Quote of the day, 29 April: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Saint John saw, on the Mountains of Zion, the choir of Virgins who follow the Lamb wherever he goes, and he heard a very sweet Canticle that no one could repeat. This shows how much God esteems the flower of Virginity, which is that kind of life that conforms more to angelic nature than to human nature.

This life is precious above all; due to the grace of the Gospel, a great number of young girls have embraced it with zeal, following the August Virgin, Mother of God, who is rightly regarded as the Author of Virginal Beauty. They wear their white robes in the Church of God. They despise the fleeting delights and seductions of the world for the Celestial Goods, which do not pass away.

So we see, in the Catholic Church, the white lilies of the Virgins mingle with the purple roses of the Martyrs. Both form that splendid crown with which the Immaculate Spouse of Christ is adorned.

Now, in our time, there has stood out, in this choir of Virgins, THÉRÈSE OF THE CHILD JESUS, professed nun, glory and ornament of the Order of Carmel, who, in a few years, has fulfilled a long race and raised the virginal candor which she had dedicated to the Divine Lamb, by the brilliance of the most beautiful virtues.

[…] on the happy day on which this year was celebrated the feast of the Holy Patriarch Joseph, Illustrious Spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary and Patron of the Church, after having offered the Eucharistic Sacrifice, We have, in the presence of the same Bishop, Cardinal Antonio Vico, Relator of the Cause and Prefect of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, together with Our dear Sons Angelo Mariani, General Promoter of the Faith, and Alessandro Verde, Secretary of the Sacred Congregation of Rites, decreed that we can, in complete safety, proceed to the solemn Beatification of the Venerable Servant of God, THÉRÈSE OF THE CHILD JESUS.

This is why, moved by the prayers of the entire Order of Discalced Carmelites, by virtue of Our Apostolic Authority and these Letters, We permit the Venerable Servant of God, THÉRÈSE OF THE CHILD JESUS, professed Religious of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, to be called BLESSED, and that her body and her relics be presented for the public veneration of the faithful, provided however that they are not carried in solemn supplications.

Pope Pius XI

Apostolic Brief Quod Ioannes vidit
29 April 1923

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. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications.