Teresa of Avila was declared a doctor of the church because of her reform efforts, the profundity of her writings about the spiritual life, and her dynamic faith and love. With her ability to combine common sense and deep mysticism, Teresa shows us what it means to be persons alive in our own culture who enter into the depths of our own life and heart and find God there.
From her early years, Thérèse of Lisieux desired to be a saint, so the primary focus of her life was to walk the path of love—what she called “the science of love.” But she often asked herself if her love was pure and authentic. With sensitivity and insight, author Joseph Schmidt shows us how Thérèse discovered certain qualities of the heart that told her that she was indeed walking the path of authentic love. These qualities—inner freedom, creativity, compassion, willingness, self-surrender or abandonment, and gratefulness—“opened her heart to a new depth of God’s life in and through her.” Eventually, they played a very practical role in Thérèse’s ordinary day-to-day life relationships—and they can in our own as well. As he did in his earlier book on Thérèse, Everything Is Grace, Joseph Schmidt breaks new ground in his latest book and offers tremendous food for thought and reflection on the spirituality of this great saint.
A year-long immersion in the Little Way of Spiritual Childhood taught by St. Therese of Lisieux. Each day features a quote from St. Therese, a reflection, and prayer.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux sought a new way to Heaven: ¿a little way that is quite straight, quite short: a completely new little way.¿ Blessed with personal limitations that might have discouraged another, Thérèse believed God would not have given her a desire for holiness if He did not intend for her to achieve it. She learned to humbly accept herself as she was and trust completely in God¿s love. First given as a retreat by renowned author Father Jacques Philippe, The Way of Trust and Love navigates excerpts of St. Thérèse¿s writings phrase by phrase, extracting powerful, resonating insights. To Thérèse, the journey seemed ¿little¿ as she traveled it. A hundred and fifteen years after her death, the message of the young saint and Doctor of the Church has traveled around the world inspiring millions. With this newly translated study of her spirituality, many today will rediscover¿or find for the first time¿the relevance of ¿the little way,¿ in all seasons of life. Fr. Jacques Philippe is well-known for his books on prayer and spirituality. A member of the Community of the Beatitudes, he regularly preaches retreats in France and abroad. He also spends much of his time giving spiritual direction and working for the development of the Community in Asia and Oceania where he travels frequently.
"Embrace the present moment as an ever-flowing source of holiness." --Jean Pierre de Caussade, from Chapter Three Seeing God in every moment--is it possible? Does God really "walk among the pots and pans," as Saint Teresa of Avila once said? Do we ignore the seemingly forgettable moments of life to our own spiritual peril? Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and Therese of Lisieux started small and stayed small, even though their works and heroism have since earned them worldwide acclaim. Holy Simplicity reveals how these three modern Catholic women found holiness in letting God's love flow into the most ordinary tasks--Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day among the poor and Therese within the confines of the cloister. Their stories will inspire you to seek God in the challenges of ordinary life, a little way to holiness that, as Dorothy Day pointed out, unleashes forces "that help to overcome evil in the world."
Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), also known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, is popularly named the Little Flower. A Carmelite nun, doctor of the church, and patron of a score of causes, she was famously acclaimed by Pope Pius X as the greatest saint of modern times. Therese is not only one of the most beloved saints of the Catholic Church but perhaps the most revered woman of the modern age. Pope John Paul II described her as a living icon of God. Her autobiography Story of a Soul has been translated into sixty languages. Having long transcended national and linguistic boundaries, she has crossed even religious ones. As daughter of Allah, she is venerated widely in Islamic cultures. Therese has been the subject of innumerable biographies and treatises, ranging from hagiographies to attacks on her intelligence and mental health. Thomas R. Nevin has gained access to many untapped archival materials and previously unpublished photographs. As a consequence he is able to offer a much fuller and more accurate portrait of the saints life and thought than his predecessors. He explores the dynamics of her family life and the early development of her spirituality. He draws extensively on the correspondence of her mother and documents her influence on Thereses autobiography and spirituality. He charts the development of Therese's career as a writer. He gives close attention to her poetry and plays usually dismissed as undistinguished and argues that they have great value as texts by which she addressed and informed her Carmelite community. He delves into the French medical literature of the time, in an effort to understand how the tuberculosis of which she died at the age of 24 was treated and lamentably mistreated. Finally, he offers a new understanding of Therese as a theologian for whom love, rather than doctrines and creeds, was the paramount value. Adding substantially to our knowledge and appreciation of this immensely popular and attractive figure, this book should appeal to many general readers as well as to scholars and students of modern Catholic history.
Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most popular saints of our time—and for good reason. As Pope St. John Paul II wrote when declaring her a doctor of the Church, Thérèse's "little way" is "nothing other than the gospel way of holiness for all." In this faith-sharing guide, Br. Joseph Schmidt helps readers understand Thérèse's message through the Scripture passages that illuminated her insights about God and his merciful love. Each of the seven sessions features one or more passages from Scripture as well as excerpts from Thérèse's writings that allude to those passages. Thoughtful commentary and questions for reflection follow, enabling us to discover how our own relationship with the Lord might be transformed by the Little Way of St. Thérèse
Winner of a first-place award in spirituality from the Catholic Media Association. Renowned scholar Susan Muto presents her spiritual legacy with a rich introduction to thirty Christian masters. These voices from the ancient, medieval, and modern Church have been the focus of Muto’s work for more than forty years and the trusted guides of her own spiritual life. Masters such as Benedict of Nursia, Clare of Assisi, Thomas Merton, and Teresa of Avila will help answer your most pressing spiritual questions and satisfy the deepest cravings of your heart. From the simplicity and solitude of the desert mystics and other ancient masters to the practicality and prayerfulness of medieval saints such as Julian of Norwich and Catherine of Siena to the relatable sensibilities of modern masters such as Evelyn Underhill and Thomas Merton, Susan Muto—executive director of the Epiphany Association and dean of the Epiphany Academy of Formative Spirituality—draws deeply from the well of the Christian spiritual tradition to address some of our most pressing spiritual hungers: The Desert Fathers teach us how to hear God above the noise of everyday life. Augustine of Hippo acknowledges the restlessness that precedes spiritual growth. Julian of Norwich reflects on the universality and purpose of suffering. Jean-Pierre de Caussade explores what it means to have a heart fully surrendered to God. Thérѐse of Lisieux shares her little way of spiritual childhood. In each chapter, Muto introduces a spiritual master who she finds helpful in meeting a particular condition or challenge commonly faced in the Christian life and places that master within the historical and spiritual contexts of their time. Muto then introduces a classic work associated with that master, identifying key themes or principles to apply to your own life. Each chapter concludes with reflection questions to ponder individually or discuss in a group setting. Rich yet accessible, this book will fortify your soul with time-tested spiritual insight and practical wisdom so you can enter more deeply into the mystery of spiritual union with God.
