JMJ

 

This is St. Therese, a young Carmelite nun, who died at the age of 24 yet was named a Saint and later a Doctor of the church. What did she do to be granted these two titles?  She was known for her "little ways", often called the little flower.  She offered everything to God for the salvation of souls.  Every annoyance, every pain, every action she gave to God in love.  Hers was a remarkable life yet to those around her she seemed to live a simple life with much suffering.  I first read her book, The Story of a Soul, in my 20s and I'm ashamed to say that I wasn't ready to relate.  I tried again in my 50s and God allowed me to realize what a jewel this book is to the soul.  Not that I could ever imitate her life and her ways but now I could better understand the beauty of her little ways. I've  said before that I went to school with the sister of Mt. Carmel and my mother was a third order Carmelite so I've read and truly love the Carmelite ways.  I have been lead more to St. Theresa of Jesus and John of the Cross, both of the Carmelite Order.  Although a Doctor of the church herself, St. Theresa of Avila was strong willed, reformed the Convents and rules of life for the sisters and I loved her lively relationship with her "Master" as she often called Jesus.  She once said to Him, "If you treat your friends like this, it's no wonder you have so many enemies". She suffered hardships and pain all of her life.  I could relate to that!!!!   She wrote many books on the interior life.  I love her writings....that's another story. So back to Therese

St. Therese of Lisieux is so often pictured with a red rose or bouquet of red roses.  If the Lord permitted, she would say, that she would spend her time in heaven helping all those who called on her.  She would send a rose as a token of her love for that soul.  Her feast day is October 1st and I was sent by email, a Novena to pray for 9 days in preparation for her feast and you may  make a request if we wish for a special favor.  I certainly believe in Novenas and I often read and am told that it doesn't hurt to be direct with what you want.  I love the Lord so much and believe and trust that He would do whatever is best for my life as long as I stay faithful to Him, even the pain and suffering and broken heartaches.  This time I was feeling overwhelmed.  I just kept seeing family members fall away from their Catholic faith which is so deep rooted in our heritage.  I couldn't help but feel I had neglected them in some way.  I had been praying for so long and nothing seemed to be happening.... in fact all was getting worse.  I prayed harder.  I begged, I pleaded, I cried but I just wasn't feeling like I was being heard.  I doubted that my  prayers were even being considered.  So when I read the notice for the Novena to St. Therese I thought to do it faithfully and with so much love and this time, yes, this time I ASKED FOR A ROSE.  Somehow I needed a sign to help me understand what the "hold up" was.  I've never asked for a sign before and since I was a new petitioner to the Little Flower I wasn't sure I had the right.  As I was pleading my case, I assured her and my Jesus that after all I wasn't asking for worldly things or an end to my pain....God knows I could use that. Hahaha 

So on October the first I was walking to the chapel to place flowers because Father Bani was coming the next day to bless the chapel, the feast day of the Guardian Angels.  Now, next to the chapel we made a little flower bed.  We planted a rose bush that we had dug up from the front of the house when we built the arbor over the porch. I kept watching for any sign of life on those sticks.  It was a very old plant and it did make beautiful roses.   I had been to the chapel a couple of times that week and certainly nothing caught my eye to let me know it was alive. But on that day October 1st, I walked in "Mary's Garden" and this is what greeted me.
                                                                                 



.  I started to cry because the joy in my heart was a joy I couldn't explain.  I seem to hear these words, "I'm working on it".  That's all I needed to hear!!!! One green sprout and one red rose.  Nothing since. Thank you St. Therese for pleading my case. Thank you all you saints of heaven, I will try to be patient.