The Catholic bulletin. [volume] (St. Paul, Minn.) 1911-1995, 1921-08-27
1.-THE LITTLE FLOWER. "

One marvels frequently at the
existence Of certain chosen friends
of God, of saints who adorned q
bygone day. They are viewed
as mysterious, far-off manifesto
tions Of the power of divine grace
The thought springs to the lips
Such wonderful lives are not lived
any more; they appeared in the
age of sanctity but are out o;
place in our modern life of cleo.
tricity, social service and great
wars.
Well, it is pleasant to know
that not all the types Of st
Aloysius or of St. Margaret Mary
are extinct. A few, perhaps very
few, but still some noble and ex
allied examples have come into the
world since their time. There
was, for example, the Cure of AIRS
then the sainted Gabriel the Pas.
sionist is a modern product. And
here we have practically in oul
own day the Venerable Sister
Teresa Of Lisieux, better known
to the world at large as The Lit
tie Flower Of Jesus. Before she
was fifteen this little girl tried to
be nun. In her eagerness, she
listened not to friendly advice tc
wait few years but approached
the Holy Father herself on the
subject. Well might she hurry tc
fulfill her desires, for she had but
nine more years to work out hel
plan Of sanctity.
Now Sister Teresa does not
breathe of the catacombs, of the
era of persecution, nor Of the
middle ages. She is Of our own
time. In the early '90's she was
winning her crown Of sanctity by
adhering to the rules Of simple.
ity and humility, Of charity and
modesty. America and Spain were
just preparing to settle some diff
ferences by the ordeal Of war:
Leo XIII was startling the world
and edifying the Church as the
Lion of Juda; ungrateful France
her France, was ejecting it's most
treasured possessions, the relig-
ious men and women dedicated to
God; men and women Of today
were attending school and college.
All this time little girl, buried
in the obscurity Of Carrnelite
convent in France, was getting
closer and closer to God. She was
treading the path marked by the
footsteps of such champions Of
heaven as Francis and Dominic
and Ignatius and the great ST..
Teresa: and she was walking erect
in sainted strength.
Consumption of the lungs at
tackled the little girl and she
quickly wilted and died, just as
many other little girls are dying
every year. Somehow, she made a
promise before leaving her sisters.
She said that she would return
and scatter roses upon the earth,
indicating that she would shower
special graces and favors upon her
clients. Rather a big promise for
a little girl who apparently never
had done anything remarkable.
Scarcely had she died, however,
when the roses began to fall. They
took all kinds Of shapes: mental
and physical ills fed at her re-
quest; favors in the temporal and
spiritual orders were multiplied
without number. She is not gone
twenty-five years, and already
the roses that have fallen cannot
be counted. their names alone
would fill large volumes. And
still they continue to fall. She
is not partial to France. Every
country on the globe sends in &C.
counts of their own particular
showers. What wonderful roses
they arel Such variety and fra
GRANGE and beauty. Only week
or two ago the Vicar of Chris
upon earth declared her Veneer
able, q title that is not acquired
4 : 81 8 x