St. Therese, Disciple of the Imitation

[Augustine]

DBT:

I agree. I like to read a randomly picked chapter from the Imitation while at Adoration. One chapter at a time is often enough . . . it’s good to just let it sink in.

That’s an excellent suggestion. Although I’ve never read the Immitation, it sounds like a very appropriate reading at Adoration.

 

[dominicsavio]

Joysong:

Hello, Dominic,

What a blessing you are, for your post gave me the link to the second writing I wanted to quote for Dave, above, but could not locate! However, I knew where she spoke about the Imitation, and the writing I wanted was just below it. It is shortly after the grace of Christmas and the Pranzini conversion.

I am wondering about your lovely user name, and have the sense that you are much devoted to St. Dominic Savio! What a wonderful young saint!

Joysong–

Peace be with you! Thank you for your kind words to me! St. Dominic Savio chose me as his friend and became my confirmation saint. (I refuse to say that I chose him since i knew so little about him then…i am of the opinion that it is they who choose us). Yep, he is a wonderful saint and I get along quite well with him. He is such a beautiful example!!! And I think that had Therese known him, he would have been one of her favorites because St. John Bosco formed him in the “little way” and Therese loved those saints who were cheerful! Cheerfulness is certainly one of his main qualitities. But our little Therese is my sister and closest heavenly friend. She has forever changed my life through her teaching and example and prayers for me and I remain a lifelong student of her. Our Lord has allowed me to have a wonderful devotion to her and I try constantly to get to know her more and more each day so that I can live by her way of confidence and love.

 

[Joysong]

Thanks for sharing, Dominic,

I have a holy envy of your relationship with these two beautiful saints, and wish with all my heart that my grandchildren had a smidgeon of your devotion to them! May I ask you for a quick prayer of intercession to them on their behalf?

Carole

 

[Joysong]

Dear Dave and Friends,

Continuing with teachings from St. Therese which she seems to have learned from the Imitation.

Chapter 16, Of Bearing Other Men’s Faults: Such faults as we cannot amend in ourselves or in others, we must patiently suffer until our Lord of His goodness will dispose otherwise. And we shall think that perhaps it is best for the testing of our patience, without which our merits

are but little to be considered.

If all men were perfect, what would we then have to put up with in our neighbors, for God’s sake? Therefore, God has so ordained that each one of us shall learn to bear another’s burden, for in this world, no man is without fault.

St. Therese’s words from The Trial of Faith, pg. 220:

I understood how imperfect was my love for my Sisters. I saw I didn’t love them as God loves them. Ah! I understand now that charity consists in bearing with the faults of others

, in not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the smallest acts of virtue we see them practice.

Some examples of her living out everything she taught are found throughout:

• pg. 222 with a disagreeable Sister whom she convinced that this Sister’s character was very pleasing to Therese, despite our saint’s constant struggle to overcome her natural antipathy.
• pg. 247 with Sister St. Pierre who was rather contrary and exacting in the services she desired from Therese.
• pg. 249 with the Sister who made a strange noise resembling the rubbing of two shells against each other and grated terribly on Therese’s nerves.
• pg. 250 with the Sister who threw dirty water in her face in the laundry room.

I have been struggling with this lately, for my neighbor’s dog barks incessantly, and it has become a real difficult matter for me to bear. At bedtime, I even insert ear plugs to be able to sleep. As I consider bearing with my neighbor’s faults and weigh Therese’s advice, I see how far short I am of her virtue. I am almost ready to check into ordinances of our borough with respect to noise pollution, and filing a complaint.

As we read the Imitation where it says that these things are for the testing of our patience, and for obtaining merits, I can see the motivation in St. Therese. Her whole purpose in Carmel was to be a victim of love for God, to win for His children the graces they need. These “bearing” opportunities were occasions of meriting graces for others, and she was eager to bear them both as a means to conquer herself and to please our Lord.

My concern is that some who are reading this thread might think that her doctrine consists in becoming a doormat ready to absorb all the nasty things humanity wants to dump on us. Not so - we have to understand her in this light, I believe. She herself was quite ready to correct and admonish those in her charge; in fact, they found her to be rather severe at times.

http://forum.catholic.com/images/smilies/ani/love.gif Carole

 

[clarkal]

dominicsavio:

Amazingly, by the time our little Therese was 9 yrs old, she had memorized the entire text of the Imitation. Family members would open up to a certain spot and she could recite it from any where in the book! (That is a little known but true fact of her life, but it would take me a little while to look through all my Therese books to find that quote)

That would be amazing. Would you mind attempting to find the source of this story for me?

 

[Joysong]

Hello, Clarkal,

“I knew almost all the chapters of my beloved Imitation by heart. This little book never parted company with me, for in summer I carried it in my pocket; in winter, in my muff. At Aunt’s they used to amuse themselves by opening the book at random and telling me to recite the chapter before them”.

In the John Clarke edition of Story of a Soul, the above reference to memorizing the *Imitation *does not tell us how long she had full knowledge of it. At the time of her conversion at Christmas in 1886, she would have been 13 years old, having been born January 2,1873. It is possible that Therese was just commenting about it in the section about her Christmas conversion, whereas in reality, she did know the content of the Imitation many years prior to it.

I had never come across the exact age in Story of a Soul, but there are other books on Therese from which Dominic probably obtained her age. I, too, would be interested in more detail, if it’s not too much trouble for Dominic to find it.

Carole

 

[dominicsavio]

My apologies for taking so long to reply to this…it had been so long since I posted here, I actually forgot to come back after posting! More evidence of my need of St. Therese…I am a big goofball! I will definitely say a prayer, although I feel quite odd doing so since the devotion I have has nothing to do with me…it was simply given to me from them. I didn’t ask for it, I didn’t choose it, but my heart was given it in prayer. But I will say a prayer and ask Our Lady to give them beautiful devotions she desires them to have.

Joysong:

Thanks for sharing, Dominic,

I have a holy envy of your relationship with these two beautiful saints, and wish with all my heart that my grandchildren had a smidgeon of your devotion to them! May I ask you for a quick prayer of intercession to them on their behalf?

Carole

 

[dominicsavio]

I don’t think that I have read that exact year in a biography of hers, although her autobiography proves it was at an early age. I learned that fact from a Carmelite nun at a retreat years ago when she was talking about Therese.

Joysong:

Hello, Clarkal,

In the John Clarke edition of Story of a Soul, the above reference to memorizing the *Imitation *does not tell us how long she had full knowledge of it. At the time of her conversion at Christmas in 1886, she would have been 13 years old, having been born January 2,1873. It is possible that Therese was just commenting about it in the section about her Christmas conversion, whereas in reality, she did know the content of the Imitation many years prior to it.

I had never come across the exact age in Story of a Soul, but there are other books on Therese from which Dominic probably obtained her age. I, too, would be interested in more detail, if it’s not too much trouble for Dominic to find it.

Carole

 

[Joysong]

Dear Dominicsavio,

How kind of you to respond and to offer prayer! Thank you so much.

I suppose St. Therese’s age will remain secret to us, but no matter. She still amazes us for having memorized this book some time during her childhood! It truly reveals the intent of her heart almost from the age of reason - the goal of sanctity! Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness, for they shall be satisfied.

I apologize for the thread’s demise, but I didn’t see much feedback and thought it best to give it a rest.

Carole

 

[DBT]

Joysong:

I suppose St. Therese’s age will remain secret to us, but no matter. She still amazes us for having memorized this book some time during her childhood!

I just came across a mention in a book I’m reading (The Search For Therese) that said Therese would delight her family in the evenings after returning home from school at the convent by reciting passages from the Imitation. This was shortly after Pauline (her older sister) entered Carmel and Therese’s religious desires intensified.

I don’t have the dates in front of me, but I guess somewhere between the ages of 9 and 11 is about right

Dave.

 

[Joysong]

Dear Dave,

Thanks for the missing information. In our John Clarke edition on pg. 280, it says that Pauline entered Carmel on 10/2/1882. St. Therese was born 1/2/1873, so it would make her 9-1/2 years old. Astounding! So Dominicsavio was correct in what he had been told. I’m glad we were able to put it all together. :yup:

P. S. I wonder if certain chapters of the Imitation were not clearly understandable to her in light of her young age?

Carole

 

[dominicsavio]

It is not quite accurate to say almost the age of reason…Therese said that from the age of 3 she refused God nothing. I can probably find that, but it might take me a bit

Joysong:

Dear Dominicsavio,

How kind of you to respond and to offer prayer! Thank you so much.

I suppose St. Therese’s age will remain secret to us, but no matter. She still amazes us for having memorized this book some time during her childhood! It truly reveals the intent of her heart almost from the age of reason - the goal of sanctity! Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for holiness, for they shall be satisfied.

I apologize for the thread’s demise, but I didn’t see much feedback and thought it best to give it a rest.

Carole