(l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux

215 Pages·2009·0.65 MB·English

Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The
Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
by
St. Therese of Lisieux
Christian Classics Ethereal Library
About Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese
of Lisieux by St. Therese of Lisieux
Title: Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St.
Therese of Lisieux
URL: http://www.ccel.org/ccel/therese/autobio.html
Author(s): Therese, of Lisieux, Saint (1873-1897)
Publisher: Grand Rapids, MI: Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Description: This electronic edition of the autobiography of St. Thérèse of
Lisieux (The Story of a Soul) includes much, but not all, of the content
of Soeur Thérèse of Lisieux (London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne,
1912; 8th ed., 1922), edited by Rev. T.N. Taylor. All the translated
writings and sayings of St. Thérèse contained in that book are in this
electronic edition, including the autobiography as well as "Counsels
and Reminiscences," letters, and selected poems. Also included are
the preface by Cardinal Bourne, the prologue relating Thérèse's
parentage and birth, and the epilogue describing her final illness, her
death, and related events.
Not included are the illustrations, the list of illustrations, accounts
of favors attributed to the intercession of St. Thérèse, documents
related to her beatification, and some other material not written by
her.
Print Basis: London: Burns, Oates & Washbourne, 1912;
Source: Project Gutenberg
Rights: Copyright Christian Classics Ethereal Library
Date Created: 2007-09-10
CCEL Subjects: All; Classic; Mysticism;
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
Table of Contents
About This Book. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. ii
Cover Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 1
NOTE TO THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 2
Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 3
Contents. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 4
Dedication. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 6
PREFACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 7
PROLOGUE: THE PARENTAGE & BIRTH OF MARIE FRANÇOISE
THÉRÈSE MARTIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 8
Original Title Page. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 14
CHAPTER I - EARLIEST MEMORIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 15
CHAPTER II - A CATHOLIC HOUSEHOLD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 22
CHAPTER III - PAULINE ENTERS THE CARMEL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 30
CHAPTER IV - FIRST COMMUNION AND CONFIRMATION. . . . . . . . . p. 37
CHAPTER V - VOCATION OF THÉRÈSE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 46
CHAPTER VI - A PILGRIMAGE TO ROME. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 56
CHAPTER VII - THE LITTLE FLOWER ENTERS THE CARMEL. . . . . . p. 66
CHAPTER VIII - PROFESSION OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE. . . . . . . . . . . . p. 73
CHAPTER IX - THE NIGHT OF THE SOUL. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 83
CHAPTER X - THE NEW COMMANDMENT. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 95
CHAPTER XI - A CANTICLE OF LOVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 105
EPILOGUE: A VICTIM OF DIVINE LOVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 116
COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE, THE LITTLE
FLOWER OF JESUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 133
LETTERS OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE - THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS. . . p. 156
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 156
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 156
III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 157
IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 158
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 158
VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 159
VII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 160
VIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 160
IX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 161
X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 161
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St. Therese of Lisieux
XI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 162
XII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 162
XIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 163
XIV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 164
XV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 165
XVI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 166
XVII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 167
XVIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 168
XIX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 170
XX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 170
LETTERS TO MOTHER AGNES OF JESUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 172
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 172
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 172
III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 173
IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 173
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 174
VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 174
VII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 175
VIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 175
LETTERS TO SISTER MARY OF THE SACRED HEART. . . . . . . . . . . p. 177
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 177
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 177
III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 178
IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 178
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 179
VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 179
LETTERS TO SISTER FRANCES TERESA. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 181
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 181
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 181
III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 182
IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 183
LETTERS TO HER COUSIN MARIE GUÉRIN. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 185
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 185
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 186
LETTER TO HER COUSIN, JEANNE GUÉRIN (MADAME LA NÉELE). . . p. 187
LETTERS TO HER BROTHER MISSIONARIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 188
I. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 188
II. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 188
III. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 189
IV. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 189
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Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
V . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 189
VI. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 190
VII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 191
VIII. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 192
IX. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 192
X . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 193
PRAYERS OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE, THE LITTLE FLOWER OF JESUS. . . p. 194
AN ACT OF OBLATION AS A VICTIM OF DIVINE LOVE. . . . . . . . . . p. 194
A MORNING PRAYER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 195
AN ACT OF CONSECRATION TO THE HOLY FACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 196
VARIOUS PRAYERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 196
PRAYER TO THE HOLY CHILD. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 197
PRAYER TO THE HOLY FACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 197
PRAYER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 197
PRAYER TO OBTAIN HUMILITY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 198
MOTTO OF THE LITTLE FLOWER. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 200
MY DAYS OF GRACE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 201
SELECTED POEMS OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE, THE LITTLE FLOWER OF
JESUS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 202
MY SONG OF TO-DAY. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 202
MEMORIES. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 202
I THIRST FOR LOVE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 204
TO SCATTER FLOWERS. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 205
WHY I LOVE THEE, MARY!. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 206
NOTE. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 207
Indexes. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 208
Index of Scripture References. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . p. 208
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Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
vi
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
THE STORY OF A SOUL (L'HISTOIRE D'UNE ÂME):
THE AUTOBIOGRAPHY OF
ST. THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX
WITH ADDITIONAL WRITINGS
AND SAYINGS OF ST. THÉRÈSE
Produced by David McClamrock
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
NOTE TO THIS ELECTRONIC EDITION
This electronic edition of the autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (The Story of a Soul)
includes much, but not all, of the content of Soeur Thérèse of Lisieux (London: Burns, Oates &
Washbourne, 1912; 8th ed., 1922), edited by Rev. T.N. Taylor. All the translated writings and
sayings of St. Thérèse contained in that book are in this electronic edition, including the
autobiography as well as "Counsels and Reminiscences," letters, and selected poems. Also included
are the preface by Cardinal Bourne, the prologue relating Thérèse's parentage and birth, and the
epilogue describing her final illness, her death, and related events. Not included are the illustrations,
the list of illustrations, accounts of favors attributed to the intercession of St. Thérèse, documents
related to her beatification, and some other material not written by her.
Some footnotes have been slightly modified for ease of reference. A few footnotes, referring
to page numbers in the original, have been modified or omitted. Citations to the Psalms, many of
which were numbered differently in Catholic Bibles of St. Thérèse's time than they commonly are
today, have the "new" number in brackets next to the "old" number from the original—e.g., "Psalm
22[23]:1-4."
The original page headers, page numbering, disclaimer of any intention to anticipate the judgment
of the Church in calling St. Thérèse a "saint" before her canonization, and other extraneous matter,
which were deemed suitable for a printed book in 1922 but not for an e-book in 2005, are not here.
The French "oe" ligature, in words such as "soeur," is not available in the standard ISO-8859-1
character set, and obviously is represented here by the two-letter combination "oe." The first word
of each chapter is not set in all caps as it was in the printed book. A few obvious typographical
errors have been corrected, with the changes in brackets, e.g., "[s]he" for "the" in Chapter IX. All
else, including capitalization, punctuation, grammar, and British spelling, is intended to reflect the
content of the eighth edition of Soeur Thérèse of Lisieux. If it does not, the fault is that of the
transcriber (me, David McClamrock).
2
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
SOEUR THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX, THE LITTLE FLOWER OF
JESUS
A NEW AND COMPLETE TRANSLATION OF L'HISTOIRE D'UNE ÂME,
WITH AN ACCOUNT OF SOME FAVOURS ATTRIBUTED TO
THE INTERCESSION OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE
EDITED BY T. N. TAYLOR:
PRIEST OF THE ARCHDIOCESE OF GLASGOW:
WITNESS BEFORE THE TRIBUNAL OF THE BEATIFICATION
BURNS, OATES & WASHBOURNE LD.
TWENTY-EIGHT ORCHARD STREET,
LONDON, W.,
AND EIGHT TO TEN PATERNOSTER ROW,
LONDON, E.C.
NIHIL OBSTAT JOANNES N. STRASSMAIER, S.J. Censor Deputatus
IMPRIMATUR EDMUNDUS Canonicus SURMONT Vicarius Generalis
WESTMONASTERII, die nonâ Decembris, 1912.
3
Story of a Soul (l'Histoire d'une Ame): The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Therese of Lisieux
CONTENTS
•DEDICATION
•PREFACE BY H.E. CARDINAL BOURNE
•PROLOGUE: PARENTAGE AND BIRTH
•AUTOBIOGRAPHY
CHAPTERS
1. Earliest Memories
2. A Catholic Household
3. Pauline Enters the Carmel
4. First Communion and Confirmation
5. Vocation of Thérèse
6. A Pilgrimage to Rome
7. The Little Flower Enters the Carmel
8. Profession of Soeur Thérèse
9. The Night of the Soul
10.The New Commandment
11.A Canticle of Love
•EPILOGUE: A VICTIM OF DIVINE LOVE
•COUNSELS AND REMINISCENCES
•LETTERS OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE
•To Céline
•To Mother Agnes of Jesus
•To Sister Mary of the Sacred Heart
•To Sister Frances Teresa
•To Marie Guérin
•To Jeanne Guérin
•To Missionaries
•PRAYERS OF SOEUR THÉRÈSE
•Her Act of Oblation
•A Morning Prayer
•Act of Consecration to the Holy Face
•Prayer in Honour of the Holy Child
•Prayer to the Holy Child
•Prayer to the Holy Face
•Prayer in Honour of St. Joan of Arc
•Prayer to Obtain Humility
•DAYS OF GRACE
•SELECTED POEMS
•My Song of To-day
•Memories
•I Thirst for Love
4