Novena to St. Thérèse (24 September-2 October)
The Anniversary of Taking the Veil
Today is the anniversary of the day when St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face received the veil. Ever since Ven. Anne of Jesus (who will beatified in five days) went into ecstasy while taking her vows, Carmelite vows have been done in private. St. Thérèse took her vows on 8 September, 1890. Because family could not attend, a public ceremony of giving the veil was held on 24 September, 1890. St. Thérèse describes it in these words:
The ceremony of my reception of the Veil took place on the 24th of September and the day was veiled in tears. Papa was not there to bless his Queen; Father Pichon was in Canada; the Bishop, who was supposed to come and dine with Uncle, did not come at all since he was sick. In a word, everything was sadness and bitterness. And still peace, always peace, reigned at the bottom of the chalice. That day, too, Jesus permitted that I was unable to hold back my tears and these were misunderstood. In fact, I had been able to bear up under much greater crosses without crying; however, this was because I was helped by powerful graces. Jesus left me to my own resources on the 24th and I soon showed how little these resources really were.
St. Thérèse always considered the times when God left her to own strength as times of great grace. She used to say that lights on her own nothingness gave her the greatest benefit.
The Beginning of the Novena
For those who celebrate the Feast of St. Thérèse on its traditional date of 3 October, today fittingly marks the beginning of her novena.
We in the monastery of Our Lady of the Cenacle have a great devotion to St. Thérèse. We spoke yesterday about the vocation of Padre Pio to be a sacrificial victim in union with the Eucharistic victim as the mode by which he lived his priesthood. St. Thérèse also offered herself as a holocaust to Merciful Love, and she saw her life as a special offering for priests. “Let us give everything for priests!” she wrote.
If you wish, we invite you to join our monastery in praying the Supplica to St. Thérèse that we prayed when we needed to find a home. St. Thérèse led us to Silverstream in Ireland, and almost every monk has a story about how she in some way guided his path here. We are currently praying this as a community. Have you any special intentions?
O glorious Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
and of the Holy Face,
cherished child of the Father,
virgin espoused to the Son,
humble Doctor instructed by the Holy Ghost,
We greet thee with joy
and approach thee with confidence.
The wonders wrought by thy intercession
are too many to be counted;
thou showest thyself the friend and advocate
of all who have recourse to thee in time of need.
We rely on thy childlike power over the Father’s Heart.
From thy place in heaven
thou seest our afflictions
and, by a merciful disposition of Providence,
thou sendest roses of pity to those who seek thy help.
There is no misery of body or of soul
to which thou dost not respond with love.
Thou who didst seek to be love in the heart of the Church,
while still on earth
art forever love in the heart of the Church
from the place that is thine in Heaven.
Descend to us, Saint Thérèse.
Hasten to us who are waiting for a rose from heaven,
a sign of thy compassion, a pledge of thy assistance.
Who hath not heard of thy errands of love
in every place and on every continent?
Walk with us, Saint Thérèse,
lest we wander from thy little way.
Change, we pray thee, our timid and faltering confidence
into a confidence that is limitless and bold,
that by offering ourselves, as thou didst offer thyself,
to the mystery of Merciful Love,
our confidence may be perfected, as was thine,
in the contemplation of the holy and adorable Face of Jesus:
thine own heart’s treasure in this valley of tears,
and thine all-surpassing joy
in the brightness of the heavenly fatherland.
Amen.
