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

Leonie, thinking she was too big to be playing with dolls, came to us with a basket full of dresses and pretty pieces… her doll was resting on top. Celine stretched out her hand and took a little ball of wool… After a moment’s reflection, I stretched out mine, saying, ‘I choose all!’

This little incident of my childhood is a summary of my whole life.I feel within me other vocations. I feel the vocation of THE WARRIOR, THE PRIEST, THE APOSTLE, THE DOCTOR, THE MARTYR. I feel within my soul the courage of the Crusader, the Papal Guard, and I would want to die on the field of battle in defense of the Church.
-St. Therese of Lisieux

Our Prayer

Daughter of life how full was your heart
with the breadth of all possibilities.
The sheer energy of your desire
is matchless in my experience.

You continued to “choose all”
as you grew in your ministry,
finally realizing that LOVE was the only vehicle
that would make your dream a reality.

You broke through boundaries
as you expressed your visions…
naming desires that few of us
have the courage to do!

In your journey, Therese,
I recognize my own inner call
to be more than current structures allow…
to break through systems that confine my gifts
and limits where God leads me.

Continue to –
Fill my mind with your vision…
bless my soul with your courage…
grace my heart with your desire.