Thomas Merton and St Therese

In this special anniversary year of her canonisation I have been thinking a great deal about our Therese of Lisieux.  I recently came across an article by Fiona Gardner about her influence on Thomas Merton, one of the most influential spiritual guides of the twentieth century.  Merton has always fascinated me since I first read about his life, because prior to my encounter with him all the great spiritual figures I admired had been historical, of another era.  Here was somebody truly modern who felt like a contemporary.  Now I discover that he looked to Therese as he pondered his vocation as a young student.  There was a shrine to her in his college and he called on her to help him discern his way forward.  Sensing a call to monastic life, he asked her help to know what to do and told her ‘If I get into the monastery, I will be your monk’. In later years he wrote down in his journal ‘Pray for me, Therese, to be a true child of God, to love God alone, to belong entirely to Him, to give Him joy and glory for ever.’

Intercessions:

Brian Davis - cancer

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela), Agnes – cancer

Siena, Elara – sick children

Rosemarie – seriously ill

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

RIP Roswitha Watson OCDS (former President of St Therese Community, Oxford)

David - housebound