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Elizabeth Estrada ponders her special spiritual relationship with St. Thérèse de Lisieux.

October is a wonderful month where many famous saints are remembered. One of those saints is St. Thérèse of Lisieux. For some reason, I started thinking of when I first encountered her, and to be honest I couldn’t remember.

Then I started thinking about a portrait of her that has hung in my hallway for about ten or eleven years. I purchased it at a thrift store. I remember looking around and there it was in front of a pile of a variety of portraits. I remember being happy to have found it there and I loved her smile. Of course, it is the artist’s perception of her but regardless I brought it home, hung it in the hallway, and there it is to this day. I go by her so many times a day it is great.

At that time, I was a revert to Catholicism, on fire for the Lord and trying to learn all I could. Her little way, her smile, everything drew me to her. I read all that I could about her, listened to podcasts and radio shows about her too, I couldn’t get enough.

 

St. Thérèse de Lisieux stained glass window

 

Fast forward to today: I am on my journey to become a Third Order Carmelite. I started this journey almost four years ago. I have been clothed and I made my first promise this summer.

On my journey, I discovered that many of the saints I was drawn to were Carmelites and I didn’t even realize it! Perhaps, it is because I didn’t choose them: they chose me. They knew that I would need them on this earth for so many reasons and in the future as well.

 

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Pray about, ponder, and take a look back at your “go-to saints” and think about why and how the relationship started. #catholicmom

I invite you to pray about, ponder, and take a look back at your “go-to saints” and think about why and how the relationship started.

Perhaps you will meet another this month that has chosen you!


Copyright 2021 Elizabeth Estrada
Image: By Nheyob, St. Thérèse de Lisieux stained glass in St. Peter's Church, Millersburg, OH, CC BY-SA 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons