Pilgrim progress- a disciple on a journey!

St. Teresa of Avila I recently finished reading a biography of St. Teresa of Avila by Shirley du Boulay. What can I say but that once more I have been kicked out of my comfort zone. I had read biographies of her life in my earlier days in the convent but for some reason she has made a return to my reading shelf. Here as in all her major writings, the reformer of Carmel has that gift in making us believe that she is speaking directly to us. She doesn’t compose a long soliloquy on God’s wonders or present a third-person discourse on the objective conditions for a more fulfilling life. Instead, Teresa seems to sit down with her reader, seeking out individual needs and also possible resistances to what she proposes. She establishes a You-and-I relationship and tugs at your sleeve if she fears you might walk away. There is a strength in Teresa which is fruit of the strong union she has with the Lord. Her sole desire is to love him and serve Him, listening to the str...

You don't have to wait until Valentine's Day to give a young lady roses! The 1st of October is the feast day of The Little Flower, St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Many of us pray to our little saint with the phrase: "Little flower, show your power." There is a wonderful initiative called the 'One Rose Invitation'. Yes, we are a little obsessed with roses on this blog!  So what's the One Rose Invitation about? It is an annual initiative to invite young women to consider the call to consecrated life as a religious sister. It was inspired by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the patron saint of Imagine Sisters, who said, “After my death I will let fall a shower of roses.” The Imagine Sisters website extends this invitation: "Do you know a young woman you think would make a great sister? Let her know by giving her a single red rose on October 1st. The rose is a symbol of the invitation to consider religious life, and an affirmation of the beauty of that young woman’s ...