Product: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus
Rating: 5.0
Saint of the Little Way
Prepared for the 100th anniversary of her death, this film captures her life, spirit and spirituality. Filmed at the places asssociated with Therese Martin, known as the Little Flower, the viewer learns a great deal about her life and the experiences that were formative. Included are archival photos as well as segments shot inside the Carmel, the cloistered convent in which she died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Thanks to the fact that her sister brought a camera when she, too, entered the same convent, photographs exist of Therese and the community going about their everyday tasks like setting up for Mass or doing the laundry. Essentially, her spirituality as expressed in her landmark work THE STORY OF A SOUL suggests that not everyone is called to become a "big" saint like Joan of Arc, someone who would do great deeds. We are all called to holiness, an idea affirmed at the Second Vatican Council in the 1960's. Therese anticipated this in her little way, the idea that all of us can do smaller things in our everyday lives. When done out of love, these acts constitute our paths to perfection. St. Therese is one of only 4 women declared Doctors of the Church, and this film is an excellent source on information on her.