October 1: Feast Day of St. Therese of Lisieux
Today is the feast day of one of my favorite saints, St. Therese, known as the Little Flower. Along with St. Jeanne d'Arc, she is Co-Patroness of France and one of only three women officially given the title "Doctor of the Church" because of the profound truths and teachings contained in her spiritual writings and more importantly, in her life. Her writings are few, memoirs of her life and spiritual journey she wrote under direction from her superior at the convent. Her life was short, only 24 years, ended by tuberculosis. However few and short her writings and years, the love, power, grace, and glory contained in them is limitless. She is still teaching and touching lives today, 115 years after her death. I began a devotion to this great saint before the birth of our oldest daughter. We gave her the middle name, Therese-Marie, when she was born so she would have the intercession of two powerful patrons, St. T...