St. Therese's Prayer

My friend sent me this as an email forward today. It is a prayer attributed to St. Therese and based on her "little way." Whether or not she authored it, it is in keeping with her philosophy of life and prayer and reaching for God.

Saint Theresa's Prayer

May today there be peace within.

May you trust God that you are exactly where you are meant to be.

May you not forget the infinite possibilities that are born of faith.

May you use those gifts that you have received, and pass on the love that has been given to you.

May you be content knowing you are a child of God. Let this presence settle into your bones, and allow your
soul the freedom to sing, dance, praise and love.

It is there for each and every one of us.


On a related topic, I recently read "15 Days of Prayer with Saint Therese of Lisieux" by Father Constant Tonnelier. Father Tonnelier, a chaplain for the Carmelites in Laval, France and a renowned expert in Carmelite spirituality invites the reader to engage in a fifteen day retreat with St. Therese as a spiritual guide. Using excerpts from her autobiography and her letters, he explores her thinking and helps readers apply it to their daily lives. St. Therese's little way is the way of love:

" 'Perfection is not for this world.' This adage is not meant to lock us into mediocrity. Even though we live in this world, we are not of this world. We have been made for God's world, but how do we reach it? We must walk on and push forward, day after day, on the road to perfection, which is love."