The Apparitions of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
The Little Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, who entered the Carmel of Lisieux at only 15 years old and who “let fall a shower of roses” after her death, is behind many miracles, notably healings. She also appeared twice, to two religious sisters, to bring them her help. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925.
Apparition in Ustaritz, in the Basses-Pyrénées
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux appeared for the first time, in 1915, to a young novice of the Convent of the Daughters of the Cross, in Ustaritz, in the Basses-Pyrénées. The young woman, Marie-Renée Lauroa, who became Sister Louise of Saint-Germain, had been regularly ill for about four years, stricken with violent vomiting. After medical examinations, it was discovered that she had a stomach ulcer. Nothing succeeded in curing her. She therefore remained in the infirmary for many long months. One day, seeing that her condition had improved somewhat, she left the infirmary and returned to her religious life. Unfortunately, the respite was only short-lived; she relapsed immediately. Sister Louise returned to where she had come from. This time, her condition worsened drastically. Her sisters, very worried, wanted to administer the last sacraments to her. But the poor girl was even too weak to swallow the Blessed Sacrament. Then the whole community turned, in desperation, to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. They all prayed to her with particular fervor from June 3 to 11, 1915. Even Sister Louise, in a last effort, joined their prayers.
In the night of July 1, Saint Thérèse appeared for the first time to Sister Louise and said to her: “Pray faithfully every day three Our Fathers, Hail Marys, and Glory Be’s, with three times the invocation ‘Sacred Heart of Jesus, protect the Church, France, and the Congregation.’ Spread this devotion among your sisters.” The sufferer and her sisters obeyed.
The saint appeared again to the young novice the next day and the day after that, repeating the same words. And, on the morning of July 3, Sister Louise felt a gentle hand rest on her head and she was immediately reassured. She was no longer afraid and no longer asked the Little Saint to heal her, but simply for a little comfort despite her atrocious pains. During those three days, a mysterious fragrance came forth from the sick woman’s room. But Sister Louise did not recover for all that. She continued to pray every day, as Saint Thérèse had taught her.
Until one night in September 1916, when Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus appeared once more to Sister Louise of Saint-Germain. She said to her: “Be generous; soon you will be healed, I promise you.”
The next day, what a surprise for the religious sisters to find the floor of the sick woman’s room strewn with rose petals! Then, a few days later, on September 21, after violent and worrying attacks, Sister Louise rose from her bed, healed, without pain. This miraculous healing was attested by her doctor and contributed to the beatification of Saint Thérèse.
Apparitions in Gallipoli, in Apulia
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux appeared to the prioress of a Carmel in Gallipoli, in Apulia (in southern Italy), on January 16, 1910. Since this apparition and the miracle that followed, the Carmel has been a place of pilgrimage.
For some time, Mother Maria Carmela of the Heart of Jesus, the prioress, had been very worried because she could no longer pay her debts, lacking income.
Her worries made her ill. She then prayed fervently for Saint Thérèse to come to her aid. One night, the saint appeared to the mother in a dream.
She said to her: “Look, the Lord makes use just as well of the inhabitants of Heaven as of those of earth. Here are five hundred lire with which you will pay the debt of your community.” The prioress was very astonished at this but trusted Saint Thérèse.
When she awoke, the nuns—very worried because her condition had worsened the day before—wanted to call a doctor. But Mother Maria reassured them by telling them that she was feeling better and explained her dream to them.
The nuns then insisted that their superior go and look in her chest to see whether the five hundred lire were really there. Reluctantly, the superior complied, doubtful. But, astonished, she did indeed find a miraculous banknote. She recounted all this in a letter that she sent to Mother Agnes, the superior of the Carmel of Lisieux:
“You can imagine with what affection and what pleasure I received your writings and how fortunate I consider myself to be able to commend myself to the prayers of a blood sister of the very dear Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus, my intimate confidante! This beautiful Soul, although she is in Heaven, enjoys remaining and doing good on this earth, especially for sinful souls, so that you must not be surprised, my Reverend Mother, if dear Sister Thérèse, as an interceding Angel with the Heart of Jesus, deigned to accomplish a miracle in our monastery, making use of the most abject being of this holy community [...] The night before January 16 of this year, I did not pass it very well; I was suffering physically. Three o’clock in the morning struck, and almost at the limit of my strength I raised myself a little on my bed as if to refresh myself and I fell asleep. Then I had a dream and I felt as it were a hand that touched me and which, drawing up my blanket, covered me with love. [...] ‘Look, the Lord makes use just as well of the inhabitants of Heaven as of those of earth. Here are five hundred lire with which you will pay the debt of your community.’ Taking them, I replied that my community’s debt was only three hundred lire, and she went on: ‘That means that the rest is extra, but since you cannot keep money in your cell, come with me.’ I, without replying, thought: ‘How can I get up, soaked in sweat as I am?’ Then, penetrating my thoughts, she added with a smile: ‘Bilocation will occur.’ And at that very moment, I found myself outside my cell in the company of a young Carmelite sister [...] I looked at her, joyful and amazed, and I prostrated myself to thank her, saying: oh, my Holy Mother! But standing me up and caressing me affectionately she replied: ‘No, my daughter, I am not Our Holy Mother; I am the servant of God, Sister Thérèse of Lisieux…! Today there is a feast in Heaven, a feast on earth, since it is the feast of the Holy Name of Jesus.’”
Pray with Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Prayer to ask a grace of Saint Thérèse
“O Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, see the trust I place in you and receive my intentions. Intercede for me with the Virgin Mary who came to smile at you in the time of trial. Look also on all those who toil and suffer and all those who pray to you: I unite myself to them as to sisters and brothers. Through the graces that we ask—if such is the will of the Lord—grant that we may be strengthened in faith, hope, and love on the road of life, and be helped at the hour of death, so as to pass from this world into the peace of the Father and to know the eternal joy of the children of God. Amen!”
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus’s prayer to live in hope
“I am still on the foreign shore; but, foreseeing eternal happiness, oh! I would already like to leave the earth and contemplate the wonders of Heaven! When I dream of the immortal life, I no longer feel the weight of my exile; soon, my God, toward my only homeland I shall fly for the first time! Ah! Give me, Jesus, white wings, so that I may take my flight toward you. I want to fly to the eternal shores, I want to see you, O my divine treasure! I want to fly into Mary’s arms, to rest on that chosen throne, and to receive from my beloved mother the sweet kiss for the first time! My Beloved, with your first smile, let me soon glimpse sweetness; Ah! Let me, in my burning delirium—yes, let me hide in your heart. Happy moment! O ineffable happiness! When I hear the sweet sound of your voice… When I see, from your adorable face, the divine radiance, for the first time! You know it well, my only martyrdom is your love, Sacred Heart of Jesus! Toward your fair Heaven, if my soul sighs, it is to love you… to love you ever more! In Heaven, always drunk with tenderness, I shall love you without measure and without law. And my happiness will seem to me unceasingly as new as the first time! Amen.”
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