with St. Thérèse’s spirit, brings you St. Thérèse’s teachings on God’s love and the confidence in Him that it should inspire in your soul; humility, peace, and fraternal charity; the apostolate; the Cross; and what it means truly to abandon yourself to Divine Providence. I Believe in Love has helped countless souls embark on the way to the Father. It will help you focus on Him throughout each day, rest in Him amid your troubles, and live joyfully with Him at every moment! "</span> Excerpted from the back cover, published by Sophia Institute Press.</span><br /><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">CHAPTER TWO - HUMBLE CONFIDENCE<br /><br /></span><span style="color:#990000;"></span><span style="color:#990000;">"You must believe in the love of Jesus for you. Love calls for love. How do you give Jesus love for love? Before all and above all, by your confidence in Him.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">This word, <em>confidence</em>, summarizes the three theological virtues: faith, hope, and charity - sovereign virtues which bring all the others in their train. But if these are the highest virtues, then the greatest heroism is demanded of us in order to realize them in the face of the mystery of a 'hidden God.'</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">A man must be heroic to live always in faith, hope, and love. Why? Because, as a result of Original Sin, no one can be certain with the certainty of faith that he is saved, but only with a moral certainty based upon fidelity to grace; and because as sinners we are constantly tempted by doubts and anxiety. </span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">It was in order to resolve this conflict between our desires and our powerlessness that Jesus came to earth and took our informities upon Himself. Little Therese understood that it is our state of misery which attracts His mercy.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">Before her, St. Paul wrote, <em>'Gladly, therefore, will I glory in my infirmities, that the power of Christ may dwell in me.' 'I can do all things in Him who strengthens me.'</em> </span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">How profound is the </span><span style="color:#990000;">theology of St. Paul! He glories in his infirmities; he rejoices in being weak, because Jesus is there. </span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">For it is this confidence, and nothing but confidence, which will open the arms of Jesus to you so that He will bear you up. Confidence will be for you the golden key to His Heart.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">In her desire to be holy, and comparing herself to the saints, St. Therese said that there was, between them and herself, the same difference as between a mountain whose summit is lost in the heavens and an obscure grain of sand, trampoled under the feed of passersby. Rather than becoming discouraged, she thought: </span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>'The good God would not inspire unattainable desires; I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to sanctity. For me to become greater is impossible; I must put up with myself just as I am with all my imperfections. But I wish to find the way to go to Heaven by a very straight, short, completely new little way. We are in a century of inventions; now one does not even have to take the trouble to climb the steps of a stairway; in the homes of the rich an elevator replaces them nicely. I, too, would like to find an elevator to lift me up to Jesus, for I am too little to climb the rough stairway of perfection.</em></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>So I have looked in the books of the saints for a sign of the elevator I long for, and I have read these words proceeding from the mount of eternal Wisdom: "He that is a little one, let him turn to me." So I came, knowing that I had found what I was seeking and wanting to know, O my God, what you would do with the little one who would answer Your call, and this is what I found:</em></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em></em></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"><em>"As one whom the mother caresses, so will I comfort you. You shall be carried at the breasts and upon the knees they shall caress you." Never have more tender words come to make my soul rejoice. The elevator which must raise me to the heavens is Your arms, O Jesus! For that I do not need to grow; on the contrary, I must necessarily remail small, become smaller. O my God, You have surpassed what I expected, and I want to sing Your mercies.'</em></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">All the theology of little Therese, which echoes that of St. Paul, is summarized and put at our disposal in these lines, on which we could meditate endlessly without exhausting their richness.</span><br /><span style="color:#990000;"></span><br /><span style="color:#990000;">What I cannot do myself Jesus will do. He will take me and lift me up to the summit of the mountain of perfection, to the summit of the mountain of love."</span> chapter two continued in the next blog.<br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#000099;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. </span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-73788335339388673682007-02-27T06:56:00.000-08:002007-02-27T15:14:52.664-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - A little bit of bitterness is at times preferable to sugar<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkxwoQfMibA7_P3cpw1_xvft1Kbn8JezTM4SVg05Fhk0nDP9GSruCsW_wzt8iEuraC_R4JSipsiQSGWXYHwY65TIoRxN-P8d3Dj-ZHKQyg5hYMVHq9BMSbmJ7g9uqDrYcZJdm/s1600-h/last+photo.jpg"><img id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5036229089802157554" style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEizkxwoQfMibA7_P3cpw1_xvft1Kbn8JezTM4SVg05Fhk0nDP9GSruCsW_wzt8iEuraC_R4JSipsiQSGWXYHwY65TIoRxN-P8d3Dj-ZHKQyg5hYMVHq9BMSbmJ7g9uqDrYcZJdm/s320/last+photo.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul </span>and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong></span><blockquote><p><span style="font-size:130%;">"I told you dear Mother, that I had learned very much when I was teaching others. I saw first of all that all souls have very much the same struggles to fight, but they differ so much from each other in other aspects that I have no trouble in understanding what Father Pichon was saying: <em>"There are really more differences among souls than there are among faces."</em> It is impossible to act with all in the same manner. With certain souls, I feel I must make myself little, not fearing to humble myself by admitting my own struggles and defects, seeing I have the same weaknesses as they, my little Sisters in their turn admit their faults and rejoice because I understand them <em>through experience</em>. With others, on the contrary, I have seen that to do any good I must be very firm and never go back on a decision once it is made. To abase oneself would not then be humility but weakness. God has given me the grace not to fear the battle; I must do my duty at all costs. I have heard the following on more than one occasion: "If you want to get anything out of me, you will have to win me with sweetness; force will get you nothing." I myself know that nobody is a good judge in his own case, and that a child, whom a doctor wants to perform a painful operation upon, will not fail to utter loud cries and to say that the rememdy is worse than the sickness; however, when he is cured a few days later, he is very happy at being able to play and run. It is exactly the same for souls; soon they recognize that a little bit of bitterness is at times preferable to sugar and they don't fear to admit it." </span></p><p><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Excerpted from </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;">, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 239. This book and many others along with a line of <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=285">holy cards </a>and </span><span style="font-size:130%;">photos</span><span style="font-size:130%;"> of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way</a>.</span></strong></p><p><span style="font-size:130%;"><span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /></strong></span></span></p></blockquote>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1170341165857835542007-02-01T06:42:00.000-08:002007-02-01T07:02:49.226-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Obedience<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/43325/celine"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/648772/celine%27s%20painting%20of%20therese.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"O Mother, what anxieties the Vow of Obedience frees us from! How happy are simple religious! Their only compass being their Superiors' will, they are always sure of being on the right road; they have nothing to fear from being mistaken even when it seems that their Superiors are wrong. But when they cease to look upon the infallible compass, when they stray from the way it indicates under the pretext of God's will, unclear at times even to His representatives, then they wander into arid paths where the water of grace is soon lacking.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Dear Mother, you are the compass Jesus has given me as a sure guide to the eternal shore. How sweet it is to fix my eyes upon you and thus accomplish the will of the Lord! Since the time He permitted me to suffer temptations against the faith, He has greatly increased the spirit of faith in my heart, which helps me to see in you not only a loving Mother but also Jesus living in your soul and communicating His will to me through you. I know very well, dear Mother, you are treating me as a feeble soul, a spoiled child, and as a consequence I have no trouble in carrying the burden of obedience. But because of what I feel in my heart, I would not change my attitude toward you, nor would my love decrease if it pleased you to treat me severely. I would see once more that it was the will of Jesus that you were acting in this way for the greater good of my soul."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 218. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>holy cards</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=276">photos</a> of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /></span></strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1169828239904589812007-01-26T08:09:00.000-08:002007-01-26T08:40:31.116-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Charity<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/401819/sacristan.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/949570/sacristan.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Yes, I feel it, when I am charitable, it is Jesus alone who is acting in me, and the more united I am to Him, the more also do I love my Sisters. When I wish to increase this love in me, and when especially the devil tries to place before the eyes of my soul the faults of such and such a Sister who is less attractive to me, I hasten to search out her virtues, her good intentioons; I tell myself that even if I did see her fall once, she could easily have won a great number of victories which she is hiding through humility, and that even what appears to me as a fault can very easily be an act of virtue because of her intention. I have no trouble in convincing myself of this truth because of a little experience I had which showed me we must never judge.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">During recreation the portress rang twice; the large workman's gate had to be opened to bring in some trees for the crib. Recreation was not too gay because you were not there, dear Mother, and I thought that if they sent me to serve as third party I would be happy; at exactly that moment Mother Subprioress told me to go and serve in this capacity, or else the Sister who was at my side. Immediately I began to untie our apron but slowly in order that my companion untie her before me, for I thought of giving her the pleasure of serving as third party. The Sister who was replacing the Procuratrix was looking at us, and seeing me get up last, she said; "Ah! I thought as much, that you were not going to gain this pearl for your crown, you were going too slowly.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Certainly, the whole community believed I had acted through selfishness, and I cannot say how much good such a small thing did to my soul, making me indulgent toward the weaknesses of others. This incident prevents me from being vain when I am judged favorably because I say to myself: Since one can take my little acts of virtue for imperfections, one can also be mistaken in taking for virtue what is not but imperfection. Then I say with St. Paul: <em>' To me it is a very small thing to be judged by you, or by any human tribunal, but neither do I judge myself. He who judged me is THE LORD.' </em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">In order that this judgment be favorable or rather that I be not judged at all, I want to be charitable in my thoughts toward others at all times, for Jesus has said: <em>'Judge not, and you shall not be judged.' "</em></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Story of a Soul</strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 221. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=301">holy cards</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=301"> </a>and photos of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way. </a></strong></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. </strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1169144271020116412007-01-18T09:49:00.000-08:002007-01-18T11:15:52.473-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Wrapped in Cotton Wool and Fattened Like a Little Bird<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/940411/novice%20holy%20card.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/883877/novice%20holy%20card.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"On New Year's day, 1888, Jesus again gave me a present of His cross, but this time I was alone in carrying it. It was all the more painful as I did not understand it. A letter from Mother Marie de Gonzague informed me that the Bishop's answer had arrived December 28, feast of the <em>Holy Innocents</em>, but that she had not told me as it was decided that my entrance would be delayed until <em>after Lent</em>. I was unable to hold back my tears at the thought of such a long wait. This trial had a particular characteristic about it: I saw all my <em>bonds broken</em> as far as the world was concerned, but this time it was the holy ark itself which refused entrance to the poor little dove. I really want to believe I must have appeared unreasonable in not accepting my three months' exile joyfully, but I also believe that, without its appearing so, this trial was very great and made me grow very much in abandonment and in the other virtues. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">How did those <em>three months</em> pass, those months so rich in graces for me? At first the thought came into my mind not to lead a life as well regulated as had been my custom, but soon I understood the value of the time I was being offered. I made a resolution to give myself up more than ever to a <em>serious and mortified</em> life. When I say mortified, this is not to give the impression that I performed acts of penance. Alas, <em>I never made any</em>. Far from resembling beautiful souls who practiced every kind of mortification from their childhood, I had no attraction for this. Undoubtedly this stemmed from my cowardliness, for I could have, like Celine, found a thousand ways of making myself suffer. Instead of this I allowed myself to be <span style="color:#ff6666;">wrapped in cotton wool and fattened up like a little bird</span> that needs no penance. My mortifications consisted in breaking my will, always so ready to impose itself on others, in holding back a reply, in rendering little services without recognition, in not leaning my back against a support when seated, etc., etc. It was through the practice of these <em>nothings</em> that I prepared myself to become the financee of Jesus, and I cannot express how much this waiting left me with sweet memories. Three months passed by very quickly, and then the moment so ardently desired finally arrived."</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 143. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=286">holy cards</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=286"> </a>and photos of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore </strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Little Way.</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /></span></strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1168530454001283192007-01-11T07:46:00.000-08:002007-01-11T08:08:07.316-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Jesus' Little Paint Brush<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/575898/Therese%20as%20novice%20in%20courtyard.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/133169/Therese%20as%20novice%20in%20courtyard.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"...Ah! how true it is that God alone knows human hearts and that creatures are terribly narrow in their thoughts! When they see a soul more enlightened than others, immediately they conclude that Jesus loves them less than this soul, and that they cannot be called to the same perfection. Since when has the Lord <em>no longer the right</em> to make use of one of His creatures to dispense necessary nourishment to souls whom He loves? The Lord, even at the time of the Pharoahs, <em>had this right</em>, for in Scripture He says to this monarch: <em>'And therefore have I raised you, that I may show</em> MY POWER <em>in you, and my name may be spoken of throughout all the earth.'</em> Century has followed on century since the Most High has spoken those words, and since then His conduct has undergone no change, for He is always using His creatures as instruments to carry on His work in souls.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">If a piece of canvas painted on by an artist could think and speak, it certainly would not complain at being constantly touched and retouched by the <em>brush</em>, and would not envy the lot of that instrument, for it would realize it was not to the brush but to the artist using it that it owed the beauty with which it was clothed. The brush, too, would not be able to boast of the masterpiece produced with it, as it knows that artists are not at a loss, they play with difficulties, and are pleased to choose at times weak and defective instruments.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My dear Mother, I am a little brush that Jesus has chosen in order to paint His own image in the souls you entrusted to my care. An artist does not use only one brush, but needs at least two; the first is the more useful and with it he applies the general tints and covers the canvas entirely in a very short time; the other, the smaller one, he uses for details.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Mother, you are the precious brush that the hand of Jesus lovingly holds when He wishes to do a <em>great work</em> in the souls of your children, and I am the <em>very small brush</em> He deigns to use afterward for the smallest details..."</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 190. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=287">holy cards</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=287"> </a>and photos of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong></span><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. </strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1168351346234699712007-01-09T06:02:00.000-08:002007-01-09T06:49:00.053-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Venerable Anne of Jesus<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/936538/sacristan.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/79005/sacristan.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.</span></strong> </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"O Jesus, my Beloved, who could express the tenderness and sweetness with which You are guiding my soul! It pleases You to cause the rays of Your grace to shine through even in the midst of the darkest storm! Jesus, the storm was raging very strongly in my soul ever since the beautiful feast of Your victory, the radiant feast of Easter; one Saturday in the month of May, thinking of the mysterious dreams which are granted at time to certain souls, I said of myself that these dreams must be a very sweet consolation, and yet I wasn't asking for such a consolation. In the evening, considering the clouds which were covering her heaven, my little soul said again within herself that these beautiful dreams were not for her. And then she fell asleep in the midst of the storm. The next day was May 10, the second SUNDAY of Mary's month, and perhaps the anniversary of the day when the Blessed Virgin deigned to smile upon her little flower. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">At the first glimmerings of dawn I was (in a dream) in a kind of gallery and there were several other persons, but they were at a distance. Our Mother was alone near me. Suddenly, without seeing how they had entered, I saw three Carmelites dressed in their mantles and long veils. It appeared to me that they were coming for our Mother, but what I did understand clearly was that they came from heaven. In the depths of my heart I cried out: 'Oh! how happy I would be if I could see the face of one of these Carmelites!' Then, as though my prayer were heard by her, the tallest of the saints advanced toward me; immediately I fell to my knees. Oh! what happiness! the Carmelite <em>raised her veil or rather she raised it and covered me with it.</em> Without the least hesitation, I recognized<em> Venerable Anne of Jesus,</em> Foundress of Carmel in France. Her face was beautiful but with an immaterial beauty. No ray escaped from it and still, in spite of the veil which covered us both, I saw this heavenly face suffused with an unspeakably gentle light, a light it didn't receive from without but was produced from within.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I cannot express the joy of my soul since these things are experienced but cannot be put into words. Several months have passed since this sweet dream, and yet the memory it has left in my soul has lost nothing of its freshness and heavenly charms. I still see Venerable Mother's glance and smile which was FILLED with LOVE. I believe I can still feel the caresses she gave me at this time.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Seeing myself so tenderly loved, I dared to pronounce these words: 'Oh Mother! I beg you, tell me whether God will leave me for a long time on earth. Will He come soon to get me?' Smiling tenderly, the saint whispered:<em> 'Yes, soon, soon, I promise you.'</em> I added: 'Mother, tell me further if God is not asking something more of me than my poor little actions and desires. Is He content with me?' The saint's face took on an expression <em>incomparably more tender</em> than the first time she spoke to me. 'God asks no other thing from you. He is content, very content!' After again embracing me with more love than the tenderest of mothers has ever given to her child, I saw her leave. My heart was filled with joy, and then I remembered my Sisters, and I wanted to ask her some favors for them, but alas, I awoke!</span><br /><p><span style="font-size:130%;">O Jesus, the storm was no longer raging, heaven was calm and serene. I <em>believed</em>, I <em>felt</em> there was a <em>heaven</em> and that this <em>heaven</em> is peopled with souls who actually love me, who consider me their child. This impression remains in my heart, and this all the more because I was, up until then, <em>absolutely indifferent to Venerable Mother Anne of Jesus</em>. I never invoked her in prayer and the thought of her never came to my mind except when I heard others speak of her, which was seldom. And when I understood to what a degree <em>she loved</em> me, how <em>indifferent </em>I had been toward her, my heart was filled with love and gratitude, not only for the Saint who had visited me but for all the blessed inhabitants of heaven."</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306"><strong>Story of a Soul</strong></a></span><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 190. This book and many others along with a line of </span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=301">holy cards</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=301"> </a>and photos of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"> </a></span></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/"></a><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. </strong></span></p>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1168098318649906942007-01-06T07:43:00.000-08:002007-01-06T08:05:03.146-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Feed My Lambs<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/153529/last%20photo.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/799372/last%20photo.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Ah! don't think, dear Mother, that your child wants to leave you; don't think she feels it is a greater grace to die at the dawn of the day rather than at its close. What she esteems and what she desires only is <em>to please</em> Jesus. Now that He seems to be approaching her in order to draw her into the place of His glory, your child is filled with joy. For a long time she has understood that God needs no one (much less her) to do good on earth. Pardon me, Mother, if I make you sad because I really want only to give you joy. Do you believe that though your prayers are really not heard on earth, though Jesus separates the child from its mother for a <em>few days</em>, that these prayers will be answered in Heaven?</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">Your desire, I know, is that I carry out at your side a very sweet and easy mission, but shall I not be able to finish it from the heights of heaven? You said to me, just as Jesus one day said to St. Peter: <em>"Feed my lambs."</em> I was astonished, and I told you that <em>I was too little</em>; I begged you <em>to feed your lambs yourself</em>, and to keep me and <em>have me feed</em> with them. And you, dear Mother, responding a <em>little</em> to my just request, retained the little lambs with the sheep; but you ordered me to go often and pasture them in the shade, pointing out the best and most nourishing herbs, showing them the bright flowers they must not touch except to trample them under their feet.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">You didn't fear, dear Mother, that I would lead your little lambs astray. My lack of experience and my youthfulness did not frighten you in the least. Perhaps you remembered that often the Lord is pleased to grant wisdom to the little ones, and that one day, in a transport of joy, He blessed His <em>Father</em> for having hidden His secrets from the wise and prudent and for revealing them to the <em>little ones</em>."</span><br /><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Excerpted from </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 208. This book and many others along with a line of <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=285">holy cards</a> and </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">photos</span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at </span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">my webstore </a></span></strong><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">called The Little Way.</span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /></span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1168010356745175142007-01-05T07:14:00.000-08:002007-01-05T07:39:49.420-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - She Will Be Good<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/260591/age%203.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/461631/age%203.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"Here is another passage I find in Mama's letters. This poor little Mother evidently had a presentiment that the end of her exile was near. "The little ones don't disturb me since both of them are very good; they are very special, and certainly will turn out well. You and Marie will be able to raise them perfectly. Celine never commits the smallest deliberate fault. The little one will be all right too, for she wouldn't tell a lie for all the gold in the world and she has a spirit about her that I have not seen in any of you.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"The other day she was at the grocery store with Celine and Louise. She was talking about her practices. She was doing this rather loudly with Celine and the woman in the store said to Louise: 'What does she mean by these little practices? When she's playing in the garden that's all she talks about. Mme. Gaucherin listens at the window trying to understand what this debate about practices means.'</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"The little one is our whole happiness. <span style="color:#ff6666;"><strong>She will be good</strong></span>; one can already see the germ of goodness in her. She speaks only about God and wouldn't miss her prayers for anything. I wish you could see her recite the little poems she learned. Never have I seen anything so cute. She gets the exact expressions and tone all by herself. But it is especially when she says: 'Little child with the golden hair, where do you believe God is?' When she comes to the words: 'He is up there in the blue heavens,' she raises her eyes with an angelic expression. It's so beautiful that one doesn't grow tired of asking her to recite it, for there is something heavenly in her face!"</span><br /><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 28. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards and </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=268">photos</a> </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">my webstore </a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>called The Little Way.</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.<br /><br /><br /></span></strong><br /></span><span style="font-size:130%;"></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1167750120572267192007-01-02T07:00:00.000-08:002007-01-02T07:20:28.266-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Happy Birthday St. Therese !<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/378250/age%203.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/674075/age%203.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">Today is the anniversary of St. Therese's birthday. She was born in Alencon France on January 2, 1873. May she intercede for us all today in a very special way.<br /></span><br />"I wondered for a long time why God has preferences, why all souls don't receive an equal amount of graces. I was surprised when I saw Him shower His extraordinary favors on saints who had offended Him, for instance, St. Paul and St. Augustine, and whom he forced, so to speak, to accept His graces. When reading the lives of the saints, I was puzzled at seeing how Our Lord was pleased to caress certain ones from the cradle to the grave, allowing no obstacle in their way when coming to Him, helping them with such favors that they were unable to soil the immaculate beauty of their baptismal robe. I wondered why poor savages died in great numbers without even having heard the name of God pronounced.<br /><br />Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the Lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little white flowers.<br /><br />And so it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to Lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at his feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 13. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards and </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=268">photos</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> of St. Therese imported from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">my webstore </a>called The Little Way.</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1167323842404745512006-12-28T08:28:00.000-08:002006-12-28T09:03:50.600-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of A Soul - Prayers for Pranzini<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/207919/therese%20at%208.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/4584/therese%20at%208.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"To awaken my zeal God showed me my desires were pleasing to Him. I heard talk of a great criminal just condemned to death for some horrible crimes; everything pointed to the fact that he would die impenitent. I wanted at all costs to prevent him from falling into hell, and to attain my purpose I employed every means imaginable. Feeling that of myself I could do nothing, I offered to God all the infinite merits of Our Lord, the treasures of the Church, and finally I begged Celine to have a Mass offered for my intentions. I didn't dare ask this myself for fear of being obliged to say it was for Pranzini, the great criminal. I didn't even want to tell Celine, but she asked me such tender and pressing questions, I confided my secret to her. Far from laughing at me, she asked if she could help convert <em>my sinner</em>. I accepted gratefully, for I would have wished all creatures would unite with me to beg grace for the guilty man. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I felt in the depths of my heart <em>certain</em> that our desires would be granted, but to obtain courage to pray for sinners I told God I was sure He would pardon the poor, unfortunate Pranzini; that I'd believe this even if he went to his death <em>without any signs of repentence</em> or without <em>having gone to confession</em>. I was absolutely confident in the mercy of Jesus. But I was begging Him for a <em>"sign"</em> of repentance only for my own simple consolation.</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">My prayer was answered to the letter! In spite of Papa's prohibition that we read no papers, I didn't think I was disobeying when reading the passages pertaining to Pranzini. The day after his execution I found the newspaper <em>"La Croix."</em> I opened it quickly and what did I see? Ah! my tears betrayed my emotion and I was obliged to hide. Pranzini had not gone to confession. He had mounted the scaffold and was preparing to place his head in the formidable opening, when suddenly, seized by an inspiration, he turned, took hold of the <em>crucifix </em>the priest was holding out to him and <em>kissed</em> the <em>sacred wounds three times!</em> Then his soul went to receive the <em>merciful </em>sentence of Him who declares that in heaven there will be more joy over one sinner who does penance than over ninety-nine just who have no need of repentence!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I had obtained the "sign" I requested, and this sign was a perfect replica of the grace Jesus had given me when He attracted me to pray for sinners. Wasn't it before the <em>wounds of Jesus</em>, when seeing His diving <em>blood</em> flowing, that the thirst for souls had entered my heart? I wished to give them this <em>immaculate blood</em> to drink, this blood which was to purify them from their stains, and the lips of my <em>"first child"</em> were pressed to the sacred wounds!"</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 99. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=262">photos</a> </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>of St. Therese imported</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called The Little Way.</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><br /><strong></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166972414704533712006-12-24T06:57:00.000-08:002006-12-24T07:39:48.106-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - The Grace of Christmas<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/936751/therese%20at%208.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/262749/therese%20at%208.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"It was December 25, 1886, that I received the grace of leaving my childhood, in a word, the grace of my complete conversion. We had come back from Midnight Mass where I had the happiness of receiving the <em>strong</em> and <em>powerful </em>God. Upon arriving at Les Buissonnets, I used to love to take my shoes from the chimney corner and examine the presents in them; this old custom had given us so much joy in our youth that Celine wanted to continue treating me as a baby since I was the youngest in the family. Papa had always loved to see my happiness and listen to my cries of delight as I drew each surprise from the <em>magic shoes</em>, and my dear King's gaiety increased my own happiness very much. However, Jesus desired to show me that I was to give up the defects of my childhood and so He withdrew its innocent pleasures. He permitted Papa, tired out after the Midnight Mass, to experience annoyance when seeing my shoes at the fireplace, and that he speak those words which pierced my heart: "Well, fortunately, this will be the last year!" I was going upstairs, at the time, to remove my hat, and Celine, knowing how sensitive I was and seeing the tears already glistening in my eyes, wanted to cry too, for she loved me very much and understood my grief. She said, "Oh, Therese, don't go downstairs; it would cause you too much grief to look at your slippers right now!" But Therese was no longer the same; Jesus had changed her heart! Forcing back my tears, I descended the stairs rapidly; controlling the poundings of my heart, I took my slippers and placed them in front of Papa, and withdrew all the objects joyfully. I had the happy appearance of a Queen. Having regained his cheerfulness, Papa was laughing; Celine believed it was all a <em>dream</em>! Fortunately, it was a sweet reality; Therese had discovered once again the strength of soul which she had lost at the age of four and a half and she was to preserve it forever!</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">On that <em>night of light</em> began the third period of my life, the most beautiful and the most filled with graces from heaven. The work I had been unable to do in ten years was done by Jesus in one instant, contenting himself with my <em>good will</em> which was never lacking. I could say to Him like His apostles: "Master, I fished all night and caught nothing." More merciful to me than He was to His disciples, Jesus <em>took the net Himself</em>, cast it, and drew it in filled with fish. He made me a fisher of <em>souls</em>. I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn't felt so intensely before. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">I felt <em>charity</em> enter into my soul, and the need to forget myself and to please others; since then I've been happy! One Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the ground without anyone's hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive the divine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out upon souls. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: "<em>I thirst</em>!" These words ignited within me a unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a <em>thirst for souls</em>. As yet, it was not the souls of priests that attracted me, but those of <em>great sinners</em>; I <em>burned</em> with the desire to snatch them from the eternal flames."</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 98.. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=284"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=262">photos </a>of St. Therese imported</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Little Way.</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166626820721360672006-12-20T06:55:00.000-08:002006-12-20T07:12:55.700-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of A Soul - I Force Myself In Vain to Meditate on the Mysteries of the Rosary<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/589639/Our%20lady%20of%20the%20Smile.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/53960/Our%20lady%20of%20the%20Smile.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong><span style="font-size:130%;">Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint. </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><span style="font-size:130%;">"However, I would not want you to believe, dear Mother, that I recite without devotion the prayers said in common in the choir or the hermitages. On the contrary, I love very much these prayers in common, for Jesus has promised <em>to be in the midst of those who gather together in His name</em>. I feel then that the fervor of my Sisters makes up for my lack of fervor; but when alone (I am ashamed to admit it) the recitation of the rosary is more difficult for me than the wearing of an instrument of penance. I feel I have said this so poorly! I force myself in vain to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary; I don't succeed in fixing my mind on them. For a long time I was so desolate about this lack of devotion that astonished me, for I love the Blessed Virgin so much that it should be easy for me to recite in her honor prayers which are so pleasing to her. Now I am less desolate; I think that the Queen of heaven, since she is <em>my MOTHER</em>, must see my good will and she is satisfied with it." </span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 242. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=284">holy cards </a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>and photos of St. Therese imported</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166542954471511512006-12-19T07:35:00.000-08:002006-12-19T08:01:14.353-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of A Soul - To Profit From My Miseries<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/395439/sacristan.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/365192/sacristan.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"When I am preparing for Holy Communion, I picture my soul as a piece of land and I beg the Blessed Virgin to remove from it <em>any rubbish</em> that would prevent it from being <em>free</em>; then I ask her to set up a huge ten worthy of <em>heaven</em>, adorning it with <em>her own</em> jewelry; finally, I invite all the angels and saints to come and conduct a magnificent concert there. It seems to me that when Jesus descends into my heart He is content to find Himself so well received and I, too, am content. All this, however, does not prevent both distractions and sleepiness from visiting me, but at the end of the thanksgiving when I see that I've made it so badly I make a resolution to be thankful all through the rest of the day. You see, dear Mother, that I am far from being on the way of fear; I always find a way to be happy and to profit from my miseries; no doubt this does not displease Jesus since He seems to encourage me on this road. Contrary to my usual state of mind, one day I was a little disturbed when going to Communion; it seemed to me that God was not satisfied with me and I said to myself: Ah! if I receive only <em>half a host</em> today, this will cause me great sorrow, and I shall believe that Jesus comes regretfully into my heart. I approached, and oh, what joy! For the first time in my life I saw the priest take <em>two hosts</em> which were well separated from each other and place them on my tongue! You can understand my joy and the sweet tears of consolation I shed when beholding a mercy so great!"</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 172. This book and many others along with a line of </strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=301"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>holy cards</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>and photos of St. Therese imported</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>The Little Way</strong></span>.</a><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166281984487536292006-12-16T07:04:00.000-08:002006-12-16T07:28:28.870-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of A Soul - I Threw Myself Into His Arms<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/49496/therese%20kneeling.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/827009/therese%20kneeling.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"I have recalled to you, dear Mother, the first work Jesus and you saw fit to accomplish through me. This was the prelude of those which were to be confided to me. When I was given the office of entering into the sanctuary of souls, I saw immediately that the task was beyond my strength. I threw myself into the arms of God as a little child and, hiding my face in His hair, I said: 'Lord, I am too little to nourish Your children; if You wish to give through me what is suitable for each, fill my little hand and without leaving Your arms or turning my head, I shall give Your treasures to the soul who will come and ask for nourishment. If she finds it according to her taste, I shall know it is not to me but to You she owes it; on the contrary, if she complains and finds bitter what I present, my peace will not be disturbed, and I shall try to convince her this nourishment comes from You and be very careful not to seek any other for her.' "</span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 239. This book and many others along with a line of <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=292">holy cards</a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=292"> </a></strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>and </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>photos</strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> of St. Therese imported</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong> </strong></span></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong></span><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way</a>.</strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166196395103398532006-12-15T07:07:00.000-08:002006-12-15T07:50:17.580-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Little Acts of Penance<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/117396/therese%20at%208.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/291181/therese%20at%208.jpg" border="0" /></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"With a nature such as my own, had I been reared by Parents without virtue or even if I had been spoiled by the maid, Louise, as Celine was, I would have become very bad and perhaps have even been lost. But Jesus was watching over His little fiancee; He had willed that all turn out for her good, even her faults that, corrected very early, stood her in good stead to make her grow in perfection. As I began to think seriously (which I did when still very little), it was enough for one to tell me a thing wasn't good and I had no desire to repeat it twice.<br /><br />I see with pleasure that in Mama's letters I gave her great consolation when growing up. Having nothing but good example around me, I naturally wanted to follow it. This is what she wrote in 1876: 'Even Therese wants to do little acts of penance at times. She's a charming child, very alert, very lively, but she is very sensitive. Celine and she are very fond of each other, and are sufficient unto themselves for passing the time. Every day as soon as they've eaten dinner Celine takes her little rooster; she catches Therese's little hen with one swoop of her hand, something I can never do, but she is so lively she gets it in one bound. Then they come with their little pets and sit before the fireplace and amuse themselves for long hours at a time. (It was little Rose who gave me the hen and the rooser, and I gave the rooster to Celine).' "<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 24. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/search_results.asp?category=4"><strong> </strong></a><strong>and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=262">photos</a> of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong></strong></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;"><strong>St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</strong></span>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166109654338261092006-12-14T07:19:00.000-08:002006-12-14T07:35:05.793-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Spiritual Direction<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/689010/toys.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/888113/toys.jpg" border="0" /></a> <span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul </span>and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"It was Pauline, too, who received all my intimate confidences and cleared up all my doubts. I was surprised that God didn't give equal glory to all the Elect in heaven, and I was afraid all would not be perfectly happy. Then Pauline told me to fetch Papa's large tumbler and set it alongside my thimble and filled both to the brim with water. She asked me which one was fuller. I told her each was as full as the other and that it was impossible to put in more water than they could contain. My dear Mother helped me understand that in heaven God will grant His Elect as much glory as they can take, the last having nothing to envy in the first. And it was in this way that you brought the most sublime mysteries down to my level of understanding and were able to give my soul the nourishment it needed. "<br /></span><br /><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>Excerpted from </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">,</a> ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 44. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=263">photos</a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=263"> </a></strong><strong>of St. Therese imported</strong></span><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"> </span></strong></a><span style="font-size:130%;"><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way</a>.</strong></span><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;"></span></strong><br /><strong><span style="font-size:130%;color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls. </span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1166017359922132752006-12-13T05:41:00.000-08:002006-12-13T06:00:41.566-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - A Very Little Soul<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/924177/laundry.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/915857/laundry.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"Another time, I was in the laundry doing the washing in front of a Sister who was throwing dirty water into my face every time she lifted the handkerchiefs to her bench; my first reaction was to draw back and wipe my face to show the Sister who was sprinkling me that she would do me a favor to be more careful. But I immediately thought I would be very foolish to refuse these treasures which were being given to me so generously, and I took care not to show my struggle. I put forth all my efforts to desire receiving very much of this dirty water, and was so successful that in the end I had really taken a liking to this kind of aspersion, and I promised myself to return another time to this nice place where one received so many treasures.<br /><br />My dear Mother, you can see that I am a <em>very little soul</em> and that I can offer God only <em>very little things</em>. It often happens that I allow these little sacrifices which give such peace to the soul to slip by; this does not discourage me, for I put up with having a little less peace and I try to be more vigilant on another occasion."<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 250. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards and </strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=277"><strong>photos </strong></a><strong>of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><strong>The Little Way</strong></a><strong>.</strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1165936795433373692006-12-12T07:17:00.000-08:002006-12-12T07:31:43.936-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Virtue<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/272058/age%203.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/148969/age%203.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"Here is a pasage from one of Mama's letters showing how good Celine was and how I was just the opposite. "My little Celine is drawn to the practice of virtue; it's part of her nature; she is candid and has a horror of evil. As for the little imp, one doesn't know how things will go, she is so small, so thoughtless! Her intelligence is superior to Celine's, but she's less gentle and has a stubborn streak in her that is almost invincible; when she says '<em>no' </em>nothing can make her give in, and one could put her in the cellar a whole day and she's sleep there rather than say 'yes'.<br /><br />But still she has a heart of gold; she is very lovable and frank; it's curious to see her running after me making her confession: 'Mama, I pushed Celine once, I hit her once, but I won't do it again.' (It's like this for everything she does.) Thursday evening we took a walk in the direction of the train station, and she wanted absolutely to go into the waiting room to go and see Pauline; she was running on ahead with a joy that was pleasant to see, but when she saw we had to return without getting on the train to go to visit Pauline, she cried all the way home."<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from</strong><strong> <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 22. This book and many others along with a line of </strong><strong>holy cards </strong><strong>and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=268">photos</a> of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1165852156147520542006-12-11T07:35:00.000-08:002006-12-11T08:01:21.160-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of A Soul - Jesus' Call<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/664901/St.%20Therese%20in%20Death%20Holy%20Card.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/96292/St.%20Therese%20in%20Death%20Holy%20Card.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"Oh! no, I do not have any fears of a long life and I do not refuse the fight, for the Lord is the Rock to which I am raised. <em>"He teaches my hands to fight, and my fingers to make war. He is my protector, and I have hoped in him!"</em> I never did ask God for the favor of dying young, but I have always hoped this would be His will for me. Frequently God is satisfied with the desire of working for His glory, and you know my desires have been great, dear Mother. You are aware, too, that Jesus has offered me more than one bitter chalice which He removed from my lips before I drank it, but not before making me taste its bitterness. The holy King David was right, dear Mother, when he sang: <em>"How sweet and pleasant it is for brothers to live together in unity."</em> It is true, I felt this very often, but on this earth this unity must take place in the midst of sacrifices. I didn't come to Carmel to live with my sisters but to answer Jesus' call. Ah! I really felt in advance that this living with one's own sisters had to be the cause of continual suffering when one wishes to grant nothing to one's natural inclinations."<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306"><strong> Story of a Soul</strong></a><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 215. This book and many others along with a line of </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=282">holy cards </a></strong><strong>and photos of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><strong>The Little Way.</strong></a><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1165771012425820342006-12-10T09:15:00.000-08:002006-12-10T09:25:06.910-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Detachment<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/642189/Cell.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/705672/Cell.jpg" border="0" /></a> <strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"Ah! what peace floods the soul when she rises above natural feelings. No, there is no joy comparable to that which the truly poor in spirit experience. If such a one asks for something with detachment, and if this thing is not only refused but one tries to take away what one already has, the poor in spirit follow Jesus' counsel: "If anyone take away your coat, let go your cloak also."<br /><br />To give up one's cloak is, it seems to me, renouncing one's ultimate rights; it is considering oneself as the servant and the slave of others. When one has left his cloak, it is much easier to walk, to run, and Jesus adds: "And whoever forces you to go one mile, go two more with him." Thus, it is not enough to give to everyone who asks; I must even anticipate their desires, appear to be very much obliged and honored to render service, and if anyone takes something which is for my use, I must not appear to be sorry about this but happy at being relieved of it. Dear Mother, I am very far from practicing what I understand, and still the desire alone I have of doing it gives me peace."<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 226. This book and many others along with a line of holy cards</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/search_results.asp?category=4"><strong> </strong></a><strong>and <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=265">photos</a> of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com"><strong>The Little Way</strong></a><strong>.<br /><br /><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-33243246.post-1165422387581171042006-12-06T07:38:00.000-08:002006-12-06T08:39:35.070-08:00Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul - Virtue<a href="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/1600/661318/sacristan.jpg"><img style="FLOAT: left; MARGIN: 0px 10px 10px 0px; CURSOR: hand" alt="" src="http://photos1.blogger.com/x/blogger/261/3647/320/128110/sacristan.jpg" border="0" /></a><strong>Welcome to my series featuring excerpts from the book that started it all - Story of a Soul. I'm calling the series <span style="color:#ff6666;">Spiritual Roses from Story of a Soul</span> and I hope that you will visit here every day for an inspirational message from our dear little saint.<br /></strong><br />"God has no need for anyone to carry out His work. I know, but just as He allows a clever gardener to raise rare and delicate plants, giving him the necessary knowledge for this while reserving to Himself the care of making them fruitful, so Jesus wills to be helped in His divine cultivation of souls.<br /><br />What would happen were a clumsy gardener not to graft his bushes properly? If he was ignorant of the nature of each and wished to make roses bloom on peach trees? He'd cause the tree to die, which nevertheless had been good and capable of producing fruit. It's in this way one would know from childhood what God asks of souls and second the action of His graces, without either advancing or holding it back. As little birds learn to <em>sing</em> by listening to their parents, so children learn the science of the virtues, the sublime <em>song</em> of Divine Love from souls responsible for forming them.<br /><br /><strong>Excerpted from </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=306">Story of a Soul</a></strong><strong>, ICS Publications, Third Edition, page 113. This book and many others along with a line of <a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/search_results.asp?category=4">holy cards</a></strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/search_results.asp?category=4"> </a></strong><strong>and photos </strong><strong>of St. Therese imported</strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com/products.asp?id=271"><strong> </strong></a><strong>from her monastery in Lisieux can be found at my webstore called </strong><strong><a href="http://www.thelittleway.com">The Little Way.</a></strong><br /><strong></strong><br /><strong><span style="color:#ff6666;">St. Therese, open our hearts to your little way. Teach us to throw ourselves into the arms of Our Lord, casting away all doubt and fear and accepting all that He sends us as graces for the salvation of our souls.</span></strong>Cynthia Kerrhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/10288260740929074416noreply@blogger.com0