Talks at Emmaus prayer meeting on St. Therese of Liseux, 26th Feb 2011.

1. St. Therese of Lisieux
On Prayer

2. The first time I knew her
It was in 1997 ...

3. What prayer is
●
Prayer is, for me, an outburst from
the heart; it is a simple glance
darted upwards to Heaven; it is a
cry of gratitude and of love in the
midst of trial as in the midst of
joy! In a word, it is something
exalted, supernatural, which
dilates the soul and unites it to
God.

4. How to pray
●
I have not the courage to force myself to
seek beautiful prayers in books; not
knowing which to choose I act as
children do who cannot read; I say
quite simply to the good God what I
want to tell Him, and He always
understands me.
●
As I grew older I loved the good God
more and more, and very frequently
did I offer Him my heart, using the
words my mother had taught me. I
strove in all my actions to please
Jesus and was most watchful never to
offend Him.

5. Prayer and Sacrifice
●
My whole strength lies in
prayer and sacrifice, these
are my invincible arms; they
can move hearts far better
than words, I know it by
experience

6. Prayer and Sacrifice
●
How shall I show my love is proved by deeds? Well - the little child will
strew flowers...she will embalm the Divine Throne with their fragrance,
will sing with silvery voice the canticle of love.
●
Yes, my Beloved, it is thus that my life's brief day shall be spent before
Thee. No other means have I of proving my love than to strew flowers;
that is, to let no little sacrifice escape me, not a look, not a word, to avail
of the very least actions and do them for Love.

7. Prayer and Silence
"But what are you doing?" she
asked; "you should try to sleep."
"I cannot, dear Sister, I suffer too
much! then I pray..."
"And what do you say to Jesus?"
"I say nothing, I love Him!"

8. Her last words
●
looking at her crucifix:
"Oh!...I Love Him!...My
GOD,
I...LOVE...THEE!!!"

9. Dryness in prayer
●
Sometimes when I find myself,
spiritually, in dryness so
great that I cannot produce
a single good thought, I
recite very slowly a Pater or
an Ave Maria; these prayers
alone console me, they
suffice, they nourish my
soul.
●
But it is from the Gospels that I
find most help in the time of
prayer; from them I draw all
that I need for my poor soul.