Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway

used with the permission of the "Carmelite Quotes" blog

 It was 125 years ago, in the month of September 1896, that, at the request of her sister, Marie of the Sacred Heart, Therese wrote her "little doctrine," the third manuscript of Story of a Soul*, where she recounts her discovery of her vocation to be "love in the heart of the Church."  She wrote this short manuscript during her annual private retreat, which she made, according to custom, near the anniversary of her profession (September 8, 1890).  The manuscript is world-famous: the powerful exchange of letters it prompted between the two sisters (unfortunately not all included in Story of a Soul) less so.  This year the distinguished Carmelite author of the "Carmelite Quotes" blog has prepared a novena based on Therese's letter to Marie (LT 197) explaining further her doctrine, which Marie had not fully understood at first.  The author generously gave me permission to use her image above and to post a link to the "Introduction to the St. Therese of Lisieux Novena 2021: Letter 197" here.  Nine days are too little to exhaust the riches of this letter, but God will give us the graces we need at each moment to absorb it. 

I am posting only this link to the introduction; it's not necessary for me to post it every day.  When you follow the link above, you will see that it contains a list of themes for each day of the novena.  The link to Day 1 is already live, and, as the blogger publishes the novena day by day, the other links will come to life.  This novena is an opportunity not only to ask for the favors we want but also to know more intimately the saint whose intercession we ask and to understand what God's mercy did in her. I'm fervently grateful to the author of Carmelite Quotes for giving us the opportunity to make this novena together.

Although I seldom make personal requests of my readers, this year I do not hesitate to ask you to remember, in this novena, my special intention.  May Therese, the healer and thaumaturgist, implore God to grant it.  Please accept my wholehearted thanks.

________________________

 *Read this manuscript online at the Web site of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux.