October 1 2019 - St. Therese of the Child Jesus - Ardor for souls

Therese was the 9th child of very saintly parents, in fact, her parents were both beatified by Pope Benedict in 2008.  4 of their children died at a very young age and the other 5 all entered religious life: 1 to the Visitation order and the other 4 to the Carmelites. 

At the age of 15, having received the blessing of faith and virtue from her parents, Therese was given permission to enter the Carmelite convent where her two older sisters had already entered.  She lived only 11 years as a Carmelite nun before dying at the young age of 26 from tuberculosis. 

Before her death, because her holiness and humility was evident, her superior ordered Therese to write an autobiography detailing her spiritual life.  When St. Therese died there were only about 50 people in the world that knew of her.  Thanks to her autobiography, her sanctity and her spirituality are known to the entire world. 

This obscure little nun in the corner of France is now honored as a doctor of the Church and the Patron Saint of Missionary Work even though she never left the confines of the cloister.

As Doctor of the Church, she teaches us by her simple spirituality of the Little Way, that each Christian is to pour himself out in love in the little, everyday tasks of life.

In those short years in Carmel, Therese described a deepening ardor for the salvation of souls. She writes, “I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn’t experienced so intensely before.” She offered her life as a sacrifice for priests and other missionaries, offering constant penances and prayers for the sake of others. And this is why she is patron of missionaries, because of her prayers, certainly, and also her ardor and love of souls.

She wrote that her mission as a Carmelite, was to form “evangelical workers who would save millions of souls”. Well, every Christian is tasked, aren’t we, with the evangelical mission. The constant work, the daily work, of spreading the Gospel in order to save souls.

In order to be faithful to this task, we pour great love into the small tasks of life, that we may be faithful in the great tasks, of loving those who are often quite difficult to love, of seeing passed their faults, and seeing souls hungering for God, longing to know the love of God for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the success of all missionary activity, that through prayer and penance the Gospel may penetrate the most hardened of hearts,

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October, “that the breath of the Holy Spirit may engender a new missionary ‘spring’ in the Church.

During these 40 days for life, we pray for the safety of the unborn and for a change in laws, policies, and attitudes that discriminate against and marginalize unborn children.

That the sick and the suffering may know God’s healing and have the ability to know the love of God in their trials.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.