Quote of the day, 14 February: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

I have the vocation of the Apostle.

I would like to travel over the whole earth to preach Your Name and to plant Your glorious Cross on infidel soil. But O my Beloved, one mission alone would not be sufficient for me, I would want to preach the Gospel on all five continents simultaneously and even to the most remote isles.

I would be a missionary, not for a few years only but from the beginning of creation until the consummation of the ages.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Manuscript B, folio 3r

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The patron saint of the missions is from your region.

From Lisieux, Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face has radiated her missionary ardor in the world. Her spiritual teaching, of a luminous simplicity, continues to touch the faithful of all conditions and all cultures.

It is right that we should ask her to help the Catholics of France to follow her way of holiness and to develop their solidarity with their brothers in Europe, Africa, and other parts of the world to share the gifts received from Christ, our salvation.

Saint John Paul II

Ad limina address to the bishops of Western France
14 February 1992

We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin, but if you would like to purchase any of the English translations that appear on the Archives website, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications. 

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Copyright Natalie Ewert (All rights reserved), used by permission.