To prepare for the Theresian Anniversary Year, we offer three reflections based on the writings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. The Day 2 reflection focuses on the theme of mercy.
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St. Thérèse Anniversary: Triduum Day 2
Quote of the day, 24 November: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity explained to Canon Angles, “I live in thanksgiving.” What a blessed ideal to adopt today and everyday. Read this excerpt from her letter and discover the secret to her attitude of gratitude.
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Quote of the day, 20 November: Brother Lawrence
Brother Lawrence speaks with simplicity as he describes his relationship with Christ the King: “this King, full of goodness and mercy, lovingly embraces me, seats me at his table, waits on me himself, gives me the keys to his treasures and treats me in all things as his favorite.”
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Quote of the day, 11 November: St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila once referred to the Book of Her Life as the Book of God’s Mercies. Today, we listen to her biographer, Discalced Carmelite Father Kieran Kavanaugh, as he explains why.
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Quote of the day, 14 October: St. Edith Stein
In St. Edith Stein’s biography of St. Teresa of Avila, we read this bold statement: “One who loves feels compelled to do something for the beloved.” It describes not only St. Teresa of Jesus but St. Teresa Benedicta, too.
St. Edith Stein Novena 2022: Day Eight
Upon the death of a lay sister in the Carmel of Cologne, St. Edith Stein wrote to a friend that she was not worried about her "Master" Edmund Husserl, who was seriously ill and, in fact, would die one month later. Edith had one, straightforward reason not to worry: "It has always been far from me to think that God's mercy allows itself to be circumscribed by the visible church's boundaries. God is truth"
Quote of the day, 3 August: Brother Lawrence
Writing to a nun, as he could to each one of us, Brother Lawrence prays for patience and strength that she may be able to suffer as long as God desires. "Find consolation in him... happy are they who suffer with him."
St. Edith Stein Novena 2022: Day Two
Today St. Edith Stein teaches us that compassionate love and mercy flow "from the divine heart." The prophet Isaiah reminds us that "the Lord waits to be gracious;" and "all those who wait for him" are blessed.
Quote of the day, 11 July: Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Drawing a life lesson from the parable of the Good Samaritan, Bishop Silvio José Báez says that "it doesn't take much" to identify with others and to become personally engaged. Remember, "The Good Samaritan had only a little wine and olive oil."
Quote of the day, 10 July: St. Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Thérèse of Lisieux explains what the work of a Good Samaritan can be in everyday life: "A word and a kind smile often are enough to cheer up a sad soul."
Quote of the day, 27 June: Jessica Powers
God fills my being to the brim with floods of His immensity. I drown within a drop of Him whose sea-bed is infinity....
Marie du jour 2022, 31 May: Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
We began the month of May rejoicing with St John of the Cross in the knowledge that "the Mother of God is mine." Today, Bishop Báez reminds us who she is. "Mary reveals herself to us: empty of self, placing all her trust in the Father's mercy."
Quote of the day, 6 May: Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew
Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew was beatified on this date in 1917. Pope Benedict XV invoked her as a "defender of the peace" in the midst of World War I
True peace — Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
On the evening of that unforgettable "first day of the week," the day of the Lord's resurrection, Jesus appeared to the disciples, full of mercy. He didn't reproach them; he didn't accuse or reject them. Instead, he offered them his peace.
Quote of the day, 21 April: Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Bishop Báez, preaching on the encounter of the Risen Christ with his disciples offers a timely commentary: "The Risen Christ always frees us and opens up horizons of mercy. Whoever believes in him and welcomes him always receives forgiveness as a gift..."
The Cross, Cathedra of Infinite Love — Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d. explores the theological depths of Christ's death on the cross: "The cross of Jesus is the cathedra of infinite love, limitless forgiveness, and mercy that can change the world."
Quote of the day, 10 April: Denis-Marie Ghesquières, OCD
This week, let’s take time to meditate on chapters 22 and 23 of Luke's gospel. Fr. Denis-Marie Ghesquières, OCD writes, "the evangelist chose the events of the Passion to bear witness not so much to the cruelty of men as to the goodness of Jesus towards these same people. They all are the object of his mercy: the women, the executioners, the thieves crucified with him, and even the leaders of the people."
Quote of the day, 4 April: St. Teresa of Avila
We celebrate the baptism of St. Teresa with an excerpt from the Book of Her Life: "He never tires of giving, nor can He exhaust His mercies. Let us not tire of receiving."
Quote of the day, 3 April: Denis-Marie Ghesquières, OCD
Commenting on the Gospel story of Jesus and the woman caught in adultery, Fr. Denis-Marie Ghesquières, OCD writes, "Jesus challenges each one of the onlookers to search his heart and, faced with the woman's sin, to question himself! A new path can open up by setting out from the truth about oneself in the presence of Jesus..."
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