Walter and Amy explore the deeper aspects of St. Thérèse’s spirituality related to the problem of suffering. Whether it was losing her parents at a young age, enduring the loneliness of rejection, or her own physical suffering, Thérèse bore her crosses with equanimity and even joy. Join Walter and Amy’s discussion of this perennial mystery: Why does Christ allow us to suffer? What purpose does it serve in our sanctification? How can we redeem our experiences of pain and rejection in order to live a more Christ-like life?
Reflective Questions
* Have you watched a loved one suffer? What did you experience?
* Have you felt insignificant or unnoticed? What can you learn from the life of St. Thérèse?
Reading
* This episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 9 and 10
* Next episode: Heather King’s Shirt of Flame, Chapters 11 and 12
Prayer
Lord, when the world tells me I am nothing, help me to remember that you are not of the world. When everything I do turns to ashes, help me to remember to turn to you. When everywhere I turn is a blank wall, help me to see your face. When I feel like an orphan, help me to remember that you are my Father. When I feel like a frightened bird in a dead universe, help me to remember that love reigns eternal. When I feel like I’m being stripped down to nothing, help me to know that you are especially near.
Resources
* Heather King’s Shirt of Flame: A Year with St. Thérèse of Lisieux
* Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Novena (traditionally July 7th-16th)
* Dorothy Day and the Catholic Worker Movement
Hosts: Walter Emerson and Amy ChaseContact: podcast@heroic-hearts.comFollow us on Instagram! heroic2hearts
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