When St. Therese was young and was making her First Holy communion- she made a promise to say the Memorare prayer every day. She confidently recited this prayer, recommending all of her petitions and particular needs to the intersession of Mary. I love how the prayer begins with the word "Remember!" St. Therese was imploring Mary to remember her promise to come to our aid in all things- and that never was she know to fail in her help!
As the Saint grew older, she began to pray the daily rosary (even before entering Carmel). She might have not known at the time, but this practice of praying the daily rosary was preparing her for her life at the Carmel. With each Hail Mary we say, we present the Blessed Mother with a rose. By the end of the rosary, we give Mary a beautiful bouquet of 53 roses (from the writings of St. Louis Marie De Montford). I wonder if St. Therese knew of what a beautiful gift she was making for her "Maman" as she would tenderly call Mary in French- meaning mom or mommy. This saint who loved roses and even sends her devoted petitioners roses as a sign of answered prayers- began her early years of her life giving beautiful bouquets of roses to her Maman with her daily rosary.
St. Therese also attributes her miraculous healing as a child to the graces of Our Lady of the Smile. When she was just a child again, she was taken ill by something that her doctor at the time had never seen before. She was struck with fevers and hallucinations for an extended period of time. During her illness, her whole family prayed endlessly for her healing and her father even paid for special masses to be said for little Therese at the Shrine of Our Lady of Victories. Soon afterwards, Therese's gaze fell upon a statue of the Blessed Mother in her room and little Therese saw Mary smile tenderly at her. Miraculously, Therese was healed from that moment on and she continued to grow stronger and stronger each day, never to experience any more of her prior symptoms of the sickness. St. Therese lived her entire life with gratitude and a particular love for the Blessed Mother, knowing that Mary took pity upon her in her own grave sufferings.
Later, while in Carmel, the Saint would consecrate all her handiwork to the Blessed Mother. St. Therese would continuously recite a Hail Mary every time she began her work. She had confidence that Mary could use all her labors for the graces of a much needed soul.
At the very end of St. Therese's life, she wrote a beautiful poem about her Maman titled "Why I love Thee, Mary." This would be the Saint's masterpiece of all her poems, of which there were many! She wrote this poem just 4 months before her death and put all of her heart and soul into it. This would be the very last poem she would compose before her death.
The conclusion of this beautiful poem is:
Soon I'll hear that sweet harmony.
Soon I'll go to beautiful Heaven to see you.
You who came to smile at me in the morning of my life,
Come smile at me again...Mother...It's evening now!...
I no longer fear the splendor of your supreme glory.
With you I've suffered and now I want
To sing on your lap, Mary, why I love you,
And to go on saying that I am your child!...
If you would like to read the entire poem "Why I love Thee, Mary" check it out at:
http://www.therese-de-lisieux.catholique.fr/Why-I-love-you-o-Mary.html
~Taken from My Sister Saint Therese- pages 122-123
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