BIG C CATHOLICS

You ask me a method of attaining perfection. I know of love — and only love. Love can do all things. — St Thérèse of Lisieux October 1st, is the feast day of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, more popularly known as St Thérèse of Lisieux, "the Little Flower." Although just an obscure cloistered Carmelite nun, she has achieved universal appeal since her death in 1897. This beloved saint is the patron of foreign missions, missionaries, against tuberculosis, AIDS sufferers, illness and loss of parents. Her perfect trust in God, deep faith and patient suffering is an example for us to follow. Saint Pius X called St. Thérèse the "greatest saint of modern times." Marie Thérèse Martin was born at Alençon, France on January 2, 1873, the youngest of five daughters. Her father, Louis Martin, was a watchmaker, and her mother, Zélie Martin, who died of breast cancer when Thérèse was four, was a lace maker. (On October 18, 2015, Pope Francis canonized

Ever wonder which saint you most resemble? Are you a Joan of Arc or a Thomas Aquinas? A Thérèse of Liseux or a Francis of Assisi? Are you made for modernity like Thomas Merton or a "man for all seasons" like Thomas More? Find out HERE . Almighty ever-living God, by whose gift we venerate the merits of all the Saints who see you face to face in heaven, bestow on us, we pray, through the prayers of so many intercessors, an abundance of the reconciliation with you for which we so earnestly long. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns together with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever and ever. Amen.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, also known as Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus or "the Little Flower" was a 19th century French Discalced Carmelite nun. This beloved mystic experienced profound spiritual insights attained in prayer. Here is Saint Thérèse's reflection on the Holy Family that she shared with her fellow sisters: What does me a lot of good when I think of the Holy Family is to imagine a life that was very ordinary… Little Jesus didn’t perform useless miracles…even to please His Mother. Why weren’t they transported into Egypt by a miracle which would have been necessary and so easy for God? In the twinkling of an eye, they could have been brought there. No, everything in their life was done just as in our own. How many troubles, disappointments! How many times did others make complaints to good St. Joseph! How many times did they refuse to pay him for his work! Oh! How astonished we would be if we only knew how much they had to suffer! — St. Thérèse of Lisieu

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin, popularly referred to as “the Little Flower” or St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, was a French Discalced Carmelite nun. This beloved saint experienced profound spiritual insights attained in prayer. This is her reflection on the Infant Christ. A God who became so small could only be mercy and love.  — St. Thérèse of Lisieux ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s Intercession Almighty God, you open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Thérèse, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who reigns with you and with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

You may recall a periodical from several years ago called Regeneration Magazine . It focused on theological matters of interest to orthodox Christians with a distinct Catholic bent. One particularly memorable issue featured photographic portraits of various saints contrasted with those of individuals who had publicly rejected God and denigrated Christianity. This is an attempt to recreate that presentation. The Eyes Have It Jesus speaks of forsaking earthly riches to see His call to serve God and others: "The lamp of the body is the eye. If your eye is sound, your whole body will be filled with light; but if your eye is bad, your whole body will be in darkness. And if the light in you is darkness, how great will the darkness be" Matthew 6: 22-23. The saints are truly men and women of heroic virtue who radiate God's love. St. Gemma Galgani, mystic, victim soul St. Thérèse of Lisieux A young St. Padre Pio St. Teresa of Calcutta

Archimedes said: 'Give me a lever and a fulcrum, and I will raise the world.' What he was unable to obtain because his request had but a material end and was not addressed to God, the Saints have obtained in full measure. For fulcrum, the Almighty has given them Himself, Himself alone! for lever, prayer, which enkindles the fire of love; and thus, it is that they have uplifted the world, thus it is that saints still militant uplift it, and will uplift it till the end of time. — St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul , Chapter XI ______________________________________ Prayer for St. Therese of Lisieux’s Intercession Almighty God, you open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Therese, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ your Son, who reigns with you and with the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Memorial - October 1st Imagine for a moment that you are in a dimly lit chapel. Candles light the altar as you are engulfed by soft voices praying the Rosary. You promise to focus completely on the prayers. You lift up your heart and… fall asleep. It is just another day in the life of Saint Therese of Lisieux, better known as the “Little Flower.” More than any other saint, Theresa understood and explained the mystery of divine filiation of living as a child of God. She loved the Blessed Virgin Mary but did not enjoy the Rosary. She was a mystic but did enjoy retreats. St. Therese, however, never became upset or discouraged about falling asleep because she was confident that God, like a good parent, loved his children even when they were sleeping. Commenting on the mystery of her vocation St. Therese wrote, “Jesus does not call those who are worthy, but those he wants to call.” For her, this vocation began as a call to Carmel, a cloistered convent, and ultimately led to her b

September 30, 2017 Today let us pray for selflessness. St. Thérèse gave of herself to her Carmelite sisters in love. We ask God for the grace to love others unconditionally. Through St. Thérèse's intercession, may we love those we find difficult to love. Also, we remember those who work selflessly for their families, and those in need of work. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Thérèse, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be

September 29, 2017 Today let us pray for a greater dependence on God. Our culture is constantly pushing us to rely only on ourselves, to be totally self-sufficient. But, we are not, we belong to God. We must rely on Him for everything just like Saint Thérèse. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Thérèse, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful e

September 28, 2017 Today we ask for an emptying out of ourselves in order that we may be Christ to others. We pray for the realization that our lives are the only Gospel some people will ever read. Let us continue on with our daily activities and responsibilities as St. Thérèse would; doing small things with tremendous love for the Glory of God. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Thérèse, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithf

September 27, 2017 Despite immense suffering during her life, Saint Thérèse of Lisieux still trusted in God. She lost her mother when she was four. She was bullied at school. She lost her stepmother, and her older sister Pauline, when the later entered the convent. As a consequence of these events, Thérèse endured a period of deep depression. St. Thérèse also suffered from tuberculosis for over a year. It was this illness that claimed her life. Yet, for all this, she resisted the temptation to fall into despair, and instead, united her heart to Christ. Today let us pray for the same trust and strength whenever we face difficulties, struggles and temptations in our lives. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions)

September 26, 2017 As we continue this powerful novena to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux we pray in a special way for spiritual motherhood. Religious sisters are called to be spiritual mothers to those they encounter. We pray for them today, and for all women, that they exhibit the spiritual nurturing, selflessness and love of the saints. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Thérèse, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our lovin

September 25, 2017 Saint Thérèse of Lisieux was born into a pious and loving Catholic family. She was one of nine children, though only five would survive into adulthood. Each of the remaining five children including St. Thérèse, eventually answered God's call to the religious life and joined a convent. Today we pray that more women answer that divine summons and consecrate their lives to God in service to the world. ____________________________________________ Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Thérèse, you were faithful to

September 24, 2017 For Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, prayer united us to God immediately and personally. And it can be like this for us all. Even in prayer, St. Therese teaches simplicity -- talking to God in direct, personal and heartfelt ways. She prayed from her heart as a child speaks to a loving parent they trust. In this she, imitated Our Savior. Communication is the foundation of trust, honesty and love. Today we pray for open communication within our lives. May it manifest itself in our relationship with the Lord as well as in our conversations with others we encounter in life. ____________________________________________ Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of o

September 23, 2017 Saint Therese is known for her "little way," which is simply the idea of seeking holiness in the ordinariness of our everyday lives. She teaches us to do the ordinary with extraordinary love. This is the essence of St. Therese's spirituality. Today we pray for the relationships in our lives. May we be more loving with our family, friends, coworkers, strangers, and God. We ask for the strength to do small things with love and to see everyone as our brothers and sisters in Christ. ____________________________________________ Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, an

September 22, 2017 Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth. Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions) Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. Saint Therese, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance in love for God our savior. Amen. St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena Day One Loving God, you blessed St. Therese with a capacity for a great love. Help me to believe in your unconditional love for each of your children, especially for me. I love you, Lord. Help me to love you more! Our

By Father Thomas Mattison We have been conditioned by years (centuries?) of teaching to think of love/charity as a virtue, something to do or not. But St. John tells us God is love. He does not tell us that God does love. I want to suggest that this is the insight – although never spoken – that makes Israel think of God as Elector/Electing; having no other identity than the one who chooses his own people. I do not think that we go far wrong when we assert that the only God we know is the one who loves/chooses us. With those observations in mind, I might like to revise the translation of John’s phrase and say that God is Loving, not as an attribute, but as the very dynamic of His being. You may want to reread this paragraph in order to forge ahead. If God is Loving, then all of creation is something like a love letter. You and I are words in that love letter. I don’t mean to sound like a song from the Seventies, but we must bite the bullet on this one and admit it: Unloving un

September 22nd is the first day of the novena to Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, more popularly known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux, "the Little Flower." This beloved saint is the patron of foreign missions, missionaries, against tuberculosis, AIDS sufferers, illness and loss of parents. Her perfect trust in God, deep faith and patient suffering is an example of heroic virtue for us to follow. Saint Pius X called St. Thérèse the "greatest saint of modern times." She is a powerful intercessor whose help is sought by many. Join thousands of others around the world in praying the novena to St. Thérèse of Lisieux. O God, who opened your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of St. Thérèse, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed and spend eternity with you in heaven. For more about this novena including daily email reminders go HERE .

Optional Memorial - July 12th Louis Martin was born in Bordeaux in 1823 and baptised Louis-Joseph-Aloys-Stanislaus. He grew up in Alençon and after school learned clock-making eventually opening his own watch-making and jewellery business on the rue du Pont-Neuf in Alençon. As a young man, he wished to become a priest but it was not to be. Prayer was an important part of his life. He liked reading, fishing and walking in the countryside. His travels included his well-known pilgrimage to Rome in 1887 with his daughters Thérèse and Céline on the occasion of which Thérèse, not yet 15 years old, asked Leo XIII for permission to enter Carmel. Zélie Guérin (christened Marie-Azélie) was born in 1831 near Alençon. She had a strong faith. She too wished to embrace the religious life and again it was not to be. Much is written of her great energy and capacity for work. She became a talented maker of Alençon point lace and started her own business in Alençon. When Zélie was 26 years ol

Sermon on the Mount , Henrik Olrik, c. 1880. Fr. Charles Irvin Diocese of Lansing ( Click here for Sunday’s readings ) To be successful in achieving a goal we must take care at the beginning to determine the correct route, which of course, is obvious. What is not so obvious is to ask the right questions, the questions that will accurately focus us upon the right path. If we do not ask the right questions, we will not obtain the correct answers. When it comes to spirituality, we must ask some first questions. One is “Do we find God, or does God seek us out and then present Himself to us?” Another such question is “Do I construct the way to God, or do I accept the way God has given me?” Surrounding us is a huge array of spiritualties — Tibetan prayer wheels, sacred crystals, Tarot cards, Foursquare Christian Fellowship churches, mainline Protestant churches, Confucianism, and many others, not to mention numberless spiritualties presented in a wide range of Christian ch