St. Therese - "Love is Everything"

St. Therese is considered one of the greatest Saints of modern day times. Her pure and simple heart burned with love for the Lord beginning at a very early age. Although she suffered both interior and exterior pain, her faith never wavered. She can be a great example for us all as we journey through life with our own challenges and keep our eyes focused on the our ultimate goal of...heaven.

St. Therese has been a powerful intercessor for so many. She said "My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses." I can attest to that! She is near and dear to my heart and has taught me that LOVE really is EVERYTHING.

I first learned about St. Therese when I was praying my very first Novena dedicated to her. A great site called praymorenovenas.com offers many novenas for specific intentions. I browsed them all, but fell in love with the Novena of St. Therese, although at this time I did not know much about her.

I will never forget how she showed up in a big way right on my lap! As my journey back to the Catholic faith was growing I walked into mass, picked up a book that was being distributed for all parishoners and looked down at this book that was called "The Wisdom of God's little Flower". I felt the Holy Spirit with goosebumps all over my body with the realization this sweet Saint was the same Saint Therese I had just finished my Novena about. This book became one that changed my life...it spoke so loudly to me, and I read through it often. It is linked on my resources page and I highly recommend it.

St. Therese feast day is October 1st and her Novena begins every year on September 22nd, every year I do this Novena and every year she sends me signs with flowers. St. Therese is truly in heaven working miracles on earth.

Her autobiography titled "The Story of a Soul' is a spiritual masterpiece and will give you a great insight of what it means to Love our Lord with your whole heart. " She lived each day with an unshakable confidence in God's love. "What matters in life," she wrote, "is not great deeds, but great love."

St. Therese is a wonderful role model and her love for Christ is something I admire and strive for each day.

We are all called to be Saints, and spending time learning about the lives of the saints, like St. Therese of Lisieux, will help us to understand how our own call to holiness is the greatest path to happiness and everlasting life.