St. Therese of Lisieux: A Willing Victim of Merciful Love

If you read St. Therese's Act of Oblation to Merciful Love, you will no doubt discover some terminology that might sound a little harsh to the modern ear. Terms like victim, holocaust, and martyr are not words that are cast about lightheartedly these days. But in order to fully appreciate St. Therese's use of these terms in her personal prayer to Jesus Christ, we must also understand what St. Therese is sacrificing or, to use a more familiar term, consecrating herself to. Therese understands that what God wishes to do in her soul, and indeed in each of our souls, is to both ignite the internal fire of love that will consume everything that is inconsistent with His Love, while, at the same time, God wishes to consume the very soul that is burning with this interior love for Him. This is not possible, Therese well knows, unless she make the ultimate sacrifice of herself to God, to His merciful love. In this program, Mark goes through each of these terms, and others, and he describes the context in which St. Therese is using them. He also explains how each of these terms is a perfectly appropriate description of the very action of the Holy Spirit within the soul. He then goes on to explain both some of the cautions related to a soul's adoption of the mindset of oblation to God, and he also describes the remarkable benefits that can accrue from a soul making and living such a sacrifice. Finally, Mark goes on to explain the remarkable benefit such a committed soul can have on the Church as a whole. This is a very valuable presentation for anyone who desire to gain a deeper understanding of just what the Lord is inviting each of us to, what is required of us to respond, and what eternal benefits are available for ourselves and the Church, if we only respond with great fidelity.

The Carmelite Conversations Podcast is an apostolate of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites community of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Dayton, Ohio. Discalced Carmelite Seculars are practicing members of the Catholic Church who, under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and inspired by St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, make the commitment to the Discalced Carmelite Order to seek the face of God for the sake of the church and the world. For more information about Secular Carmelites, visit our website.