slow and thoughtful reading of her autobiography, letters, and poems will fully convince one of the truth of these words—yes, even of that seemingly incredible and exaggerated cry of her anguished soul: "I could never have believed it was possible to suffer so intensely!"
"You Must Tell People This…!"
Toward the end of her life, St. Therese, knowing that people might be deceived by her perpetual aspect of happiness, insisted on having it made known that she had suffered much. "Deep down in my soul," she said, "there are, I own, joy and transports of delight…. But that would not encourage others if they thought that I had not suffered much…. Oh, if they only knew how much I suffer…! I have had much to suffer on earth. You must tell people this…!"
In these pages we propose to give an outline of the teaching of St. Therese on "Joy in Suffering." The readings and prayers are arranged in the convenient form of a novena with three main thoughts for reflection for each day. It is hardly possible to give more than the barest sketch in such a short brochure, but this little study is offered as a tribute of gratitude and love to the Saint, and in the hope that it may be of service to her devoted clients, whose devotion to St. Therese is not of the purely emotional and sentimental type, but her true clients, who, like she herself, are ready to be generous even to heroism and immolation in their love of God, to be among her "legion of little victims of Divine Love" who will follow her to triumph by joy in suffering. St. Therese, be our guide!
Preparatory Prayer
(To be recited daily)
Dear St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, I thank the Most Holy Trinity for all the graces lavished upon you, and through you upon the world. I have great confidence in your intercession, both because of your power in heaven, since you yourself said that "God would refuse you nothing," and because of your goodness and your promise that "no one would invoke you with-
