The power of the little way

I have been reading more about the legendary French singer Edith Piaf (said to be one of the most celebrated performers of the 20th century) and her devotion to St Therese.  Edith’s life up to the time when she began singing on stage professionally was both incredibly difficult and extraordinarily varied.  She spent some time as a young motherless girl living and travelling with a circus troupe - her father was a contortionist who performed for money on the streets.  For a long time she was a busker, singing for money on the streets of Paris.  She lost a baby.  But her trust in Therese was profound, since she had recovered her sight as a little girl after having been taken, afflicted by blindness, to the saint’s grave.  Therese was Edith’s friend all her life, she would ask Therese constantly for guidance and help with decisions and she would pop into the churches of Paris to pray on a regular basis.  She would pray before going onstage to sing.  She was physically tiny and readily identified with ‘the little way’ of Therese.  How powerful the message of ‘the little way’ has been!

Intercessions:

Elara and Siena – infants with severe medical problems

Marie – cancer

Bernard – cancer, and wife Angela

Rosemarie – multiple afflictions

Agnes – severe health issues