The Plays of Saint Therese of Lisieux: Pious Recreations

by Thérèse of Lisieux

Over a period of about three years toward the end of her life, St. Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897) was asked by her Carmelite superiors to compose eight theatrical pieces for special occasions in her convent. She did not consider them mere trivial amusements. On the contrary, Therese invested herself wholeheartedly in the writing and performance of these little dramas, which provided a welcome opportunity to articulate her growing spiritual insights and share them with her religious community. Here we find echoes of her great themes, some where developed at greater length than anywhere else in her Mary of Nazareth and Joan of Arc, humility and the little way, confidence and love, and so much more.In the present volume, for the first time, all eight of her plays (or pious recreations, as they are sometimes called in the French) are published together in their entirety for English-speaking readers. They open a new window onto the message of the church's youngest Doctor. Also included is a masterful general introduction by the noted Theresian expert, Bishop Guy Gaucher, O.C.D., as well as individual introductions to each play explaining it in context and significance.

Genres: Catholic, Plays

360 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 1, 1992

About the author

Saint Thérèse de Lisieux or Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin, was a French Carmelite nun. She is also known as "The Little Flower of Jesus". She was canonized by the Roman Catholic Church May 17, 1925.

She felt an early call to religious life, and overcoming various obstacles, in 1888 at the early age of 15, became a nun and joined two of her older sisters in the enclosed Carmelite community of Lisieux, Normandy. After nine years as a Carmelite religious, having fulfilled various offices, such as sacristan and novice mistress, and having spent the last eighteen months in Carmel in a night of faith, she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. The impact of her posthumous publications, including her memoir The Story of a Soul was great, and she rapidly became one of the most popular saints of the twentieth century. Pope Pius XI made her the star of his pontificate. She was beatified in 1923, and canonized in 1925. The speed of this process may be seen by comparison with that applied to a great heroine of Thérèse, Joan of Arc, who died in 1431 but was not canonized until 1920. Thérèse was declared co-patron of the missions with Francis Xavier in 1927, and named co-patron of France with Joan of Arc in 1944. On 19 October 1997 Pope John Paul II declared her the thirty-third Doctor of the Church, the youngest of all Doctors of the Church, and only the third woman Doctor. Devotion to Thérèse has developed around the world.

Thérèse lived a hidden life and 'wanted to be unknown' yet through her writings—as well as her spiritual autobiography she left letters, poems, religious plays, prayers and various notes, and her last conversations were recorded by her sisters—and thanks to the photographs taken inside the Lisieux Carmel by her sister Céline, she became known to, and later seen by, millions of men and women. According to one of her biographers, Guy Gaucher, after her death, "Thérèse fell victim to an excess of sentimental devotion which betrayed her. She was victim also to her language, which was that of the late nineteenth century and flowed from the religiosity of her age." Thérèsè herself said on her death-bed : "I only love simplicity. I have a horror of pretence", and she spoke out against some of the Lives of saints written in her day :" We should not say improbable things, or things we do not know. We must see their real, and not their imagined lives." The critic Marina Warner observed that the excesses sometimes associated with her cult should not blind one to the heroism of her, "struggle to be good, and the radical affirmation of ordinary lives that her sainthood stands for."

The depth of her spirituality, of which she said "my way is all confidence and love," has inspired many believers. In the face of her littleness and nothingness, she trusted in God to be her sanctity. She wanted to go to Heaven by an entirely new little way. "I wanted to find an elevator that would raise me to Jesus." The elevator, she wrote, would be the arms of Jesus lifting her in all her littleness.

The Basilica of Lisieux is the second greatest place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes.

Reviews

[Keira Konson · Rating 4 out of 5]

brief little journey into the world of 19th century carmelite sister recreation. I love my major

[Claire]

St. Thérèse is my sister's patron saint. When I learned that she had written plays about St. Joan of Arc, who is MY patron saint, I immediately got my hands on a copy. It's just too cool. These are very nicely written! I've only read the Joan of Arc plays but I may check out the other ones at some point. Also, there are some very nice pictures of St Thérèse dressed up as Joan of Arc. So, I have now seen photos of my sister's saint cosplaying my saint. That is all. :)

[Ardens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Because Story of a Soul is so well known these other works of Therese can often get passed over. I think Therese's plays offer a good entry point for anyone who has finished Story of a Soul and wants to dive into more of her work. The themes expressed in her autobiography come through in these 8 "pious recreations" she wrote for her sisters at the Lisieux Carmel. I especially liked the short introductions to each play giving you the background and circumstances of how each work fits into Therese's life as a whole.

[Becca Brady · Rating 3 out of 5]

Despite my revulsion to novitiate plays, these scripts written by Therese are very theological rich in her unique spirituality- which specifically countered the Jansenism in her convent and widespread throughout France at the time.

[Ilya Kozlov · Rating 5 out of 5]

carmelite nuns have a long tradition staging plays on feast days.....started by st teresa of avila.....theatre......inside of monastery.....roles of saints performed by saints.....

[Catherine Corman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Jailer to St. Joan of Arc:

Before you leave, do you want to put back on the white dress you asked for, to wear to your death?

-St. Therese of Lisieux, Joan of Arc: Accomplishing Her Mission