St Therese, the little flower

Devotion. It has been a long time since I used that word, and I finally have found the occasion to use it. I have never admired a person, living or dead, to be moved enough - never found myself a devoted fan or ardent admirer, up until recently. For the first time in my life, I can say for certain, that I am devoted to St Therese of Lisieux. To clarify things, I am not a Catholic, neither am I a christian of any other denomination. My love for her is simple and not religious.

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My connection to her began in the very first weeks of my arrival in Lyon. I was on a touristic round of the sights of the town - and the Cathedrale St Jean was one of my stops. This cathedral is not very inspiring - it is quite dark inside, and frankly the energy is not very uplifting. But on the right hand side, very near the main altar, is an alcove which pays homage to St Therese. A beautiful white statue of her with outstreched arms seemed to literally call out to me. A smell of flowers, her pictures, and her prayers, moved me very near to a state of spiritual bliss. I felt sweet and happy inside. Her remains are not actually kept there I believe, but there had been a passage of her relics throughout Lyon with the Cathedrale being one of the stops. No matter, but her strong loving energy seemed to radiate from that place. I could feel the love - from a person who has been dead for almost 80 years!

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This is the only explanation I can give for my devotion to her. What I feel inside my heart; I am moved by her love.

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She died at a very young age in her hometown in France, at the mere age of 24. Her faith and love towards the Divine was described as "spiritual childhood". She often talked about using simple words to talk to god - fancy prayers weren't needed if they didn't come from the heart (she disliked the rosary and was even reported to have fallen asleep during community prayers). She believed the intention was more important than the very act itself.

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"I have not the courage to force myself to seek beautiful prayers in books; not knowing which to choose I act as children do who cannot read; I say quite simply to the good God what I want to tell Him, and He always understands me."

- Story of A Soul, Chapter X

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"Prayer is, for me, an outburst from the heart; it is a simple glance darted upwards to Heaven; it is a cry of gratitude and of love in the midst of trial as in the midst of joy! In a word, it is something exalted, supernatural, which dilates the soul and unites it to God. Sometimes when I find myself, spiritually, in dryness so great that I cannot produce a single good thought, I recite very slowly a Pater or an Ave Maria; these prayers alone console me, they suffice, they nourish my soul."
- Story of A Soul, Chapter X

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"The science of loving, yes, that’s the only kind of science I want. I’d barter away everything I possess to win it"

- Story of a Soul, Ms B, Knox translation

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"The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity..."
- VI letter to her sister Celine

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Here is an interesting excerpt I found from the following webpage - http://www.littleflower.org/learn/faq.asp#1

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How did St. Therese become known as the "Little Flower"?
St. Therese loved nature, and often used the imagery of nature to explain how the Divine Presence is everywhere, and how everything is connected in God's loving care and arms. Therese saw herself as "the Little Flower of Jesus" because she was just like the simple wild flowers in forests and fields, unnoticed by the greater population, yet growing and giving glory to God. Therese did not see herself as a brilliant rose or an elegant lily, by simply as a small wild flower. This is how she understood herself before the Lord - simple and hidden, but blooming where God had planted her.

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Therese believed passionately that Jesus was delighted in his "little flower", and just as a child can be fascinated by the grandeur of a simple flower, she believed that Jesus was fascinated by her as his "little flower". Therese understood that she was just like the tiny flower in the forest, surviving and flourishing through all the seasons of the year. Because of God's grace, she knew that she was stronger than she looked. Following the Carmelite tradition, Therese saw the world as God's garden, and each person being a different kind of flower, enhancing the variety and beauty which Jesus delighted in. When various people tried to explain her powerful inspiration and her place within the Church, it always seemed to come back to one title "The Little Flower".
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In her autobiography, she beautifully explains this spirituality:

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"Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understand how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. So it is in the world of souls, Jesus' garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."

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Just before her death, St Therese proclaimed that she would continue to shower roses from heaven. She believed her life on earth to be a blessing and could not imagine if heaven would be better, because she realised god in this dimension itself, and there was nothing more left for her to do, but to continue loving the Divine. This is a simple and wonderful philosophy and encourages us to love the divine energy right here and now and not wait for some sort of heaven or salvation in the future to be happy. Present moment, wonderful moment!

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If it may interest you to know more about her, you might consider reading her autobiography - "Story of a Soul". May St Therese's love and devotion continue to radiate from heaven and fill our life with blessings and hope. Hope your life will be filled with love and blessings.