Therese of Lisieux

The Little Flower Web Site

I have made this Saint my friend as of a few weeks ago. I don't count any other Saints among my friends, but I have this one, because I was so moved by her story. Saint Therese, or the Little Flower as she is affectionately called, lived her faith openly, honestly and with complete conviction simply by being honest with herself and her friends, and loving the Lord with every ounce of sweat and blood her poor frame could muster. In fact, her constant devotion may have contributed to her demise at 24 of tuberculosis, a fatal disease at the turn of the century.

A funny thing happened when I befriended this Saint. I had to get a routine TB test as part of an application for a home preschool my landlord is starting on the property. I had not been given this test in recent memory, so I didn't know what to expect. Wouldn't you know it, a couple of weeks after acquainting myself with St. Therese, the results came back positive for exposure to TB! I mean, like she had been whispering in my ear -- which come to think of it, she may have. So now, I am awaiting the Xray results to see if I have the communicable form of the disease.

I don't feel nervous as much as blessed. I feel like God is closer to me now than he's ever been, and that He is slowly, in that deliberate, insistent way of His, preparing me for my own closer walk with Him. My personal time has been filled lately with reading devotional books and the Bible, and prayer. I talk to God, Mary and the Saints often, and when I begin to act silly or forgetful of religion, I apologize and bring myself back to a suitable frame of mind. This is not as arid or boring a life as it may sound. In fact, the world has never seemed sweeter or more beautiful since I started on this life of prayer. I could continue this way forever, and not miss my previously scatterbrain attempts at enjoying life at all.

One day, I must post about how I came to be so religious and all. It's really the story of my life, so cannot be contained in a single blog posting. Probably need, like, TEN! Don't worry, I won't torture you with that. 8 )

Is anyone reading this blog? Anyone? Hello! Is this thing on?