Patience - January 25

Patience
Thoughts on the Patient Endurance of Sorrows and Sufferings

ST. TERESA OF THE CHILD JESUS

Marie Frances Teresa Martin was born on January 2, 1873, at Alencon, France; entered the Carmelite Convent at Lisieux on April 9, 1887, and died there in the odor of sanctity on Sep­tember 30, 1897; was beatified by His Holiness, Pope Pius XI, on April 29, 1923, and canonized by him on May 17, 1925.

THE MISSIONS
The Little Flower was filled with the spirit of the Crusader, she "longed to die on the field of battle in defense of Holy Church - to raise on heathen soil the glorious standard of the cross."

Her every movement, her prayers, her letters, were filled with constant solicitude for the salva­tion of souls.

She always had in mind the obstacles, the strug­gles, the crosses the missionary priests daily en­counter in their lives, hence they were never for­gotten in her prayers, sacrifices and sufferings.

One day, at a time of indisposition, while walk­ing for exercise in the convent garden, she ack­nowledged to an associate nun that every step she took gave her pain, but what gave her strength to continue the exercise in spite of the suffering was because: "I offer each step for some missionary. I think that possibly over there, far away, one of them is weary and tired in his apostolic labors, and to lessen his fatigue I offer mine to the Good God."

At her canonical examination she said among the reasons why she entered Carmel, one was "to pray for missionary priests and their work for the salvation of souls."

She did not burden her­self with great austerities, but "lived her Car­melite life with an apostolic aim."

This solicitude followed her everywhere; in her prayers, works, sacrifices, sufferings:

"I made a covenant with God that the poor missionaries...may profit thereby...Jesus desires that the salvation of souls should be achieved by our sacrifices and our love...Let us offer our suffering to Jesus to save them. Let us live for them, let us be apos­tles!...Jesus wills that we should have part with Him in the salvation of souls."

This thought always remained uppermost in her heart.
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Compiled and Edited by Rev. F. X. Lasance
Author of "My Prayerbook," etc.
1937, Benziger Brothers
Printers to the Holy Apostolic See