Thérèse of Lisieux Quotes

Jesus does not ask for great actions, but only for abandonment and gratefulness.

all gone and the sky was a lovely blue, while the dark night in my soul had passed. Jesus had awakened and was filling me with joy, and the waves were silent. Instead of the howling wind, a gentle breeze was swelling my sails, and I thought I had already reached harbor. But there were storms ahead, storms that would make me fear at times that I was being driven away beyond return from the shore I longed so much to reach. No sooner had I obtained my uncle’s consent than you told me that the Superior of Carmel would not let me enter until I was twenty-one. The possibility of such serious opposition had not occurred to anyone, and it would be very hard to overcome; but I kept up my courage and went with Father to ask him if I could enter. He treated me coldly, and nothing would change his mind; we left in the end with a most emphatic “No,” except that he added: “I am only the Bishop’s delegate, of course, and if he allowed you to enter, I could not prevent it.” As we came out of the presbytery, we found that it was pouring with rain again, just as heavy clouds were once more darkening my soul. Father did not know what to do to comfort me, but promised to take me to Bayeux if I wanted, and I gratefully accepted. Many things, however, happened before this trip was possible, and in the meantime, my life, to all outward appearances, went on as usual. I continued my studies, but most important of all, I went on growing in the love of God, so much that sometimes my soul experienced real transports of love. One evening, not knowing how to tell Jesus how much I loved Him and how I wanted above all else to serve Him and give Him glory, I was saddened at the thought that He would never receive a single act of love from the depths of Hell. Then, from the bottom of my heart, I said I would consent to be cast into that place of torment and blasphemy, so that even there He would be loved eternally. This could not glorify Him, of course, because it is only our happiness He desires, b

Thus the ordinary, uncontrolled chattering we call “prose” changes its nature, like coal becoming incandescent. Poetry resembles music.

Dios no llama a los que son dignos sino a los que quiere. Todo depende, no del querer o del esfuerzo del hombre, sino de la Misericordia de Dios» (Rom 9,15-16) Durante mucho tiempo me he preguntado por qué Dios tiene preferencias, por qué no reciben todas las almas un grado igual de gracias. Me preguntaba por qué los pobres salvajes, por ejemplo, mueren en gran número sin haber siquiera oído pronunciar el nombre de Dios... Jesús se dignó instruirme acerca de este misterio. Puso ante mis ojos el Libro de la Naturaleza. Comprendí que si todas las flores pequeñitas quisieran ser rosadas, la naturaleza perdería su ornato. Lo mismo ocurre en el mundo de las almas, que es el Jardín de Jesús. La perfección consiste en hacer su voluntad, en ser lo que Él quiere que seamos... Comprendí también que el amor de nuestro Señor se revela tanto en el alma más simple que en nada resiste a su gracia como en el alma más sublime.

"The life of every missionary abounds in crosses," said Théophane Vénard. And again: "True happiness consists in suffering, and in order to live we must die."

A little longer, and we shall be in our true country, and our childhood's joys — those Sunday evenings, those outpourings of the heart — will be given back to us for ever!

"MY DEAR LITTLE SISTER, — Jesus is "a Spouse of blood." He wishes for Himself all the blood of our hearts. You are right — it costs us dear to give Him what He asks. But what a joy that it does cost! It is happiness to bear our crosses, and to feel our weakness in doing so.

Céline, far from complaining to Our Lord of this cross which He sends us, I cannot fathom the Infinite Love which had led Him to treat us in this way. Our dear Father must indeed be loved by God to have so much suffering given to him. I know that by humiliation alone can Saints be made, and I also know that our trial is a mine of gold for us to turn to account. I, who am but a little grain of sand, wish to set to work, though I have neither courage nor strength. Now this very want of power will make my task easier, for I wish to work for love. Our martyrdom is beginning . . . Let us go forth to suffer together, dear sister, and let us offer our sufferings to Jesus for the salvation of souls."

I saw that every flower He has created has a beauty of its own, that the splendor of the rose and the lily’s whiteness do not deprive the violet of its scent nor make less ravishing the daisy’s charm. I saw that if every little flower wished to be a rose, Nature would lose her spring adornments, and the fields would be no longer enameled with their varied flowers.

Each time that my enemy would provoke me to combat, I behave as a gallant soldier. I know that a duel is an act of cowardice, and so, without once looking him in the face, I turn my back on the foe, then I hasten to my Saviour, and vow that I am ready to shed my blood in witness of my belief in Heaven.

However, you are shocked at the thought of seeing her trite letters being published. But I will answer you by what I say to myself: 1. In the case of a Saint, nothing is trite. Even in Sacred Scripture, how many parts we would have eliminated had the Lord consulted us! We would have been mistaken! We have to take God’s work as it is and to meditate on it insofar as we are capable of understanding it and drawing out suitable lessons. 2. As for Thérèse, we must be careful. What seems trite (especially to Céline, who knows all, who knows much more than all that has been written!) can be filled with usefulness for history and for the edification of simple souls, who will be responsive to what they find “within their reach.

If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness

La verdadera sabiduría consiste en «querer ser ignorado y tenido por nada» –en «gozar en el desprecio de sí»–. Yo quería que, como el de Jesús, «mi rostro estuviera verdaderamente escondido y que nadie en la tierra pudiera reconocerme». Tenía sed de sufrir y de ser olvidada.

I say nothing to him I love him

My whole strength lies in prayer and sacrifice. They can move hearts far better than words.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

Si llego a pensar o decir algo [19vº] que le guste a mis hermanas, encuentro muy natural que se apoderen de ello como de un bien propio. Tal pensamiento pertenece al Espíritu Santo y no a mí, ya que san Pablo dice que sin este Espíritu de Amor no podemos llamar «Padre» a nuestro Padre que está en los cielos. Por lo tanto es muy libre de servirse de mí para ofrecer un buen pensamiento a un alma. Si creyera que este pensamiento me pertenece, sería como «el asno que llevaba las reliquias», el cual tomaba como dirigidos a él los homenajes tributados a los santos. No desprecio los pensamientos profundos que alimentan el alma y la unen a Dios, pero hace tiempo que he comprendido que no hay que apoyarse en ellos ni hacer consistir la perfección en recibir muchas luces. Los pensamientos más hermosos nada son sin las obras.