Saturday, October 17, 2009

The Autobiography of SaintTherese of Liseaux; Story of a Soul by Saint Therese

From Amazon: St. Therese wrote this account of her life at the behest of her prioress sister two and a half years before she died. Writing in her cold cell for a short spell each evening, this obscure manuscript was completed just a few short weeks before she expired.

St. Therese is a beautiful example of a saint. She was called to serve at a young age. Her idea of serving God through everyday acts done with love is something even the lowliest of us can strive to do. I need to use her as an example when I am drowning in the laundry and car pools and try to see each of these tasks as a way to show love for my family.

Sometimes I wonder if I really have any faith or if I am just going throgh the motions. It helps to read that others have these moments too - this passage spoke to that for me...
"...forced myself to act as if I had the consolation of faith. When I sing of the bliss of heaven and the eternal possession of God, I get no joy from it for I am singing only of what I want to believe."

and then my habit of free form pleading prayer rather than the formulaic version of contrition, thanskgiving, petition...
"The power of prayer is really tremendous. It makes one likes a queen who can approach the king at anytime and get whatever she asks for. To be sure of an answer there is no need to recite from a book a formula composed for the occasion…"

and, finally this passage took me back to other works I have read that said, when you feel too empty to pray, rely on the old standards that you know by heart and that can come to your lips with ease..
"I say Our Father... When I feel so spiritually barren that I cannot summon up a single worthwhile thought."

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