Chapter

“Meet Thérèse of Lisieux 2.0, not your grandmother’s ‘Little Flower of Jesus.’ The authors peel away the baggage and barnacles present in so many devotional biographies of Thérèse to reveal a clear-headed, focused, and self-aware young woman whose spiritual journey becomes familiar and accessible. Using Thérèse’s own writings and a nuanced psycho-spiritual approach, the authors show how Thérèse comes to see, acknowledge, and name her ‘addictions,’ all the while resting and rejoicing in God’s boundless love. Thérèse’s Little Way is transformed from what many may have written off as a historical piety to a vibrant and doable spiritual practice. This young Doctor of the Church has something relevant to say to all of us!”

—Judith Ann Zielinski, OSF, Writer/ Producer/ Documentary filmmaker

“St. Thérèse of Lisieux is a wonderful companion for us as we seek a deeper intimacy with God and the realization of God’s unconditional love for us. Marisa Guerin and Br. Joseph Schmidt have provided a new resource for a friendship with Thérèse in that search for God.”

—Bishop Timothy Senior, Auxiliary Bishop of Philadelphia; rector, St. Charles Borromeo Seminary, Overbrook, Pennsylvania

“I consider my friend Br. Joe Schmidt, hands down, the world’s expert on Thérèse and her Little Way of nonviolent love. Thanks to Marisa Guerin, Br. Joe was able to complete this last testament, and it’s a masterpiece—just what we need!—Thérèse’s life lessons put into understandable teachings for these turbulent times. Here we find the concrete steps of ‘inner freedom, compassion, creativity, willingness, gratefulness and self-surrender’