Many Catholics
are familiar with the image of Saint Thérèse
of Lisieux dressed in her Carmelite habit, holding a crucifix mixed in with
some roses. A while back, I happened
across a different image of Saint Thérèse ― one I had never seen before. Instead of holding a crucifix and roses, the young
Carmelite nun was holding a book entitled, Evangile
(French for “gospel”). Recalling the
many Biblical quotes and references I had noticed in Thérèse’s writings, I felt
instantly drawn to the portrayal. I’ve
often wondered how someone who had died at the age of twenty-four and had lived
in a time when Catholics (even nuns in convents) did not have ready access to a
Bible had been able to achieve such a strong grasp of Scripture.
Thérèse Connects
Scripture to Life Experiences
Thérèse’s older sister, Céline, painted the original of this image. That Céline chose to paint her sister holding
the gospels is not surprising, for Thérèse clearly had a strong love for
Scripture. The young saint was able to connect
a wide variety of Bible verses to many moments in her life. For example, while writing about her
desperate illness at the age of ten, Thérèse compared her woeful situation to
the story of Lazarus as told in the eleventh chapter of John. Lazarus was deathly ill, but Jesus deliberately
waited to help his friend, knowing a miracle was needed to demonstrate the
glory of God. Thérèse wrote that her painful experience was also somehow necessary for the glorification of God. After many days of this mysterious and debilitating illness, Thérèse turned toward a statue of Mary, begging for pity. All of a sudden the statue became miraculously surreal in appearance. It offered Thérèse a heavenly and motherly countenance of assurance and peace. Thérèse was at that moment completely healed.
When Thérèse wrote of memories of her confirmation, she did so in terms
of Scripture. She compared the moment
she was anointed with the Holy Spirit to what the prophet Elijah experienced at
Mount Horeb, sensing God’s presence in a tiny whispering sound. (See 1 Kings 19:12-14)
Scripture and
Thérèse’s Little Way
Thérèse favored a handful of Old Testament verses which supported her spiritual direction, including: “Let whoever is
simple turn in here.” (Proverbs 9:4, NAB) and “For the lowly may be pardoned out of mercy but the mighty shall be mightily put to the test.” (Wisdom 6:6, NAB; Wisdom 6:7, Vulgate). Thérèse felt these verses illustrated her
calling to know and understand God as purely as possible ― by having complete,
childlike confidence in Him. This style
of becoming little, and simple in the eyes of God ultimately became known as her
“Little Way.”
Slices of Biblical Exposure during her Childhood
Born in France in 1873, Thérèse grew up in a devout Catholic family that
participated in many religious devotions:
frequent Mass attendance, morning and evening prayer, feast-day
celebrations, visits to the Blessed Sacrament, and more. In school Thérèse was a good student with a
brilliant memory ― catechism and sacred history were her favorite classes.
Thérèse was also an avid reader.
She treasured books on the saints and read Thomas à Kempis’s The Imitation of Christ many times
over. At the age of fourteen, about one
year before entering the Carmelite convent, Thérèse wrote, “I was nourished for
a long time on the ‘pure flour’ contained in The Imitation of Christ, this being the only book which did my any
good, for as yet I had not discovered the treasures hidden in the
Gospels.” She never mentions having had
a Bible at her disposal during her childhood; however, it is clear that Thérèse
was exposed to portions of Scripture through her participation in Catholic
devotions, her religion lessons, and her love of reading.
Biblical
Exposure in the Convent
After entering the Carmelite convent, Thérèse was again intermittently
exposed to segments of the Bible through a variety of sources. She had a breviary, which contained the
Psalms and a smattering of other Bible passages mixed in with hymns and
devotions. She participated in the
Divine Office and other devotions that included excerpts from Scripture. We also know that Thérèse relished a great
Carmelite style of prayer called “mental prayer,” a contemplative way of
praying, usually by meditating on a passage from Scripture.
Thérèse’s spiritual sister as well as her blood sister, Céline, wrote a
biography about Thérèse following her death, sharing even more insights. Before becoming a nun herself, Céline copied
large sections of the Old Testament into a notebook and gave it to Thérèse when
she joined her sister in the convent. Thérèse
cherished this partial Old Testament.
The verses offered her much to ponder during mental prayer and helped
her to grow closer to the Lord. Céline also
wrote that Thérèse kept a copy of the gospels with her almost constantly ― Perhaps
Céline had this memory in mind when she painted Thérèse holding the gospels.
Céline described how Thérèse would often copy favorite verses onto cards,
paper, or the back of pictures. Céline also
noted that Thérèse struggled with the varying translations she happened to
notice. The young saint once expressed an
interest in understanding Hebrew and Greek, so as to comprehend God’s Word
better. As time went on, Thérèse could
no longer enjoy the great theological works she had read so fervently earlier
in her life. The passages of Holy
Scriptures to which she had access (she never had a complete Bible available to
her) became her only true source of inspiration.
Bits and Pieces
Come Together
Thérèse’s understanding of the Bible seems to have come together in a mystical
and mosaic-like way. Her highly
insightful enthusiasm and mysticism, blended with miscellaneous chunks of
Scripture from a wide array of sources helped this young and childlike saint to
develop a very impressive understanding of Scripture. |
| Liguorian October, 2006 |
Note: A similar
version of this article was printed in the October, 2006 issue of Liguorian.
The original portrait of St. Thérèse holding the Gospels is in Lisieux. The painted copy shown above is at the John Paul II Cultural Center in Washington, D.C.
See Also ... A "Little Way" Devotional
Resources:
Carmel de Lisieux, Souer Camille, Archive Office
(office-central@therese-de-lisieux.com).Clarke, John, O.C.D., ed., St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Her Last Conversations, ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C., 1977.
John Paul II Cultural Center
Martin, Céline, My Sister Saint Thérèse, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc., Rockford, Illinois, 1951/1997.
Martin, Thérèse, Story of a Soul, ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C., 1972 edition.
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| A Biblical Novena in Honor of the Little Way of St. Thérèse Available at "Saints of the Bible" Etsy Shop |
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