The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: With Additional Writings and Sayings of St. ThérèseThérèse, de Lisieux, Saint
Religion
The Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une Âme): The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux: With Additional Writings and Sayings of St. Thérèse
Thérèse, de Lisieux, Saint
Christian saints -- France -- Lisieux -- Biography; Lisieux (France) -- Biography; Thérèse, de Lisieux, Saint, 1873-1897
From Thy Adorable Lips we have heard Thy loving plaint: "I
thirst." Since we know that this thirst which consumes Thee is a
thirst for love, to quench it we would wish to possess an infinite
love.
Dear Spouse of our souls, if we could love with the love of all
hearts, that love would be Thine. . . . Give us, O Lord, this
love! Then come to thy Spouses and satisfy Thy Thirst.
And give to us souls, dear Lord . . . We thirst for souls!--Above
all for the souls of Apostles and Martyrs . . . that through them
we may inflame all poor sinners with love of Thee.
O Adorable Face, we shall succeed in winning this grace from Thee!
Unmindful of our exile, "by the rivers of Babylon," we will sing
in Thine Ears the sweetest of melodies. Since Thou art the true
and only Home of our souls, _our songs shall not be sung in a
strange land._[6] O Beloved Face of Jesus, while we await the
Eternal Day when we shall gaze upon Thine Infinite Glory, our only
desire is to delight Thy Divine Eyes by keeping our faces hidden
too, so that no one on earth may recognize us . . . Dear Jesus,
Heaven for us is Thy Hidden Face!
VARIOUS PRAYERS
_"If you ask the Father anything in My Name, He will give it
you."_-- John 16:23.
O Eternal Father, Thy Only-Begotten Son, the dear Child Jesus,
belongs to me since Thou hast given Him. I offer Thee the infinite
merits of His Divine Childhood, and I beseech Thee in His Name to
open the gates of Heaven to a countless host of little ones who
will for ever follow this Divine Lamb.
_"Just as the King's image is a talisman through which anything
may be purchased in his Kingdom, so through My Adorable Face--that
priceless coin of my Humanity--you will obtain all you desire."_
Our Lord to Sister Mary of St. Peter.[7]
Eternal Father, since Thou hast given me for my inheritance the
Adorable Face of Thy Divine Son, I offer that Face to Thee, and I
beg Thee, in exchange for this _coin_ of infinite value, to forget
the ingratitude of those souls who are consecrated to Thee, and to
pardon all poor sinners.
PRAYER TO THE HOLY CHILD
O Jesus, dear Holy Child, my only treasure, I abandon myself to
Thy every whim. I seek no other joy than that of calling forth Thy
sweet Smile. Vouchsafe to me the graces and the virtues of Thy
Holy Childhood, so that on the day of my birth into Heaven the
Angels and Saints may recognise in Thy Spouse: _Teresa of the
Child Jesus._
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE
O Adorable Face of Jesus, sole beauty which ravisheth my heart,
vouchsafe to impress on my soul Thy Divine Likeness, so that it
may not be possible for Thee to look at Thy Spouse without
beholding Thyself. O my Beloved, for love of Thee I am content not
to see here on earth the sweetness of Thy Glance, nor to feel the
ineffable Kiss of Thy Sacred Lips, but I beg of Thee to inflame me
with Thy Love, so that it may consume me quickly, and that soon
_Teresa of the Holy Face_ may behold Thy glorious Countenance in
Heaven.
PRAYER
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