St. Therese at her death bed
http://www.theresemovie.com/
"There is one ONLY THING to do here below: to love Jesus, to win souls for Him so that He may be loved. Let us seize with jealous care every least opportunity of self sacrifice. Let us refuse Him nothing - He does so want our love!"VI letter to her sister Celine
Today 1st October, the Universal Church celebrates the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, A doctor of the Universal Church and Patroness of the Missions. She is often called the greatest saint of Modern times.
When the world ran after great deeds with no Love, St.Therese, an Unknown Little Flower of Jesus shed her light with her Little way: To do even the smallest deed with Great Love.
We have not received the spirit of the world but the Spirit that is from God.
- Letter of Paul 1 Corinthians 2:12
In her Autobiography 'Story of A Soul' , Chapter XI, Therese Wrote:
"Charity gave me the key to my vocation. I understood that the Church being a body composed of different members, the most essential, the most noble of all the organs would not be wanting to her; I understood that the Church has a heart and that this heart is burning with love; that it is love alone which makes the members work, that if love were to die away apostles would no longer preach the Gospel, martyrs would refuse to shed their blood. I understood that love comprises all vocations, that love is everything, that it embraces all times and all places because it is eternal!"
Pope Benedict XVI on St. Therese of Lisieux and the Little Way (Must Read)
St. Therese at her death bed
Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title "little flower" remained with St. Therese.
Her inspiration and powerful presence from heaven touched many people very quickly. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Had she lived, she would have been only 52 years old when she was declared a Saint.
"My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said. "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." Roses have been described and experienced as Saint Therese's signature. Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." She has been acclaimed "the greatest saint of modern times." In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Therese a Doctor of the Church - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world.
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