Contemplative Haven

Oct 01 2009

St. Thérèse de Lisieux

Published by gabrielle at 10:50 am under Feastdays, Saints

My first encounter with St. Thérèse de Lisieux was when I was in my twenties. I was living and working in Montreal, where one of my favourite churches to attend was the Cathédrale Marie-Reine-du-Monde (Mary, Queen of the World).

One Sunday morning as I opened my missalette, a piece of paper fell out. On it was written a prayer to St. Thérèse, with the instructions to say the prayer for nine days for your intention, and also to copy out the prayer eleven times and place it in other missalettes where people would eventually find them.

At the time I was not familiar with novenas, and the thought of copying it out eleven times for others struck me as absurd, like some sort of religious chain-letter. But I prayed the prayer over and over, not just for nine days…

I don’t remember what my intention was, but the prayer has always stayed with me:

Petite Thérèse de l’enfant Jésus, toi qui nous a promis de faire du bien sur la terre, répand ta pluie de roses sur tous ceux qui t’invoque. Accorde-nous la grace de ta bonté. Amen.

I have not been able to find that exact prayer anywhere in books or online, but I believe it may have been based on the prayer I found here:

Well, as a matter of fact, I did sit down one night and wrote out eleven copies of the prayer. After a few Sundays had passed, I had managed to slip it into eleven missalettes for others to find.

Thank you, St. Thérèse. Merci pour ta pluie de roses dans nos vies. May you have a festive day today in heaven, with the Holy Trinity, the Blessed Virgin, all the angels and saints, and our loved ones.

8 responses so far

8 Responses to “St. Thérèse de Lisieux”

# Carolon 01 Oct 2009 at 11:33 am

Amen.

My introduction to Little Therese came early –as chronically sick girl to chronically sick girl. I recall my mom telling me of 3 particular saints she thought appropriate for my Confirmation namesake, and I’ve never been able to remember the other two! Who does not want to know and befriend the Little Flower?? And there has indeed been a shower of roses she let fall from Heaven, here. I recall, too, that once I received an embroidered pink rose from some pro-life organization, and I knew I wouldn’t apply it to my clothes, so I sent it off to husband’s elderly aunt. She wrote back with astonishment that she had been praying to Little Therese and was awaiting a floral sign when my note arrived with an enclosed rose. People dismiss this sign all the time, yet it was granted her by Himself to do this, to assure us she’s truly on board with us, still. Our big sister.
# ginnyon 01 Oct 2009 at 3:33 pm

What a lovely prayer in French. Anyway you could translate it into English?
St. Therese has always been another favorite of mine. I think I read the book “A Story of a Soul” at least twice.
Thanks for your post today.
# Ciniaon 03 Oct 2009 at 10:18 am

I found this by random looking for a prayer for consecration to Our lady as our English mass will be soon here in our little group in Holland city of Purmerend. Since Oct.is the month of Holy Rosary. We are spreading the Divine Mercy in our little own way.I have the same experienced just the other month (Sept.) I decided to pray her novena which frankly speaking I was not able to finished it since we are heading four days or 3 days before Poland pilgrimage.In my amazement a first day second day and other days, I got roses as a sign.But do not know anymore what I have asked. I have somehow spread a bit of the efficacy of her intercession through emails. . bless cinia
# Carolon 04 Oct 2009 at 4:02 pm

If you go to the website
translate(dot)reference(dot)com
there is a full-text translator page there, available in many languages for both translated from and translated to. Just copy and paste the text in question right into the text block on the translator page and select options in the drop-down menu just under that. Unfortunately, it doesn’t have the morning-before-coffee-urmph translator module, but we shall hope.
# Gabrielleon 04 Oct 2009 at 10:55 pm

Carol, yes, I remember how special she was/is to you, because of your early health problems, etc., and more. I have a little picture of St. Therese in my little bathroom covering a crack in the wall (God bless her), and when I see her every morning as I’m getting ready for work that’s usually when I say a little prayer for you and ask her to take care of you. And thanks for that translation site info!

Ginny, sure; it’s just a simple, earnest little prayer:
“Little Therese of the Child Jesus, you who promised us that you would do good on earth [i.e., from heaven], scatter your rain [or shower] of roses on all those who invoke you. Grant us the grace of your benevolence [or kindness or goodness]. Amen.”

Cinia, I’m not sure why your url is what it is, but you sound very sincere so thank you for visiting. Maybe you arrived here through my other blog, Consecrated to Mary, where I hope you found the consecration prayer you were looking for! May God bless you richly for spreading devotion to Our Lady and to the Divine Mercy, and I wish you a blessed pilgrimage to Poland!
# terryon 05 Oct 2009 at 12:12 am

When I was a child I was teased by some others for having a “girl’s name.” Sheesh! Like I needed one more thing to feel insecure about. Anyway, it made me acutely aware of St. Therese although almost everyone at the time pronounced it St. Teresa. Glad we’ve got that straightened out.

I remember reading “Story of a Soul” and being impressed that so obvious was Therese’s holiness that, as she was dying, the nuns were ordered by the Mother Superior (I think it was Therese’s sister) to write down everything that she said, knowing that they would be the dying words of a saint.
# gabrielleon 05 Oct 2009 at 12:55 am

Terry, I honestly don’t ever remember hearing about St. Therese de Lisieux when I was little, which is rather odd seeing as how I attended the French church rather than the English one most of the time, and she was not one I learned about in school, even though I always went to Catholic school. Her whole family was saintly, weren’t they; I think her parents are on their way to official sainthood too, aren’t they? (I’m sorry you were teased about your name; a couple of guys I knew had the same problem – Kim and Leslie.)
# Carolon 05 Oct 2009 at 4:12 am

Wow.. you patched a crack with St. Therese and are reminded by that to pray for me? Thank you! I’m truly honored.

Is it okay to put that into my resume?

I have a wee statue of Little Therese, and I do mean wee — I often miss it, but when I do focus on it, I’m at Home even though trapped on this lunatic planet. I’m going to print out the picture above and place that on my Holy Shelves, too, and be reminded to pray for you a little more often.

I can hardly wait for her to show us her garden.