We start the month of October with the celebration of our patron saint. Over the past seven years I have been reading various books on our patron saint Therese of Lisieux. If you would like to know more about her and why she took the world by storm here is a list of them.
The Story of a Soul:The Autobiography of the Little Flower Edited by Mother Agnes of Jesus O. Carm Translated by The Rev. Michael Day, Congregation of the Oratory
This work was first published in French in 1899 and this English translation was created in 1950 from a French edition first released on the fiftieth anniversary of the death of St. Therese. It tops my list as it is a classic of Western Spirituality which I would place alongside The Imitation of Christ by St. Thomas a Kempis. Her candor and simplicity stand along side a spirituality unparalleled in modern times. It is intriguing how she alters her style for the three different recipients to whom she writes. For Mother Agnes one feels as if you are privy to her diary especially as she speaks to Pauline. The section for Mother Marie de Gonzague is more doctrinal and reveals a remarkable insight. The final section to her older sister and is truly a letter to of love and devotion to Christ. If you only seek one book, then this is it.
This is the second foray into the life of the Little Flower by Nevin. His first Therese of Lisieux God’s Gentle Warrior Is an excellent read. I hesitated to recommend this one without that one being read first, but upon consideration changed my mind. First bear in mind that this is not a biography. It is a study of the turbulent aspects of spiritual doubts and the struggles they entailed for St. Therese in the last years of her life. It stands in contradistinction to the more typical approach which focuses on the “sweetness and light” we often attribute to her. Here there is more of the Spanish spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross. Perhaps not my first choice as an introduction to her life but of huge value in getting a more balanced picture of this towering saint.
Three Gifts of Therese of Lisieux Ahern, Patrick. Image, (Random House) New York. 2014 This is a posthumous publication as Bishop Ahern died in 2011 at the age of ninety-two. It is not, however his first work on the Little Flower. In 1998 his Maurice and Therese: The Story of a Love hit the shelves following the declaration in 1997 by Pope John Paul II making St. Therese a Doctor of the Church. This is a very accessible book and can almost be read in one sitting. The author focuses on the “three gifts” of her universal appeal, her conviction, and her little way. Recommended.
The Little Way for Every DayThoughts from St. Therese Broome, Francis CSP. P aulist Press, New York. 1931 Just as the title suggests this is a daily devotional book filled with writings and quotes from St. Therese. Very small format that fits in a pocket!
St. Therese: Doctor of the Little Way The Academy of the Immaculate. New Bedford. Mass. 1997. This is an edited compendium on the life and influence of the saint on the one hundredth anniversary of her death. Divided into five parts this is a valuable and even somewhat absorbing collection of writings and reflections compiled by the Franciscan Friars of the Immaculate.
The Truth about Therese An unflinching look at Lisieux, the Little Flower, and the Little Way. Gheon, Henri. Sophia Institute Press, Manchester, New Hampshire. 2011 First published in Germany in 1934 by Sheed and Ward under the title: The Secret of the Little Flower From the back of the book, we read: “Scores of books have been written about St. Therese of Lisieux, but this is the first aimed at those persons, Catholic or not, who resist her, put off by all those roses and crudely painted statues…and even by her virtues…” As readers will discover, the real Therese was an intense soul living a life of heroic grandeur amidst dull and worldly associates, a soul driven by a burning love of God even as she wrestled privately with great physical and emotional pain. “She is a model for those of us whom, whether we like it or not, God has called to hidden lives of quiet drama, desire, and holy sacrifice.” This is one of the best.
The Hidden Face Gorres, Ida Frederike. Ignatius press, San Francisco, 2003 Originally published in 1944 as Das Senfkorn von Lisieux which went through 8 editions and was revised with the title: Das verborgene Antlitz: Eine Studie uber Therese von Lisieux published in 1959 by Herder and Herder Verlag, Freiburg im Breisgau. Richard and Clara Winston for Pantheon Press in New York prepared this English translation. At over 400 pages this is a substantial work and considered by many as the most important work on the saint’s life. For those who want an in-depth work this is it.