Following St. Thérèse’ Little Way through Lent 2017

(Yes, I have changed my blog title - I will address this at another time.  Please bear with me as my soul is taking time to find footing again after being shattered - in the darkness of sorrow for many months.  Explanations will come ... just not yet ...)

Why follow St. Thérèse this Lent?

St. Thérèse was such a sweet, simple soul.  Our family's life has been so chaotic lately, perhaps you can relate? 

So, when seeking a Saint to follow through Lent (that was actually possible for us to do without too much extra prep), St. Thérèse was our girl.  

Her faith was always simple, but powerful.

We will follow her words daily and seek to do little sacrifices and little acts of love. It is in the small, little things that holiness is formed.  After today's daily prayers, there are two graphics you can save and print out for each of your children.  One is a simple image of the three crosses and the empty tomb, which he or she can color.  The other is a page of flowers.  For each act of love or act of kindness or act of sacrifice that your child does (with your verification), he or she may color a flower, cut it out and glue it to the ground around the empty tomb.  

“Well - the little child will strew flowers...she will embalm the Divine Throne with their fragrance ... No other means have I of proving my love than to strew flowers; that is, to let no little sacrifice escape me, not a look, not a word, to avail of the very least actions and do them for Love. I wish to suffer for Love's sake and for Love's sake even to rejoice; thus shall I strew flowers.”  - Story of A Soul, Ch. 11

We would hope that each child will have a field of flowers to offer Jesus greeting Him on Easter Sunday!

so, here we go...

Day 1 - Ash Wednesday - as we walk with St. Thérèse, we will earn “little flowers” for our good deeds and our sacrifices that we can place around the tomb of Jesus, so that His Resurrection is full of beautiful flowers!

In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.

“The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity...”  – VI letter from St.Therese to her sister Celine

Lord, please allow us to be your little, small flowers.  Teach us to be humble of heart, be sorry for our sins and seek to do good for others and for your sake, sweet, loving Jesus!

Our Father …

Hail Mary …

Glory Be …

Today’s Little Flower activity:  go to Mass and receive your ashes.  Ask God to forgive your sins.  Do a small act of kindness for someone, (for example, a smile to someone who is sad, helping a friend pick up their books or toys, reading a book to a younger sibling, helping your mom or dad in an extra way, so many things you could do!).