22 Quotes from St. Therese - Day 21

A child that a doctor makes undergo a painful operation won't fail to cry loudly and say that the cure is worse than the disease. However, if he finds himself cured a few days later, he's happy to be able to play and run. It is the same for souls. Soon they recognize that a little bitterness is sometimes preferable to sugar, and they're not afraid to admit it. - St. Therese


From The Story of a Soul: A New Translation (Living Library)

Book Review: Olivia and the Little Way

Olivia and the Little Way
by Nancy Carabio Belanger
Illustrated by Sandra Casali LewAllen
Rochester, MI: Harvey House Publishing, 2008

"Olivia and the Little Way" by Nancy Carabio Belanger is a sweet story about a fifth grader who is struggling to follow St. Therese. Her grandmother is the person who first introduces Olivia to the wonderful example of St. Therese. She shares how she asked that saint for help in finding a nice man to marry who believed in God. She prayed a novena (a prayer repeated over the course of nine days)and then waited for a rose (the symbol of St. Therese) as a sign that her prayer had been heard. She waited three long years for that rose, but it finally came the same day she met her future husband.

Olivia admires St. Therese's little way of making small sacrifices and tries to emulate her as best she can. She prays to St. Therese for help in making friends at her new school and for guidance in making good decisions. Olivia is a real girl. She doesn't always do the right thing. She succumbs to peer pressure and gets in trouble with her parents. She keeps trying, however, and St. Therese does help both her and her friends out. Though it takes a while, she finally does get her rose.

This is a lovely story written for tweens, especially tween girls. It helps introduce readers to the Little Way as well as keep them engrossed with the storyline. One truly cares about Olivia and her friends in reading this book.

22 Quotes from St. Therese - Day 20

How contrary Jesus' teachings are to the thoughts of nature. Without the help of His grace it would be impossible not only to put them into practice, but even more to understand them. - St. Therese


From The Story of a Soul: A New Translation (Living Library)

Book Review: "A Difficult Boy"

A Difficult Boy
by M.P. Barker
New York: Holiday House, 2008

"A Difficult Boy" was on my list of books to be read for quite a while. I am so glad that I finally had the opportunity to get my hands on it. Written by a fellow Elms College alumna and set in my home area of Western Massachusetts in the year 1839, it tells the story of Ethan, a nine-year-old boy who has been indentured in order to help pay off a debt, and his relationship with Daniel, an older fellow indentured servant. Daniel, more commonly known as "Paddy," is an Irish Catholic whose family died in a fire.

Barker, a longtime archivist at the Connecticut Valley Historical Museum, has created a richly accurate portrait of life in indentured servitude and the prejudice that Irish Catholics faced in Massachusetts in that time period. It is an engrossing story with a surprise and highly satisfying ending. While a bit graphic for younger children, it would make great reading for any teenager studying the history of this time period or anyone who enjoys good historical fiction.

5th Blogiversary

It's hard for me to believe that I have been keeping this blog for five years now. It's also strange to think that in the beginning I wondered if I would ever have enough to say to make a blog worthwhile! Thank you to each and every one of you who has stopped by this little corner of cyberspace over the course of the past five years. I appreciate it so very much. Please keep visiting.

For fun, I thought that today I would reprint my very first blog post, originally posted under the title "Welcome" on September 28, 2005:

People have been telling me for a while that I should start a blog, so here it goes. Here I will share some reflections on life and spirituality. I consider this a companion to my website - www.spiritualwoman.net - a place where I can talk about what I am currently reading (I am always reading something!), life events, and having an ongoing relationship with God. While some of the writings I post here may eventually end up in an article of mine, this will be a more informal type of writing - random thoughts on spirituality and life.

I am privileged to live in a city with a wonderful library system, not to mention a great interlibrary loan program. While I love bookstores, I rarely buy books. For me, the library is the way to go. My current reading for pleasure is "Memories of Hawthorne" by Rose Hawthorne Lathrop. My mother who is a Dominican Tertiary introduced me to Rose and I profiled her in my most recent "Profile in Faith" for my website (for more info, check out http://www.spiritualwoman.net/Profiles/Hawthorne.html). She was the youngest daughter of Nathaniel Hawthorne, famous 19th century American author, and his wife, Sophia Peabody. Ultimately, she would decide to embrace poverty, minister to poor cancer patients, and begin a religious community. Before turning her back on her previous life, however, she wrote "Memories of Hawthorne," an exploration of her parents' lives.

The librarian had to get the book, published in 1897, out of storage for me. It came out covered in dust and smelling like only old books can smell (I have always loved the smell of old books - one of my odder characteristics!). I am currently on page 79. Mostly so far it is letters that Sophia Peabody Hawthorne wrote, edited by Rose. Letters tell us so much about people. I'm old enough that I actually remember life before email, and had several correspondences with people via letters that were handwritten and sent via mail. There is something about receiving a letter in the mail and opening it and being able to keep and reread it. I would never trade the convenience of email, but 100 years from now, I think our world may have lost something by not having a written record of our relationships.

The last letter I read today was from Sophia to Nathaniel while he was away on business. She writes, " If I asked myself strictly whether I could write to you this evening, I should say absolutely no, for ten thousand different things demand the precious moments while our baby sleeps." How I can relate to that! With two young children, the evening hours after they are in bed are my only opportunity to pursue my own interests. The list of things to do always outweighs the time!

For my website and newsletter (which is also a pleasure - I am so lucky to do something I love), I am reading "A Resilient Life" by Gordon MacDonald (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 2004). In Chapter 7, "Resilient People Foresee the Great Questions of Life's Passage" MacDonald discusses the "big questions" of every decade in adult life. He himself is in his sixties, but he also spoke with his elders to get their perspective on life's meaning. The questions are worth reflecting on:

In the 20s:

"What will I do with my life? What parts of me and my life need correction?"

In the 30s: (this is where I find myself)

"How do I prioritize the demands being made on my life? How far can I go in fulfilling my sense of purpose? What does my spiritual life look like? Do I even have time for one?"

In the 40s:

"Why are limitations beginning to outnumber options? Why do I seem to face so many uncertainties?"

In the 50s:

"Why is time moving so fast? How do I deal with my failures and successes? What do I do with my doubts and fears?"

In the 60s:

"When do I stop doing the things that have always defined me? Is there life after death? Who will be around me when I die?"

In the 70s and 80s:

"Does anyone realize, or even care, who I once was? Is there anything I can still contribute? Heaven - what is it like?"


These questions certainly provide some food for thought, don't they? I think to some extent, the questions cross the decades and depend on personal circumstances, but that MacDonald is correct in pinpointing the major issues for each decade.

22 Quotes from St. Therese - Day 19

Now I understand that perfect charity consists in bearing with others' faults, in not being surprised at their weakness, in being edified by the little acts of virtue that we see them practice. - St. Therese


From The Story of a Soul: A New Translation (Living Library)

22 Quotes from St. Therese - Day 18

For a long time I've no longer belonged to myself. I'm totally given over to Jesus. He's therefore free to do with me as He pleases. - St. Therese


From The Story of a Soul: A New Translation (Living Library)