Moment of Oneness, October 18, 2023

Mystic Moment:  St. Thérèse of Lisieux

January 2, 1873 – September 30, 1897

Zoom Link:   https://us02web.zoom.us/j/81507551772 

Meeting ID:   815 0755 1772 1/2/1873  - 9/30/1897  

This is Your Soul on Mysticism. 

By Kaya Banks

“Mysticism, broadly defined, is the transcendent experience of an encounter with God. For Catholic mystics like Julian, Hildegard von Bingen, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, it takes the form of  visions. For others, it is akin to the “still, small voice,” a moment of encounter with the ineffable that becomes transformational to their spiritual lives.”

                                                                   

 

                                                

SONG   

Walk With Me St. Thérèse    

https://youtu.be/58hT-uB5syQ?si=cowNqGOyNP1LJdTJ 

OPENING PRAYER

Holy One, we come in praise, gratitude, and humility to honor the holiness of your beloved St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. You gave us this “Saint for our times” to inspire us with her powerful, bold simplicity so that in our complicated time we can reach out for her guidance and direction. Her trust and faith in your Love is a soothing and inspiring balm in this time of disruption and stress in our world. Help us learn her ways of healing painful relationships that leave us disconnected from family, friends, and community. Without the great works and visions of other saints, she quietly modeled masterful insights of how to encounter your Love and forgiveness in every person we meet. Through our study of St. Thérèse’s example, give us confidence and trust in your Love, and energy to follow her example with peace and joy in our hearts. Amen

VIDEO: 

St. Thérèse of Lisieux HD   Catholic Online    https://tinyurl.com/2rsabu66

READING 1   St. Thérèse Models Trust    

                                                       

                                                                                                                                                 “When he (Papa) came home I used to to run and sit on one of his boots; then he would carry me in this way all around the house and out into the garden. Mamma said laughingly to him that he carried out all my wishes, and he answered: “Well, what do you expect? She’s the Queen!” Then he would take me in his arms, lift me very high, set me upon his shoulders, kiss and caress me.” (Autobiography)

                                                                                                       

PRAYER 1    

Mother Sophia Wisdom, we long for Your healing touch; many of us do not have the flow of loving memories like St. Thérèse. There are memories within us which hurt; emptiness from needing more than our family had to share; broken promises which gave birth to mistrust and suspicion; feelings of not belonging; memories of not being good enough, and scars of traumas which deeply wound our spirit. Like young St. Thérèse, inspire us to get off the swings of our self-pity and haunting memories, and seek reconciliation and inner peace. Free us to be present to Your caressing presence right now. Mother Sophia, heal our crippled memories that don’t allow us to climb the stairs to freedom and wholeness. “Touch us with Your goodness so that we choose not to hold hurts, nightmares and disappointments against others, but rather learn to be refined by them. We ask You this, through the intercession of St. Thérèse, who teaches us confidence and trust in Your love.”  Amen

READING 2   St. Thérèse Models Faith

                                                            

When Thérèse was eight years old, she went to the Benedictine Abbey in Lisieux to school. Being the youngest and brightest, she was teased unmercifully by other girls. She had faith she would find comfort and a refuge from her loving family at night. We all need a place to go to recoup from the day’s frustrations and trials; family and friends offer us solace and love. This experience of St. Thérèse set the stage for her to share her insights that all of us are called to Universal holiness, all called to be saints. Our busy lives often rob our time and energy, leaving us feeling empty and without resources to be of service to others. We know prayer is essential for our spiritual growth; it is up to us to make time in our busy day to connect with the Holy One, the Divine Counselor, and renew our spiritual energy.

PRAYER 2 

Gentle Jesus, from our view in the garden of life we see many nations and our own suffering from the turbulence of war, natural disasters, and climate-related destruction. Help us to know how to reach out and heal the troubled souls that come on our path, knowing each day brings many opportunities to show charity and compassion. Give us the clarity of purpose St. Thérèse had to recognize every little moment to do good and spread Your love through every day and everyone we meet.  You have planted us, help us to blossom as the flower You have created us to be. Free us to see and be the big picture of your heavenly plan and beautiful garden, within and beyond us. We ask You this, through the intercession of St. Thérèse, who teaches us confidence and trust in Your love. Amen

                                                                                                                

READING 3      Courage and Persistence    

Marie Francois Thérèse Martin was determined to follow her call to Carmel, but met resistance from family and Prioress of the Carmel of Lisieux.  She pleaded with her bishop who would not agree to allow the 15-year-old to enter. Then her father took her and older sister Celine on a pilgrimage to Rome to celebrate Pope Leo XIII’s Golden Jubilee as a priest. 

The great day of the audience with Pope Leo XIII came at the end of a week in Rome. On Sunday, November 20, 1887, “they told us on the Pope’s behalf that it was forbidden to speak as this would prolong the audience too much. I turned toward my dear Celine for advice: ‘Speak!’ she said. A moment later I was at the Holy Father’s feet…lifting tear-filled eyes to his face I cried out: ‘Most Holy Father, I have a great favor to ask you!…Holy Father, in honor of your jubilee, permit me to enter Carmel at the age of fifteen.”  A few months later was her “Landing Day” at the Carmel of Lisieux, a model of persistence, courage, and hope.                                                  

                           

                         

    PRAYER 3

Mystical Therese, we recognize your ability to find the Holy in the midst of everyday life. The Holy One did not appear in contemplative prayer, but revealed to you in the gentle moments of your daily life. When we separate the Divine light in our lives, missing the shimmering presence of the Holy One, in the flowers, critters, and stars, in our play, work, friends, and family, bring us back to focus. Awaken in us the mystic, and enlighten our hearts to recognize the Sacred Presence guiding and inspiring our every moment. Amen

READING 4

Reading “Story of a Soul,” the autobiography of St. Thérèse, leaves some folks feeling that her sheltered life in an idealized family setting is out of touch with our life today. It can be difficult or impossible to relate to her, with parents who would also be Canonized saints, and 3 sisters who were Carmelite nuns. It’s somewhat like watching the Olympic gymnasts, admiring their athleticism and gracefulness, knowing that it is a personal impossibility to reproduce those physical movements with our bodies! We look to emulate saints that are somewhat like us to learn from and develop a bond.

St. Thérèse was named a “Doctor of the Church”. This extremely high honor indicates she had much to share with all of us on the Journey. She modeled her practice of the “Little Way,” which is the idea of practicing small acts of kindness, compassion, charity, patience, recognizing needs in others, and responding to these small incidents with “great Love,” even if we aren’t able to help the person at that moment.  This is why St. Thérèse is so loved and famous; the “Little Way” was recognized and exalted as a new theological insight we can all accomplish in whatever stage of life we are in presently. 

                                 

PRAYER 4

St. Thérèse, you believed that life sends more than enough challenges and opportunities to grow in holiness and Love.  Remind us of the powerful lessons you lived of how to love the Holy One with our whole heart in the humble routine of our daily life. Whisper in our ear how to harness the sufferings that come our way, how to soften pain we meet in the face of our neighbors and friends. Above all, send us “roses” reminders to be hopeful and faithful to His Love. In this way we can practice doing little things consistently and with great love. 

CLOSING PRAYER:

“Woman of wisdom –

even as a child, prayer spilled forth

from the very center of your heart, into the heart of God.

A natural contemplative, you understood the gift

of simply gazing upon the One you loved.

As your soul developed, you continued to honor

that simple opening of your heart to God.

No matter where you found yourself,

you trusted that the heart of God would meet you there.

Be with me, in my own journey of prayer.

Empower me to let go of formulas

that may restrict the love that I feel.

Help me, Therese, to trust that my heart

contains a natural longing to spend time with my Creator.

Fill me with the grace to allow my soul

to be absorbed in the love of my God.” Amen

St. Thérèse 

in the nuns Choir 

(Chapel) after her death.

REFERENCES AND RESOURCES FOR MYSTIC MOMENT THÉRÈSE

NOTE:  St. Thérèse has given us her own works as published books, as well as inspired a massive amount of information about her on the internet. There are films, plays, websites, songs, scholarly articles, as well as information and photos from the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux available for your prayerful study. I have used information from many of these sites to develop a “Moment” you may appreciate and find helpful, and express gratitude for all who have inspired this sharing with you. RS

1. 1. The Story of a Soul: Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Annotated and Study Guide Workbook, edition translated by Thomas N. Taylor; Copyright 2021 Holy Water Books. Original Autobiography published in 1912; original text copyright has expired and is in the public domain. 

1. 2. St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Reflections on the Joy of Smallness in God's Infinite Love.

1. 3. St. Thérèse of Lisieux, author. Kirvan, J., editor. Simply Surrender: 30 Days with Thérèse of Lisieux (Great Spiritual Teachers) Paperback – July 1, 2008 

1. 4. Gaucher, G. & St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The Prayers of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (Locust Hill Literary Studies) ICS Publications. Washington, DC. 

1. 5. Lautenbach, S.M. Pearls of Wisdom

1. 6. Photos collected from Pinterest and The Carmel of Lisieux website

PARTIAL LISTING OF BOOKS OF OR ABOUT ST. THÉRÈSE

The Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St Therese of Lisieux by St Therese (trans. J. Clarke)

St Therese of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations (trans. J. Clarke)

The Letters of St Therese and Those Who Knew Her: General Correspondence, Volume 1 (trans. J. Clarke)

The Letters of St Therese and Those Who Knew Her: General Correspondence, Volume 2 (trans. J. Clarke)

The Poetry of St. Therese of Lisieux (trans. D. Kinney)

The Prayers of St. Therese of Lisieux (trans. A Kane)

Story of a Soul: Study Edition by M. Foley)

The Plays of St. Therese of Lisieux: “Pious Recreations” (trans. J. Clarke)

SCHOLARLY BOOKS ABOUT ST. THÉRÈSE:  (ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies in Washington, D.C.)

The Context of Holiness: Psychological and Spiritual Reflections on the Life of St. Therese of Lisieux, by M. Foley (ICS Publications)

St. Therese of Lisieux: Spouse and Victim, by C. Ermatinger (ICS Publications)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Nietzsche is My Brother, by B. Edman (ICS Publications)

The Passion of Thérèse of Lisieux, by Guy Gaucher (Crossroad Publishing, 2001)

Under the Torrent of His Love: Saint Thérèse a Spiritual Genius, by Fr. Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, OCD (Alba House, 1995; originally in French late 1960’s)

WEBSITES DEDICATED TO ST. THÉRÈSE

Society of the Little Flower:     https://www.littleflower.org/st-therese/

Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux    https://archives.carmeldelisieux.fr/en/     

   

Catholic Online   https://www.catholic.org/saints/saint.php?saint_id=105

LittleFlower.org 

Les buissonnets, maison familiale de sainte Thérèse à Lisieux; https://www.dailymotion.com/video/xkrvqa   4 minute video of childhood home

Pope Francis announces an Apostolic Letter dedicated to Saint Therese of Lisieux  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z055EQhnqUM  Jubilee Year of St. Therese, patron saint of missionaries