St Therese

Therese, mom, Dad, Pauline, Marie, Celine, Mean Nun, Doctor

Therese was born to two very loving parents.  She was the fourth of 4 sisters.  Her dad would pat each of them on the head and call them by nick names.  First Pauline would come, and he would pat her and say "You are my diamond."  Then Marie would come, and he would pat her and say "You are my little pearl."  Then Celine would come, and he would pat her and say "You are the bold one!"  Finally it would be Therese' turn.  She would come to him very shyly.  He would pick her up, put her on his knee, and say "And you are my little queen!"

One day There's mom died of breast cancer.  The family mourned.  But while the others cried softly, therese screamed and wailed, beating the ground with her fists.

After that, Therese would often have nervous fits, trembling and clenching her teeth.  She could not speak.

Her family said "We just don't know what's wrong with her!"

The doctor said "Me niether!"

Then one day her oldest sister, Pauline, said "I have decided to become a nun!  I am going to join the convent!"

Her father was so happy, he gave her a great big hug.  But Therese said "You can't!  You've been my mom ever since mama died!" Therese began once more to scream and wail and beat the ground with her fists.

Another time she overheard her father talking to her older sisters.  She was standing outside the door when he said "I don't want to do the Santa Clause thing this year at Christmas."

But Celine said "But papa, you have to!  Therese still believes!"

Her father said "She is getting too old for that nonsense."

That's when they noticed her standing outside the door.

Then Therese ran off.

Marie shook her head.  "Poor Therese"  she said, "I bet she is screaming and wailing again."

But Therese came back into the room and said "I have decided not to get so upset about every thing, but rather to trust God!"

Eventually, Marie and Celine and Therese all became nuns too!

Then Therese's father got very sick.  She wanted to go to him, but had promised tpo stay in the convent forever.  A mean nun said "Too bad-  you can't leave."

When her father died, Therese was sad.  But rather than scream and wail, she just sat peacefully and prayed.

The mean nun would see her praying and say things like "Get up, you lazy good for nothing!"

Therese would always just smile and say "Yes, sister.  How can I please you?"

Finally the mean nun said "Sister Therese, I don't get it.  I am always mean to you.  How can you keep loving me?"

Therese said "I love you with the love of God!  This is my little way to be a saint-  just do little things with great love!"

A few years later, Therese got tuberculosis.  She coughed and coughed, often coughing up blood! But when the other nuns looked at her with concern, she would just smile sweetly.

The Doctor said to the other nuns "You have no idea how much she is suffering!"

Therese said "I never knew it was possible to suffer so much!  But now even my suffering has turned to sweetness! So, I cannot suffer anymore."

Then St Therese died.  She was only 24.  

St Therese of Lisieux-  Pray for us.