Day 27- Fruit of Suffering- For God

"What draws me to my heavenly home is the summons of my Lord, together with the hope that at last I shall love Him as my heart desires and shall be able to make Him loved by a multitude of souls, who will bless Him throughout eternity." 

 ~ St. Therese

Preparatory Prayer:

Dear St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, I thank the Most Holy Trinity for all the graces lavished upon you, and through you upon the world.  I have great confidence in your intercession, both because of your power in Heaven, since you yourself said that "God would refuse you nothing," and because of your goodness and your promise that "no one would invoke you without receiving answer, since you would "spend your Heaven in doing good upon earth" and "let fall from Heaven a shower of roses."  Intercede for me with the loving Hearts of Jesus and Mary, that the Holy Spirit may assist me to understand your teaching on "Joy in Suffering" and may grant me the gift of fortitude, that fired with a burning love of God and souls, I may eagerly follow you in joyous suffering and share in your glorious triumph.  I promise to show my heartfelt gratitude by doing whatever I can to promote your honor and to make you ever more widely known and loved throughout the world, for the greater glory of the Most Holy Trinity.  Amen.

Reflection:

St. Therese's sole desire, that prompted all of her other desires, was to Love Jesus and to make Him more loved by souls.  She wrote to a missionary brother asking for him to pray this prayer for her each day: "Merciful Father, in the name of Thy sweet Jesus, of the Blessed Virgin and of all the Saints, I beg thee to consume my sister with Thy Spirit of Love and to grant her the grace to make Thee greatly loved!"  She knew that her mission to love God and to help others love Him was only beginning at the end of her life when she said, "I feel that my mission is soon to begin- my mission to make others love God as I love Him... ."  St. Therese invited all of us "little souls" to join her in her mission to love God in joy in suffering and to bring more souls to love God along the way!  She ended her autobiography with the prayer:  "I entreat Thee to let Thy divine eyes rest upon a vast number of little souls;  I entreat Thee to choose in this world a legion of little victims of Thy Merciful Love!"

Prayer:

Dear St. Therese, I desire to be among the "little souls" that join your mission to love God with my whole being and to bring more souls to love Him as best I can.  I desire to be a victim of God's Merciful Love and to offer all of my sufferings joyfully to Him to prove my love, for my own holiness and for the salvation of many many souls.  Help me to be a little soul, as you were, and accept everything sent to me for the Glory of God.

I also recommend to you my special intentions in this Novena (Specify your intentions.)  To one who has suffered so much for Him, God will refuse nothing.

Our Father....  Hail Mary....  Glory Be....