St. Therese once told Sr. Marie of the Sacred Heart that “It
is trust, and nothing but trust that must bring us to Love.” Trust in God can
be one of the most difficult things to cultivate. We humans like to feel we are
in control of our lives. It can be incredibly hard to let go and let God, even
in situations where we clearly have no power. Unfortunately, “distrust keeps us
focused on ourselves, rather than on God and others.”
In “Trusting God with St. Therese,” Connie Rossini uses
examples from the life of St. Therese, one of the most influential and popular
saints of the modern era, in order to illustrate “the importance of trust for
our spiritual lives.” Rossini also uses events from her own life to help
demonstrate her own struggles and growth on her spiritual journey and how St.
Therese has helped her.
Subjects covered include dealing with childhood tragedies,
the influence our earthly fathers have on our image of God the Father, how to
retain a childlike simplicity while becoming an adult, how to both wait
patiently and cooperate with God, dealing with negative emotions, facing our
fears, coping with spiritual darkness, maintaining hope, and preparing for
death and judgment.
St. Therese is one of my favorite saints and I have read her
autobiography and several other books about her, yet I still learned new
information about this well-known saint in reading this book. Rossini obviously
did a great deal of research and spent considerable time contemplating the
message and example of St. Therese in writing this book. It was time
well-spent. She speaks with wisdom and offers much advice that will help
readers on their own journey to God. “Anyone who ever sins lacks perfect trust
in God,” so we all have room for improvement in that area.
“Trusting God with St. Therese” provides a wonderful
opportunity to learn more about this beloved saint as well as to develop one’s
own trust in God. Each chapter includes questions for reflection and practical
suggestions to help us grow in trust.
No comments:
Post a Comment