Taken from “Pearls of Wisdom” by M. Susan Lautenbach

 I am not dying, I am entering into life.

How unhappy I shall be in heaven if I cannot do little favors for those whom I love…
If God answers my requests, my heaven will be spent on earth up until the end of the world…
Yes, I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.

I’m happy to die…because I shall be much more useful than I am now to the souls who are dear to me…
When my dear little brother leaves for Africa, I shall follow him not only in thought and in prayer; my soul will be with him forever.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

Our Prayer

Enlightened teacher ~
During your final months on earth,
you unfolded a new mystery of life after life.

With bold confidence,
you embraced the words and experience
of the Risen life of Jesus.

In so doing, you opened up a
deeper understand
of the blessing of Resurrection
and the communion of saints.

Your wisdom invites us to trust
that those who have gone before us,
walk with us daily,
in love and support.

On the final step of this journey of prayer…
open our hearts to this gift in our midst;
open our spirits to the mystery
of the Risen grace of Jesus,
in all who have lived and died in His love.