On the cross, Jesus said, “I thirst.” Our souls also thirst. And because those of us within the pro-life movement sometimes find ourselves discouraged and wondering how we can return our culture to one that respects life, reveres God, and protects the vulnerable, we long for ways to nourish our souls. We often look to saints for their example and encouragement. Their words and their trust in God inspire us and soothe our hearts so that we can continue fighting the enemies of life.
This October, like never before, we will hear the words of a young saint who battled trial after trial and never gave in to discouragement. Her example serves as a beautiful model for how we can face trials in our own lives. And as she lay sick in bed, she promised to continue helping us from heaven, saying, “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens; I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”
For over one hundred years, St. Thérèse of Lisieux has sent roses to the discouraged and interceded for the downtrodden. Now, in Season 3 of Ascension Press’s Catholic Classics podcast, we can hear her words of love and encouragement, as co-hosts Fr. Jacob Bertrand Janczyk, O.P.—a Dominican friar of the Province of Saint Joseph and co-host of the first two seasons—and Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris of St. Thérèse, OCD—a Discalced Carmelite of the Province of the Immaculate Heart of Mary—present Story of a Soul and bring to life her “little way.”
On September 9, a special episode will introduce Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris and explore his deep love for St. Thérèse and her writings. Then on October 1, the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Ascension will release a new episode every day until the 28th.
Each day’s episode will include Fr. Jacob and Fr. Michael-Joseph introducing the reading. Thérèse’s words will then be read by a female French narrator so that readers can imagine Thérèse herself speaking. After her reading, the priests will discuss the text and help the listener not only understand her words but apply them to their daily lives.
In addition to some bonus episodes, Fr. Michael-Joseph invites listeners to join in a novena prior to the beginning of the podcast, as there will be nine special novena episodes with short prayers leading up to October 1.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux and her “little way”
Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin was born in France in January 1873. Though she was a sickly child, she was also joyful and obstinate. As she grew, she knew she wanted to join the Carmel convent. Her young age prohibited this until she was finally admitted at age 15.
To those around her at the convent, she did not seem remarkable or special. She prayed, cleaned, and worked hard. And at the behest of her older sister, who had also joined the convent and was now prioress, Thérèse wrote her story.
Throughout her time at Carmel, she remained in poor health, yet she held such complete trust in God and in His plan for her that she never became discouraged. She understood that she was small and sickly and would never do monumental things in life, and she was content with that, saying, “I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new.”
And that little way became what she was known for.
Thérèse died of tuberculosis in September 1897. In 1997, Pope John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church, saying that Thérèse’s “ardent spiritual journey shows such maturity, and the insights of faith expressed in her writings are so vast and profound that they deserve a place among the great spiritual masters.”
Her profound words and the lessons she can impart are why Story of a Soul resonates with so many.
It was St. Thérèse’s little way, her trust in God, her devotion, and her ability to overcome the discouragement she faced that deeply impacted Fr. Michael-Joseph. As a young man, he had left the Church, but just shy of his nineteenth birthday, he hit a low point in life and began to pray and read the Gospels, and his trust in God grew. The more he read and prayed, the more he began to understand the deep love of God. The unparalleled joy he felt and the desire to do God’s will led him to discern a vocation to the priesthood. He became a diocesan priest and later felt called to Carmel.
A friend had given him a Story of a Soul, and Thérèse’s life and her little way brought him immense joy and confidence in God, helping him come to the realization that God “is the only reality worth seeking.”
Fr. Michael-Joseph professed his final vows in Carmel in 2023 and now serves as the subprior and director of postulants in the community of Holy Hill in Wisconsin. In that role, he created videos for the order. Ascension saw them and reached out, asking if he would be interested in interviewing for co-host of the podcast.
Having just finished rereading Story of a Soul, Fr. Michael-Joseph couldn’t help but feel that Thérèse had a hand in this.
“I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.”
St. Thérèse wanted to help save souls, and she understood that her intercession would draw people closer to God. Since her death, there have been countless stories of people whose prayers have been answered with a “shower of roses.”
Fr. Michael-Joseph shared a beautiful story about a woman who knew that her neighbor had tragically lost a teenage daughter. She wanted to offer her condolences but was unsure if she should, as she didn’t know the family very well and feared intruding on their sorrow. She prayed to St. Thérèse for guidance and then just felt that she should stop by their home. When she knocked on the door and introduced herself, saying, “Hi, I’m your neighbor, Rose,” the family was astounded, for they too had been praying a novena to St. Thérèse and asking for a sign.
Fr. Michael-Joseph reflected on these and other stories and said with love that is “just like her” and that Thérèse’s intercession shows “a pure love and tenderness.” He is hoping that people come to know this love and tenderness through her writings, as he explained that she “has so much to teach us”—a confidence in the mercy of God, the belief that God can do incredible things in our lives, and the trust that God can and will do great things in us.
Because she was so sickly, St. Thérèse had many reasons to become discouraged. But through her faith, she was able to overcome every obstacle. Her life and her writings teach us who God is and how He wants to come to us. Her authentic love of God and her little way serve as examples for how we should live her little way in our own lives and within the pro-life movement, for it is often not in the grand things that we build a culture of life but in the little ways—in our homes, in our communities, in our schools, and at the office.
On October 1, the Story of a Soul podcast will help us get to know the heart of St. Thérèse, and through her, to strengthen our relationship with God as we work to shine His light and love to others. This is all that the little girl in her little way ever wanted.
• Visit Ascension to download the reading plan.
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