St. Thérèse and the Offering to Merciful Love: A proposition for all the baptized

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus:

Four Essential Stages of her Life in Christ

The third stage is… communion with the greatness of Jesus, the infinite greatness of his Divinity in the Trinity. It is the sense of the Offering to Merciful Love (9 June 1895), in the account of the final pages of Manuscript A (Ms A, 83v-84v), and in the Act of the Offering itself (Pri 6).

Here the Christocentrism of Thérèse becomes explicitly Trinitarian: to the love of the Father who gave his Son to Thérèse as Savior and Spouse, and who looks upon her and always loves her through the Face of Jesus, and in his Heart burning with love in the Fire of the Holy Spirit, Thérèse responds through the total gift of herself as “victim of holocaust” for the salvation of all: she offers herself to the Father through Christ in the Spirit, through the hands of Mary.

This Offering is central within the doctrine of Thérèse. It is her fundamental proposition of holiness for all the baptized. We also can say that it is at the heart of her theological methodology because this total gift of self to Jesus through Love is absolutely indispensable in order to know, in-depth, the Mystery of the Love of Jesus.

François-Marie Léthel, O.C.D.
La Lumière du Christ dans le Coeur de l’Église

The Offering to Merciful Love, reverse side of the prayer: “In order to live in one single act of perfect Love, I offer myself as a victim of holocaust to your merciful love” | See the complete photo at Archives du Carmel de Lisieux

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

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Quote of the day, 9 June: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

I desire, in a word, to be a saint, but I feel my helplessness and I beg You, O my God! to be Yourself my Sanctity!

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Prayer 6

Seeing how little God’s love was known on earth, she was inspired to offer herself as a victim to this merciful love. By this, she meant to offer her heart to God as a vast abyss, one she longed to see enlarged enough to contain all the flames of divine charity rejected by most people—and to be consumed by them unto death.

Before making this act of offering, she came to ask my permission, since I was prioress. As she made the request, her face was radiant; she appeared to be aflame with love. I granted her desire, though without much enthusiasm or appearing to attach great importance to it.

It was then that she composed the text of her offering, showed it to me, and asked that I have it reviewed by a theologian. Reverend Father Lemonnier, superior of the Missionaries of Notre-Dame de la Délivrande, examined it and replied that he found nothing contrary to the faith—though he advised changing the phrase “I feel in my heart infinite desires” to “I feel in my heart immense desires,” since a creature possesses nothing infinite.

Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus offered herself as a victim to Merciful Love on 9 June 1895. This Act of Oblation was later published as Prayer 6.

Only two novices knew about the offering: first, Sister Geneviève [Céline], then Sister Marie of the Trinity. The Servant of God explained to them the benefits of this offering and the glory it could give to God. They both made it themselves and received great spiritual benefits.

Sister Thérèse affirms that all “little souls”—those weak and imperfect souls—may aspire to become victims of love. This accessibility, in her view, is a consequence of the “little way of spiritual childhood.”

Mother Agnès of Jesus (Pauline Martin)

Testimony (excerpt), Apostolic Process

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Photographer photogolfer captures the rear triptych mosaic in the Basilica of St. Thérèse in Lisieux, France. In the central panel, St. Thérèse is shown seated in glory, radiating light over St. Peter’s Basilica—a posture that visually anticipates her 1997 proclamation as Doctor of the Church. She is flanked by four popes who advanced her cause:
– St. Pius X, who called her “the greatest saint of modern times”;
– Benedict XV, who deepened understanding of her “little way”;
– Pius XI, who canonized her and named her Patroness of the Missions; and
– Pius XII, who declared her secondary patroness of France.
Image credit: photogolfer / Adobe Stock. Asset ID#: 283908752

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
St. Thérèse believed the path of offering oneself to Merciful Love was open to “little souls.” How can we help one another recognize that even in weakness, we are capable of great love?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#ApostolicProcess #MotherAgnèsOfJesus #OfferingToMercifulLove #StThérèseOfLisieux #testimony