The Little Flower as Prophet

Not many people, even those most devoted to her, think of St. Therese of Liseux, the little flower, as a prophet.  This is not surprising when one recalls the many passages in her autobiography THE STORY OF A SOUL, wherein she tells of her love for nature, particularly flowers and birds.  She tells of the day out fishing with her dear Papa, " the beautiful blue sky became suddenly overcast and soon the thunder began to roll and the lightning to flash through the dark clouds. I saw it strike a short distance away and far from being frightened, I was thrilled with delight because God seem to be so close!..."(Pages 37 and 38 in the Autobiography Translation by John Clark, OCD., 1CS,1975).  Even more significant, is the passage wherein Therese tells of her growing love for learning.  She was in her early teens:  "I had always loved the great and the beautiful, but at this epoch in my life, I was taken up with an extreme desire for learning.  Not satisfied with the lessons and work my teacher was giving me, I applied myself to some special studies in history and science, and I did this on my own. The other studies left me indifferent, but these two subjects attracted all my attention -  in a few months, I acquired more knowledge than during my years of study.  Ah! - This was really only vanity and affliction of spirit.  The chapter in THE IMITATION, which speaks of knowledge came frequently to my mind..."  (page 101). 

 

 

Was it not these earlier impressions made by the very emphatically empirical, and materialistic science of her day (1873 through 1897), that prompted and allowed the holy ghost to show her at the end of her life, where that knowledge was to lead the world.   Darwin's ORIGIN, had shocked the cultural milleux - of Europe only some 14 years before she was born in 1859.  And so, during the August before her ecstatic death of love, September 30, Mother Agnes (her sister Pauline) has this entry in her notebook.  "one evening, in the infirmary, she was drawn to confide her troubles to me more than she usually did.  She had not yet opened up in this way - on this subject.  Up until then, I had known her trial of faith only vaguely.  (page 257 in LAST CONVERSATIONS).   I interject here, the comment that mother Agnes apparently relates the following words of St. Therese to Therese's trial of faith, not seeing the broader references to the world at large.  Also, not seeing the importance of these words themselves, she, Mother Agnes, failed to record the entire prophecy - for such it was.  These are the words of St. Therese, recorded by mother Agnes:

 

 

"If you only knew what frightful thoughts obsessed me.  Pray very much for me, in order that I do not listen to the devil, who wants to persuade me about so many lies.  It's the reasoning of the worst materialists, which is imposed upon my mind.  Later, unceasingly making new advances , science will explain everything naturally -  we shall have the absolute reason for everything that exists and that still remains a problem, because there remain very many things to be discovered, etc." - Apparently, Mother Agnes did not record the entire words concerning the discoveries of science, but we, in hindsight, can fill in the events she saw in vision. The words of Therese warn us of the atheism that the false science of evolutionism produces.  It is the fulfillment of what PASCENDI describes as the subjugation of faith to science - to what poses as true science.  St. Therese went on to say, as recorded by Mother Agnes - Finally, I offer up these very great pains to obtain the light of faith for poor unbelievers - for all those who separate themselves from the Church's beliefs.  Mother Agnes interjects,"she added that she never reasoned with these thoughts"  In other words, she did not attempt to argue with the devil, much less to dialogue with him, as Eve had done. Therese concludes,  I undergo them under duress,  but while undergoing them, I never cease making acts of faith."

 

 

So St. Therese, pray for us - who live in the darkness of this false science, that we too, never cease making acts of divine faith in all the truths of faith and of reason.