I have never really figured out pinterest, goodreads, and certainly not facebook, to name a few. I'm not sure what snapchat and instragram are exactly (or even inexactly). But I do have a new favorite online place, and I'm grateful that whoever tracks my whereabouts from one rabbit hole to the next (hello google elves! give my love to papa google!) seems to know that I have recently discovered and would like to be redirected frequently to sotheby's.com.

My dad had this darling habit of not being able to correctly pronounce half a dozen English words (his first language was Arabic, second was French, third Spanish, so English was fourth - unless it was third and Spanish was fourth, but you get the idea). One of them was "Southern" which he always pronounced "South-ern." For those of you reading who were (or are) homeschooled, the correct American pronunciation is typically Suthern, like butter, only without that delicious creaminess. And so, like him, I wanted to call this website I found, "South-bees," but my husband, highly  amused, somewhat condescendingly explained it was pronounced Suth-a-bees. That "th" is hard, too, like mother (only we are soft, let's hope).

But my point is: Did you know you can buy gorgeous art - real master paintings - from auction houses online? This is important info because I love gifts - giving and receiving - and in case any of you billionaires (or even millionaires) reading our musings also love gifts - especially giving them - please be sure to check out sotheby's to find the latest in tokens of gratitude to send Marcel and me!

On a more serious note (or rather a more specific note), the painting at the top of our post was sold at auction last April. I know, I know, it makes one wonder if all our priorities are skewed. What were you doing last April? My birthday is in April, and so are the birthdays of many people I love, including a relatively new friend (only known and adored her for about six years) named April. Very recently I found out her birthday was in April (others might be quicker on the draw, but I say that slow dawns can be the most beautiful), and in particular on April 7, my very birthday too! A twin! (The year was different, but who's counting?)

Clearly I (we?) should have been on this auction. What a great birthday present this painting would have made, either for me or anyone I know. Preferably someone who lives close so that I could go visit my present frequently. Although I ought to have learned my lesson long ago about giving gifts I want to play with. One of the funniest (and most challenging at the time) social situations I've ever been in - okay, let's just say Awkward - was when, as a little girl, I got to go to Bonnie Shebl's birthday party. (The names have not been changed to protect the innocent because in case Bonnie ever comes across our musings, I'd like to take this opportunity to apologize hugely!). I gave her the best kind of gift - that is, one I wanted terribly myself. It was a  . . . heavens to murgatroyd, I can't think of the name. Hold on. Everyone think hard. Send me your guardian angel (can that work outside of time?) . . . You know those things that are in parades and you toss up in the air (if you're lucky and talented)? A stick - aha, a baton! Not a conductor's baton, but I gave her a silver baton with two white knobs, one on each end. Does anyone love batons anymore??

We were at Mickey's Grove for her birthday party, and after Bonnie opened her gifts, we were playing. I asked to play with the baton and promptly flipped it (very accidentally!) into the lake. Hmmmm. Awkward. 

But no need to worry about old embarrassing episodes when there are possibly new ones on the horizon! If you haven't read The Paradise Project (click on the tile to have to opportunity to buy it instantly! We just love distributism over here, and that link is the fastest way we know to distribute laughter), or if you haven't read it recently, you'll find in it many such episodes which our heroine overcomes with grace, or at least with rueful wistfulness, and I like to think this means that said episodes in my own life have borne fruit beyond counting. (Ewoks come to mind.)

Marcel and I thought we'd talk about How to Pray today, and somehow we've been looking sadly into Mickey Grove's lake (yes, I'm not sure where that possessive goes) . . .But whatever happened next that fateful day, I know we all got over it, and happily, batons are no longer a big birthday gift so that very particular episode is unlikely to recur in post-post-post modern life (I forget how many posts we've achieved!). Especially if we win the lottery and start giving our friends paintings by the old masters, we won't have to worry about them falling into lakes (I hope!), so let's get praying. Although I do want to add that while I've known people who told me they were praying (or wanted me to pray) that they'd win the lottery, I suggest other intentions (like Bosco's healing, since he's still suffering) because studies show that lottery winners aren't (please sit down to take in this news) happier once they're rich. My goodness. What a deceptive world we live in!

But back to our painting above, here is what Sotheby's says (and it is already sold, so you won't be tempted to blow your grocery money, pin money, rainy day money, or house fund!):

Lot Details
Description
Property from a European Private Collection
Workshop Giuseppe Maria Crespi
Bologna 1665 - 1747
The Holy Family with Saint Joachim, Saint Anne, Saint Elisabeth and Saint John the Baptist
oil on canvas
unframed: 90.5 x 71.2 cm.; 35⅝ x 28 in.
framed: 92.7 x 73.4 cm.; 36½ x 28⅞ in.
Condition Report
Provenance
M. Stepanoff, Paris, 1928;
Alessandro Pepoli, Bologna, 1935;
Raisini collection, Milan;
F. Mont, New York, 1948;
Acquired by the father of the present owner.

Literature
M.P. Merriman, Giuseppe Maria Crespi, Milan 1980, p. 256, no. 72, reproduced fig. 72 (as location unknown).

Catalogue Note
A workshop version based on the prime painting by Giuseppe Maria Crespi, today in the Pushkin Museum, Moscow.

*  *  *

I don't know about you, but when I see "Acquired by the father of the present owner," I'm afraid the father of the present owner, or rather the father of the owner who sold this on Sotheby's, was too involved with art collecting and not enough involved with teaching his son the importance of beauty. Oh former present owner, what in the world could you have wanted more than to stare at this painting until it was time for Heaven when you could stare at the originals???

Let's give him the benefit of the doubt and imagine he had sold absolutely everything else, and now needed to sell this painting to have money to take care of his aging father (destitute due to his desire to own and gaze upon this painting after a lifetime of laying bricks and sweeping walkways, a humble but admirable profession that didn't make him enough money to both buy this painting and save in a 501k, if that's what you save in for retirement).

Sigh.
(It should be noted that all our sighs are sighs of love. Jesus taught Marcel that, and he taught us. That way none are wasted.)

And yet hooray! Hooray that the google elves took me to sotheby's.com when I was looking for an image of St. Anne. We might have spent this earthly exile without ever seeing that painting, even just on the internet, and now how rich we are! And also how ready to learn to pray!

I had originally subtitled our blog post "Part 1 of 800" but realized that might lead to difficulties.

1. You, my gentle reader, might be discouraged. 800 lessons in prayer? Not good!
2. Even I, "chatty Cathy," as my mother once called me, might have a hard time fulfilling my promise.

You never know if 800 posts are in your future, or if you'll get bored before writing post #374 on one particular topic.

Hence the edited implication that there may be more to say on prayer than will be said here and now, yet without any clear indication just how much more we might eventually say. I do admit that many a time I've been reading Marcel's Conversations and laughing and rejoicing in the brilliant (and EASY) methods of prayer employed, taught, and recommended therein by Jesus, Mary, Therese, and Marcel himself. Thus the "Part 1" - I'd hate to limit us to what I might tell you in the following paragraphs . . . Marcel always has more to say, and my job is to get his words to you, although today we'll be seeing a lot more of Therese's words than Marcel's. No matter, they are both Jesus' Little Flowers . . .

And so, on prayer.

First off, I was going to start a novena today. Well, two novenas. This is a way to pray that I love. You find a saint, blessed, or generally holy person who has gone before us to the real Promised Land of Heaven, and you start asking. Ask 9 times (that's related in Latin to "novena") - usually you ask for 9 days, like the Apostles and disciples did in the upper room for those 9 days (the first novena) leading up to Pentecost. Sometimes, though, I like Mother Teresa's hint that if you're in a hurry, just ask 9 times quickly. She used to say the Memorare nine times in a row, and then add a Hail Mary in thanksgiving, since she knew Our Lady would take care of the needs of the poorest of the poor.

Aha! That's already two ways to pray!

1. Nine times in a row, ask a saint for help - that is, ask your prayer partner in Heaven to climb up on God's lap and cajole Him into giving us what we need (or want).

2. Better yet, make that person you ask Mary, and you will be asking Our Blessed Mother (Jesus said from the cross to John, His beloved disciple, "Behold your mother," and to Mary, "Behold your son" - that applies to us too!). Well, since she is His Blessed Mother also, she doesn't have to climb onto the lap of God. Little Jesus is already snuggling on her lap . . . or playing . . . Just look again at the photo above!

Which brings us to the third way to pray:

3. Holy Mother Teresa of Avila recommended always going to prayer with a picture of Jesus and a book. The picture is to keep you focused at least a little, and remind you how wonderful He is and how much He loves you. The book is so that you might have something to raise your mind, as well as your heart, to God. Except she wouldn't have said "raise" because she was really big on our recognizing that He is right here with us.

Which brings us to 4 more ways to pray:

4. Go into a church and pray in the Real Presence of Jesus - Body, Blood, Soul and Divinity - in the Blessed Sacrament.

5. Read some Elizabeth of the Trinity to learn about the Holy Trinity indwelling in us.

6. Open the Sacred Scriptures to the Psalms, the Song of Songs, the Gospels - any book you like! Let God speak to you in His love letters to us.

7. My favorite: Just talk to Jesus! He's your best friend and so curious what you'll say. Okay, yes, He is God as well as man, and He surely knows what you're going to say. But He's delighted by your reaction to what you say, and that won't happen unless you say it! For instance, let's start now. Here's a practice run at prayer from me at this moment (just as an example, but think of it like Mad Libs and supply your own nouns, adjectives, verbs, etc.).

Dear Jesus - I'm so hungry! Should we get breakfast? Oh, yes, I should finish this post first. Weren't we going to talk about St. Anne? I know I know hardly anything about her, but really, Love, aren't I the one typing? You're playing with Marcel and Therese and making me do all the work. Yes, I know it isn't hard. But let's finish so we can eat!

If you are less than edified or inspired by this prayer (or if it doesn't apply to your situation, being as you might have already had breakfast), please recall that this blog is Miss Marcel's Musings because Marcel is our muse. He is often hungry and talking to Jesus about food. Perhaps this is why I feel such a bond with our little brother! They say great minds think alike, but little minds think alike too.

Which reminds me of more solid food I have for you today. I was reading some Thoughts of St. Therese this morning that I wanted to share with you. No wonder she's a Doctor of the Church - she not only sees the truth, but she expresses it wonderfully. These thoughts are on confidence, and they fit into "how to pray" because it is not much fun to pray without confidence, whereas when we have confidence (even shaky confidence buttressed by our little sister's words), prayer can be super fun. If you haven't noticed this yourself, I won't say "try it!" because I hate to put you through the ordeal of praying without confidence. Trust me, it's a lot more pleasant to pray with confidence! Like asking someone for a favor, or telling someone you love him. If you start with the conviction that the other loves you, or even just likes you, your delivery is much more a thing of joy! But let's hear St. Therese explain it.

The following passages are from a collection compiled by Therese's sister and novice Celine (Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face in the Lisieux Carmel with Therese). My copy is titled, "Thoughts of Souer Therese of the Child Jesus" but that's only because this very old book was given to me by a priest friend who found himself charmed by my over-the-top silliness. I think he hoped I would use this book to spread devotion to St. Therese - and look how smart he was! But the great thing is that TAN kept this book in print for a long time (maybe still does) under the title "Thoughts of St. Therese" and you can at least get it digitally for very cheap. BUT WAIT! I'm going to give you the best pages right here and now, so no worries about fetching the rest of the book (which features such less interesting chapters as "Suffering"). Without further ado, here is Therese. Since Celine gathered these gems from the treasure chest of Therese's written words, you'll find references to her specific writings after each excerpt.

CONFIDENCE

"Believing that I was born for glory, and seeking the means to attain to it, it was revealed to me interiorly that my glory would never be visible to mortal eyes but would consist in becoming a saint. This desire might well seem presumptuously bold, considering how imperfect I was, and how imperfect I am still after so many years in religion; and yet I feel ever the same audacious confidence of becoming a great saint. I count not on my merits, having none; but I trust in Him who is Virtue and Holiness itself. He alone it is who, satisfied with my feeble efforts, will raise me up even unto Himself, will clothe me with His merits and make me a saint." (Story of a Soul)

"Ours is an age of inventions: nowadays, with the rich a lift [an elevator] saves the trouble of climbing the stairs. And I, fain would I too find a lift to bear me up unto God, for I am too little to climb the rugged steps of perfection.

"Then I turned to the Holy Scriptures, seeking from them an indication of this lift, the object of my desires; and I read these words which have issued from the very mouth of the Eternal Wisdom: 'Whosoever is a VERY LITTLE ONE, let him come to me.' (Prov 9:4). Then I drew nigh unto God divining truly that I had discovered what I sought: wishing however to know what He would do with the very little one, I continued my research and here is what I found: 'You shall be carried at the breast and upon the knees; as one whom the mother caresses so will I comfort you.' (Isaiah 46: 12, 13)

"Ah, never came words more sweet, more tender, to gladden my soul. Thine arms, then, O Jesus, are the lift which must raise me up even unto Heaven! For this I need not grow, on the contrary I must remain little, I must ever tend to become yet more little. O my God, Thou hast gone beyond my expectations, and I - I will sing Thy mercies! 'Thou hast taught me, O God from my youth: and till now I have declared Thy wondrous works. And unto old age and grey hairs' will I proclaim them." (Story of a Soul)

"Since it has been given to me too, to understand the love of the Heart of Jesus, I own that it has chased all fear from mine! The remembrance of my faults humiliates me, and urges me never to depend upon my own strength which is nothing but weakness: still more does this remembrance speak to me of mercy and of love. When, with all filial confidence we cast our faults into the devouring furnace of love, how should they not be totally consumed?" (from a letter to her missionary brothers)

"Though we must needs be pure indeed to appear in the presence of the God of all Holiness, yet I know too that He is infinitely just; and this justice which affrights so many souls is the ground of my joy and my confidence. Justice not merely exercises severity towards the offender; it moreover recognizes a right intention, and awards to virtue its recompense. I hope as much from the Justice of the good God as from His Mercy; it is because He is just, that 'He is compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy. For He knows our frame. He remembers that we are but dust. As a father has compassion on His children, so has the Lord compassion on us!' (Psalm 103: 8, 13, 14)

"Listening to these beautiful and consoling words of the Royal Prophet, how can we doubt but that the good God will open the portals of His Kingdom to His children who have loved Him . . .

"That is what I think of the justice of the good God; my way is all confidence and love, I do not understand those souls who fear so tender a Friend." (Letter to her missionary brother)

"What joy to think that God is just, that is to say, that He takes our weakness into consideration, that He thoroughly knows the frailty of our nature. Of what then, should I be afraid? Must not the good and infinitely just God, who with such tender mercy deigns to pardon the Prodigal Son, must He not be just towards me too - 'who am always with Him' (Luke 15:31)?'" (Story of a Soul)

"I want to make you understand by a very simple comparison how much Jesus loves souls, even the imperfect, who trust in Him. Suppose the father of two wayward and disobedient children, coming to punish them, sees one tremble and draw away from him in terror; while the other, on the contrary, throwing himself into his arms, says he is sorry, promises to be good henceforward and begs for a kiss as punishment. Do you think the delighted father will withstand the filial confidence of this child? He knows nevertheless that his son will fall again many a time into the same faults, but he is disposed to pardon him always, if always there be an appeal to his heart." (Letter to her missionary brother)

"Truly I am far from being a saint. I ought not to rejoice at the aridity of my soul, but attribute it to the scantiness of my fervour and fidelity. I ought to grieve because I fall asleep very often during my prayer and my thanksgiving. Well, I do not grieve! I reflect that little children when they sleep are as pleasing to their parents as when they are awake; that in order to perform operations, doctors put their patients to sleep; in fine, that 'the Lord knows our frame, He remembers that we are but dust.' (Psalm 103: 14) (Story of a Soul)

*   *   *

I could comment on these passages all day (in fact, you might say that's what I do for a living), but here I want to mention only one thing. Did you notice her hilarious sauciness in that last excerpt? Here it is:

"I ought to grieve because I fall asleep very often during my prayer . . . Well, I do not grieve!"

And then she give a spirited and convincing defense. She doesn't grieve because sleeping pleases parents. If you are a parent or if you've had a younger sibling, you know well how blessed the time is when that wailing babe finally falls asleep. Hush! Nobody breathe! The baby is finally asleep. Oh look. She is beautiful when she's sleeping. We can love her some more now that she's giving us a respite!

I buy it! And her point is that God does too. Which brings us back to her previous point that when Jesus directs us to little children as our models, we can take that as far as we want. Phyllis McGinley once said that saints are the ones who take Jesus literally. Let's take him literally when he says to be like kids. Enjoy those sweets and treats! Laugh when something is funny! Fall asleep when you are tired . . . And when you've been naughty, admit it with kisses. Don't just kiss Him on His feet. Go to His face and cover Him with kisses from His brow, to His nose, to His chin! Make Him laugh and He will forget your misdeeds. They are all small to Him because His love is HUGE! Therese used to call Pranzini her "firstborn" and she said he was very naughty. She was speaking of a terrible man, but she was confident God had heard her prayer to save this sinner, and she was also sure that He would see (as even she could) that in this life, sometimes we do really stupid things because we are really stupid! What do you expect from dust?

Our sister is the little one about whom Jesus spoke in the gospel this week at Mass. We are in Matthew chapter 11 for our daily Mass gospels, and wow, I love Our Lord's prayer to HIs Father there. If you have a chance, go re-read His consoling words on the Father's revealing mysteries to little ones, and His even more consoling invitation for us to come to Him and rest on Him . . .

It's true, I'd love to comment all day on Therese's wisdom, but we need to get to those novenas I've been thinking about . . .

I recently discovered St. Anne, or rather had her foisted on me by a great lover of hers. If we start with Jesus and look at those who loved Him, first we find Mary and Joseph. They make with Jesus an adorable holy family, and we could sit for hours contemplating their familial love and affection - if we didn't fall asleep or spend most of our waking hours wondering what's to eat next. (Do you ever feel like Winnie the Pooh? Maybe it's just me . . .)

But if we go back before Mary holding baby Jesus, we find St. Anne holding Mary when she (Mary) was a baby herself. Joachim and Anne are the parents of Our Blessed Mother, and that makes them our grandparents. I can't do the whole "if your dad is cousins with my dad, then that makes us first cousins once removed" - okay, I think I just did, but I can't do it much, or with that confidence we're trying to promote today. But I can do, "If you're my mom, and she's your mom, then she's my grandma!" And that's where St. Anne comes in. She is the grandmother of Jesus, and since he is our brother (to look at it from another angle) than she is our grandma too!

Incidentally, I just found out this past weekend that "Situ" (sit-oo) which I always thought was grandma in Arabic, is really great grandma, and "Tita" (tite-ah) is grandma. Well. It just goes to show that family weddings can be a lot of fun, especially if you get to sit with long lost cousins whose heritage, like yours (or rather like mine in this case) goes back through Venezuela to Lebanon. What a wonderful world!

Perhaps due to all these glorious weddings, I have a tendency lately to think about doing novenas rather late in the day, and late in the 9 days running up to a feast as well. St. Joachim and Anne are now both celebrated (in the new calendar) on July 26 (which used to be just St. Anne, but I sure like to keep these married couples together), which leaves us from now - wait while I count on my fingers - about 7 days for our novena. So how about we pray our prayer 3 times today for a running start, and then we can keep going with once a day for a total of 9 somewhere in or around their feast.

What prayer shall we say?

I figured I'd adapt an old favorite. That way we don't have to spend the morning starving and wandering the desert of the internet looking for sustenance (or a good prayer). I'm going to copy it in three times below, so we get our first 3 prayers in. If you're wondering why we're multiplying words when Jesus said not to, I refer you to a lovely verse from the prophet Hosea that floated back into the liturgy and my consciousness last week. I'll give you the verses that surround it too, since they're all spectacular, but I like the emboldened one in particular:

"Return, O Israel, to the Lord your God,
for you have stumbled because of your iniquity. 
Take with you words, and return to the Lord;
say to Him, 'Take away all iniquity,
accept that which is good, 
and we will render the fruit of our lips.
Assyria shall not save us, 
we will not ride upon horses,
and we will say no more, "Our God,"
to the work of our hands.
In Thee the orphan finds mercy.'"  (Hosea 14)

So now, taking with us words, let's return to the image presented above of little Jesus in Mary's arms, with St. Anne looking lovingly on them both.

Dear St. Anne, attend to us too. Little Jesus is having so much fun, but some of us are suffering today. Turn your gaze upon us and then whisk up little Jesus into your grandmotherly arms and whisper in his sweet ear our petitions, our needs, our intentions, and the needs of all those we love (and of all those in need, which should cover absolutely everyone).

Novena to St. Anne:

Blessed Grandmother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care. Make their way easy and their labors fruitful. Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall. Amen.

(And for our first day, catching up on the days we forgot to start) -

Blessed Grandmother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care. Make their way easy and their labors fruitful. Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall. Amen.

Blessed Grandmother of those whose names you can read in my heart, watch over them with every care. Make their way easy and their labors fruitful. Dry their tears if they weep; sanctify their joys; raise their courage if they weaken; restore their hope if they lose heart, their health if they be ill, truth if they err, and repentance if they fall. Amen.

*  *  *

While we're here, I wanted to start a novena to Blessed Solanus Casey too. We love him, and there will be plenty of time to talk about him in later posts, but if we start our novena to him now, we'll have plenty of days to skip or forget before his feast, or we can make up for all the years when it never occurred to us to turn to him. And oh, what a wonderful benefactor to turn to! Since he spent much of his priestly life humbly serving as the porter, or door-opener, for the Capuchin Franciscans in Detroit, he is no doubt standing with Padre Pio - a fellow Capuchin Franciscan who promised to stand at the gate of Heaven till all his spiritual children had entered - at the Door of doors. Why don't we pray to them together?!

Novena to Solanus Casey and Padre Pio (asking them to send their angels to help us too)

Dear Blessed Solanus and Padre Pio,
You were both so fatherly on earth, we can't imagine you any less fatherly now that you're in Heaven. You loved Jesus like crazy - share your love for Him and His Blessed Mother with us. Give us a love of the Rosary and teach us, remind us, instill in us that saint-making habit you had of thanking God ahead of time. We give you all our needs, we ask your intercession for the intentions commended to us and all those for whom we've promised to pray. When you were on earth, you both heard so many petitions and by God's infinitely tender compassion you were allowed to "do miracles," You told God what people needed, and He answered with healings galore. Tell him now about the miracles we need and bring them to us quickly. Send them to us with your angels. We are so little, so poor, so distracted and so dumb. Be our advocates. Remember what we have forgotten and ask Our Lady and St. Joseph to help you ask little Jesus. Bring us, then, from Heaven, all sorts of treats! Bring us miraculous healings, reconciliations, an outpouring of wisdom, peace, joy, and confidence. Finally, bring us Jesus. Don't let us go away without Him, and teach us to thank Him always for everything. We ask this through His adorable name. Amen.

*   *   *

I was going to ask for cupcakes, but you might prefer a glass of wine (ugh), a gin and tonic (yum), or a slice of chocolate cake! I did say "treats" so hopefully they got the idea!

Today is also the Feast (even the Solemnity for some Carmelites) of St. Elijah.
May he and his raven keep you hydrated and fed - spiritually as well as materially! 
Even I admit it's a bit late for a novena leading up to his feast. and I hate to add more prayers lest we feel like he did, wilting under the broom tree . . . Instead, let's say a quick prayer to this awesome prophet who got to visit with Jesus in His Transfiguration, and then we'll close with our Song of Songs prayer - right before we eat!

St. Elijah, our father in Carmel, please give us a double portion of your spirit!

​Draw me; we will run!

Happy Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel!

The readings at Holy Mass have been so rich lately, and today's feast is no exception. 
For Carmelites like St. Therese, today is a solemnity, and I can't think of a better way to start this special day than to offer the liturgical readings from the Mass that Carmelites around the world will experience.

SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Entrance Antiphon: The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon; they shall see the glory of the Lord, and the splendor of our God. (Isaiah 33:2)

Let us pray that Our Lady of Mount Carmel may intercede for us, her children. Father, may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Carmel, protect us and bring us to your holy Mountain, Christ our Lord, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, for ever and ever. Amen

A reading from the first book of Kings (1 Kings 18:42b-25a).

Elijah climbed to the top of Carmel and bowed down to the earth, putting his face between his knees. ‘Now go up,’ he told his servant ‘and look out to sea,’ He went up and looked. ‘There is nothing at all,’ he said. ‘Go back seven times,’ Elijah told said. The seventh time, the servant said, ‘Now there is a cloud, small as a man’s hand, rising from the sea.’ Elijah said, ‘Go and say to Ahab, “Harness the chariot and go down before the rain stops you.”’ And with that the sky grew dark with cloud and storm, and rain fell in torrents.

RESPONSORIAL PSALM (15: 1, 2-3, 4)

R. Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we shall follow in your footsteps.

Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent
and dwell on your holy mountain?

R. Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we shall follow in your footsteps.

He who walks without fault; he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart.

R. Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we shall follow in your footsteps.

He who does not slander with his tongue;
he who does no wrong to his brother,
who casts no slur against his neighbor.

R. Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we shall follow in your footsteps.

He who holds the godless in disdain,
but honors those who fear the Lord.

R. Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; we shall follow in your footsteps.


A reading from the Letter of Saint Paul to the Galatians (4:4 -7)

Brothers and Sisters: When the fullness of time had come, God sent His Son, born of a woman, born under the law, to ransom those under the law, so that we might receive adoption as sons. As proof that you are sons, God sent the Spirit of His Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!” So you are no longer a slave but a son, and if a son then also an heir, through God. 

ALLELUIA
R. Alleluia, alleluia. 
Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

A reading from the holy Gospel according to John (19:25-27)

Standing by the cross of Jesus were His mother and His mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw His mother and the disciple there whom He loved, He said to His mother, “Woman, behold, your son.” Then He said to the disciple, “Behold, your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his home.

*   *   *

When St. Therese was a little girl, her papa used to read to the family each evening from Dom Gueranger's Liturgical Year. Here is what he read to them on today's feast:

When on the holy day of Pentecost the Apostles, through heavenly inspiration, spoke diverse tongues and worked many miracles by the invocation of the most holy name of Jesus, it is said that many men who were walking in the footsteps of the holy prophets Elias and Eliseus [Elijah and Elisha], and had been prepared for the coming of Christ by the preaching of John the Baptist, saw and acknowledged the truth, and at once embraced the faith of the Gospel.

These new Christians were so happy as to be able to enjoy familiar intercourse with the Blessed Virgin, and venerated her with so special an affection, that they, before all others, built a chapel to the purest of Virgins on that very spot of Mount Carmel where Elias of old had seen the cloud, a remarkable type of the Virgin ascending.

Many times each day they came together to the new oratory, and with pious ceremonies, prayers, and praises honoured the most Blessed Virgin as the special protectress of their Order. For this reason, people from all parts began to call them the Brethren of the Blessed Mary of Mount Carmel; and the Sovereign Pontiffs not only confirmed this title, but also granted special indulgences to whoever called either the whole Order or individual Brothers by that name.

But the most noble Virgin not only gave them her name and protection, she also bestowed upon Blessed Simon the Englishman the holy Scapular as a token, wishing the holy Order to be distinguished by that heavenly garment and to be protected by it from the evils that were assailing it. Moreover, as formerly the Order was unknown in Europe, and on this account many were importuning Honorius III for its abolition, the loving Virgin Mary appeared by night to Honorius and clearly bade him receive both the Order and its members with kindness.


The Blessed Virgin has enriched the Order so dear to her with many privileges, not only in this world, but also in the next (for everywhere she is most powerful and merciful). For it is piously believed that those of her children, who, having been enrolled in the Confraternity of the Scapular . . . will be consoled by our Lady while they are being purified in the fire of Purgatory, and will through her intercession be taken thence as soon as possible to the heavenly country. The Order, thus laden with so many graces, has ordained that this solemn commemoration of the Blessed Virgin should be yearly observed forever, to her greater glory. 


Towering over the waves on the shore of the Holy Land, Mount Carmel, together with the short range of the same name, forms a connecting link to two other chains, abounding with glorious memories, namely: the mountains of Galilee on the north, and those of Judea on the south.


When Eternal Wisdom was playing in the world, forming the hills and establishing the mountains, she destined Carmel to be the special inheritance of Eve’s victorious Daughter. And when the last thousand years of expectation were opening, and the desire of all nations was developing into the spirit of prophecy, the father of prophets ascended the privileged mount, thence to scan the horizon. The triumphs of David and the glories of Solomon were at an end; the scepter of Juda, broken by the schism of the ten tribes, threatened to fall from his hand; the worship of Baal prevailed in Israel. A long-continued drought, figure of the aridity of men’s souls, had parched up every spring, and men and beasts were dying beside the empty cisterns, when Elias the Thesbite gathered the people, representing the whole human race, on Mount Carmel, and slew the lying prophets of Baal. Then, as the Scripture relates, prostrating with his face to the earth, he said to his servant: Go up, look towards the sea. And he went up, and looked and said: There is nothing. And again he said to him: Return seven times. And at the seventh time: Behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot. (1 Kings l8)


Blessed cloud! unlike the bitter waves from which it sprang, it was all sweetness. Docile to the least breath of heaven, it rose light and humble, above the immense heavy ocean; and, screening the sun, it tempered the heat that was scorching the earth, and restored to the stricken world life and grace and fruitfulness. The promised Messiah, the Son of Man, set His impress upon it, showing to the wicked serpent the form of the heel that was to crush him. The prophet, personifying the human race, felt his youth renewed; and while the welcome rain was already refreshing the valleys, he ran before the chariot of the king of Israel.

Thus did he traverse the great plain of Esdrelon, even to the mysteriously-named town of Jezrahel, where, according to Osee, the children of Juda and Israel were again to have but one head, in the great day of Jezrahel (i.e., of the seed of God), when the Lord would seal His eternal nuptials with a new people. (Hosea 1:11, 2:14-24)

Later on, from Sunam, near Jezrahel, the mother, whose son was dead, crossed the same plain of Esdrelon, in the opposite direction, and ascended Mount Carmel, to obtain from Eliseus the resurrection of her child, who was a type of us all. (2 Kings 4:8-37) Elias had already departed in the chariot of fire, to await the end of the world, when he is to give testimony, together with Henoch, to the son of her that was signified by the cloud; (Apocalypse 11:3, 7) and the disciple, clothed with the mantle and the spirit of his father, had taken possession, in the name of the sons of the prophets, of the august mountain honored by the manifestation of the Queen of prophets.

Henceforward Carmel was sacred in the eyes of all who looked beyond this world. Gentiles as well as Jews, philosophers and princes, came here on pilgrimage to adore the true God; while the chosen souls of the Church of the expectation, many of whom were already wandering in deserts and in mountains, (Hebrews 11:38) loved to take up their abode in its thousand grottoes; for the ancient traditions seemed to linger more lovingly in its silent forests, and the perfume of its flowers foretokened the Virgin Mother. The cultus of the Queen of heaven was already established; and to the family of her devout clients, the ascetics of Carmel, might be applied the words spoken later by God to the pious descendants of Rechab: There shall not be wanting a man of this race, standing before me forever. (Jeremiah 35:19)


At length figures gave place to the reality: the heavens dropped down their dew, and the Just One came forth from the cloud. When His work was done and He returned to his Father, leaving His blessed Mother in the world, and sending His Holy Spirit to the Church, not the least triumph of that Spirit of love was the making known of Mary to the new-born Christians of Pentecost.

“What a happiness,” we then remarked, “for those neophytes who were privileged above the rest in being brought to the Queen of heaven, the Virgin-Mother of him who was the hope of Israel! They saw this second Eve, they conversed with her, they felt for her that filial affection wherewith she inspired all the disciples of Jesus. The Liturgy will speak to us at another season of these favored ones.”

The promise is fulfilled today. In the lessons of the feast the Church tells us how the disciples of Elias and Eliseus became Christians at the first preaching of the Apostles, and being permitted to hear the sweet words of the Blessed Virgin and enjoy an unspeakable intimacy with her, they felt their veneration for her immensely increased. Returning to the loved mountain, where their less fortunate fathers had lived but in hope, they built, on the very spot where Elias had seen the little cloud rise up out of the sea, an oratory to the purest of virgins; hence they obtained the name of Brothers of Blessed Mary of Mount Carmel. (Lessons and Nocturn)
In the twelfth century, in consequence of the establishment of the Latin Kingdom of Jerusalem, many pilgrims from Europe came to swell the ranks of the solitaries on the holy mountain; it therefore became expedient to give to their hitherto eremitical life a form more in accordance with the habits of western nations. The legate Aimeric Malafaida, patriarch of Antioch, gathered them into a community under the authority of St. Berthold, who was thus the first to receive the title of Prior General.

At the commencement of the next century, Blessed Albert, patriarch of Jerusalem and also Apostolic legate, completed the work of Aimeric by giving a fixed Rule to the Order, which was now, through the influence of princes and knights returned from the Holy Land, beginning to spread into Cyprus, Sicily, and the countries beyond the sea. Soon indeed, the Christians of the East, being abandoned by God to the just punishment of their sins, the vindictiveness of the conquering Saracens reached such a height in this age of trial for Palestine, that a full assembly held on Mount Carmel under Alanus the Breton, resolved upon a complete migration, leaving only a few friars eager for martyrdom to guard the cradle of the Order. The very year in which this took place (1245), Simon Stock was elected General in the first Chapter of the West held at Aylesford in England.


Simon owed his election to the successful struggle he had maintained for the recognition of the Order, which certain prelates, alleging the recent decrees of the Council of Lateran, rejected as newly introduced into Europe. Our Lady had then taken the cause of the Friars into her own hands, and had obtained from Honorius III the decree of confirmation, which originated today’s feast.

This was neither the first nor the last favor bestowed by the sweet Virgin upon the family that had lived so long under the shadow, as it were, of her mysterious cloud, and shrouded like her in humility, with no other bond, no other pretension than the imitation of her hidden works and the contemplation of her glory. She herself had wished them to go forth from the midst of a faithless people; just as, before the close of that same thirteenth century, she would command her angels to carry into a Catholic land her blessed house of Nazareth. Whether or not the men of those days, or the short-sighted historians of our own time, ever thought of it: the one translation called for the other, just as each completes and explains the other, and each was to be, for our own Europe, the signal for wonderful favours from heaven.


In the night between the 15th and the 16th of July, of the year 1251, the gracious Queen of Carmel confirmed to her sons by a mysterious sign the right of citizenship she had obtained for them in their newly adopted countries: as mistress and mother of the entire Religious state she conferred upon them, with her queenly hands, the scapular, hitherto the distinctive garb of the greatest and most ancient religious family of the West.

On giving St. Simon Stock this badge, ennobled by contact with her sacred fingers, the Mother of God said to him: “Whosoever shall die in this habit, shall not suffer eternal flames.”

But not against hell fire alone was the all-powerful intercession of the Blessed Mother to be felt by those who should wear her scapular. In 1316, when every holy soul was imploring heaven to put a period to that long and disastrous widowhood of the Church, which followed on the death of Clement V, the Queen of Saints appeared to James d’Euse, whom the world was soon to hail as John XXII; she foretold to him his approaching elevation to the Sovereign Pontificate, and at the same time recommended him to publish the privilege she had obtained from her Divine Son for her children of Carmel, namely, a speedy deliverance from Purgatory.

“I, their Mother, will graciously go down to them on the Saturday after their death, and all whom I find in Purgatory I will deliver and will bring to the mountain of life eternal.”

These are the words of Our Lady herself, quoted by John XXII in the Bull which he published for the purpose of making known the privilege, and which was called the Sabbatine Bull on account of the day chosen by the glorious benefactress for the exercise of her mercy.
Queen of Carmel, hear the voice of the Church as she sings to thee on this day. This feast, O Mother of our God, is the authentic attestation of the gratitude of the sons of the prophets, increased by the fresh benefits wherewith thy bounty accompanied the new exodus of the remnant of Israel. And we, the sons of ancient Europe, we too have a right to echo the expression of their loving joy; for since their tents have been pitched around the hills where the new Sion is built upon Peter, the cloud has shed all around showers of blessing more precious than ever, driving back into the abyss the flames of hell, and extinguishing the fire of purgatory.

*   *   *

Thank you, Dom Gueranger, St. Louis Martin, and Therese, little queen, for providing us with such solid food today. May we wear the scapular until death and help our Mama clothe many in it as a sign that they (and we) are clothed in her mantle and kept close to her Immaculate Heart.

There is so much more I would like to write here, especially pages upon pages from Marcel's Conversations. We'll save that for another day so that we have time to appreciate Our Lady's food for us, as well as her clothing. I'll pray for you at Mass today, dear reader!

Draw me, we will run!

I said yesterday that I hoped to write more on Saints Louis and Zelie, and I can't leave that promise unfulfilled because I also left a question unanswered. I had written:

"Where did Therese get her sanctity? The answer is simple: From God.
How did God give Therese her sanctity?
Through her holy parents and siblings.
What does all this teach us?"

And in answer to that last question (What does all this teach us?) I could only answer, "Well, gosh, lots of things, but I have about two seconds before it's time to finish."

Humph, as a little boy I once knew used to say.

That isn't much of an answer, so I'm going to try again. What do we learn from Therese's sanctity coming through the love and formation God gave her through her saintly (and sainted) parents and her super holy family?

Well, perhaps you're thinking, "Gosh, my family is nice, but wow, I'm not sure they're saints!"
Or perhaps you're saying, "Hmmm . . . . I'm sure they did their best, but what a mess our family was!"
Or maybe even, "Yikes! Do my kids have a chance with ME for a parent?"

I have great news!
The saints come from all sorts of backgrounds, with parents and siblings who fall into every sort of configuration from the good, the bad, and the ugly, to the more traditional categories of saints and sinners. 

First off, I'm sure Therese and her parents and siblings would like us to remember that all saints (except our Blessed Mother) are sinners well before they're saints!

Second, we want to remember that while grace builds on nature, God is the author of both, so He can make us lovely and one with Him (lovely by being one with Him) through both.

The calendar of saints is such a living museum illustrating this miraculous work of God in all circumstances. Take the last few days, for instance.

On July 10, we had our dear little brother and namesake Marcel Van. His status, currently, is Servant of God, which means he has a cause for canonization, but not too much progress. That's okay - he is a perfect model of little-tiny-ness at this point. And what was his family life like? Well, his parents loved him tremendously and things began well. But then there was a natural disaster that wiped out the family's livelihood, his brother went blind, and his dad took to drinking and gambling. Poor family! Marcel went to live with a priest in a parish so that he could set out on his lifelong ambition to be a priest. But he was just a little tyke! Really, maybe 7 years old! And that's a bit young, in our opinion, for even the minorest of minor seminary situations . . .The priest ended up getting busy and letting Van be more of an unpaid and underage servant in the house than a second Samuel. Later, in search of more and better training to become the priest he yearned to be for God, Van found himself in a really bad place where there was much immorality. He remained untainted and fought it, but wow, this is a far cry from the romantic image we may have of saints with saintly parents and siblings.

The previous post for Louis and Zelie's feast contains links to more on Marcel's life story, but for now I'll simply add that it all worked out! Therese came into his life and told him God wanted him to be a religious brother rather than a priest, and God led Marcel (albeit circuitously!) to the Redemptorists in Hanoi. There his "bearded Jesus" - Fr. Anthony Boucher - was an excellent novice master and spiritual director, very kind to Marcel, and providing on a natural level the love, understanding, and guidance that Therese provided on a supernatural level. Together with Jesus and Mary, they helped Marcel grow emotionally and spiritually into a saint. Through his prayers and encouragement, his dad reformed his life and returned to the sacraments, and his younger sister Te became a Redemptorist nun. And do you know the wonderful thing? She is still a Redemptorist nun with her community in Canada. The saints are not as far away as we might imagine!

July 11 we celebrated the feast of St. Benedict. What a great gift to the Church he is! While he is known for his monasticism back in the day and his protection of us now, what I know and admire with a holy envy is the friendship he had with his sister, St. Scholastica. If I have the story right, the last time they were able to visit (he was at her monastery having a spiritual chat with her over tea, the way I picture it), Scholastica was super disappointed when it was time for Ben to leave, but he was firm that he had to get back to monking. She pleaded for him to stay, but when that didn't work (even the best of brothers can sometimes be hard-hearted), she pleaded with God. He was more understanding, and He who calmed the storm now created one just for her! It prevented Ben from leaving, and they got in a bit more holy talk and prayers together - and I hope some laughter too!

July 12 brought us Louis and Zelie, the saint-parents of our patroness St. Therese. While they did a great job raising their children, there were SO MANY ups and downs for both of them. Zelie was raised by a pretty cold mother (God rest her soul!) and that probably contributed to her own maternal solicitude and affection for her children - she wanted to give them what she had so badly missed. Both Louis and Zelie wanted to - and tried to - enter religious life, but both were rejected by their prospective religious orders. After they married, they lived as brother and sister for several months, until a priest explained that God wanted them to have children and be a more regular family. They did! They had nine kids, but four died young, and as those who have lost a child know, this is a lifelong sadness. Zelie was always adamant in her insistence that she wouldn't rather have not had these children; her joy in their existence and eternity with God never left her even as she grieved their absence. And then, there were the remaining five daughters to occupy her. Louis gave them endearing nicknames, took them for walks, and read to them. Zelie dressed them in delightful girly clothes and wrote long letters about their exploits. Both parents taught them in word and example to be generous with the poor, and especially they taught the girls about God's unsurpassed love and providence.

These were important lessons because Zelie was taken from the family way too early - when Therese, the youngest, was only four years old - and Zelie left with one especially worrisome task undone. Their middle daughter, Leonie, was born with less of the beauty and talents that her sisters shared, had a difficult temperament, and to make matters worse, she'd been traumatized in childhood by a mean-spirited maid (God rest her soul too!). 

As for Louis, he was both father and mother to the five girls after Zelie went Home to God. He moved the family from Alencon to Lisieux in order to be near Zelie's brother Isadore and his wife Celine (the Auntie after whom Therese's soul-mate sister Celine was named), and devoted himself to his daughters well being. He blessed them as they left, one by one, to live in seclusion as cloistered nuns, but after Therese left (Celine and Leonie were still home with him), he began to suffer from the disease that eventually brought him to God and Zelie. This disease meant an abrupt decline into senility. The patriarch who had been the stronghold of the family, the hero of his daughters (and a hero really and truly) became, suddenly, a very old man who lost his beautiful mind and had to be confined to a mental hospital. It was run by good Sisters, but this was a stunning blow to the daughters who wanted to care for him as he had cared for them. Three were cloistered nuns and couldn't go to him. Leonie was dealing with her own interior struggles. Celine would have provided every care, but his needs were beyond her abilities. Marie, Pauline, Leonie, Celine, and Therese called this their greatest trial and their greatest treasure, this illness that took their Papa from them so quickly and yet so slowly.

Louis died at home, thanks be to God, and it was a blessed release as well as the moment he had lived for and desired long before he was sick. He and Zelie made their home a domestic church and raised their family in the knowledge that this "life" is simply a prelude to Real Life, and Therese was right to laughingly call it "exile."  

As for Leonie, she found much joy in this exile before it was her turn to depart for Home. Though she had suffering in her childhood and young adulthood, happily, there were lots of great influences and amazing people in her life, and ultimately, there was little Therese. After Leonie had failed at religious life three times, Therese promised to help her. It was clear Therese was dying, and Leonie was the only one of the five not in the Carmel of Lisieux. They corresponded and Therese promised in her letters that once she got to Heaven she'd help Leonie fulfill her vocation as a Visitation nun. And so it happened! After Therese entered eternal life, Leonie entered the Visitation of Caen one more time, and finally was able to stay. She lived  and followed her sister's Little Way there for 42 years!

I cherish the memory of my Nigerian son calling me one day with exciting news. 
"Mome!" he said. "One of St. Therese's sisters has a cause beginning! Guess which one?"
I guessed Celine. I guessed Pauline. Nothing personal Marie, but after my two strikes, I realized where this was going, so I didn't offer your name . . . "Leonie!?!?!" I asked with great joy. 
"YES! Leonie!" came the answer across the miles. 

How good God is, making the ugly duckling into a beautiful swan. Isn't that finally the fairy tale we're all living? Therese loved to explain that it wasn't due to her own brilliance or virtue that she'd never been a great sinner. God had spoiled her and kept her safe, that was all. And if you haven't been quite so spoiled and safe, perhaps you are a Leonie rather than a Therese, and that needn't stop you from being a saint too!

But wait! Time is flying, and I haven't introduced Zelie and Louis to Connie and Henry. And then there's St. Teresa of the Andes politely (if slightly restlessly) waiting in the wings too.

Come out, guys!

Zelie and Louis, you have most likely been friends with Connie and Henry for years now, but I'd better introduce them to anyone who's wandered over to our musings . . .

Connie is short for Cunegunda, and she is the royal Sainted wife of Henry, the only Holy Roman Emperor to ever become a canonized saint!

Congrats, you two! It's hard enough to be saints without two nickels to rub together, when circumstances force you to call on God for help night and day, but Wow! Together you ruled a big part of the world, and you still managed to fall in love with God, as well as each other!

There are so many amazing things to tell you about Henry (and by implication, Connie) that I have to leave the task to another . . . Marcel is ready for us to bring out Teresa, and I'm with him, so here's a link to St. Henry and Connie (click on the word "link" to read about them in more detail).

Today is, in fact, the feast of St. Henry, who is buried with his St. Connie in the Cathedral of Bamberg where I once was with my dear sis Camille and our own Henry - not a saint then, but his Carol worked on him until he was ready for God, if not canonization!

Remember when I accidentally insulted St. Josemaria the other day, rejecting his reality and substituting my own? It was simply a matter of taste - he preferred practicing heroism by hopping out of bed at the first sound of the alarm, whereas I define "the heroic moment" along Theresian lines. I recall vividly that day in Bamberg. We were going, suddenly and unexpectedly, to the Cathedral and the tomb we found there (which you can see at the top of this post) - the tomb of our fearless leader Henry's patron saint and his beloved. This was good because Henry needed a patron saint at that moment to save the day from ruin. He'd been churlish or angry about something small (our Henry, not St. Henry) that very morning, and it was rough going being on a jaunt in the German countryside with him driving a million kilometers an hour while my sister and I recovered from his previous moment of unkindness.

Therese says life is just a moment between two eternities. That's about what we felt that day, or at least I did. Maybe more like life is just a few moments between two eternities. After the first unhappy moment of family strife, there came another moment. We had stumbled upon the Cathedral of Bamberg and St. Henry. Our Henry was thrilled. My emotions were more on the human level and I felt less than thrilled. 

And then, somehow (most likely due to angelic help), I saw the moment for what it was. This was A Heroic Moment Waiting to Happen. And amazingly, by God's grace, it did happen! Instead of sulking (which I still say I had every right to do), I smiled. I just smiled, real big, which is my skill.

Voila! Joy!

Which is a lot about our Henrys, but doesn't tell us a thing about the other Teresa in our post title. I can sum up the Hanks by saying that I'm smiling again to imagine them helping God rule the world from where they are with Him now. And our Henry became a Carmelite, so he has special joy in sharing his feast day (and his patron's) with Teresa of the Andres, because it's her feast today too. Marcel loves her because she got to go to Heaven at age 20, she was (like his favorite Therese) a Carmelite, and she played tennis and swam. He never played tennis, but it's like the time he asked Jesus, "Did you eat bananas?" (I'm not making this up, he did ask, and Jesus answered no, so Marcel promised to eat two bananas that night - one for himself and one for little Jesus!) Marcel and I aren't good tennis players like Henry's Carol, so we're hoping Teresa played tennis at least once for us too! Oh, and she loved to ride horses! Her cool factor keeps rising, and she's another great illustration of the timelessness and timeliness of the saints.

What about her family life?
This is where she shows us that God has a different and perfect plan for each one of us, a plan to bring us into closest union with Himself no matter what our backgrounds, no matter what our relationships have been.

Teresa's parents raised her Catholic, but she outstripped them in generosity (as saint-children generally do), and when she wanted to become a bride of Christ by entering Carmel, her dad was totally against it. Her brother was too. She did what she could: she explained, she cajoled, she reminded them of the principles of their common faith, all to no avail.

She did end up entering the monastery, after eventually obtaining her father's reluctant permission, but once there, she didn't last long. She was a flower now in full bloom, and Jesus was ready to pluck her and bring her to Heaven. Teresa got special permission to make her final vows so she could die as a fully professed Carmelite, and then she zipped off to do in Heaven what she couldn't succeed at on earth - to help her family understand how in leaving them she was preparing them for a deeper friendship with her. The friendship of the saints is beyond my descriptive powers, but suffice it to say that what we struggle to do with all our words and actions, Jesus and the saints can accomplish in an instant! This is as true for our relationships as it is for every other part of our lives. God loves hearing our prayers and healing our wounds, even as He allows us to keep our weakness and fail again - so we will pray again, and He can help again!

I hope and pray that this day of Saint Henry and Saint Teresa brings you new friends (in Heaven and on earth) and many miracles. I've been praying for quite a few miracles lately, and yours are included. May we continue to fling ourselves into Jesus' loving embrace and remind Him, in a shout or a whisper, whatever we can do, "Jesus, I trust in YOU!"

Draw me, we will run!

“God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.”
― St. Thérèse de Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

“I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors'defects--not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.”
― St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

“And it is the Lord, it is Jesus, Who is my judge. Therefore I will try always to think leniently of others, that He may judge me leniently, or rather not at all, since He says: "Judge not, and ye shall not be judged.”
― St. Thérèse de Lisieux, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux


The Little Flower is the greatest saint of modern times. So said Pope Saint Pius X, another great saint of modern times. Padre Pio bilocated to be at her canonization. Pope St. John Paul II proclaimed her the youngest Doctor of the Church. Her writings have been translated into every known language. Her image - usually a statue - graces innumerable churches. It is my policy, on entering a church, to look for her, and 9 times out of 10 she can be found in a stained glass window or a statue with her trademark roses sneakily hiding the crucifix.

Where did Therese get her sanctity? The answer is simple: From God.
How did God give Therese her sanctity?
Through her holy parents and siblings.
What does all this teach us?

Well, gosh, lots of things, but I have about two seconds before it's time to finish. For the moment! I hope to return and make this a longer post later, but for now, we can only say:

Thank You, Father, for this family. Make our families like the Martins - make us want to be saints! And then do all You will (which is SO MUCH) to make it happen. Please do it through joys more than through sorrows. Let us walk the Little Way with Therese and her family, and please do You be that way!

Draw me, we will run!

Cupcakes and roses - or even cupcake roses - for everyone! 

Today is Marcel's feast, and we here at Miss Marcel's Musings are delighted to announce that in perfect imitation of our hero, we would have completely forgotten (or rather we had completely forgotten) except that another Miss Marcel West texted us waaaaay too early (but we were up even earlier!) to say Happy Marcel Day!

Yes, indeedy, happy Marcel day to all! How wonderful to have friends; they quite replace the need for a brain, and I am indebted to them for sure. 

But now that we know this is THE DAY OF DAYS for our little brother (and thus for us too), what shall we do to celebrate? I'm thinking of taking the poodle for a walk, going to Holy Mass, thanking Jesus for EVERYTHING, praying (please join me) for Bosco and his Mama, for Auntie D who very much needs prayers, and for a boatload of other beautiful intentions we'll float along in with sleeping Jesus. 

WAKE UP, JESUS! It's Marcel day! 

So now we are together, we have Jesus awake (more or less), and we have (at least on our to do list) cupcakes . . . what next? In order to celebrate with what I love best even before our cupcakes arrive, I thought I'd post links to a few of my earliest posts here: the ones that tell all about Marcel. He's such a constant companion that I can't give you anything better than his friendship. So here goes!

First:
Who is Marcel Van?
You'll find out HERE :)

And if, in your feast day revelry, that's not enough reading, how about a few more musings from our early days with Marcel HERE . . .

Which reminds me - a big THANK YOU to the original Miss Marcel East for suggesting, seven and a half years ago now, that I write a blog on Marcel. I so remember that hilarious suggestion which began, "Now before you kill me, let me just suggest this one idea . . ." or something along those lines. I had been so adamant I'd never write a blog, and then, KABAM! KABLOOEY! KAPOW! 
The idea hit me like a ton of bricks, and once I'd shaken the stars off (picture Charlie Brown when Lucy has just pulled away the football), I smiled, laughed, and said, "YES!"

The next thing I knew, our British agent, Jack Keogan, translator extrordinaire, emailed me to say that he had been thinking he ought to start something like a blog on Marcel, but yikes, he had just finished 20 years of translating Marcel, and it felt like a nice moment for someone else to start a blog on Marcel. And then, lo and behold, I did. Clearly this was the work of the Holy Spirit and our guardian angels in a great big conspiracy of Love!!!

Well, dear Jack, I can only say that it's my pleasure to take up where you left off . . . 

Fr. Boucher (Marcel's bearded Jesus) translated our little brother from Vietnamese into French.
You (Jack) translated Marcel from French into English.
And I, Miss Marcel, take as my mission to translate Marcel into . . . well, little tiny words of one syllable (or two if necessary) that convey:

Jesus thirsts for us.
He wants to sip us up like drops of dew.
Let's be sipped!

Or as our sister Therese puts it so beautifully:
Jesus does not demand great actions of us, but simply surrender and gratitude.

Or to put this even more simply (or at least in the one syllable translation):

Let go and let God.
And if you want to do more:
Thank Him!

But better than all of this are the words of Jesus Himself:

Let not your hearts be troubled . . . Let not your hearts be troubled or afraid. (John 14)

If you're finding your heart rather naughty today, still feeling troubled despite every reassurance, welcome to the human race! And don't forget that this is the Little Way which means it's okay to do everything really badly, even the Little Way!

But here is why Marcel is MY FAVORITE PERSON EVER (right after the Blessed Trinity and Blessed Mother and good St. Joseph) . . . because he told us what Jesus said when He had to translate the gospel into our language of littleness. And what did Marcel say that Jesus said? Ah, I can't wait to tell you!

Jesus assures us over and over in His Conversations with Marcel that He not only loves us, but He also is pleased with us, and (as Therese keeps telling us too) He loves our littleness. In fact, thanks to our littleness, we get to hang out with the likes of Marcel. That's enough for me to want to stay unimportant and forgetful!

Speaking of forgetful, I've been trying really hard to remember to remind the whole world that this Friday, July 12 is the feast of St. Therese's beloved parents, Saints Louis and Zelie Martin. Since I forgot to tell you last week, and even a few days ago, I'm telling you now, but that means we have enough time for a mini-novena of 3 days on our way there from here. Perfect!

Since a novena means nine - usually days, but hey, if I can pay attention for nine seconds, I'm considering it a banner prayer week! - let's go for nine words this time! That way if you, like me, forget all about everything on this fun page the minute you're no longer looking at it (and there are many, many other wonderful things to look at in this world and the next, so please don't feel obliged to stay looking at this screen forever!), we'll already have said our novena to Louis and Zelie!

Here it is:

Little Flower in this hour show your power, please!

Hahahahahahaha. Marcel and I think this is so funny!
We figure this prayer has much to recommend it: 
1. We already know it.
2. It's easy to remember because it rhymes
3. It sounds so much like a hippy prayer from the 1960s but is really from a venerable (maybe not officially but really, really holy) Carmelite bishop in India in the 1930s!

But how to make it nine words AND a prayer in honor of Louis and Zelie?
Well, we just added "please" because they must have taught their little girls manners! And that makes it a novena of nine words!

Okay, if you're looking for something a little more impressive (ah, how quickly we fall off the Little Way :), here is a prayer Therese said after her Papa went to Heaven:

Remember that once on earth your joy was to love us. 
Hear the prayer of your children,
protect us and continue to bless us.
Up there you are reunited with our dear mother,
who preceded you to our celestial homeland.
Now in Heaven you both reign.
Keep watch over us. Amen.

And as always, we conclude with Therese's prayer from the Song of Songs:
Draw me, we will run!
​