Please read it here thanks to the Web site of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux and the generosity of the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelite Friars.  Notice that in 1888 April 29 fell on Sunday.  Saturday, April 28 had been the nineteenth birthday of Therese's sister Celine, and it seems there was a celebration in the speakroom at Carmel.  Perhaps Therese's father was not present, so the postulant was allowed to send him this letter of thanks.  Louis Martin was extraordinarily generous to the Carmel: he gave generous dowries for each of his Carmelite daughters, made many gifts of money to the monastery, and often brought fish, fruit, vegetables, and other treats to the monastery.  The "bright little pearl" is Pauline, who was nicknamed "the pearl" by her father; the "brilliant diamond" is his oldest daughter Marie, who, in the month of May, will make her vows on the same day the monastery celebrates the 50th anniversary of its foundation. 

Pope Francis and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux:
“To depend solely on the tenderness of  God”

 
An excerpt and photo courtesy of the Sanctuaire de Lisieux from the story “Una rosa bianca da Santa Teresita” by Stefania Falasca, in the March 24, 2013 issue of Avvenire.  Translated from the French by Ann Hess for www.thereseoflisieux.org

“Do not be afraid to depend solely on the tenderness of God
 as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux did.”

When Cardinal Bergoglio wrote a letter, he enclosed an image of St. Therese

Anyone who had the opportunity to be in contact with and establish a friendship with Cardinal Jorge Mario Bergoglio knows that he had the habit of enclosing in his letters, no matter how short, . . . a picture of the Carmelite saint, Thérèse of Lisieux.  In this way he wanted to emphasize his personal choice, full of meaning, of the spiritual bond that united them.

At the beginning of his pontificate, we saw Pope Francis give the President of Argentina, Cristina Kirchner, a white rose, a sign of the “little Thérèse” to whom he prays especially.

But why and from where did this fondness for Thérèse begin?

I was wondering about this very thing in Aparecida in 2007.1   At the time, I met Cardinal Bergoglio briefly in front of the Brazilian Marian Shrine between meetings of the Preparatory Committee of the final document . . .

He said to me, “Do not be afraid to depend solely on the tenderness of God as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux did, who, for this reason, is a beloved daughter of the Blessed Mother and a great missionary saint.”

 It was [an invitation] to see the Church and her mission [as being] on the road of the “little way” given by his teacher of Spiritual Childhood, the way on which Pope Francis is beginning his Pontificate.

I learned a little later that, when he came to Rome, in between meetings Father would go to pray in front of a statue of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus in a little church run by the Franciscans in Borgo, near the Tiber.

In Buenos Aires also, his veneration of the Patroness of the Missions2  was well known by his priests, and it was spread particularly in the “villa miserias” [shantytowns, slums] of the Argentine capital [Buenos Aires].

Cardinal Bergoglio speaks in Rome about his prayer to St. Therese

But now let’s get to the roses.   Father Bergoglio had returned to Rome at the end of 2007 for the Consistory.  And with him, the figure of little Thérèse reappeared: ”When I have a problem,” he said to us, “I entrust it to her.  I don’t ask her to resolve it, but to take it into her hands and help me; almost always, I receive a rose as a sign.”

He told how one time, having made an important decision about a difficult question, he put everything in St. Thérèse’s hands.  Some time later, in the doorway of the sacristy, a woman he didn’t know gave him three white roses.

He explained that it was a Jesuit, Father Putigan, who in 19253 spread a prayer seeking the intercession of St. Thérèse.  He then recited a passage from the prayer: “Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant me the grace that I place with confidence in your hands.”

No roses?  "A grace greater than the one you have asked for"

In the way he spoke, one felt a sense of his modesty united to a great simplicity, a sincere trust, so much so that I, too, felt moved to imitate him.  In one particular instance, following his example, I invoked the Saint, but, to my great disappointment, I received no roses.  At the first opportunity, I said to him by telephone, “Father, you remember the story of the roses…Well, nothing! Not one rose arrived for me.  Of course, this doesn’t surprise me; I understand…these things happen to those who have already attained a certain level, like you, those who are ‘in good standing.’  No one can say that I’m a model of virtue…”  The Pope was silent.  Then, in a very calm voice, he replied, “That means that she will answer you and grant you a grace greater than the one you have asked for…”  And it was really so.

1General Conference of the Latin American and Caribbean Bishops, at Nossa Senhora da Conceição Aparecida in Brazil, May 2007.

2Pope Pius XI declared St. Therese patroness of the missions, the equal of St. Francis Xavier, in 1927.

3St. Thérèse was canonized in 1925.

The Carmel of Lisieux announced today that the exhibit "Therese: Burning with Love" is coming to the New World. This beautiful exhibit, which drew seven million visitors at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last summer, has continued its travels in Europe. After Paris, Caen, and Geneva, the beautiful city of Turin has the joy of welcoming it. But "the greatest saint of modern times" has other ideas: the exhibition will be at World Youth Day in Rio de Janeiro this summer. This is very natural, since St. Therese is co-patron of World Youth Day, with Pier Giorgio Frasatti.

The mission of the exhibit "Therese: Burning with Love" is to reach people in distress. The exhibit should also be displayed in a favela (a shantytown) in Brazil. If the local authorities accept it, a copy of the exhibition will stay in Rio and tour several Brazilian cities. We confide this beautiful project to your prayers.

(Translated courtesy of the Web site of the Carmel of Lisieux).

In cooperation with the Carmelite Forum, the Center for Spirituality at Saint Mary's College in Notre Dame, Indiana announces its annual Carmelite Summer Seminar, "Carmel at Prayer: A Surge of the Heart, A Glance Toward Heaven," a title drawn from St. Therese.  The seminar offers lectures every morning.  Steven Payne, O.C.D., author of St. Therese of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church, will lecture on "A Surge of the Heart: Therese of Lisieux on Prayer."  Other lectures include:

• "The Carmelite School of Prayer: A Coat of Many Colors" by Dr. Keith Egan;  
• "Rule of Carmel: A Life Structure for Today's Pilgrim"
  by John Welch, O. Carm.;
•  "Prayer of Recollection and Contemplation
  in Teresa of Avila and John of the Cross,"
  by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D.; and 
• "Journey to the Deepest Center with Edith Stein,"
  by Fran Horner, O.C.D. and Mary Fleig, O.C.D.. 

You may choose a total of four morning and afternoon workshops lasting three sessions each, each attended by a smaller group. Morning  workshops include

• "Spiritual Guidance: A Carmelite Approach"
  by Kevin Culligan, O.C.D. 
• "The Promise of Contemplative Prayer in John of the Cross" by Constance FitzGerald, O.C.D. 
• "Carmel and the Child Jesus,"
  by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. 
• "Dark Prayer: The Nights of John of the Cross,"
  by John Welch, O. Carm. and
• "Praying with John of the Cross' Poetry"
  by Dr. Keith Egan. 

Afternoon workshops:

• "John of the Cross' Spiritual Canticle and Ecospirituality," by Mary Frohlich, RSCJ
• "Touraine: Carmel's Forgotten Reform,"
  by Leopold Glueckert, O. Carm.
• "Teresa, Teach Us to Pray,"
  by Fran Horner, O.C.D. and Mary Fleig, O.C.D.
• "'All Must be Loved' - Teresa of Avila on Community,"
  by Steven Payne, O.C.D.

I have attended this seminar many times, and I recommend it.  You do not need to be a Carmelite to attend.  The group is friendly and relaxed; each year many attend for the first time, and it is not a social challenge to arrive on your own.  For details, click here.  Get a discount if your registration is received before May 23.

Mgr Carlos Osoro Serra, Archbishop of Valencia, with the little CarmenThe diocesan process to examine whether the healing of a child named Carmen whose parents asked Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin to intercede with God to obtain her cure should be considered as the miracle necessary to canonize them opened in Valencia, Spain on January 7, 2013.  Its final session began in April, and I am happy to announce that the diocesan tribunal is about to complete its work.  The official closing session will take place on Tuesday, May 21, 2013 in Valencia.

The closing of the diocesan tribunal to consider the "presumed miracle" brings to an end many years of work in France to examine the causes of the Martin spouses. You may read a detailed summary of the history of the cause in A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus (tr. Ann Hess, ed. Dr. Frances Renda.  New York: Alba House, 2011).  Louis's cause was opened on March 22, 1957 in Lisieux, and Zelie's on October 10, 1957 in the diocese of Sees, where she died.  Later the two causes were joined, and on March 26, 1994, Pope John Paul II declared that Louis and Zelie Martin had practiced "heroic virtue" and designated them "Venerable." After the examination of the healing of newborn Pietro Schiliro, they were beatified on October 19, 2008.  A second miracle is necessary to open the way for their canonization.

Mgr Jacques Habert, bishop of SeesMgr Carlos Osoro Serra, Archbishop of Valencia, will preside at the closing session.  Mgr Jacques Habert, bishop of Sees, and Mgr Jean-Claude Boulanger, Mgr Jean-Claude Boulanger, bishop of Bayeux and Lisieuxbishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, will travel to Valencia for the closing ceremony.  The next day the file will be submitted to the Congregation for the Causes of Saints in Rome, where it will be examined first by seven medical specialists, then by theologians, and finally by cardinals before it is given to the Holy Father.  Although evidence is gathered and evaluated first at the diocesan level, the decision to canonize is always made by Rome. 

Please pray that the Church receives the light of the Holy Spirit  to see whether God intends this couple to be canonized. 

Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, are closer to being canonized than ever before. The Pilgrimage Office at the Shrine of Lisieux has announced that on Tuesday, May 21, 2013, the diocesan process in Valencia, Spain to examine whether the healing of a little girl named Carmen is a miracle attributed to the intercession of the Martin spouses will hold its closing ceremony.  Then the file will be sent to Rome for a final decision in the matter of their canonization.

As the tribunal finishes its work, a work of the faithful begins.  Guiding a cause from beatification to canonization is very expensive: in this case, trips to Spain, fees to medical specialists, costs for accommodation, duplicating and printing transcripts, and other costs.  The Cause of the Martin spouses is asking the friends of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin for the necessary support, and Mgr. Lagoutte, Rector of the Basilica at Lisieux, has launched an appeal for that purpose.  We have translated into English the brochure with details; please view and download it here.  See the home page of the appeal (which is in French).  Please feel free to print and circulate the brochure; to circulate the link to it (http://tinyurl.com/bpqg9qe); and to e-mail it or post it on your own page.

Louis and Zelie supported many charitable and religious activities generously, and Louis wrote "Give, go on giving, and make people happy."  Please prayerfully consider making a gift to their cause.  And please continue to pray that the Holy Spirit enlightens the Church in this matter.  Thank you.

 On Thursday, May 9 and Friday, May 10, 2013, the Association "The Message of Therese,"  together with the management of the Shrine of Lisieux, presented a sound and light show, "Joan of Arc: heart of fire, soul of a warrior" at the Basilica of Lisieux.

The core of the show is a stage play, performed by professional actors and amateurs, made up of extracts from Therese's writing about Joan of Arc.  Behind the actors, a giant screen shows the scenery and evokes a host of elements that fit into Joan's story.  The soundtrack plays poignant music.  Between the scenes written by Therese, which the actors play, videos told the transitional history, evoking the historical context of the life of Joan of Arc.  This carefully researched work has been produced in collaboration with the Centre Jeanne d'Arc of the city of Orleans.  Therese's text has been embedded in a broader framework.

The show was presented over two special days at Lisieux as part of a spiritual and cultural program on the theme of Therese of Lisieux and Joan of Arc, including Masses, conferences, and a concert.  The planners hoped to attract 5,000 people to Lisieux for this event.  A parallel exhibit about Therese and Joan of Arc is being presented at the Centre John Paul II, next to the Basilica. The exhibit will remain open until October 30, 2013.   

This show was organized by the Association "The Message of Therese."  Chaired by the Rector of the Shrine at Lisieux, it aims to organize various events to make the writings of Therese known in an artistic way.  It has hundreds of volunteers who support the organization in different areas. 

For details in French, see www.spectacle-jeanne-and-therese.com

Therese wrote and starred in two plays, or "pious recreations," as they were then called in Carmel, about Joan of Arc.  You may read them in The Plays of St. Therese of Lisieux: Pious Recreations, ed. Steven Payne, O.C.D.  Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 2008.

When we think about loving something or someone we rarely think of nonviolence.  And certainly there is more to authentic love than nonviolence.   But one moment of thought will help us to know that the basic element of love is, in fact, nonviolence. 

 When we speak, for example, of loving a person, we may think of good feelings and of intimacy and sharing.  When we speak of loving a thing, for example ice cream, or a vacation spot, or a sports team, we may think also of good feelings.  But what is most in common in the use of the word “love” to describe our relationship with people and things is what we do not feel toward them.  We do not feel adversarial or hostile. 

There is certainly more to love than nonviolence, but the common and basic element in our many uses of the word love is our sense of nonviolence toward what we say we love.

Nonviolence is the bottom line in our loving. 

 This helps us to understand what Jesus means when he says “love your enemy.”  He is clearly not suggesting that we like our enemy, because if we felt “like” toward the person we experience as the enemy we would not have an “enemy” in the first place.  By cultivating feeling of hostility we “make” and keep the enemy.

 If, for whatever reason, we have feelings of dislike for a person and thereby make that person our “enemy,” Jesus is asking that we abide that negative feeling, not cultivate hostility, and thereby give love a chance.  We give love a chance by simply not being violent toward the “enemy.” 

 I think this is the way Therese understood “loving the enemy.”  Meditating on Jesus’ words she wrote: “We don’t have any enemies in Carmel.” But then she quickly qualified her statement, adding the insight: “but there are feelings.”  The feelings that “there are,” and that Therese did have, were feelings of dislike and repugnance.  She bore these feelings with as much patience as she could, did not cultivate these feelings into hostility and violence, and in that way came to “love the enemy.”  She gives examples of this in the stories in the final section of Story of a Soul, as she describes her nonviolent relationships with the difficult sisters she lived with.

 Therese clearly liked some sisters and disliked others, but she loved them all.  The sisters she disliked were her “enemies;” but she “loved” them by building her relationship with them on a spirit of nonviolence toward herself and toward them.

 Therese’s spirituality has no violence in it. It is the spirituality that we need personally and institutionally in these days of such subtle and overt violence.

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 You can read Fr. Albert Dolan's biography of Leonie Martin, God Made the Violet, Too: A Life of Leonie, Sister of St. Therese (Chicago: Carmelite Press, 1948) online thanks to HathiTrust Digital Library. Fr. Albert Dolan, who founded the Society of the Little Flower, visited France and became acquainted with the sisters of St. Therese; he then spoke and wrote about them in the United States as he spread devotion to St. Therese. You may read the account of his visits with the sisters of St. Therese in his book The Intimate Life of Saint Therese Portrayed by Those Who Knew Her.

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Thousands of Cambodian Catholics come to see the relics of St Thérèse of Lisieux
After the Philippines, the remains of the patron saint of the missions have arrived in Cambodia. The apostolic vicar leads a Mass in the village of Taingkauk, a symbolic place for the country's faithful. After being closed under the Khmer Rouge, Phnom Penh's Carmelite monastery reopens thanks to six South Korean nuns.

Phnom Penh (AsiaNews/EDA) - Cambodian Catholics, a minority in a country where they were once persecuted, are celebrating the pilgrimage in the Asian country of the relics of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The remains of the French nun and mystic, better known by her nickname of 'Little Flower' to distinguish her from St. Teresa of Avila, arrived on 26 April after travelling for over four months in the Philippines, one of only two countries on the continent with a Catholic majority (the other is East Timor). Now her earthly remains are the object of adoration and prayer for Cambodia's 25,000 Catholics, a small number in a country's of 12 million people, but full of life and faith.

The relics arrived at the small village of Taingkauk on 4 May, about 100 km from Phnom Penh, a place of great symbolic value for the Catholic Church in Cambodia, for it was here that the first bishop in  Cambodian history, Mgr Joseph Chhmar Salas, died from starvation, illness and hardship on a September day in 1977.

Bishop Joseph Chhmar Salas, martyr of Cambodia

Ordained in 1975, right before the Khmer Rouge took over, the bishop died like two million of his fellow citizens at the hands of Maoist revolutionaries led by Pol Pot, who exterminated one quarter of the population and destroyed all of the country's religious and cultural symbols.

Over 3,000 people took part in the Mass celebrated by Mgr Olivier Schmitthaeusler, the apostolic vicar to Cambodia. On this occasion, the saint's remains were placed on the bed, still miraculously intact, Mgr Salas used during his imprisonment under the Khmer Rouge and where he performed, occasionally and in secret, the Eucharistic service before he died.

The ceremony took place in the presence of other prelates, priests, and especially 85-year-old Mgr Yves Ramousse, Mgr Schmitthaeusler's predecessor, who also celebrated 50 years of episcopacy and 60 years of priesthood.

A substantial number of local Catholics took part in the adoration of the remains of the "patron saint of the missions", who is connected not only to China but to the whole continent of Asia as well.

During the ceremony, participants were reminded that the capital's Carmelite monastery, built in 1861 (after that of Saigon in 1838), was closed down following the Maoist takeover in 1975, but is now, thanks to a group of South Korean religious, open again, home to six of them.

- See the original story.  Used with permission.  My thanks to Asianews.

My note: my own information is that Lisieux Carmel was founded in 1838, that Saigon Carmel was founded from Lisieux in 1861, and that the Carmel in Phnom Penh was founded from Saigon in 1919; see below). 

 View a video of the replica of the hut in which Bishop Salas died; the video also shows photographs and souvenirs.

St. Therese of Lisieux is personally strongly linked to the history of the Church in Cambodia, for the Carmelite monastery in Phnom Penh traces its foundation to the Lisieux Carmel.  In 1861, Sister Philomene left the Lisieux Carmel with three others to found the Carmel of Saigon.  The Saigon Carmel went on to found seven Carmels in Indochina: four in Vietnam, one in Cambodia, and two in Thailand.  The Saigon Carmel founded a Carmel in Hanoi in 1895.  St. Therese wanted to volunteer for the foundation at Hanoi, but her health prevented it.  In 1919 the Saigon Carmel founded a monastery at Phnom Penh in Cambodia; in 1975 the nuns fled the Khmer Rouge.  The right of Christians in Cambodia to worship was not restored until 1990.  A Carmelite community was establshed in Cambodia about the year 2000, and on October 28, 2010, a new Carmelite monastery was dedicated in Phnom Penh.  View the dedication below. 

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Altar linens crafted for the Mass of Canonization of St. Therese of Lisieux with point d'Alencon lace such as her mother madeAlencon, the city where St. Therese was born, has a "twin city" in Great Britain, Basingstoke.  The Willis Museum in Basingstoke is sponsoring an exhibit of point d'Alencon lace.  You can see samples of lacework and learn about the technique through which this thread lace is made.  The exhibit opens May 18, 2013 and closes on Saturday, June 29, 2013.  Most exciting of all, on Friday, June 28 and Saturday, June 29, 2013, two of the seven living persons who know how to make point d'Alencon lace will be at the museum to show how the lace is made.  See details here.  See a brochure in English, "Lace of Alencon, Thread of Excellence," issued by the Musee des Beaux Arts et de la Dentelle in Alencon. 

This unique exhibition is offered by the Ville d Alençon, the Alençon-Basingstoke Twinning Association, and Basingstoke and Deane Borough Council.

Basingstoke is a large town in northeast Hampshire, 48 miles southwest of London.  If you expect to be able to visit this exhibit, please e-mail me (see the link "e-mail me" at the right of this Web site) if you might be able to do some favors for this Web site while you are there.  Thank you.

Eight doctors testify to the “astonishing recovery, without any medical explanation,” of a little girl, born prematurely in Spain, who is now four years old.

by Maureen O'Riordan for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway"

Archbishop Osoro (center), Bishop Boulanger (left), and Bishop Habert (right) at the closing of the diocesan process in Valencia, May 21, 2013. Photo credit: Alberto Saiz and AVAN (news agency of the Archdiocese of Valencia).

 On Tuesday, May 21, 2013, Monsignor Carlos Osoro, Archbishop of Valencia, presided at the closing session of the diocesan tribunal which had investigated the “presumed miracle” of the healing of a baby girl, known as Carmen, who was born prematurely on October 15, 2008.  Her cure was attributed to the intercession of Blessed Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin, the parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. 

The closing session took place in the Gothic hall of the Archbishop’s palace.  Two French bishops traveled to Spain for the ceremony.  Mgr Jacques Habert, bishop of Séez, was present: Alençon, where Louis and Zélie spent their married life, is in the diocese of Séez.   Father Thierry Hénault-Morel, rector of the Basilica of Notre Dame in Alençon, where Zélie and Louis were married and where their daughter Thérèse was baptized, joined Bishop Habert.

Mgr. Jean-Claude Boulanger, bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux, also traveled to Valencia for the ceremony.  After Zélie died in 1877, Louis moved to Lisieux, in the diocese of Bayeux and Lisieux, and lived there until he died in 1894.  Bishop Boulanger was joined by Mgr Bernard Lagoutte, rector of the Basilica in Lisieux built in honor of Louis and Zélie’s famous daughter, St. Thérèse.  It was in this Basilica that, after the Church had accepted the healing of a newborn baby in Italy, Pietro Schilirò, as a miracle worked at their intercession, Louis and Zélie were beatified on October 19, 2008.

Story of the miracle

The little Carmen, whose family prefers to remain anonymous, was born in Valencia on October 15, 2008, four days before Louis and Zélie were declared blessed.  Born after only six months of pregnancy, Carmen had many serious problems.  Father Antonio Sangalli, O.C.D., an Italian Carmelite friar who is vice-postulator of the cause of Louis and Zélie, told the tribunal on Monday that the child “suffered multiple pathologies, among them, a double septicemia and an intraventricular cerebral Grade IV hemorrhage, the most severe.” The doctors could do nothing for her, and her parents were told to prepare for the worst.  Her father and mother, “seeing the danger of death, immediately turned to God, and, thanks to the nuns from the Discalced Carmelite Monastery of Serra, the parents, family, and friends started a novena to the blessed Martin spouses,” continued Father Sangalli.  The Carmelites gave the child’s parents a prayer card with images of Zélie and Louis and a prayer for their canonization, and the nuns joined Carmen’s family and their friends in a sustained prayer for her healing.  Father Sangalli explains:

“This is how it started:  a real and intense communion of prayer of the family, of friends, of the monastery of Serra, of all those concerned for little Carmen, who was fighting against a sure death.”  As soon as the novena began, the baby began to get better, culminating in her “astonishing recovery, without any medical explanation.”  Eight doctors from Valencia testified before the tribunal that Carmen’s recovery is “scientifically inexplicable.”  Six of them had witnessed her healing at the time; two were appointed later by the tribunal that has investigated the miracle.  The supervising judge of the tribunal, Monsignor Ennio Apeciti, said that all eight doctors “joined in agreeing that, due to her severe health problems, the little girl should [medically speaking] have died.  All the doctors were astonished that she survived.  They also believed that, due to her condition, she should have suffered important physical and psychological consequences forever.”  They were astounded at Carmen’s “sudden, complete and durable” cure; Monsignor Apeciti added that she is “completely healthy” today.  Read more about Carmen's story.

The closing of the diocesan process

On January 7, 2013, Bishop Osoro presided at the opening of the canonical process to investigate whether Carmen’s recovery was a miracle obtained through the intercession of the Martin spouses.  Father Sangalli stated that during the sessions “eighteen testimonies have been heard: Carmen´s parents and grandparents, her teacher, a priest, four Carmelite nuns of Serra, and eight doctors.” Little Carmen was present at the closing session with her parents and other family members.  The Carmelite nuns of Serra were also present.

Watch a video (1:55) of the closing session.  You see the little Carmen waving at the photograph of Louis and Zélie and four of the Carmelite nuns who suggested the novena to Carmen’s parents and prayed it with them.

At the closing session Archbishop Osoro gave “thanks to the Lord for this fact  that we want to present to the Holy Father as a miracle worked for Carmen.”  He called the way Carmen’s parents have acted “a precious gesture,” “because you believed in the intercession of the Blessed and, through their hands, you put your daughter into the hands of God.”  Archbishop Osoro acknowledged the conduct of the community of the Carmelite nuns of Serra during the whole process, saying “through you we see how God is made present.”  He called Blessed Zélie and Louis “a reference, and an example to imitate, who lived in constant attention to God and attentive to his signs and preferences.” 

What does the closing of the diocesan process mean for the cause of the canonization of Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin?

The closing of the diocesan process is an important advance toward sainthood for Louis and Zélie.  Father Sangalli explained that the court constituted in Valencia to guide the process in its diocesan phase “does not pronounce, does not announce a position on the authenticity of the miracle,  but on the seriousness of the  collected documentation.”  The final decision to name saints is always made in Rome.

That the court closes the diocesan inquiry and sends the cause to the Vatican to continue its investigation is a “significant advance for the process,” as Father Sangalli noted.  He reminded us that, if the diocesan court of canonization does not find enough indications of authenticity or rigor in investigating a presumed miracle, they have authority to stop the process.

What happens next?

Now that the diocese of Valencia collected documents, examined witnesses, and completed its inquiry, Father Sangalli, as vice-postulator, is charged with taking the documentation immediately to Rome to submit it to the judgment of the Congregation for the Causes of Saints.  There it is to be examined first by doctors, then by theologians, and finally by bishops and cardinals.  If the Congregation recommends to Pope Francis that Zélie and Louis should be named saints, the way will be open for their canonization.

The influence of Louis and Zélie

Mgr Lagoutte, the rector of the Basilica at Lisieux, told those present at the closing session that Blessed Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin continue to be “very active.”  The Shrine at Lisieux receives testimonies from “spouses from all over the world” who had been unable to have children but have have succeeded “thanks to their intervention.”

The pastoral significance of Zélie and Louis 

Father Sangalli remarked that the Martins had an exceptional marriage.  They educated not only the most famous of their five children, Thérèse, but also the other four,  particularly Léonie, a complicated daughter, who had problems.”   

“We have just concluded the investigation of Carmen´s cure and have sent it to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints in Rome.  We hope that the Blessed French spouses follow their daughter, Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, so that these Blessed parents can, if God permits,  be canonized by Peter´s successor, Pope Francis .  In this Year of The Faith, the Christian testimony of this marriage:  educator, teacher of faith and sanctity, presents issues that are clearly relevant for the whole Church

Bishop Boulanger of Lisieux pointed out that “The Lord has given us these spouses to accompany today’s families.”  The Discalced Carmelite nuns of Serra noted that “the Martin marriage is essential in a society as individualistic as our contemporary society.  The Martins were the example of union and of how to live spirituality as a family.” 

Father Sangalli urged everyone to “repeat with force that the Martins are a special marriage, an example to our families today.  They are teachers in the field of faith, of education to domestic, ecclesial, and social sanctity.” 

Sources:

1. "Ocho médicos testifican en la curación “inexplicable” de una niña valenciana de 4 años que investiga la Iglesia como presunto milagro" at elperiodic.com, 21/05/13.
2. "Sangalli: ´Los Martín son especiales'" by M. Ros, Valencia for Levante: El Mercantile Valenciano 26.05.2013 | 01:36
3. "Historia de un milagro," by Mónica Ros, Valencia, for Levante: El Mercantile Valenciano 26.05.2013 | 01:36
4. Ocho médicos testifican, “asombrados”, por un posible milagro en la curación inexplicable de una niña valencianaAtribuido a la intercesión de los padres de santa Teresita de Lisieux, ya beatificados by Eduardo Martinez 23-05-13 for Paraula

I am deeply grateful to my fellow apostle, Teodolinda Garcia of Panama, for translating the Spanish sources.

 Day 4 of the novena to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin prepared for Sainte-Therese Parish in Metz, France.  Used with the permission of Fr. Jean-Claude Lange and translated by Mary Davidson, OCDS for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway."  Please pray in thanksgiving for them.

Fourth Day
 
Breakup of the family

"Let there be among you abundant generosity and tenderness, forgiving one another as God has forgiven you in Christ. Yes, try to imitate God because you are his beloved children.”


Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

"O fire of the Spirit, the Paraclete, giving life to every creature, you are holy and your life takes many forms. You are holy, you who cover the most painful fractures with balm; you are holy, you who heal the most fetid wounds. O breath of holiness, O fire of love, O sweetness in the hearts and souls, raining down fragrant virtues. O purest fountain where we see God together and seek the lost. O breastplate of life, hope of the union of all men, beautiful respite, savior of souls. Free those who are imprisoned and deliver those who are bound; save them with divine power." (St. Hildegard)

Psalm 133
 Of David

1 How good and pleasant it is
when God’s people live together in unity!

2 It is like precious oil poured on the head,
running down on the beard,
running down on Aaron’s beard,
down on the collar of his robe.

3 It is as if the dew of Hermon
were falling on Mount Zion.
For there the Lord bestows his blessing,
even life forevermore.

Psalm 134
A song of ascents.

1 Praise the Lord, all you servants of the Lord
who minister by night in the house of the Lord.

2 Lift up your hands in the sanctuary
and praise the Lord.

3 May the Lord bless you from Zion,
he who is the Maker of heaven and earth.

Reflection:

Any event in life can serve as a foundation for establishing a family in heaven. For example, those who go before us, our dead, can prepare a way for us. Never forget the beautiful prayer for the souls of our dead, who need our prayers. We also pray for our divorced families, the ones whose marriages have ended. Remember what the Gospel tells us: "It is by your wounds, Jesus, that we are healed." Think positively about all the wounds to love, with an attitude of welcome, not rejection. It may be that we are led to live in separation for a more rewarding life for ourselves and also for our other relationships. Were not the little sisters and brothers of Therese angels in heaven for their family here on earth? Therese herself tells us in P. N. 16. 5: "Lift up your eyes towards Heaven, and you will see on thrones of honor a beloved father, a beloved mother to whom you owe your great happiness.” So we can establish links between this world and Heaven. “Listen to my voice. I give thee counsel, and God be with you. You will discern and your load will be lightened. Others will share it with you…Moses listened to the voice of his father, and he did as he had suggested.” Exodus 18: 13-27.

If we are divorced, we can for example remain faithful to a particular sacrament, an absent husband or wife, preserving in the hope of mercy, a dialogue of love with our Father in Heaven. Whatever our state of separation and waiting to be restored to our union with the Father, learn to bless because we are called to bless. Let us give and receive forgiveness. Louis and Zelie Martin, in fidelity to their covenant, always received the blessing of the Father to keep the family in peace, and their children around them. Yes, cement the union with God because our identity is in our Father. "Fear not, for I have redeemed you. I have called you by name; you are mine."(Isaiah 43: 1-5) With John remember the words of our Lord: “Do not murmur among yourselves.” Sing the Psalm: "Behold it is good, it is sweet, to live together in unity."

For Meditation:

Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us to make paths of healing in our broken families. Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us to say our "yes" or "no." May we see the events of our lives in the light of truth and charity.

Daily Prayer: Our Father; Hail Mary; Our Father

"God Our Father,

I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,

a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life

through the exercise of the duty of their state in life

and the practice of the evangelical virtues.

In the education of a large family,

through trials, mourning, and suffering,

they generously expressed their trust in You

and their submission to Your will.

Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,

in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen.

World Youth Day pilgrims to venerate a piece of the white mantle of St. Therese of Lisieux

St. Therese of Lisieux will be an important figure at World Youth Day 2013.  The theme of WYD 2013 is "Go and make disciples of all nations" (Mt. 28:19).   As Patroness of Missions, St. Therese has been named one of only five patron saints of World Youth Day 2013.  Pilgrims will have the chance to venerate a relic of St. Therese that has been brought to Rio de Janeiro especially for this occasion.

In May two representatives from the Pilgrimage Office at Lisieux, Dominique Menvielle and Sister Marie-Christine, traveled to Rio de Janeiro to deliver the relic, a fragment of the white choir mantle worn by St. Therese, to the Local Organizing Committee for World Youth Day. This relic, together with relics of other saints, will be present at the Main Events of World Youth Day.  

About St. Therese's Mantle and Habit

The white cloak of which this relic is a fragment is part of the formal religious dress of Discalced Carmelite nuns.

The white mantle of the Carmelite nun

 The Carmelite habit had at least thirteen separate pieces, all fastened with pins.  See photos and descriptions of all these garments right here at the Web site of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux. 

The  nuns wore the mantle for choir and for other formal religious occasions.   Above, Celine photographed the community in their white mantles in July 1896.  Therese is in the second row, third from left.

St. Therese's habit would have been passed on to another nun, but Pauline asked Leonie to offer to buy it back.  The monastery was very poor; the prioress accepted the offer, so the habit was preserved.  You may see it today at the Lisieux Carmel. These two photographs were  the gift of Tom and Dee Curci.

When and Where to Venerate The Fragment of St. Therese's Mantle

The relic of St. Therese's choir mantle will be present at the Main Events of World Youth Day.  At other times, the relic will be exposed for veneration in a chapel at Quinta da Boavista as part of the Vocations Fair, which is part of WYD 2013.  All pilgrims are welcome to attend the Vocations Fair, which runs from July 23-26 and is open from 8:00 a.m. through 8:00 p.m.  More than 150 religious orders, diverse movements, and new communities will be present.  Quinta da Boavista ("Farm with a Good View"), a public park, is located in the São Cristóvão neighborhood of Urca, in Praça General Tibúrcio, Sugar Loaf’s underfoot.

World Youth Day pilgrims will also get to visit the special exhibition "St. Therese of Lisieux, or, Burning with Love" that drew seven million visitors at Notre Dame Cathedral in Paris last summer.  More about this exhibit in another blog entry.

 Day 5 of the novena to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin prepared for Sainte-Therese Parish in Metz, France.  Fr. Jean-Claude Lange gave this novena to us, and Mary Davidson, OCDS translated it for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway."    We thank them both.

Louis Martin, released from the Bon Sauveur psychiatric hospital in Caen.  Photographed in 1892 in the garden of7 rue Labbey, Lisieux, where he spent his last years. Photo courtesy Fr. Antonio Sangalli.

FIFTH DAY

Beyond all suffering

“Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”   Luke 10:20

Prayer of thanksgiving:

"O Mary, living in the mind of the Father; Mary, spouse of the Father’s will: wrap me in your maternal presence and remind me that I was created with inexpressible wisdom and love. Filled with gratitude for a Father so infinitely good, I pray: "Thank you, Lord, for the miracle I am." O Mary, visit the moment of my conception, which I consecrate to you. The marriage of my earthly father and mother I consecrate to you. I consecrate to you all the unions of the earth, that in the image of God, humanity might give life with wisdom and love. "  (Fr. Ephraim)

Reflection:

If we are promised that beyond all suffering eternal joy awaits us, can we say that there is a beginning and an end to all suffering? Pain is always part of life. But if life is a free gift, resistance to pain can lead to struggle, doubt. and. therefore. suffering. We must choose between control and abandonment:

"When God's goodness chooses someone for a particular grace or a sublime state, He gives all the necessary strength to that person and greatly increases his spiritual beauty."(St. Bernardine of Siena).

Suffering can be existential, physical, or psychological. Suffering can be a choice of life and death. Are we ready to accompany our Lord Jesus Christ every Thursday night in Gethsemane?

“When he rose from prayer and returned to his disciples, he found them sleeping from grief. He said to them, ‘Why are you sleeping? Get up and pray that you may not undergo the test.’” Luke 22:45 & 46

Let us not be tempted to escape, to retreat, to become bitter in a struggle against what appears to be unfair. Our pain should be shared with others, offered up at any time, but it is really beyond our earthly comprehension. For beyond all suffering emerges acceptance of grace, of recognizing ourselves as children of God in Jesus Christ, and therefore to be recognized as sons and daughters of God. If we cannot remember, let the tears come because they are always nourishing and the fruit of the Spirit. Any form of desire without suffering can be understood as an illusion of love. The suffering experienced and accepted by the great Saints is a school for everyone, but we never consider suffering as an end in itself. If our weakness is our strength, compassion at the foot of the cross no longer appears as a weakness, but as an expectation, a silent hope. For if at the foot of the cross stood the first church, let us also in this compassion, be willing for it to set us ablaze:

“As they led him away they took hold of a certain Simon, a Cyrenian, who was coming in from the country; and after laying the cross on him, they made him carry it behind Jesus.”(Luke 23:26).

For Meditation:

 Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us every day to discover and recognize the triumph of love over suffering encouraged by Therese. Let us accept as you did, entrusting ourselves for adoption to the Virgin Mary and St. Joseph for all our healing. Thank you, Louis and Zelie Martin, as you show us the way to choose and accept our adoptions as sons and daughters to live in Nazareth as at Les Buissonnets in your family.

Daily Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary, Our Father

"God Our Father,

I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,

a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life

through the exercise of the duty of their state in life

and the practice of the evangelical virtues.

In the education of a large family,

through trials, mourning, and suffering,

they generously expressed their trust in You

and their submission to Your will.

Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,

in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen.

In the spring of 2013 the relics of St. Therese visited Cambodia.  See the lovely two-and-a-half-minute video (with English subtitles) of their visit to Chomkarcheang Village.  Bishop Olivier Schmitthaeusler, Apostolic Vicar of Phnom Penh, is seen speaking to the schoolchildren about the relics.  You will see a subtitle that mentions "Smiling Notre Dame Church."  This translation is a reference to a church named for "Our Lady of the Smile," as the statue in the Martin family home before which the sick Therese, age ten, and her sisters were praying when Mary suddenly appeared to Therese, who was cured. 

The Carmel of Phnom Penh was founded from the Saigon Carmel, which was founded from Lisieux.  Bishop Schmitthaeusler, like St. Therese's spiritual brother, is a member of the Foreign Mission Society of Paris.  Please pray for his work and for the Church in Cambodia. 

Day 6 of the novena to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin prepared for Sainte-Therese Parish in Metz, France.  Used with the permission of Fr. Jean-Claude Lange and translated by Mary Davidson, OCDS for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway."  Please join me in thanking them.

SIXTH DAY

The night sky near Lisieux.  Courtesy of l'instantane Normandie.

The night, the desert, the purification

"That's why I'm going to seduce her into the wilderness and speak to her heart" (Hosea 14)

Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

"Come, Father of lights, God of Love, teach me to pray. Lead me to the truth. Engrave my soul with your blazing fire and fill me with your Love. Come Holy Spirit, who made the martyrs, confessors, apostles, prophets, heroes, and all great hearts: this is the only path that leads to salvation, so therefore I take it too.” (St. Louis Marie Grignon de Montfort).

Psalm 4:

Answer me when I call, my saving God.
When troubles hem me in, set me free;
take pity on me, hear my prayer.

How long, O people, will you be hard of heart?
Why do you love what is worthless, chase after lies?

Know that the LORD works wonders for his faithful one;
the LORD hears when I call out to him.

Tremble and sin no more;
weep bitterly within your hearts,
wail upon your beds.
Offer fitting sacrifices
and trust in the LORD.

Many say, “May we see better times!
LORD, show us the light of your face!”

But you have given my heart more joy
than they have when grain and wine abound.

In peace I will lie down and fall asleep,
for you alone, LORD, make me secure.

Reflection

Our concepts of desert, of loneliness, and of night mingle with those of abandonment, sadness, and punishment. If we accept that our earthly time is not that of God, then we can better understand these negative ideas. For Our Father does not appear to us in storms, or major events, but as Elijah experienced Him: in silence and a gentle breeze. Is it not in the slightest whisper that we tell a secret? For God gives. and He takes away again. in a great mystery of exchange in love. From our perspective, it happens that when we give. sometimes we feel we are not understood. Sometimes we refuse to give, even as we refuse to receive.

Blessed Zelie Martin gave everything she had for her children, right up until her death. Blessed Louis Martin gave his all to the Eucharist on the altar. And the “all” they gave led to their crowning in Heaven. Thus, our earthly nights or our deserts are not those of Heaven. As the dawn triumphs silently over darkness, knowing that morning is inevitable, we must accept without stubborn resistance our night, our desert, or our purification.

On Calvary, the spear brought forth blood and water, a gushing fountain of life. It was necessary for God to suffer in order for us to accept Him. At the end of Christ’s agony, the spear foreshadowed a birth. He could not come before the agony that had announced a death. Therese wanted the Coliseum dust, the dried blood of the martyrs. Zelie Martin brought forth a holy family through her physical and psychological trials. Louis Martin brought to Carmel his desire for the priesthood, and, like Moses after crossing the desert, he could see the Promised Land. Let us read again the writing of Louis Martin: "God has opened a way to lead all people to the happiness that He intends for them. It is a path of contradictions and of the cross. It is for the princes as well as the shepherds, and faith teaches us that no one is exempt. "

For Meditation:

Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us to be simple, to be poor in spirit as instruments of God.  As St. Therese prepared the altar for each Eucharist, may we invite our God to our table. As we wait for His presence, may we become His servants.

Daily Prayer: Our Father, Hail Mary, Our Father.

"God Our Father,

I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,

a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life

through the exercise of the duty of their state in life

and the practice of the evangelical virtues.

In the education of a large family,

through trials, mourning, and suffering,

they generously expressed their trust in You

and their submission to Your will.

Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,

in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen."

Day 7 of the novena to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin prepared for Sainte-Therese Parish in Metz, France.  Used with the permission of Fr. Jean-Claude Lange and translated by Mary Davidson, OCDS for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway."  Please join me in thanking them.

SEVENTH DAY

Abandonment in hope

“Ask and it will be given to you; seek and you will find; knock and the door will be opened to you” (Matthew 7:7).

Prayer to the Holy Spirit:

 “Come, Holy Spirit; come Fire of Love, come Father of the poor; loving my wounds. Lord, You chose me from my tender childhood, and I can be called the work of Your love.” (St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus)

Reading:

Rejoice with Jerusalem and be glad because of her,
all you who love her;

Rejoice with her in her joy,
all you who mourn over her

So that you may nurse and be satisfied
from her consoling breast;

That you may drink with delight
at her abundant breasts!

For thus says the LORD:

I will spread prosperity over her like a river,
like an overflowing torrent,
the wealth of nations.

You shall nurse, carried in her arms,
cradled upon her knees;
As a mother comforts her child,
so I will comfort you;
in Jerusalem you shall find your comfort.

(Isaiah 66: 10-13)

Reflection:

In the home of Nazareth as in Alençon, there is room for a gentle and rewarding education. The sweet school of the Virgin Mary, like that of Thérèse, teaches us in Wisdom and Truth: "The truth will set you free." Free to love, but also free to recognize, to receive love, and to enjoy loving. We can recognize this love because it is a source of grace and healing.

Moreover, Louis and Zelie Martin give us a great example of faithfulness in prayer during time of trial. They are faithful to novenas and pilgrimages. St. Paul says, “How beautiful are the feet that carry the good news.” In her sickness, Zelie Martin abandoned herself in confidence during a trip to Lourdes. To have abandonment, to have confidence of healing: all our states of misery should feed on one or the other. What a mystery, what a treasure to discover!

In the school of Thérèse, we receive everything from Jesus through Mary. We receive the way of childhood, this beautiful childlike healing:

“Whatever you ask the Father in my name, I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son. … Whoever loves me will keep my word. My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make Our dwelling with him”

(John 14: 13, 23).

In this abandonment, Zelie Martin carried within her heart her nine children, consecrated to the Lord. In our innermost being, we must become willing to bear a new child: a child with the names of Love and Forgiveness.

For Meditation:

Blessed Zelie Martin, show us the path of Mary, the great way of childhood prophesied by Thérèse. Let us be reborn in the heart of Mary in confidence, setting aside our own strength.

Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us to abandon ourselves to the time and to the graces of the Father, by the power of the Holy Spirit.

Daily Prayer: Our Father; Hail Mary; Our Father

"God Our Father,

I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,

a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life

through the exercise of the duty of their state in life

and the practice of the evangelical virtues.

In the education of a large family,

through trials, mourning, and suffering,

they generously expressed their trust in You

and their submission to Your will.

Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,

in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen."

Day 8 of the novena to Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin prepared for Sainte-Therese Parish in Metz, France.  Used with the permission of Fr. Jean-Claude Lange and translated by Mary Davidson, OCDS for "Saint Therese of Lisieux: A Gateway."  Please join me in thanking them.

Main altar at St. Pierre's Cathedral, Lisieux.  Donated by Bl. Louis Martin

EIGHTH DAY

The House of the Father

“One day within your courts is better than a thousand elsewhere. The threshold of the house of God I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.” (Psalm 84:11)

Prayer to the Holy Spirit

Come, Holy Ghost, Creator blest,
and in our hearts take up Thy rest;
come with Thy grace and heavenly aid,
To fill the hearts which Thou hast made.

O Comforter, to Thee we cry,
Thou heavenly gift of God most high,
Thou Fount of life, and Fire of love,
and sweet anointing from above.

Praise we the Father and the Son
and Holy Spirit with them One;
and may the Son on us bestow
the gifts that from the Spirit flow.

(Veni Creator Spiritus)

Gospel Reading:

“Do not let your hearts be troubled.
You have faith in God; have faith also in me.
In my Father’s house there are many dwelling places.
If there were not, would I have told you
that I am going to prepare a place for you?
And if I go and prepare a place for you,
I will come back again and take you to myself,
so that where I am you also may be.
Where I am going you know the way.”

(John 14:1-4)

Reflection:

God is constant in his love. In the hope of the faithful love of our Father, let us understand His gentleness; let us come to His Mercy. And if the sweetness of the love of Christ is reserved for the house of the Father, then let us create in our homes the experience of hope. Let us sing, dance, and praise. Why not create in our homes the clean, light atmosphere reminiscent of the homes of Nazareth, of Alencon, of les Buissonets: “Let us raise our hands to the Triune God. My prayer rises before Thee as incense and my hands as the evening sacrifice.” (Vespers)

Imagine Blessed Louis Martin in his workshop, his eyes sparkling like jewels--did he not contemplate the splendor of the heavenly Jerusalem? At the end of his life, as he donated the Eucharistic altar in the Church of St. Pierre in Lisieux--did he not make a Tabernacle in the Father's house, as Mary was for Jesus? Louis Martin managed his affairs as a good father, a prince or a shepherd. He reminds us of the words: “Everyone who listens to these words of mine and acts on them will be like a wise man who built his house on rock” (Matt. 7:24). The smell of the Homeland is like perfume from the house of the Father. Be happy that you recognize the Father's house: “Do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven” (Luke 10:20).

St.  Thérèse says as well: “Lift up your eyes towards Heaven, and you will see on thrones of honor a father, a dear mother, that will give you great happiness.” Return to the Homeland. Dare to take the path of childhood by following the way of Mary. Dare to live this Gospel way, remembering that we are made in the likeness of God and keeping before us the image of the Heavenly Jerusalem. This way of childhood can take us back in time, to before our first sins. Let us ask Him to teach us the Divine Will.

For Meditation:

Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, teach us the way of childhood, the way of purity, which brings us back to the Father's House. Your family can lead us into the mystery of a God who has the tenderness of a mother.

Daily Prayer: Our Father; Hail Mary; Our Father

"God Our Father,

I thank you for Louis and Zelie Martin,

a couple united in faith, giving the witness of an exemplary Christian life

through the exercise of the duty of their state in life

and the practice of the evangelical virtues.

In the education of a large family,

through trials, mourning, and suffering,

they generously expressed their trust in You

and their submission to Your will.

Deign to grant, O Lord, the graces that I seek,

in the hope that the father and mother of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

will one day be proposed as models for today's families for the entire Church. Amen."