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"The Preachers chiefly shall take heed that they teach nothing in their preaching, which they would have the people religiously to observe and believe, but that which is agreeable to the Doctrine of the Old Testament and the New, and that which the Catholick Fathers and Ancient Bishops have gathered out of that Doctrine." A proposed canon of Elizabeth I, 1571

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Location: Bedford, Texas, United States

I am a presbyter in the diocese of Fort Worth, Texas (Anglican Church in North America). I serve as Chaplain at St. Vincent's School and as a canon of St. Vincent's Cathedral Church in Bedford, Texas. In addition to my parish duties and teaching Religion classes in the school I am also the Middle School Social Studies teacher.

Wednesday, October 27, 2004

St. Therese of Lisieux, a reflection for All Souls Day

"Now I wish for only one thing--to love Jesus even unto folly! Love alone attracts me. I no longer wish for either suffering or death and yet both are precious to me. For a long time I've hailed them as messengers of joy. I've already known suffering and I've thought I was approaching the eternal shore. From my earliest days I have believed that the Little Flower would be plucked in the springtime of her life. But today my only guide is self-abandonment. I have no other compass. I no longer know how to ask passionately for anything except that the will of God shall be perfectly accomplished in my soul. I can repeat these words of our Father, St. John of the Cross:'I drank deep within the hidden cellar of my Beloved and, when I came forth again, I remembered nothing of the flock I used to look after. My soul is content to serve Him with all its strength. I've finished all other work except that of love. In that is all my delight.' Or rather: 'Love has so worked within me that it has transformed my soul into itself.' O Mother, how sweet is the way of love! Of course one may stumble and be guilty of small faults, but love, able to draw good from everything, will very quickly destroy all that displeases Jesus and will fill one's heart with a deep and humble peace."
from "The Story of a Soul," St. Therese's autobiography, ch. 8.

3 Comments:

Blogger Caritas said...

Hi Randall this is a great blog and I love the Little Flower. Dorothy Day has a rather good book about her. Last year I started a blog at ubicaritas@blogspot.com but I haven't updated in a year. However, I think its still there and I'm going to try again. Maybe Scott will get into it as well. Have a blessed All Saints and All Souls and a great sermon. Wish we could be there to hear it to support you but for our own edification as well, since I know it will be excellent.

Leah

9:37 PM  
Anonymous Anonymous said...

Hey, its mimi...
St Therese of Lisuex... Patron Saint for Missions and Missonaries~ i find it quiet amazing b/c she was a cloister Carmelite Nun... I just finish reading her biography on the suggestion of my spiritual mentor. its amazing...

6:41 AM  
Blogger Texanglican (R.W. Foster+) said...

I agree with you both about how amazing St Therese is. I too am reading her "Story of a Soul." It is amazing! In fact, I will be concluding my first "grown up" sermon at St Vincent's on All Souls with the prayer she makes near the very end. "O eternal Word, my Saviour, You are the Eagle I love and the One who fascinates me. You swept down to this land of exile and suffered and died so that You could bear away every soul and plunge them into the heart of the Blessed Trinity, that inextinguishable furnace of love. You re-entered the splendours of heaven, yet stayed in our vale of tears hidden under the appearance of a white Host so that You can feed me with Your own substance. O Jesus, do not be angry if I tell that Your love is a mad love ... and how can You expect my heart, when confronted with the folly, not to soar up to You? How can there be any limit to my trust?" (Story of a Soul, ch. 11) Thanks, Mimi and Leah, for visiting, and keep coming back!

7:03 AM  

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