From One Soul to Another
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About a week ago I finally finished reading Story of a Soul by St. Therese de Lisieux, a saint that I have come to whole-heartedly admire over the past number of years, especially after visiting her place of rest in the humble Carmelite chapel of Lisieux. The funny thing about spiritual readings I've come to realize is that if you're not ready to read them then you won't get too far in, no matter how hard you try. I think I read the first three chapters 10 times over the past five years, so I was VERY familiar with the childhood of Therese. It wasn't until I got a group of ladies to read it with me that I was able to complete the book and get a full picture of the life she lived. I'm not sure what made this time different from the rest, but I think St. Therese was ready for me to receive her story.
We started with a chapter a week, and with everyone's busy schedules and back orders of reading lists it was the perfect pace.We would share what stood out to us each week, and everyone seemed to find something different that pulled them close to the Little Flower. The other ladies would pick up on details I didn't even catch from the millions of reruns I had, and each of their stories drew me closer and deeper into her mission. The last three chapters proved to be more complicated dives into her actual spiritual writing. It was no longer just her recollecting stories of her youth and early years so we had to slow down and take more time reflecting on the words she was saying, but we were so glad we did!
I always knew that I related so closely to the Little Flower. From her scatterbrain storytelling to her moments of harsh self-criticism, I tend to find myself more than not thinking I could be doing so much more even though I know God is calling me to simply love Him. He doesn't need pomp or circumstance from me, He doesn't nee me to become a traveling missionary or hermit. He simply needs me to love Him and promise to stay close to His heart. And when it was especially difficult to love, He called her even deeper into it. Throughout the book St. Therese would constantly pronounce she wasn't sure why her mother superior thought her story was worth telling, and the truth of the matter is we've all been caught telling ourselves the same thing. How many stories AREN'T being told because we don't think our words will have any impact on those we are called to love?
As we celebrate the Little Flower's feast day today, I pray that we each take a moment to thank God for those who have been put into our lives for us to love, and that we may strive to live simply, and simply live for Him. St. Therese de Lisieux, pray for us!
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