Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

by Thérèse of Lisieux

With me prayer is an uplifting of the heart; a glance towards heaven; a cry of gratitude and love, uttered equally in sorrow and in joy. In a word, it is something noble, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites it to God.

I am a very little soul, who can only offer very little things to Our Lord.

If we are to be the dwelling-place of Jesus, we must come down even to this--we must be so poor that we have not where to lay our heads.

let us rejoice in the lot that is ours!

when I am in this state of spiritual dryness, unable to pray, or to practise virtue, I look for little opportunities, for the smallest trifles, to please my Jesus: a smile or a kind word, for instance, when I would wish to be silent, or to show that I am bored. If no such occasion offer, I try at least to say over and over again that I love Him. This is not hard, and it keeps alive the fire in my heart.

My very weakness makes me strong.

I give thanks to my Jesus for making me walk in darkness, and in this darkness I enjoy profound peace.

There is no one to lean on apart from Jesus. He alone faileth not, and it is exceeding joy to think that He can never change.

God never inspires a longing which He cannot fulfill.