S. Therese Lisieux (of the Child Jesus)| S. Remigius of Reims| Daily Meditation| Daily Quote by S. Padre Pio| Prayer To St Joseph For The Month of October| Divine Mercy Reflection
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
(1873-1897)
Ordinary Time
"I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifice to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul." These are the words of Therese of the Child Jesus, a Carmelite nun called the "Little Flower," who lived a cloistered life of obscurity in the convent of Lisieux, France. [In French-speaking areas, she is known as Thérèse of Lisieux.] And her preference for hidden sacrifice did indeed convert souls. Few saints of God are more popular than this young nun. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, is read and loved throughout the world. Thérèse Martin entered the convent at the age of 15 and died in 1897 at the age of 24. She was canonized in 1925, and two years later she and Francis Xavier (December 3) were declared co-patrons of the missions.
Life in a Carmelite convent is indeed uneventful and consists mainly of prayer and hard domestic work. But Thérèse possessed that holy insight that redeems the time, however dull that time may be. She saw in quiet suffering redemptive suffering, suffering that was indeed her apostolate. Thérèse said she came to the Carmel convent "to save souls and pray for priests." And shortly before she died, she wrote: "I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth."
On October 19, 1997, Blessed John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church, the third woman to be so recognized in light of her holiness and the influence in the Church of her teaching on spirituality. Her parents, Martin and Zelie (October 1), were beatified in 2008.
Comment:
Thérèse has much to teach our age of the image, the appearance, the "sell." We have become a dangerously self-conscious people, painfully aware of the need to be fulfilled, yet knowing we are not. Thérèse, like so many saints, sought to serve others, to do something outside herself, to forget herself in quiet acts of love. She is one of the great examples of the gospel paradox that we gain our life by losing it, and that the seed that falls to the ground must die in order to live (John 12).
Preoccupation with self separates modern men and women from God, from their fellow human beings and ultimately from themselves. We must relearn to forget ourselves, to contemplate a God who draws us out of ourselves and to serve others as the ultimate expression of selfhood. These are the insights of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and they are more valid today than ever.
Quote:
All her life St. Thérèse suffered from illness. As a young girl she underwent a three-month malady characterized by violent crises, extended delirium and prolonged fainting spells. Afterwards she was ever frail and yet she worked hard in the laundry and refectory of the convent. Psychologically, she endured prolonged periods of darkness when the light of faith seemed all but extinguished. The last year of her life she slowly wasted away from tuberculosis. And yet shortly before her death on September 30 she murmured, "I would not suffer less."
Truly she was a valiant woman who did not whimper about her illnesses and anxieties. Here was a person who saw the power of love, that divine alchemy which can change everything, including weakness and illness, into service and redemptive power for others. Is it any wonder that she is patroness of the missions? Who else but those who embrace suffering with their love really convert the world?
Patron Saint of:
Florists
Missionaries
Pilots
Today in the Latin Calendar we commemorate S. Remigius, Bishop. A story about this commemoration can be found by Clicking Here.
Another Story
St. Remigius was born in 437 A.D. Blessed with a keen intellect, elegant speech, and a zeal for the Gospel, St. Remigius was ordained as the Bishop of Reims, France at the young age of 22. He held that bishopric for more than seventy years, until his death in 533, and his zeal for the conversion the Frankish people soon earned him the title of Apostle of the Franks.
Among St. Remigius’s most difficult converts was Clovis, King of the Franks. Despite his marriage St. Clotilda and the eloquent arguments of St. Remigius, Clovis remained a steadfast pagan until his victory at the Battle of Tolbiac,which he attributed to Christ. Legend has it that when St. Remigius baptized Clovis, the chrism was delivered miraculously by a dove from heaven.
St. Remigius is one of the Patrons of France, and his symbols are a book, a dove, and a lamp. His feast day is October 1st.
Daily Meditation
Hold Me, O God:
Loving God, be with me in this time of sadness, pain, and uncertainty. I feel disoriented, and hunger for a time before death transformed my life. Help me to believe that this pain is temporary, and that after darkness, I will find light and peace.
Quote by S. Padre Pio:
Let (your zeal for fulfilling God's will) not be bitter, fussy, aggravating, or uneasy, but let it be sweet, benevolent, gracious, pacific, and uplifting.
Divine Mercy Reflection
Reflections on Notebook Five: 263-326
As we begin Notebook Five, Saint Faustina’s understanding of the Mercy of God should be more alive to you. Hopefully you have a deeper understanding of the infinite love of God and His burning desire to embrace you, free you from the burden of sin, and shower you with His grace.
It should also be clear that God is silent at times so as to strengthen you, purify you and deepen your trust in Him. God’s wisdom and His ways are beyond what we could ever imagine. He is perfect in His love and you must have full confidence in the direction He gives to your life.
As we enter into this notebook, try to believe and live all that you have read so far. It’s one thing to believe it intellectually, it’s quite another thing to believe it with your actions. You must believe in the Mercy of God with your actions. You must let all that you have read take hold of you and direct the way you live. One way to do this is to go back to any reflections that have stood out so far. If something has stood out, be it a particular reflection or a general theme, pay attention to that. The Message of Mercy is broad and all encompassing, but it’s also particular to you. Let the Lord speak directly to you revealing the specific truths that you need to embrace the most.
Reflection 274: Renewing Your Vows
It is a common practice for those who are married to renew their vows from time to time, especially on significant anniversaries. The renewal of vows and promises also takes place by priests and religious. This practice is a good and holy one in that we must constantly renew our total dedication to God in our vocation. But the renewal of vows and promises to God should go beyond our particular vocations and enter every universal vocation to holiness. Through Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Communion you have been given over to God for His service. You are His and He is yours and this mutual exchange of your hearts must be renewed daily. In fact, the reception of Holy Communion has this renewal as one of its goals. Not only do you receive our Lord into your soul in this precious gift, you also renew your total self-giving to God through its reception. As you daily renew your total commitment to our Lord, allow Him to consume every part of your life as if a blazing fire were consuming a log. Allow your renewal to consume your sin, weakness, sufferings and even joys. Let everything in your life be for the glory of God and the manifestation of His Divine Mercy (See Diary #1369).
Ponder today how often you renew your total commitment to our Lord and His holy Will. Reflect upon the image of a blazing fire consuming a log. See this as an image of what happens when you renew your love of God and your commitment to Him through your vocation to holiness. Hold nothing back, surrendering all each and every day. Let God consume you completely, transforming you into His Mercy.
Lord, I renew, today, the vows of my Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist. I renew the total dedication of my life to You and surrender all for Your service. Receive me, Lord, and do with me as You will. I am Yours, Lord, given without reserve. Jesus, I trust in You.
Prayer to Saint Joseph for the Month of October
To thee, O blessed Joseph, do we fly in our tribulation; and having implored the help of thy most holy spouse, we confidently crave thy patronage also. Through that charity which bound thee to the Immaculate Virgin Mother of God, and through the paternal love with which thou didst embrace the Child Jesus, we humbly beseech thee graciously to regard the inheritance which Jesus Christ hath purchased by His Blood and with thy power and strength to aid us in our necessities.
O most watchful guardian of the Divine family, defend the chosen children of Jesus Christ; O most loving Father, ward off from us every contagion of error and corrupting influence; O our most mighty protector, be propitious to us, and from heaven assist us in this our struggle with the power of darkness; and as once thou didst rescue the Child Jesus from deadly peril, so now protect God’s Holy Church from the snares of the enemy and from all adversity: Shield, too, each one of us by thy constant protection, so that, supported by thine example and thine aid, we may be able to live piously, to die holily, and to obtain eternal happiness in heaven. Amen.
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