Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Today is the feast of the ''Little Flower'', Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, a very special saint for my family and for this author. What an impact she has had on the world, living in the cloisters of Carmel before dying at the age of 24...

Last year, I published an illustrated series of posts on her remarkable autobiography : see our sister website here. I used my French edition of her story published shortly after her death in 1897.

< Here is the title page and below is the translation.

THERESE

Je veux passer mon ciel à faire du bien sur la terre
I want to spend my time in Heaven doing good on earth.

of the Child Jesus
and the Holy Face

Died in the odour of sanctity in the Carmel convent at Lisieux
the 30th of September 1897 at the age of 24 years

He that is a little one, let him turn to me. [Prov IX, 16]


The STORY of a SOUL
written by herself
Letters and Poems
Fortieth thousand

Après ma mort je ferai tomber une plui de roses.
After my death, I will let fall a shower of roses.

************************************************************

Here are two excerpts from the chapter about her final days.  Her famous and soul-stirring words are capitalised.

One  of  the  Mothers,  having  come  to  visit  her,  did  her  a  trifling  service. "How  happy  I  should  be,"  thought  the  Mother,  "if  this  Angel  would  only say:  'I  will  repay  you  in  Heaven!'  At  that  instant  Soeur  Thérèse,  turning  to her, said: "Mother, I will repay you in Heaven!" 

But more surprising than all, was her consciousness of the mission for which Our  Lord  had  destined  her.  The  veil  which  hides  the  future  seemed  lifted, and more than once she revealed to us its secrets, in prophecies which have already been realised. "I  have  never  given  the  Good  God  aught  but  love;  it  is  with  Love He will repay. AFTER MY DEATH I WILL LET FALL A SHOWER OF ROSES."

"I  feel  that  my  mission  is  soon  to  begin—my  mission  to  make  others  love
God as I love Him . . . to each souls my little way.  I WILL SPEND MY HEAVEN IN DOING GOOD UPON EARTH. Nor  is this impossible, since  from the  very heart  of  the  Beatific Vision, the Angels keep watch over us. No, there can be no rest for me until the end of the  world.  But  when  the  Angel  shall  have  said:  'Time  is  no  more!'  then  I shall rest, then I shall be able to rejoice, because the number of the elect will be complete."

The picture (left) faithfully shows the facial expression and posture of St Therese immediately after her death, 30 September 1897.

It is based on a picture by her sister, Céline. The words in the picture are:

AU SOIR DE CETTE VIE VOUS SEREZ JUGÉS SUR L'AMOUR

'In the evening of this life, you will be judged on love.'


Apart from the Imitation of Christ, two books that played a very important role in Ste Thérèse's short life were:

'Le Manuel du Chrétien' and

'La Fin du monde présent et mystères de la vie future' : 'The End of the present world and the mysteries of the future life') (1881, Abbé Arminjon. English translation via Sophia Institute Press, 2008, available in Kindle edition).

Ste Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897)

One of my most prized possessions is a 1921 edition of the Manuel in which I keep a relic of Ste Thérèse.


I've no idea how I came into possession of the relic and so I esteem its very presence to be something of a miracle!

I renew my prayers of thanks to Almighty God for revealing her inspirational life and writings to me and for permitting her intercession on our behalf in hac lacrimarum valle.