Have you ever heard that saints will follow us? If someone had told me this a year ago I would have given them my infamous skeptic look and thought that they were just crazy. Saints are best friends with Jesus, they are in heaven, why would they spend their time following us, when it is we who should be following their ways to be closer to God? That's just it, that is why certain saints will follow us around, giving us little signs here and there because they want us to learn about them, to see just how they strengthened their relationship with God and how they can help us to strength ours. So I have been followed or as I've been told "stalked" by several saints lately, on which you will hear of more and more as this blog goes on, but one that has majorly been a part of my lfie for the entire school year has been St. Therese of Lisieux. St. Therese was this beautiful young girl who grew up in France and became a Carmelite Nun, one who is cloistered, can't go out in the real world, when she was but a teenager. She became famous for what is known as "the little way". You may have heard her also refered to as St. Therese the Little Flower. I remember my grandma always loved to talk about her when I was a little girl, but I never really stopped to learn much about her, until this year.
For Christmas, my one friend Katie gave me the book, The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux. I was so excited to finally be able to learn more about this beautiful saint whom I've heard of since I was a little girl, whom has been following me around for the past few months, but whom I don't know very much about. St. Therese was the youngest of 5 daughters and was a young child when her mother passed away from cancer. St. Therese, along with all of her sisters all became Religious Sisters. Pauline, the second oldest, whom also became a mother figure during Therese's youth, asked Therese to write her about her childhood and how she remembers it, since she was blessed to have remember very vividly much of her youth. The first section of the book, Therese writes to her older sister, who is Mother Superior of the Carmlilite Order where both her andTherese are, all about her childhood; her relationship with her sisters, with her father and mother (before her mother died), and with God.
I have only just begun reading this beautiful book by St. Therese about how she was as a child, and God truly watched over her and blessed her at a very young age. While a very holy person, she speaks very simply as so all can understand. For example when she is talking about people, she compares their souls to flowers in a garden; "Jesus willed to create great souls comparable to Lilies and roses, but He has created smaller ones and these must be content to be dasies or violets." Some peoples souls are bigger, some are smaller, but she also states, that "Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be." God gives us what we can handle; some souls are able to handle more while others may handle less, but God loves each and every one of us as His own. How beautiful that a four year old little girl could compare God's graces bestowed on His people to a garden of beautiful flowers?
As I continue to read this beautiful story of a soul, I am learning so many things to apply to my life and to teach others. Saint Therese is truly a beautiful soul, one who suffered much, but who loved God till the day she took her last breathe, a true and devote love which we all should aspire to have.
Saint Therese of Lisieux, pray for us!
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