Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

November is the month dedicated to the Poor Souls in Purgatory

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 22 The Sleeping Arrangements of the Monks - Ch 28 Those Who Refuse to Amend after Frequent Reproofs

Praised be the Lord, I exclaim.

MARY, QUEEN OF ALL SAINTS,

MARY, REFUGE OF SOULS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

For I am compassionate.

(Ex 22:26)

Welcome to the Thirtieth Week in Ordinary Time. Jesus gives us a tall order in today's Gospel, that is, You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. And, love your neighbor as yourself (Mt 22:37-39). Do not be daunted. Instead, go to Saint Paul's First Letter to the Corinthians (13:1-13) and Saint Benedict's Tools for Good Works found in Chapter 4 of the Holy Rule, for help. Just say no resounding gongs or clashing cymbals (see 1 Cor 13:1). 

So faith, hope, and love remain, these three; but the greatest of these is love.

(1 Cor 13:13)

Never lose hope in God's mercy.

(Rule of Saint Benedict 4:74)

I learned about a new saint last Thursday. I was especially thinking of him yesterday when we commemorated Saints Simon and Jude. It occurred to me that Saint Jude, the patron saint of lost causes (and desperate situations, forgotten causes, hospital workers, hospitals, impossible causes, and the diocese of Sr. Petersburg, Florida!) was certainly busy working on Blessed Bartolo Longo (1841-1946). And what a story (see reference below *). In short, our dear Bartolo grew up in a family of faith who prayed the Rosary together daily. Then, Bartolo sort of wandered from the fold, to say the least. After his mother's death, Bartolo not only fell in with a paganic group, they "ordained" him as Satanist priest. He participated in all sorts of extracurricular activities - please read for yourself. In any case, Bartolo ultimately experienced a mental breakdown, and with help from his dead father's voice, "Return to God! Return to God!", and Dominican priest who heard Bartolo's confession, Bartolo returned to God and His Church. In 1871, Bartolo became a Third Order Dominican, took the name of Br. Rosario in honor of the Rosary, married a local widow on the advice Pope Leo XIII, and all this goes on to lead to the Basilica of the Most Holy Rosary in Pompeii. I am telling you that you have to read the story for yourself. Pope Saint John Paul II beatified Bartolo on October 26, 1980, calling him the "Apostle of the Rosary." And it is said that over 30,000 people attended the ceremony. There will more to this story as our faith unfolds. All told, with God, ALL things are possible. Give God the praise!

In this week when we say farewell to October and welcome to November, our first three voices speak to us of the Most Holy Rosary, and the following honor saints, including some we commemorate this week, or those who preached on the most holy days we celebrate this week. And something to keep in mind throughout the whole of the liturgical year are the words of Blessed Columba Marmion: "We should be by grace what Jesus was by nature, a child of God and a child of Mary." Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen.

If I ever come to the end of the day without having said the rosary, I confess that I feel disappointed. There are some people who say: "The rosary is a good thing for women and children." Granted. But what does the Lord say? Unless you become as little children, you cannot enter the kingdom of heaven-and for my part, I want to go there!

(Blessed Columba Marmion, 1858-1923)

By its nature the recitation of the rosary calls for a quiet rhythm and a lingering pace, helping the individual to meditate on the mysteries of the Lord's life as seen through the eyes of Her who was closest to the Lord. In this way the unfathomable riches of these mysteries are unfolded.

(Pope Saint Paul VI, 1897-1978, Marialis Cultus, 47) 

The rosary is not a devotion to the Blessed Virgin, it is the devotion to Mary!

(Blessed Pauline Jaricot, 1799-1862)

Calling the saints to mind inspires, or rather arouses in us, above all else, a longing to enjoy their company, so desirable in itself. We long to share in the citizenship of heaven, to dwell with the spirits of the blessed, to join the assembly of patriarchs, the ranks of the prophets, the council of apostles, the great host of martyrs, the noble company of confessors and the choir of virgins. In short, we long to be united in happiness with all the saints ...

we must above all seek the prayers of the saints. Thus, what is beyond our own powers to obtain will be granted through their intercession.

(From a sermon by Saint Bernard, abbot, in Office of Readings, November 1)

Yearn for everlasting life with holy desire. Day by day remind yourself that you are going to die. Hour by hour keep careful watch over all you do, aware that God's gaze is upon you, wherever you may be.

(Rule of Saint Benedict, 4:46-49)

The example of Martin's life is ample evidence that we can strive for holiness and salvation as Christ Jesus has shown us: first, by loving God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind; and second, by loving your neighbor as yourself ...

Saint Martin, always obedient and inspired by his divine teacher, dealt with his brothers with that profound love which comes from pure faith and humility of spirit. He loved men because he honestly looked on them as God's children and as his own brothers and sisters. Such was his humility that he loved them even more than himself and considered them to be better and more righteous than he was.

(From a homily at the Canonization of Saint Martin de Porres by Pope John XXIII, in Office of Readings, November 3)

If you wish to make any progress in the service of God we must begin every day of our life with new ardor.

(Saint Charles Borromeo, 1538-1584)

And finally, we join Venerable Francis Xavier Nguyen Van Thuan (1928-2002) in prayer, and at the same time remember that "Whenever one person does something good for another, there God is especially near. Whenever someone opens himself for God in prayer, then he enters into His special closeness."**

Lord, give to our world many saints. I may produce material goods, but you alone, Lord, can give us saints.

(Venerable Francis Xavier Van Thuan)

BLESSED BARTOLO LONGO, APOSTLE OF THE ROSARY,

POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II,

BLESSED CHIARA LUCE BADANO,

THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF DOUAI COLLEGE,

SAINT COLMAN MACDUAGH,

SAINT MARCELLUS,

THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF WINCHESTER,

SAINT THOGER,

BLESSED DOMINIC COLLINS,

BLESSED MARIA TAUSCHER,

SAINT ALPHONSO RODRIGUEZ,

SAINT WOLFGANG AND THE 14 HOLY HELPERS,

POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II,

SAINT GIANNA MOLLA,

SAINT MARTIN DE PORRES,

SAINT WINEFRIDE,

SAINT MALACHY,

BLESSED JOHN BODY,

BLESSED RUPERT MAYER,

SAINT CHARLES BORROMEO,

SAINT BERNARD OF CLAIRVAUX,

SAINT BENEDICT,

PRAY FOR US. 

* See Angelo Stagnaro, "Blessed Bartolo Longo, the ex-Satanist Who Was Freed Through the Rosary," in National Catholic Register, December 12, 2016.

**Joseph Cardinal Ratzinger, God and the World: A Conversation with Peter Seewald (Ignatius, 2002).

Today's photo: Acadia National Park, in the woods near Long Pond, Bar Harbor, Maine, The Pine Tree State. Thank you, beloved Marshall family.

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 18 The Order of the Psalmody - Ch 21 The Deans of the Monastery

For great is the Lord and highly to be praised.

MARY, VIRGIN MOST VENERABLE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

I am the Lord, there is no other.

(Is 45:6)

Welcome to the Twenty-Ninth Week in Ordinary Time, a week that begins on World Mission Sunday while we are still deeply immersed in October, the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. At the same time, it is not too early to begin preparation for the new Liturgical Year 2023/2024 that commences on the First Sunday of Advent, December 3, 2023. You may remember last year that I suggested choosing a patron saint for the New Year, or rather, letting a patron saint choose you as a companion for the year. My faithful companion for Liturgical Year 2022/2023 is Saint Mary Elizabeth Hesselblad (1870-1957), a Briggintine nun. Sadly, I do not remember her enough. However, I trust that she remembers me. That is something saints do - they do not forget all of us here on earth still responding to the universal call to holiness.

On the subject of saints, in other years we would commemorate the great Pope Saint John Paul II on October 22. I had the privilege of attending his beatification, May 1, 2011. I could go on about that forever. However, put simply, it was an awesome gathering of thousands of people from all over the world. And it is true that we may be inspired by the words of a saint, like ones below from our saint of day, or at least I hope so. That is one reason most of our voices for the week come from the mouths of saints. I am inspired by what they have to say to me, and perhaps you will be inspired too. Inspired, you just may decide to learn about a particular saint's life and be further inspired. In an article, the author Father Michael Rennier writes about the importance of knowing the lives of saints: "Through their lives-not simply by their words-the saints bring theological concepts to reality."* So maybe you have read, or will read, the words of a particular saint included in our voices for the week that is coming through loud and clear. Is there a saint that is inviting you to learn more about his or her life, and then inviting you to have a new patron saint for the Liturgical Year 2024? Remember to be open, your patron beckons in unexpected ways. 

With all this and more in mind, then, some of our voices come from saints commemorated this week, others not. 

Our first voice, though meant for clerics, is relevant for all the faithful and a nice one to help us "put aside the deeds of darkness and put on the armor of light" (Rm 13:12). 

You are the light of the world. Now a light does not illumine itself, but instead it diffuses its rays and shines all around upon everything that comes into its view. So it must be with the glowing lives of upright and holy clerics ... Their own lives should be an example to others, showing how they must live in the house of the Lord.

(From the treatise Mirror of the Clergy by Saint John of Capistrano, priest, 1386-1456, in Office of Readings, October 23)

The love of Christ arouses us, urges us to run, and to fly, lifted on the wings of holy zeal. The man who truly loves God also loves his neighbor ... The zealous man desires and achieves all things and he labors strenuously so God may always be better known, loved and served in this world and in the life to come, for this is holy love without end.

(From a work by Saint Anthony Mary Claret, bishop, in Office of Readings, October 24)

But you, beloved, build yourselves up in your most holy faith; pray in the holy Spirit. Keep yourselves in the love of God and wait for the mercy of our Lord Jesus Christ that leads to eternal life. On those who waver, have mercy.

(Jude 20-22)

To be always close to Jesus, that's my life's plan.

The Eucharist in my highway to heaven. 

The Rosary is the ladder to climb to Heaven.

(Blessed Carlo Acutis, 1991-2006)

I need nothing but God and to lose myself in the heart of Jesus.

(Saint Margaret Mary Alacoque, 1647-1690)

To live without faith, without a heritage to defend, without battling constantly for truth, is not to live but to "get along"; we must never just "get along."

(Blessed Pier Giorgio Frassati, 1901-1925)

If the saint is to become himself, he must become himself in Christ.

(Father Gregory Pine, O.P., Friar of the Province of Saint Joseph)

And we conclude with a prayer for the week, united as we are in faith and prayer. May we follow the example of Saint Paul, and, as he wrote to the Thessalonians, give thanks to God for each other, remember each other in prayer, and remember that each one of us is loved by God (see Th 1:1-5b). God, come to my assistance; Lord, make haste to help me (Rule of Saint Benedict, 18:1/Ps 70:2). Keep going.

O Virgin Mother,

guide and sustain us

so that we may always live

as true sons and daughters

of the Church of your Son.

Enable us to do our part

in helping to establish on earth

the civilization of truth and love,

as God wills it,

for His glory.

(Pope Saint John Paul, II, 1920-2005, Christifideles Laici The Lay Members of Christ's Faithful People, 64)

POPE SAINT JOHN PAUL II,

SAINT JOHN OF CAPISTRANO,

SAINT ETHELFLAEDA,

SAINT ANTHONY MARY CLARET,

SAINT MAGLIORE,

FREI GALVAO,

SAINT CHAD,

SAINT CEDD, 

SAINT OTTERAN,

SAINTS SIMON AND JUDE, APOSTLES,

PRAY FOR US.

*Father Michael Rennier, "Knowing the Lives of Saints Will Transform Your Lives," in Aleteia, September 17, 2023.

Today's photo: Coming from the "House on the Hill" the other day, I stopped and looked. With awe and reverence, the words heard later from Anne Frank (1929-1945) now ring true: "I looked up in the sky and trusted in God." It is in Him that we live, and move, and have our being. Give God the praise. 

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 12 The Celebration of the Solemnity of Lauds - Ch 17 The Number of Psalms to Be Sung at These Hours

He refreshes my soul.

MARY, SINGULAR VESSEL OF DEVOTION,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!

(Is 25:9)

Marching on in this month of October dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, we have more heavy-hitter saints to invoke this week kicking it off with the great Doctor Saint Teresa of Avila, who wrote, "Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you ..." Why is it that we let things disturb us though 🤔. Rather, why not take a moment to breathe in the Holy Spirit and breathe out the Peace the world cannot give. And Saint Teresa continues ... 

All things pass away:

God never changes.

Patience obtains all things.

He who has God

Finds he lacks nothing;

God alone suffices. 

It happens that I have been going through some old journals which has proven to be both fun and enlightening, among other things. Fun? A November 1997 entry found me in New Zealand where I wrote, "I've written 45 postcards with two left." Rest assured, I did much more than write postcards. ☺However, I love to write postcards (and cards and letters!) and receive them too (hint). Just last week I received three postcards from the state of Maine! Enlightening? A 2003 entry found me in the midst of this exchange. Voice 1: "I don't have time to myself. My personal life is non-existent. Why?" Voice 2: "Because you said 'Yes', Sister." "Yes," is a very powerful word, one voice commented just the other day. And as it relates to today's Gospel (see Mt 22:1-14), the Lord invites each of us to the daily feast. Do you accept the invitation? Does your "Yes" really mean "Yes", no matter what? So, we pray with Pope Francis and all the faithful gathered today in Saint Peter's Square for the Angelus Address, "May Mary, who with her 'yes', made room for God, help us not to be deaf to his invitations." 

United in faith and prayer, we “rejoice and be glad that God has saved us" (Is 25:9). And as we go forth, we thank Saint Paul for his words of encouragement: "My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with His glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen" (Ph 4:19-20). Thy will be done.

Our voices this week come our great Saint and Doctor of the Church, Saint Teresa of Avila (1515-1582), also known as Saint Teresa of Jesus, who influenced our beloved Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), also known as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.* At the name of Jesus every knee should bend!

Oh, what a good friend You make, my Lord! How You proceed by favoring and enduring. You wait for others to adapt to Your nature, and in the meanwhile You put up with theirs!

(The Book of Her Life, Ch 8, 6)

Mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else but an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us.

(The Book of Her Life, Chapter 8, 5)

The important thing is not to think much but to love much.

(The Interior Castle)

Let us love the virtues and inward goodness, and let us always apply ourselves and take care to avoid attaching importance to externals.

(The Way of Perfection, Ch IV)

I mean that the King of glory will not come to our souls-that is, so as to united with them-unless we strive to gain the greatest virtues.

(The Way of Perfection, Ch XVI)

Although it is a great grace from God to practice self-examination, yet "too much is as bad as too little," as they say; believe me, by God's help, we shall advance more by contemplating the Divinity than by keeping our eyes fixed on ourselves, poor creatures of earth that we are ...

Our understanding and our will become more noble and capable of good in every way when we turn from ourselves to God.

(The Interior Castle, Ch 3, 8, 11)

Let the Christian be valiant.

(The Interior Castle, Chapter I, 13)

Getting used to solitude is a great help to prayer. Since prayer must be the foundation on which the house is built, it is necessary for us to learn to like whatever gives us the greatest help in it.

(The Way of Perfection, Chapter IV)

Humility, however deep it be, neither disquiets nor troubles nor disturbs the soul; it is accompanied by peace, joy and tranquility.

(The Way of Perfection, Ch XXXIV)

SAINT TERESA OF AVILA, DOCTOR OF THE CHURCH,

SAINT HEDWIG,

SAINT MARGARET MARY ALACOQUES,

SAINT MARGARET D'YOUVILLE,

SAINT RICHARD GWYN,

SAINT GALL,

SAINT IGNATIUS OF ANTIOCH,

SAINT LUKE,

SAINT JOHN DE BREBEUF AND ISAAC JOGUES AND THEIR COMPANIONS,

SAINT PAUL OF THE CROSS,

SAINT PHILIP HOWARD,

SAINT FRIDESWIDE,

SAINT PETER OF ALCANTARA,

BLESSED DAUDI OKELO AND JILDO IRWA,

SAINT BERTILLA BOSCARDIN,

SAINT HILARION,

SAINT GASPARE OF THE BUFALO,

BLESSED CHARLES OF AUSTRIA,

PRAY FOR US.

*NB. Check out the Holy Father's hot off the press issued today, October 15, 2023, Apostolic Exhortation to mark the 150th anniversary of the birth the great Doctor and Saint Therese of Lisieux, C'est la confiance It is confidence and nothing but confidence that must lead us to Love. See www.vatican.va. Go Little Flower ⚘ go!

Today's photo: For our viewing pleasure, my beloved bro Thomas captured this live while doing a little work in his yard, Indianapolis, Indiana, The Hoosier State. Raindrops keep falling on my head ... Sun and moon, bless the Lord, praise and exalt Him forever! Saint Thomas, Saint Anselm of Canterbury, pray for us. 

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 7:59 Humility - Ch 11 The Celebration of Vigils on Sunday

Take care of this vine.

MARY, MIRROR OF JUSTICE,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

Then the God of peace will be with you.

(Ph 4:9)

Welcome to the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time in the month of October dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. And if you don't know who Blessed Alan de la Roche (1428-1478) is (I just met him ☺) or what Blessed Alan de la Roche (1428-1478) said about the rosary, please allow me to pass along his words that I just heard: "The Holy Rosary is the storehouse of countless blessings." So, "recite your Rosary with faith," says Saint Louis Marie Grignion de Montfort (1673-1716), and "with humility, with confidence, and with perseverance." After all, "the greatest method of praying is to pray the Rosary" (Saint Francis de Sales, 1567-1622). Hail Mary, full of grace ... Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. 

As it turns out, the Church offers us some of my favorites today. The first is quoted in the reading from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew. There we hear an echo of the Psalmist and the Prophet Isaiah: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (Ps 118:22-23/Is 28:16). And it occurred to me during First Vespers yesterday afternoon that, because of this gift, I should certainly "have no anxiety all" (Ph 4:6), as Saint Paul writes. And that leads me to another favorite, not in the readings today, namely, "Unless the Lord build the house, they labor in vain who build it" (Ps 127:1). It is the Cornerstone, the Rock, the firm foundation upon which we stand. Build your house on Him. Yes, "by the Lord has this been done; it is wonderful in our eyes" (Ps 118:23). And "in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus" (Ph 4:6-7). 

United in faith and prayer, let us sing about our friend and His vineyard (see Is 5:1), and go forth.

And now a word or two from our sponsors in heaven to keep us going.

Make my language clear, my Savior, open my mouth and, after filling it, penetrate my heart so that my acts may correspond to my words.

(Saint Romanus the Melodist, late 5th century-556) 

Let us produce worthy fruits of penance. Let us also love our neighbors as ourselves. Let us have charity and humility. Let us give alms because these cleanse our souls from the stains of sin ... We must not be wise and prudent according to the flesh. Rather we must be simple, humble and pure. We should never desire to be over others. Instead, we ought to be servants who are submissive to every human being for God's sake. The Spirit of the Lord will rest on all who live in this way and persevere in it to the end. He will permanently dwell in them. They will be Father's children who do His work. They are the spouses, brothers and mothers of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

(Saint Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226, From a letter written to all the faithful, in Office of Readings, October 4)

O life so monotonous, how many treasures you contain! When I look at everything with the eyes of faith, no two hours are alike, and the dullness and monotony disappear.

(Saint Faustina Kowalska, 1905-1938)

Start by doing what's necessary; then do what's possible, and suddenly you are doing the impossible.

(Saint Francis of Assisi, 1181-1226)

Take every day as a ring which you must engrave, adorn, and embellish with your actions, to be offered up in the evening at the altar of God.

(Saint Elizabeth Ann Seton, 1774-1821)

God's works are done with clasped hands and on our knees. Even when we "run" we must rest spiritually on our knees before Him.

(Saint Luigi Orione, 1872-1940)

And to encourage us to pray the rosary during this month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, we have "Land of Lincoln" Illinois born, Venerable Fulton Sheen. 

The rosary is the book of the blind where souls see and there enact the greatest drama of love the world have ever known; it is the book of the simple, which initiates them into mysteries and knowledge more satisfying then the education of other men; it is the book of the aged, whose eyes close upon the shadow of this world, and open the substance of the next. The power of the rosary is beyond description.

(Venerable Fulton Sheen, 1895-1975)

MARIST MARTYRS OF BARCELONA,

SAINT ELIZABETH ANN SETON,

SAINT DENIS AND HIS COMPANIONS,

SAINT JOHN LEONARDI,

SAINT JOHN HENRY NEWMAN,

BLESSED DOMINIC BARBERI,

SAINT PHILIP NERI,

SAINT PAULINUS,

SAINT DANIEL COMBONI,

SAINT KENNETH,

BLESSED WILLIAM HOWARD,

SAINT WILFRID,

BLESSED JAN BEYZYM,

OUR LADY OF APERECIDA, PATRONESS OF BRAZIL,

OUR LADY OF THE PILLAR, PATRONESS OF SPAIN AND THE AMERICAS,

BLESSED CARLO ACUTIS, 

SAINT EDWARD THE CONFESSOR,

POPE SAINT CALLISTUS

POPE SAINT JOHN XXIII,

PRAY FOR US.

Today's photo: And protect what Your right hand has planted.

© Gertrude Feick 2023

Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time

October is the month dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary

Readings from the Rule of Saint Benedict for the Week: Ch 7:34-58 Humility  

Teach me your paths.

MARY, MOTHER OF GOOD COUNSEL,

MARY, MIRROR OF HOLINESS,

SAINT MICHAEL THE ARCHANGEL,

PRAY FOR US.

At the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

(Ph 2:10-11)

Welcome to the Twenty-Sixth Week in Ordinary Time and the month of October dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary. Mary, Queen of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us. 

In this month loaded with heavy hitter saints including two Doctors of the Church and the beloved il Poverello to intercede for us as we respond to the universal call to holiness, our introduction comes from the Holy Father Pope Francis in the Apostolic Exhortation Gaudete et Exsultate, 32, 34:

Do not be afraid of holiness. It will not take away your energy, vitality or joy. On the contrary, you will become what the Father had in mind when He created you, and you will be faithful to your deepest self. To depend on God sets us free from every form of enslavement and leads us to recognize our great dignity ... Holiness does not make you less human, since it is an encounter between your weakness and the power of God's grace. For in the words of Leon Bloy, when all is said and done, "the only great tragedy in life is not to become a saint."

So, our voices this week come from a great Saint who did not shy away from becoming one. I will turn things over, then, to the Little Flower, that is, Saint Therese of Lisieux, also called Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.* 

I understood that to become a saint one had to suffer much, seek out always the most perfect thing to do, and forget self. I understood, too, there were many degrees of perfection and each soul was free to respond to the advances of Our Lord, to do little or much for Him, in a word, to choose among the sacrifices He was asking. Then, as in the days of my childhood, I cried out, "My God, 'I choose all!' I don't want to be a saint by halves, I'm not afraid to suffer for You, I fear only one thing: to keep my own will; so take it, for 'I choose all' that You will!"

(Manuscript A, Chapter I)

Was not Jesus my only Friend! I knew how to speak only to Him; conversations with creatures, even pious conversations, fatigued my soul. I felt it was far more valuable to speak to God than to speak about Him, for there is so much self-love intermingled with spiritual conversations.

(Manuscript A, Chapter IV)

Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

I feel the vocation of the WARRIOR, THE PRIEST, THE APOSTLE, THE DOCTOR, THE MARTYR. Finally, I feel the need and the desire of carrying out the most heroic deeds for You, O Jesus. I feel within my soul the courage of the Crusader, the Papal Guard, and I would want to die on the field of battle in defense of the Church.

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Charity gave me the key to my vocation ... LOVE COMPRISED ALL VOCATIONS, THAT LOVE WAS EVERYTHING, THAT IT EMBRACED ALL TIMES AND PLACES ... IN A WORD, THAT IT WAS ETERNAL!

Then, in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out: O Jesus, my Love ... my vocation at last I have found it ... MY VOCATION IS LOVE!

(Manuscript B, Chapter IX)

Everything I have, everything I merit, is for the good of the Church and for souls.

(Epilogue)

And finally, some words from The Little Flower about three months before she died, words that certainly ring true:

I feel that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making others love God as I love Him, my mission of teaching my little way to souls. If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.

(Epilogue)

Beloved Saint Therese of Child Jesus and all of the holy ones commemorated this week, please help us to preserve our lives and live by turning away for all the sins that we have committed (See Ezk 18:27-28). Help us to do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than ourselves, each of us looking out not for our own interests, but all for those of others (See Ph 2:3-4). In faith and with prayer, may we be of the same mind, with the same love, and united in heart (See Ph 2:2). Keep going!

SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX,

ALL THE HOLY GUARDIAN ANGELS,

THE BLESSED MARTYRS OF SUSSEX,

SAINT THOMAS CANTILUPE,

BLESSED ANDRE DE SOVERAL AND COMPANIONS,

SAINT FRANCIS BORGIA,

SAINT THEODORE GUERIN,

SAINT FRANCIS OF ASSISI,

SAINT FAUSTINA KOWALSKA,

BLESSED FRANCIS XAVIER SEELOS,

SAINT BRUNO,

BLESSED MARIE ROSE DUROCHER,

OUR LADY OF THE ROSARY,

PRAY FOR US.

*All quotations come from Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of Saint Therese of Lisieux Study Edition (ICS, 2005). This edition might be considered for a book club or discussion group. ☺ Another book to consider, perhaps as a companion book, or introduction to the Little Flower, is Heather King, Shirt of Flame: A Year with Saint Therese of Lisieux. In fact, I stumbled across that little gem while cleaning some shelves one day. It jumped out at me as happens sometimes; it turned out to be just the book I needed. 

Today's photo: In honor of “The Little Flower," she speaks again: "It seems to me that if a little flower could speak, it would tell simply what God has done for it without trying to hide its blessings" (Manuscript A, Chapter I).

© Gertrude Feick 2023