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

Jesus has been gracious enough to teach me a lesson about the mystery of the differences in souls, simply by holding up to my eyes, the book of nature. I understood how all the flowers God created are beautiful- how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away from the perfume of the violet or the simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wildflower.

And so it is in the world of souls… Jesus’ garden. He willed to create great souls comparable to lilies and roses, but he created small ones as well… and theses must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances, when he looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing God’s will… in being what He would have us be.

-St. Therese of Lisieux

Our Prayer

Little Flower of Understanding-
True to your Carmelite heritage,
You allowed the wisdom of Jesus
To be revealed through the
Beauty of God’s creation.

As the image of your garden unfolds,
And you gather and embrace
The unique quality of each blossom-
You challenge us to release,
From our own judgments,
A hierarchy of perfection
Among the human family.

Expand our hearts, Therese,
That we might be open
To the individual
Colors and textures,
Shapes and fragrances
That combine to make our communal
Gardens of faith.

Fill us with your grace,
That we might truly celebrate
The special way that God calls each of us
To complete the bouquet of life.