St. Therese of Lisieux viewed prayer as an outburst from the heart that unites the soul with God. She found prayer in simple expressions of love rather than formal words. Through prayer and sacrifice, including small, daily acts of love, she showed her devotion to God. In times of spiritual dryness when she could not produce good thoughts, simple prayers such as the Our Father and Hail Mary consoled her soul.

1. St. Therese of Lisieux
On Prayer

2. The first time I knew her
It was in 1997 ...

3. What prayer is
●
Prayer is, for me, an outburst from
the heart; it is a simple glance
darted upwards to Heaven; it is a
cry of gratitude and of love in the
midst of trial as in the midst of
joy! In a word, it is something
exalted, supernatural, which
dilates the soul and unites it to
God.

4. How to pray
●
I have not the courage to force myself to
seek beautiful prayers in books; not
knowing which to choose I act as
children do who cannot read; I say
quite simply to the good God what I
want to tell Him, and He always
understands me.
●
As I grew older I loved the good God
more and more, and very frequently
did I offer Him my heart, using the
words my mother had taught me. I
strove in all my actions to please
Jesus and was most watchful never to
offend Him.

5. Prayer and Sacrifice
●
My whole strength lies in
prayer and sacrifice, these
are my invincible arms; they
can move hearts far better
than words, I know it by
experience

6. Prayer and Sacrifice
●
How shall I show my love is proved by deeds? Well - the little child will
strew flowers...she will embalm the Divine Throne with their fragrance,
will sing with silvery voice the canticle of love.
●
Yes, my Beloved, it is thus that my life's brief day shall be spent before
Thee. No other means have I of proving my love than to strew flowers;
that is, to let no little sacrifice escape me, not a look, not a word, to avail
of the very least actions and do them for Love.

7. Prayer and Silence
"But what are you doing?" she
asked; "you should try to sleep."
"I cannot, dear Sister, I suffer too
much! then I pray..."
"And what do you say to Jesus?"
"I say nothing, I love Him!"

8. Her last words
●
looking at her crucifix:
"Oh!...I Love Him!...My
GOD,
I...LOVE...THEE!!!"

9. Dryness in prayer
●
Sometimes when I find myself,
spiritually, in dryness so
great that I cannot produce
a single good thought, I
recite very slowly a Pater or
an Ave Maria; these prayers
alone console me, they
suffice, they nourish my
soul.
●
But it is from the Gospels that I
find most help in the time of
prayer; from them I draw all
that I need for my poor soul.