On the �rst day of October, Carmelites and our friends throughout the world celebrate the Feast of “the greatest Saint of modern times,” St. érèse of Lisieux. e Little Flower, as she is lovingly known, is also the Patroness of the Missions and the third woman Doctor of the Church. I will remember you in a special way at Mass that day in gratitude for all you do to help us touch the needs of the desperately poor people whom we serve in mission lands the world over.

at challenge of Jesus is still very much alive. Carmelite missionaries are among those who carry it out. As you know, they do it among some of today's poorest people, in places like Mexico, El Salvador, the Philippines, in the Peruvian Andes and in the growing shantytowns around Lima.

ese missionaries must give signs to their people that God cares about them before they can, in any meaningful way, proclaim the Good News of His loving kindness. ey must feed the hungry, care for the sick, provide housing and education. But their basic responsibility is always the same –

Your generosity to Carmelite Missions makes you a missionary too. It is indeed a very personal and very direct response to the challenge Jesus still gives to all of us. ank you for spreading the Good News, and may it be your constant joy and peace.

Dear Friend,

It seems to me that the Feast of the Little Flower is an ideal time to remember that the �nal challenge Jesus left the Church was to spread the Good News of His Father's loving kindness. You will recall at the very end, when the saving work of His death and resurrection was accomplished, He sent the disciples “to every nation.”

In effect He said to them: “Go into the whole world. Teach the people! Teach the people all those wonderful things that I have been so desperately trying to teach you. Teach the people that my Father is precisely that, a Father who accepts us as He made us, and who forgives us over and over again! Best of all, teach the people that my Father calls every single one of us to live with Him forever. And when you have taught them all that, baptize them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.”

With my love,

Fr. Joseph O’Brien, O. Carm.Director of Carmelite Missions

CARMELITE MISSIONSSAINT OF THE MONTH NEWSLETTER • OCTOBER 2019 • WWW.CARMELITEMISSIONS.ORG

Blessings from St. Thérèse...

TO SPREAD THE GOSPEL.

THÉRÈSE IN CARMEL

In this new stage of her life, she said that she was able �to move away from self-centeredness, from self-preoccupation, and b e c o m e m o r e g e n e r o u s l y a c h i l d o f God.� She

On January 2, 1873, �érèse was born to Zelie and Louis Martin of Alençon, France. She was the ��h and last daughter. In many ways she was the most precocious. Her story reveals a warm and nurturing family. �e Church was the center of their faith life. �is seemed to be particularly important in an age that fostered both anti-clerical and anti-ecclesial attitudes. �érèse was especially fond of her sister, Celine, who was closest to her in age. �ey shared their deepest thoughts and concerns throughout their lives. Pauline, the second oldest, took over the maternal role for �érèse a�er their mother's death.

From Pauline, �érèse learned her catechism, her prayers, a reverence for God, the importance of a life centered in Jesus. (Of course this path had been begun through Zelie's own sense of responsibility for the religious formation of her children.) �érèse had a profound a�ection for her father. He was her "King"; she was called the "little Queen" by her father. �ey talked together o�en, took walks, visited the local church of St. Pierre. She imbibed a love for prayer and generosity toward others from her father. He would provide her with small coins which she could give to the poor. Indeed the Martin family was able to be

generous. Zelie had established her own lace business. Louis was a jeweler. Both had acquired enough money to be viewed certainly as middle to upper middle-class.

�érèse writes with great joy of her early years in Lisieux. She enjoyed her sisters, the family garden, her dog, trips to the ocean, and prayer together. But her happiness was mixed with anxiety. Her mother ' s death created an emptiness which fortunately Pauline was able to �ll rather quickly. But "her second mother" le� for the Carmel of Lisieux when �érèse was only nine. �érèse went through a painful period of depression and anxiety during which she su�ered from headaches, frequent bouts of tears, and took to her bed for long periods. �e family was deeply concerned about her recovery. �érèse notes that Our Lady's smile, which she experienced on the statue in her room, provided the only source of victory. She was able to grasp her life again and to move on to a new stage of growth.

St. �érèse of Lisieux has come to us through her own autobiography entitled STORY OF A SOUL. �is work has been translated into ��y languages and dialects and has touched the hearts of millions of people. To this day, people are attracted to St. �érèse's way of handling life in the ordinary and the everyday. She has described the journey of faith in images and teachings that feed the understanding and the desires of working people, of mothers and fathers, of young and old alike.

of the monthSaintSaintSaint

of the month

St. érèse of LisieuxFeast Day October 1st

�e basic elements in St. �érèse's spiritual journey, her credo of the spiritual life, her way of spiritual childhood, might be put in the following terms:

1. Our God is above all a God of mercy and of love. �érèse admitted that she would never be afraid of God, no matter how grievously she had sinned. She once remarked that how could anyone be afraid of a god who became a child. Her image of the God of love and mercy was a breakthrough in her world of the "God of justice." In a spiritual milieu that fostered a fear of God and eternal punishment, she communicated a God of grace, of new life, of tender compassion. Her images were biblically based and sound.

What does St. �érèse o�er to women and men of today's world� How can her story speak to us today� Why has she enjoyed such popularity� Perhaps it is because her STORY OF A SOUL relates images and insights which belong to all of our stories. Certainly most �nd her "little way" to be an inviting style of spirituality. She captures our world of experience and renders it holy.

wanted to o�er her life to the Lord in a total way. In so doing she wished to serve the

Church and the world by being an instrument of God's saving

grace for others. To ful�ll this dream she wanted to become a Carmelite nun. �érèse insists that it was not simply to join her

sisters in Carmel that she s o u g ht t o e nt e r t h e cloister. She only wanted to be a spouse of Jesus Christ.

It is truly amazing what occurred on a trip to Rome when

�érèse was fourteen. Already she had begun

t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e possibility of entering the

Carmel of Lisieux by age ��een. �is seemed to be a hopeless desire. But when a group of people from the diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux visited Rome and had an audience with Pope Leo XIII, �érèse used the occasion to ask the Pope for the grace of entering Carmel at an early a g e . � i s w a s a r a t h e r

unprecedented gesture and indeed courageous of young

�érèse. Pope Leo did not give her direct permission but did tell her to abide by her Bishop's decision. �érèse's prayer, her persistence in asking, the support of her own

father, provided the context for the unusual request being granted.

HER MESSAGE TO US

2. No one of us can achieve absolute perfection. St. �érèse knew that she had limitations and �aws. She did not consider herself especially gi�ed, nor outstanding in holiness. Rather, she trusted that God would guide her

A few nuns at the Carmel of Lisieux �gured that when

� é r è s e d i e d t h e r e would not be much to

say about her in her obituary. �e notice that would go to the other Carmels of France would simply state that she entered and was professed on certain dates, lived her life according to the rule and constitutions, and then died. �érèse did die young, at age twenty-four of tuberculosis. It was a painful �nal year and further aggravated by her "trial of faith." �érèse explained that she was tempted to deny the reality of heaven. Perhaps her whole life had been a waste� She described the su�ering as though a great wall rose up to separate her from the presence of God. Occasionally she would enjoy some moment of joy or a sense of God's love, but that respite would quickly disappear and the darkness would return. Yet one cannot help but notice that this pain did not a�ect her letters nor her autobiography where she continued to tell a story of God's love and mercy.

Carmelite Missions | 55 W. Demarest Ave - Englewood, N.J. 07631 201.568.0364 x25 | www.carmelitemisions.org

continues on back page...

THÉRÈSE IN CARMEL

In this new stage of her life, she said that she was able �to move away from self-centeredness, from self-preoccupation, and b e c o m e m o r e g e n e r o u s l y a c h i l d o f God.� She

On January 2, 1873, �érèse was born to Zelie and Louis Martin of Alençon, France. She was the ��h and last daughter. In many ways she was the most precocious. Her story reveals a warm and nurturing family. �e Church was the center of their faith life. �is seemed to be particularly important in an age that fostered both anti-clerical and anti-ecclesial attitudes. �érèse was especially fond of her sister, Celine, who was closest to her in age. �ey shared their deepest thoughts and concerns throughout their lives. Pauline, the second oldest, took over the maternal role for �érèse a�er their mother's death.

From Pauline, �érèse learned her catechism, her prayers, a reverence for God, the importance of a life centered in Jesus. (Of course this path had been begun through Zelie's own sense of responsibility for the religious formation of her children.) �érèse had a profound a�ection for her father. He was her "King"; she was called the "little Queen" by her father. �ey talked together o�en, took walks, visited the local church of St. Pierre. She imbibed a love for prayer and generosity toward others from her father. He would provide her with small coins which she could give to the poor. Indeed the Martin family was able to be

generous. Zelie had established her own lace business. Louis was a jeweler. Both had acquired enough money to be viewed certainly as middle to upper middle-class.

�érèse writes with great joy of her early years in Lisieux. She enjoyed her sisters, the family garden, her dog, trips to the ocean, and prayer together. But her happiness was mixed with anxiety. Her mother ' s death created an emptiness which fortunately Pauline was able to �ll rather quickly. But "her second mother" le� for the Carmel of Lisieux when �érèse was only nine. �érèse went through a painful period of depression and anxiety during which she su�ered from headaches, frequent bouts of tears, and took to her bed for long periods. �e family was deeply concerned about her recovery. �érèse notes that Our Lady's smile, which she experienced on the statue in her room, provided the only source of victory. She was able to grasp her life again and to move on to a new stage of growth.

St. �érèse of Lisieux has come to us through her own autobiography entitled STORY OF A SOUL. �is work has been translated into ��y languages and dialects and has touched the hearts of millions of people. To this day, people are attracted to St. �érèse's way of handling life in the ordinary and the everyday. She has described the journey of faith in images and teachings that feed the understanding and the desires of working people, of mothers and fathers, of young and old alike.

of the monthSaintSaintSaint

of the month

St. érèse of LisieuxFeast Day October 1st

�e basic elements in St. �érèse's spiritual journey, her credo of the spiritual life, her way of spiritual childhood, might be put in the following terms:

1. Our God is above all a God of mercy and of love. �érèse admitted that she would never be afraid of God, no matter how grievously she had sinned. She once remarked that how could anyone be afraid of a god who became a child. Her image of the God of love and mercy was a breakthrough in her world of the "God of justice." In a spiritual milieu that fostered a fear of God and eternal punishment, she communicated a God of grace, of new life, of tender compassion. Her images were biblically based and sound.

What does St. �érèse o�er to women and men of today's world� How can her story speak to us today� Why has she enjoyed such popularity� Perhaps it is because her STORY OF A SOUL relates images and insights which belong to all of our stories. Certainly most �nd her "little way" to be an inviting style of spirituality. She captures our world of experience and renders it holy.

wanted to o�er her life to the Lord in a total way. In so doing she wished to serve the

Church and the world by being an instrument of God's saving

grace for others. To ful�ll this dream she wanted to become a Carmelite nun. �érèse insists that it was not simply to join her

sisters in Carmel that she s o u g ht t o e nt e r t h e cloister. She only wanted to be a spouse of Jesus Christ.

It is truly amazing what occurred on a trip to Rome when

�érèse was fourteen. Already she had begun

t o i n v e s t i g a t e t h e possibility of entering the

Carmel of Lisieux by age ��een. �is seemed to be a hopeless desire. But when a group of people from the diocese of Bayeux-Lisieux visited Rome and had an audience with Pope Leo XIII, �érèse used the occasion to ask the Pope for the grace of entering Carmel at an early a g e . � i s w a s a r a t h e r

unprecedented gesture and indeed courageous of young

�érèse. Pope Leo did not give her direct permission but did tell her to abide by her Bishop's decision. �érèse's prayer, her persistence in asking, the support of her own

father, provided the context for the unusual request being granted.

HER MESSAGE TO US

2. No one of us can achieve absolute perfection. St. �érèse knew that she had limitations and �aws. She did not consider herself especially gi�ed, nor outstanding in holiness. Rather, she trusted that God would guide her

A few nuns at the Carmel of Lisieux �gured that when

� é r è s e d i e d t h e r e would not be much to

say about her in her obituary. �e notice that would go to the other Carmels of France would simply state that she entered and was professed on certain dates, lived her life according to the rule and constitutions, and then died. �érèse did die young, at age twenty-four of tuberculosis. It was a painful �nal year and further aggravated by her "trial of faith." �érèse explained that she was tempted to deny the reality of heaven. Perhaps her whole life had been a waste� She described the su�ering as though a great wall rose up to separate her from the presence of God. Occasionally she would enjoy some moment of joy or a sense of God's love, but that respite would quickly disappear and the darkness would return. Yet one cannot help but notice that this pain did not a�ect her letters nor her autobiography where she continued to tell a story of God's love and mercy.

Carmelite Missions | 55 W. Demarest Ave - Englewood, N.J. 07631 201.568.0364 x25 | www.carmelitemisions.org

continues on back page...

The Lordreturn yourgoodness

a hundredfold

Blessings

www.carmelitemissions.org55 W. Demarest Ave. • Englewood, NJ 07631CARMELITE MISSIONS

As one reads the STORY OF A SOUL it is evident that St. �érèse's life, nurtured in love, provided a remarkable presence of love to those who knew her. In the end, sensing that her life had been a consistent o�ering to God, she viewed her death as the prelude to eternal life. Her words toward the end are famous as well as unique.

3. �érèse knew that the challenge for all of us is to see the Face of God in the people and in the everyday experiences of our lives. �God does not expect great

things of us, but that we do little things with great love.� She also said, �Tout Est grace� . . . �Everything is grace.�

She said that she would spend her heaven doing good upon earth. Many have experienced her gracious intercession. Her story continues to be told and attracts the hearts of everyday kinds of people. For she has shown us a way to transform seeming "nothingness into �re."

steps, illumine her mind and move her heart in the ways of sanctity. In fact, is that not the role of the Holy Spirit in the lives of all the faithful� �érèse believed that even "little �owers" give glory to God by being what they are. She simply con�ded in Jesus Christ and believed that the Lord would enable her to achieve whatever God wanted from her. In fact she noted in her autobiography that as she became more focused upon Jesus Christ as the center of her life, she was able to love her sisters more generously in the community of Carmel.

The twelve photographs of St. Thérèse of Lisieux currently on display at theNational Shrine and Museum of St. Thérèse on the Carmelite Campus in Darien, IL.