In
preparation for our parish pilgrimage, let us look at St. Therese’s
mission: her mission from Jesus, her mission at the Convent and her mission in
Heaven.
St.
Therese’s Mission from Jesus:
One Sunday in July of
1887, towards the end of Mass in the Cathedral of Saint Peter, Thérèse received
the Eucharistic grace of her mission.
As she closed her missal,
she was captivated by a picture of the crucified Christ which slipped out from
among the pages:
“I was
struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang
of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the ground without anyone’s
hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of
the Cross and to receive the divine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out
upon souls. The cry of Jesus on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: “I
thirst!” These words ignited within me
an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my beloved to drink and I
felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls. As yet, it was not the souls of
priests that attracted me, but those of great sinners; I burned with the desire
to snatch them from the eternal flames…” (Manuscript A, 45v)
Therese
had found her connection with Jesus. Each one of us has a personal connection,
a personal calling, that leads to a personal mission for our lives here on
earth. Therese’s connection was found in a specific profound moment. Yours may
also be a profound particular moment or yours may be a series of events that
finally come together or may be seen through the lens of discernment through a
spiritual director or someone who knows us closely.
Let
us each ponder how we can spread Jesus to the world and bring the world to
Jesus. What is it God is calling you to do?
Who is it God is calling you to be?
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