SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX CENTENARY REFLECTIONS
AUSTRALIAN DISCALCED CARMELITES NO. 12
Carried to God in a Saint's heart
THE NATURE OF ST. THERESE'S POWERFUL LOVE FOR US
The great saints of the Church never underestimated the powerful influence
of love. In a very real way our destiny and our identity is formed and
shaped by the influence of what or who we choose to love. Let's think,
for a moment, of a person who loves material possessions. He lives his
life guided and directed by the desire for wealth, and whenever he speaks
it is always about what he is planning to buy next or how he is going
to raise money for some future plan.
The saints knew, by their own experience and by pondering the wisdom of
the Gospel, that the human heart and mind are made for something more
than material possessions. Our hearts and minds are made for God - the
God who reaches out to meet us in the person of Jesus. The saints were
formed and shaped by the influence of the One who they loved and their
holiness was a real sharing in the life and the love of Christ.
In the final pages of the Story of a Soul we meet St. Therese of Lisieux
speaking of her life as a Carmelite Nun. She writes only a few months
before her death. We hew the ordinary, small details of her life in Carmel
- her little acts of charity, her acts of resisting the impulse to speak
out when another nun has done something wrong by her, her efforts to speak
the truth even if it might cause a certain pain - but if we look at those
details carefully we discover something extraordinary. What is our extraordinary
discovery? In a sense it is a discovery of the truth of Therese's message
- Christ enters the world through the heart of a little child; Christ's
light can shine beautifully in a small, ordinary life; the saving influence
of Christ spreads throughout the world through the easily overlooked victories
of love in our hearts.
[The Lord] is always using His creatures as instruments
to carry on His work in souls. - Story of a Soul, chapter 11
In Chapter 11 of the Story of a Soul Therese reflects on the way that
she has been an instrument of the Lord's work. In the Carmel of Lisieux
Therese had the responsibility of helping the novice-mistress in the training
and formation of the novices. This would have been a daunting responsibility
for a young nun but Therese believed that God spoke to her through her
superior. And so it was God who was asking her to take on this responsibility
and Therese had confidence that God would provide whatever was necessary
to carry out the work of helping with the novices.
Mother, from the moment I understood that it was impossible
for me to do anything by myself, the task you imposed upon me no longer
appeared difficult. I felt that the only thing necessary was to unite
myself more and more to Jesus and that "all things will be given
to you besides." In fact, never was my hope mistaken, for God saw
fit to fill my little hand as many times as it was necessary for nourishing
the soul of my Sisters.
- Story of a Soul, chapter 11
Therese's great spiritual teaching, the Little Way, tells us that we are
called to become little children, with empty hands, who confidently turned
towards our Heavenly Father who will provide whatever is necessary. God
will provide whatever is needed at the time that it is needed.
The impossibility of the work did not discourage Therese. She did not
get weighed down with the thoughts of all the possible difficulties nor
did she spend her time focused on the likelihood of not being able to
succeed in doing what was asked. Seeing the impossibility actually had
the opposite effect ~ because the task was impossible it no longer appeared
to be difficult. Therese had a certain confidence that the impossible
is God's chosen place, the place where His glory enters and shines most
clearly.
Therese positively desired and chose the simple, direct situations where
there was most clearly no choice but to rely on God alone. Living in an
enclosed religious community she was faced with sisters of varying ages
and temperaments. She saw the imperfections and the difficult characteristics
of her sisters and she felt her own limitations and imperfections.
In the midst of all of this Therese would listen to Jesus speaking to
her in the Gospel. She would listen to Him as He challenged her inclination
to only share her life with lovable people whilst avoiding difficult people.
She would hear Him calling her to go beyond what is asked, go the extra
mile out of love. She listened to this Jesus whom she loved and she felt
the way His words stretched her heart towards His way of loving. She believed
in the fruitful, life-giving nature of His commands and teachings: if
He asks for this then He will provide what is needed. At the same time
there must be a space made for hearing and receiving the necessary strength,
direction and loving support of God's presence. In other words, in all
of this, the ongoing relationship of prayer is essential:
Ah! it is prayer, it is sacrifice which give me all
my strength; these are the invincible weapons which Jesus has given me.
They can touch souls much better than words as I have very frequently
experienced. … For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is
a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love
in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great,
supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.
- Story of a Soul, chapter 11
Therese spends a lot of time in Chapter 11 of the Story of a Soul writing
about the people who had been "given to her." These were people
like the novices and her two spiritual brothers, who were missionaries,
who she prayed for and loved. She was able to see something extraordinary
in this day to day activity of loving and praying for these people: she
saw Jesus was present and at work in her love and her prayer.
Near the end of John's Gospel Jesus prays a long and beautiful prayer
to His Heavenly Father. It is a prayer that speaks of Jesus' love for
the people who come to follow Him - in His love Jesus uncovers and shares
His loving relationship with the Father with all who follow Him. It is
a prayer where Jesus thanks His Father for calling and drawing these followers
into His Presence. It is also a prayer where Jesus commends His followers
to the ongoing protection of the Father.
"I pray for them, not for the world do I pray,
but for those whom you have given me, because they are yours; and all
things that are mine are yours, and yours are mine; and I am glorified
in them. And I am no longer in the world, and I am coming to you. Holy
Father, keep in your name those whom you have given to me. …"
- Story of a Soul, chapter 11 (Quoting John 17:4)
At the end of the Story of a Soul, St. Therese does an astounding thing:
she prays this prayer of Jesus as her own prayer. She prays in Jesus'
own words for those whom the Heavenly Father has given to her, those who
have come to her and received the treasure of her own relationship with
the Father. In other words she is praying for us, her voice united with
the voice of Jesus, her heart animated with the love of Jesus reaching
out to us. This is the powerful nature of a saint's prayer - this is the
powerful nature of the prayer of St. Therese of Lisieux.
IN CONCLUSION
This series of reflections has been a brief introduction to the great
work of St Therese known as the Story of a Soul. We have journeyed with
her, through the story of her short life, and by listening to her we have
been introduced to her way of seeing and relating to God through the ordinary
circumstances of life. Her way to God is a little way. It is a way that
involves turning with a child's confidence towards God's loving mercy,
protection and providence. It is a way that leads us to God with empty
hands outstretched to receive God's total gift of Jesus who is the Answer
to our incompleteness and our searching.
The Story of a Soul is a classic Christian Spiritual Book. It is also
easy to read and thoroughly recommended to any who have an interest in
the life and teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux. May her powerful prayer
be a source of blessing and encouragement to you all.
Fr. Robert Donnelly ocd (©1997)
A PRAYER OF SELF-SURRENDER
Lord Jesus, on the night before
you died you offered us in prayer to your heavenly Father. As we are gathered
and offered through your love, overpower the resistance of our heart so
that we might be surrendered to your loving action. St. Therese, draw
us to Jesus through your prayers.
Help us to surrender with a child's confidence into God's loving work.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
For more Information on the Discalced Carmelite
way of life in the Australian Region, please contact:
FRIARS (www.carmelite.com/friars)
NEW SOUTH WALES
Mount Carmel Retreat Centre (Sydney)
St. Andrews Road, VARROVILLE 2566
Tel: (02) 9603 1433 Fax: (02) 9603 1007 - Email
us
VICTORIA
Priory of St. John of the Cross (Melbourne)
96 Albion Road, BOX HILL 3128
Tel: (03) 9890 1101 Fax: (03) 9898 8392 - Email
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Priory of the Infant Jesus (Perth)
47 Wellington Road, MORLEY 6062
Tel: (08) 9276 8497 Fax: (08) 9276 8860 - Email
NUNS (www.carmelite.com/nuns)
NEW SOUTH WALES
Carmelite Monastery (Lismore)
151 Ballina Road, GOONELLABAH 2480
Tel: (02) 6624 1240 Fax: (02) 6624 4012
Carmel of Mary and Joseph (Sydney)
St. Andrews Road, VARROVILLE 2566
Tel: (02) 9820 3048 Fax: (02) 9820 3711
WESTERN AUSTRALIA
Carmelite Monastery (Perth)
100 Adelma Road, NEDLANDS 6009
Tel: (08) 9386 3672 Fax: (08) 9386 3681
Carmelite Monastery (Bunbury)
Gelorup Rise, GELORUP 6230
Tel: (08) 9795 7807 Fax: (08) 9795 8745
QUEENSLAND
Carmelite Monastery (Brisbane)
287 Wellington Street, ORMISTON 4160
(07) 3286 1401 Fax: (07) 3821 4563
TASMANIA
Carmelite Monastery
Cambridge Street, LAUNCESTON 7250
Tel: (03) 6331 3585 Fax: (03) 6331 7017
SOUTH AUSTRALIA
Carmelite Monastery (Adelaide)
380 Glen Osmond Road, MYRTLE BANK 5064
Tel: (08) 8379 2128 Fax: (08) 8379 3773
NEW ZEALAND
Carmelite Monastery
636 Mt Albert Road, AUCKLAND 3, NZ
Tel: +64 (09) 625 9680 Fax: (09) 625 9691
Carmelite Monastery
52 Halswell Road, CHRISTCHURCH 2, NZ
Tel: +64 (03) 338 9370
PAPUA NEW GUINEA
Carmelite Monastery (Port Moresby)
Bomana, PO Box 3462, BOROKO, NCB PNG
Tel: +675 328 1127 Fax: 328 1054
SAMOA
Carmelite Monastery
PO Box 2024 Apia, WESTERN SAMOA
Tel: + 685 21 731 Fax: 24 278
© 1997 Australian Discalced Carmelite Friars. Revision
© OCD 2002.
All Rights Reserved. May not be reproduced in any form without written
permission.
[previous] [Reflections - home]
 |  |  |