The Passion of the Christ may provide a boost to another catholic movie St. Therese de Lisieux

-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 16, 2004

Answers

Let's try again here

-- Brian Crane (brian crane@cranemills.com), April 16, 2004.

What was that first one??? Satan, perhaps? :)

Looking forward to seeing the St. Therese de Lisieux movie. She is one of my favorite saints. In fact, I am in the process of reading "The Story of a Soul" for the second time. I read it a while ago, but it came into my path again recently - what a beautiful story.

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), April 16, 2004.

I, too, am so looking forward to the movie on the Little Flower! I truly find her to be not only a saint for our times, but in particular for the United States. We are rapidly burning ourselves out and compromising our God-given dignity in many ways but in particular by defining ourselves by our function- ie. job or position in life. She teaches that being simple, humble and fulfilling whatever role we have to the best of our ability for love of God is a sure path to holiness. It doesn't matter what job you have, how many degrees one has acquired, etc... love consists in serving God where we are. I hope many discover her after the movie comes out- a possible way to eliminate road rage and burnout?

Roxy

-- Roxy Karney (RoxyKarney@hotmail.com), April 22, 2004.

can anyone provide a bit of the life of saint Therese? i am interested in knowing what this movie might be about...

-- paul h (dontSendMeMail@notAnAddress.com), April 22, 2004.

The best thing I could recommend is to get her biography, The Story of a Soul. Also check out the Society for the Little Flower website, www.littleflower.org. This bio is from the Society's website:

--- St. Therese, "the little flower" Therese Martin was the last of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin on January 2, 1873, in Alencon France. However, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood. Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything. At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that transformed her life. From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy. At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux to give her whole life to God. She took the religious name Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. Living a hidden, simple life of prayer, she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she remained faithful to God, rooted in his merciful love. After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love You!" The world came to know Therese through her autobiography, Story of a Soul. She described her life as a "little way of spiritual childhood." She lived each day with an unshakeable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love." She lived and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love. She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is before her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love. Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love. Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us. She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God's garden. Because of this beautiful analogy, the title "little flower" remained with St. Therese. Her inspiration and powerful presence from heaven touched many people very quickly. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925. Had she lived, she would have been only 52 years old when she was declared a Saint. "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." Roses have been described and experienced as Saint Therese's signature. Countless millions have been touched by her intercession and imitate her "little way." She has been acclaimed "the greatest saint of modern times." In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared St. Therese a Doctor of the Church - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world. ---

St. Therese has a special place in my heart. It was through her intercession that my wife and I first declared our love for each other, thanks to a letter I was inspired to write to her on October 1,1997, the feast day of St. Therese, about a special gift given to me two years earlier after praying a Novena to St. Therese - a tie covered in roses.

St. Therese is true to her word - she has given us a shower of roses from heaven. I truly owe my happily married life to her.

Pax et Bonum.

-- Thomas (tcdzomba@catholic.org), April 22, 2004.

One more story about St. Therese that inspired my devotion to her. This was originally published in Medjugorje Magazine back around 1995.

A woman had lived through an abusive father and an abusive marriage. Divorced and annulled, she was lonely and despaired. She decided to pray a 56 day Novena to St. Therese, asking for someone to come into her life that would help her to grow spiritually. On the last day of the Novena, she felt compelled to say the prayers in the church she grew up in, some 30 miles away. As she was saying the prayers alone in the church, a gentleman came in and knelt to pray. After they had both finished, they began talking to each other. It turns out that he was on the last day of his own 56 day Novena to St. Therese, ASKING FOR THE EXACT SAME THING. They eventually married and started a family.

I cannot wait to see this movie.

Pax et Bonum.

-- Thomas (tcdzomba@catholic.org), April 22, 2004.

Thomas,

That is an awesome story! I am very much looking forward to this movie as well.

-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 24, 2004.

What's Mel Gibson going to do next? Here is what the Franciscan Friars would like to do. Check this out here

And read the petition itself St. Francis of Assisi Movie

This would be awesome. Some excerpts from the petition: "...we ask you, or may we say, "commission you", to produce a sequel which would show the world what happens when a person totally and unequivocally responds to the Passion of the Christ!

Mr. Gibson, we want you to tell the world the story, the true story, about a man many acclaim to be the Church's greatest saint; a man who most perfectly imitated Our Lord in His life and passion, namely , Saint Francis of Assisi...This powerful figure who shaped and changed the course of history has too often been reduced to a pious, peace-loving character cast in plaster. His spiritual zeal, ardent devotion, mystical insight, and heroic charity have been terribly distorted...Saint Francis was neither effeminate nor some medieval ecologist...Indeed Saint Francis was a man of the passion! His contemplation of the cross and the humility of Christ consumed him, often reducing him to tears...Through the workings of human effort and Divine Grace, he was transformed from a spoiled son, to a chivalrous soldier, then to a great saint!"

Mel Gibson: Please make this movie!

-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 27, 2004.

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-- Brian Crane (brian.crane@cranemills.com), April 27, 2004.

Roxy,

In response to your post, and Americans burning out, there is another little book about the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. It is called "The Love That Keeps Us Sane" by Marc Foley, O.C.D. The books shows St. Therese as a "real" person and how she was able to deal with the absurdities of daily life without losing perspective. Her gift was the ability to see everything in the light of eternity. Life in the convent was not always easy - nuns are human beings, too, and St. Therese had to deal with lots of different personalities and some were quite difficult.

I think the fact that St. Therese always kept her eyes and heart focused on Jesus is what gave her the ability to live a well-balanced life, a serene life, despite whatever was going on around her.

I go back to this book quite often, especially when I have a bad day at work or I feel myself doing 'too much.' A great read!

For those who do not know St. Therese of Lisieux, I do highly recommend reading "The Story of A Soul." You will come to know St. Therese intimately.

She is a very powerful intercessor and will never let you down. She has kept her promise about "spending her heaven doing good on earth," and letting a shower of roses fall.

Any time you pray to St. Therese, she will let you know she has heard your prayer by sending a rose or roses into your path. They may not always be 'real' roses, but you will definitely 'see' roses in one form or another - whether it be a rose on a card someone sends you, or roses in a magazine, or a store - no matter what the form, roses will come to you and you will know that St. Therese is listening to your prayers and praying for you.

I have so many wonderful stories about St. Therese's powerful intercession and how she comes through to us - so many, that I should write a book.

Please read the two books I have mentioned. You will not be disappointed. Praise God, let the movie touch people's lives, let everyone get to know St. Therese and may they get to know Jesus through her. Amen

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), April 27, 2004.

PRAYER TO ST. THERESE

St. Therese, Little Flower of Jesus, please pick a rose from the heavenly garden, and send it to me with a message of love. I pray to you, Therese of the Child Jesus, that I may love you more and make you much loved. Amen

-- MaryLu (mlc327@juno.com), April 27, 2004.