Rich
2019-10-01 06:06:53 UTC
The Doctrine of Truth {6}
Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so
well in life and who were famous for their learning? Others have
already taken their places and I know not whether they ever think of
their predecessors. During life they seemed to be something; now they
are seldom remembered. How quickly the glory of the world passes away!
If only their lives had kept pace with their learning, then their
study and reading would have been worth while.
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 1, Ch 3
<<>><<>><<>>
October 1st - St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux, fondly known in English as “The Little
Flower,” died on September 30, 1897.
Although Therese was born in a century--and in a civilization--now
passe, she has been appropriately termed “a beacon … of the atomic
century.” Her writings were applicable even more to the future than to
her own day, and she is still fulfilling her promise to “spend her
heaven doing good on earth.” Let us recall who she was and what
contribution she has made to her fellow men.
Marie-Frances-Therese Martin, youngest of the nine children and of the
five surviving daughters of Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Azelie Guerin
(1831-1877), was born at Alencon, Normandy, on January 2, 1873. Her
father was a prosperous watchmaker. Her mother, an expert at creating
Alencon lace, had a lace-making business of her own. What was more
important than their economic prosperity was their holiness of life: a
trait testified to by Pope John Paul II on March 26, 1994, when he
declared the Martin couple “venerable,” the first step to sainthood.
The Martin household was therefore a devout and an affectionate one.
Unfortunately, Azelie died in 1877. The widower thereupon moved to
Lisieux so as to be near his wife’s family and have their help in
raising his daughters. His own older daughters assisted him greatly,
of course. Marie, the eldest, was his housekeeper; Pauline, the
second, became the new “mother” of the four-year-old Therese. Therese
subsequently attended a convent school, but because of her shyness
found the classroom difficult. Thereafter she was carefully taught at
home by a tutoress and by her sisters.
In 1882, her “second mother,” Pauline, entered the Carmelite monastery
at Lisieux. Therese felt called to the same way of life when she was
only nine. She was not attracted to the convent for loneliness or as a
copycat, she always insisted. Hers was an individual vocation.
Physically and emotionally delicate in her early years, Therese at 13
suddenly became spiritually grown-up, strong of heart, and eager to be
a saint. Thereafter this junior teen, naturally bright, earnest and
thoughtful, devoted much time to serious reading, not only in
spirituality but in history and science. She set her mind on entering
the local Carmel at 15. Objections were raised at so early a
reception, but Therese was determined, and though prayer and
persistence she got her wish. She entered the convent on April 9,
1888, taking the name Therese of the Child Jesus. (Later she added the
words “of the Holy Face.”) Eventually, two others of her sisters,
Marie and Celine, joined the same community. Did the four Martins take
over Carmel? By no means; Carmel definitely took over the Martins, but
they had their impact.
Therese would live only nine years as a Carmelite, dying of a painful
consumption in 1897. In that brief term she had become a “perfect
nun;” still, nobody would have thought of her as a great saint on the
basis of their own observance. What disclosed her true holiness was
her spiritual journal or “autobiography” published posthumously. In
1895, on the command of her superior, Mother Agnes (who was also her
sister and “second mother” Pauline) she had commenced to write down
her reflections. After her death, Mother Agnes sent around selections
from this Story of a Soul to a number of Carmelite monasteries and
certain churchmen. The readers were captivated by it, and more copies
were demanded. Published formally in 1898, the book became a perennial
“best-seller” throughout the world. By now it has been translated into
over 40 languages and dialects.
What message in this book had identified the writer as a major saint?
The message communicated in Therese’s spiritual autobiography “The
Story of a Soul” was a plan to achieve holiness, which she called “the
little way of spiritual childhood”. Intent as a nun to become a saint,
she had long sought in prayer and the Scriptures a specific vocation.
She aspired to many, even contradictory apostolates: priest,
missionary, doctor of the Church, martyr, etc. But eventually she
realized that the apostolate that included and surpassed all these was
love. Love, therefore, would be her mission: love of God and neighbor.
With regard to love of God, it is a mistake to conclude from the title
“Little Flower” that Therese Martin was simply a routine votary. Quite
the contrary. She was a strong character, down-to-earth, and truly a
“valiant woman”. She did not favor heavy acts of penance, for she
found in constant good cheer and the little trials of everyday life
ample material for self-discipline. If she was physically prevented
from travel by the convent walls, spiritually she could tour the world
freely in quest of souls. She was a mere helpless child, she said, but
she trusted God as a loving father, and found her strength in Him.
No wonder the little Saint said of her book, “There is something there
for all tastes.” Its approach to holiness made it comprehensible to
people in every walk of life. The crowds that have hailed her and
still visit her shrine include saints and sinners; men, women and
children; philosophers and theologians; poets and novelists; Catholics
and Eastern Orthodox; Christians and Buddhists; cabaret entertainers;
prisoners and prostitutes. In her they have found an empathetic figure
and one eager to help.
The popes, too, have saluted Sister Therese as a gift of God. St. Pius
X formally introduced her cause of canonization in 1914, only 17 years
after her death. Benedict XV declared her “venerable” in 1921. Pius XI
beatified this “cherished child of the world” in 1923, and canonized
her in 1925. The same pope, in 1927, declared her co-patron, with St.
Francis Xavier, of all foreign missions. In 1944, Pius XII proclaimed
her co-patron of France along with St. Joan of Arc. Pope John Paul II,
on pilgrimage to Lisieux in 1980, stated that God had permitted St.
Therese to communicate to the world once more “the fundamental truth
that God is our loving Father.”
In 1956, on the order of Pius XII, the full text of Therese’s
manuscripts was published, and in 1961 were issued the photos of her
taken in the cloister by her sister Celine. These and other hitherto
unpublished materials made it quite clear that the nun of Lisieux was
no dreamer but a sublime realist.
St. Therese of Lisieux is not alluded to in the texts issued by the
Second Vatican Council, but the Council and its sequel reflect many of
her insights: daily Communion; the duty of all the baptized to work
for the good of the Faith; women as theologians; the importance of the
missions; the frailty of the clergy and the need to pray and sacrifice
for them; Christian reunion; and so forth.
Abbe Domin, the priest who in 1880 prepared Therese for her first Holy
Communion, called her “my little doctor” (i.e. teacher). History would
prove him a prophet. Popes have long since been conferring the title
“doctor of the Church” on certain canonized churchmen whose teachings
on the Faith have been of memorable value. No women, however, were
given that formal honor prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962 –
1968).
One sequel of the Council’s viewpoint was the correction of this
practice. As early as 1970 Pope Paul IV added the names of two
outstanding women saints to the roster of church doctors. First came
the great Spanish Carmelite foundress, St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582);
then came the brilliant Italian Dominican tertiary St. Catherine of
Siena (d. 1380).
On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II bestowed the doctoral title on
a second Carmelite nun, St. Therese of Lisieux.
Why? When he canonized the Little Flower in 1925, Pope Pius XI pointed
out that in her spiritual autobiography Therese had proven that even
those called to an uneventful life can become holy by living that life
holily.
–Father Robert
Saint Quote:
Kneeling before the tabernacle, I can think of only one thing to say
to our Lord: “My God, you know that I love You.” And I feel that my
prayer does not weary Jesus; knowing my weakness, He is satisfied with
my good will.
--Saint Therese of Lisieux
Bible Quote:
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a
stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for
wisdom and honour. [Ecc 10:1]
<><><><>
A Prayer for Charity
O holy seraphic Little Saint, most pure victim of love, having at
length expired by the vehemence of thy love for God; by that
inexplicable joy and grief thou experienced when thy heart was wounded
by the Seraph, obtain for us, we beseech thee, such an ardent love for
God, as shall consume in our souls everything that is earthly and
sinful.
O God, Who didst inflame by Thy Spirit of Love the soul of Thy
servant, Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, grant unto us also love and
to make Thee ardently loved. Amen.
Tell me, where now are all the masters and teachers whom you knew so
well in life and who were famous for their learning? Others have
already taken their places and I know not whether they ever think of
their predecessors. During life they seemed to be something; now they
are seldom remembered. How quickly the glory of the world passes away!
If only their lives had kept pace with their learning, then their
study and reading would have been worth while.
--Thomas à Kempis --Imitation of Christ Bk 1, Ch 3
<<>><<>><<>>
October 1st - St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux, fondly known in English as “The Little
Flower,” died on September 30, 1897.
Although Therese was born in a century--and in a civilization--now
passe, she has been appropriately termed “a beacon … of the atomic
century.” Her writings were applicable even more to the future than to
her own day, and she is still fulfilling her promise to “spend her
heaven doing good on earth.” Let us recall who she was and what
contribution she has made to her fellow men.
Marie-Frances-Therese Martin, youngest of the nine children and of the
five surviving daughters of Louis Martin (1823-1894) and Azelie Guerin
(1831-1877), was born at Alencon, Normandy, on January 2, 1873. Her
father was a prosperous watchmaker. Her mother, an expert at creating
Alencon lace, had a lace-making business of her own. What was more
important than their economic prosperity was their holiness of life: a
trait testified to by Pope John Paul II on March 26, 1994, when he
declared the Martin couple “venerable,” the first step to sainthood.
The Martin household was therefore a devout and an affectionate one.
Unfortunately, Azelie died in 1877. The widower thereupon moved to
Lisieux so as to be near his wife’s family and have their help in
raising his daughters. His own older daughters assisted him greatly,
of course. Marie, the eldest, was his housekeeper; Pauline, the
second, became the new “mother” of the four-year-old Therese. Therese
subsequently attended a convent school, but because of her shyness
found the classroom difficult. Thereafter she was carefully taught at
home by a tutoress and by her sisters.
In 1882, her “second mother,” Pauline, entered the Carmelite monastery
at Lisieux. Therese felt called to the same way of life when she was
only nine. She was not attracted to the convent for loneliness or as a
copycat, she always insisted. Hers was an individual vocation.
Physically and emotionally delicate in her early years, Therese at 13
suddenly became spiritually grown-up, strong of heart, and eager to be
a saint. Thereafter this junior teen, naturally bright, earnest and
thoughtful, devoted much time to serious reading, not only in
spirituality but in history and science. She set her mind on entering
the local Carmel at 15. Objections were raised at so early a
reception, but Therese was determined, and though prayer and
persistence she got her wish. She entered the convent on April 9,
1888, taking the name Therese of the Child Jesus. (Later she added the
words “of the Holy Face.”) Eventually, two others of her sisters,
Marie and Celine, joined the same community. Did the four Martins take
over Carmel? By no means; Carmel definitely took over the Martins, but
they had their impact.
Therese would live only nine years as a Carmelite, dying of a painful
consumption in 1897. In that brief term she had become a “perfect
nun;” still, nobody would have thought of her as a great saint on the
basis of their own observance. What disclosed her true holiness was
her spiritual journal or “autobiography” published posthumously. In
1895, on the command of her superior, Mother Agnes (who was also her
sister and “second mother” Pauline) she had commenced to write down
her reflections. After her death, Mother Agnes sent around selections
from this Story of a Soul to a number of Carmelite monasteries and
certain churchmen. The readers were captivated by it, and more copies
were demanded. Published formally in 1898, the book became a perennial
“best-seller” throughout the world. By now it has been translated into
over 40 languages and dialects.
What message in this book had identified the writer as a major saint?
The message communicated in Therese’s spiritual autobiography “The
Story of a Soul” was a plan to achieve holiness, which she called “the
little way of spiritual childhood”. Intent as a nun to become a saint,
she had long sought in prayer and the Scriptures a specific vocation.
She aspired to many, even contradictory apostolates: priest,
missionary, doctor of the Church, martyr, etc. But eventually she
realized that the apostolate that included and surpassed all these was
love. Love, therefore, would be her mission: love of God and neighbor.
With regard to love of God, it is a mistake to conclude from the title
“Little Flower” that Therese Martin was simply a routine votary. Quite
the contrary. She was a strong character, down-to-earth, and truly a
“valiant woman”. She did not favor heavy acts of penance, for she
found in constant good cheer and the little trials of everyday life
ample material for self-discipline. If she was physically prevented
from travel by the convent walls, spiritually she could tour the world
freely in quest of souls. She was a mere helpless child, she said, but
she trusted God as a loving father, and found her strength in Him.
No wonder the little Saint said of her book, “There is something there
for all tastes.” Its approach to holiness made it comprehensible to
people in every walk of life. The crowds that have hailed her and
still visit her shrine include saints and sinners; men, women and
children; philosophers and theologians; poets and novelists; Catholics
and Eastern Orthodox; Christians and Buddhists; cabaret entertainers;
prisoners and prostitutes. In her they have found an empathetic figure
and one eager to help.
The popes, too, have saluted Sister Therese as a gift of God. St. Pius
X formally introduced her cause of canonization in 1914, only 17 years
after her death. Benedict XV declared her “venerable” in 1921. Pius XI
beatified this “cherished child of the world” in 1923, and canonized
her in 1925. The same pope, in 1927, declared her co-patron, with St.
Francis Xavier, of all foreign missions. In 1944, Pius XII proclaimed
her co-patron of France along with St. Joan of Arc. Pope John Paul II,
on pilgrimage to Lisieux in 1980, stated that God had permitted St.
Therese to communicate to the world once more “the fundamental truth
that God is our loving Father.”
In 1956, on the order of Pius XII, the full text of Therese’s
manuscripts was published, and in 1961 were issued the photos of her
taken in the cloister by her sister Celine. These and other hitherto
unpublished materials made it quite clear that the nun of Lisieux was
no dreamer but a sublime realist.
St. Therese of Lisieux is not alluded to in the texts issued by the
Second Vatican Council, but the Council and its sequel reflect many of
her insights: daily Communion; the duty of all the baptized to work
for the good of the Faith; women as theologians; the importance of the
missions; the frailty of the clergy and the need to pray and sacrifice
for them; Christian reunion; and so forth.
Abbe Domin, the priest who in 1880 prepared Therese for her first Holy
Communion, called her “my little doctor” (i.e. teacher). History would
prove him a prophet. Popes have long since been conferring the title
“doctor of the Church” on certain canonized churchmen whose teachings
on the Faith have been of memorable value. No women, however, were
given that formal honor prior to the Second Vatican Council (1962 –
1968).
One sequel of the Council’s viewpoint was the correction of this
practice. As early as 1970 Pope Paul IV added the names of two
outstanding women saints to the roster of church doctors. First came
the great Spanish Carmelite foundress, St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582);
then came the brilliant Italian Dominican tertiary St. Catherine of
Siena (d. 1380).
On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II bestowed the doctoral title on
a second Carmelite nun, St. Therese of Lisieux.
Why? When he canonized the Little Flower in 1925, Pope Pius XI pointed
out that in her spiritual autobiography Therese had proven that even
those called to an uneventful life can become holy by living that life
holily.
–Father Robert
Saint Quote:
Kneeling before the tabernacle, I can think of only one thing to say
to our Lord: “My God, you know that I love You.” And I feel that my
prayer does not weary Jesus; knowing my weakness, He is satisfied with
my good will.
--Saint Therese of Lisieux
Bible Quote:
Dead flies cause the ointment of the apothecary to send forth a
stinking savour: so doth a little folly him that is in reputation for
wisdom and honour. [Ecc 10:1]
<><><><>
A Prayer for Charity
O holy seraphic Little Saint, most pure victim of love, having at
length expired by the vehemence of thy love for God; by that
inexplicable joy and grief thou experienced when thy heart was wounded
by the Seraph, obtain for us, we beseech thee, such an ardent love for
God, as shall consume in our souls everything that is earthly and
sinful.
O God, Who didst inflame by Thy Spirit of Love the soul of Thy
servant, Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, grant unto us also love and
to make Thee ardently loved. Amen.