A Yellow Rose

Saint Therese of Lisieux recognized as a doctor of the church by Pope John Paul II has granted me a sign of her presence.

I was very moved by her life story. Her simple way of humility is a path for everyone. Whether we are married, single or whatever calling we may have in life, her example is a path for all to imitate. 

The book of Hebrews says in Chapter 13:7 "remember your leaders, those who spoke the word of God to you; consider the outcome of their way of life, and imitate their faith." 

She has a message for everyone. I was deeply touched by her absolute and total abandonment to God. She was a girl in love with Jesus Christ, and she gave her all to him. She gave her body and soul to him and held nothing back.  She is an example of Christ who gave his all, and held nothing back from us. Christ gives us his body, blood, soul and divinity when we come to meet him at the sacrament of the Eucharist. 

When I first became acquainted with St Therese, I was so deeply touched that I began to share the movie that I saw of her life story, "Therese - Ordinary girl - Extraordinary soul".  After sharing her story with a sister in Christ, a few days later a yellow rose was at my door steps!  Soon after I learned that she had said that she would let fall a shower of roses.

By: Saint Therese of Lisieux

"God gave me a Father and Mother more worthy of heaven than of earth"

"I am a very little soul, who can offer only very little things to the Lord."

"My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said. "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses."

"I feel in me the vocation of the priest. With what love, O Jesus, I would take You in my hands when, at my voice, You would come down from heaven. And with what love would I give You to souls! But alas! while desiring to be a Priest, I admire and envy the humility of St. Francis of Assisi and I feel the vocation of imitating him in refusing the sublime dignity of the Priesthood."

"O Jesus, my Love, my vocation, at last I have found it ... my vocation is Love! Yes, I have found my place in the Church and it is You, O my God, who have given me this place; in the heart of the Church, my Mother, I shall be love, and thus my dreams shall be fulfilled."

"Everything is a grace, everything is the direct effect of our father's love - difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul's miseries, her burdens, her needs - everything, because through them, she learns humility, realizes her weakness - Everything is a grace because everything is God's gift. Whatever be the character of life or its unexpected events - to the heart that loves, all is well."

In Closing:

1Cor 12:31

"But eagerly desire the greater gifts. And now I will show you the most excellent way."