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Widely known for his popular lecture series on EWTN, the Eternal Word Television Network, from which this present work has
been drawn, Father Charles P. Connor is the Rector of St. Peter's Cathedral in Scranton,
Pennsylvania. Noted theologian, Church historian, and author of such works as Classic Catholic Converts
and Defenders of the Faith (both by Ignatius Press), his book, Meditations on the Catholic Priesthood
(ST PAULS / Alba House, 2005) went through two printings the year it came out. This is his second work for ST PAULS.
Reviews
Well known for his insightful moments on church history broadcast on EWTN, Fr. Connor has written a book that brings into one account the life, theology, and meaning of the Little Flower. It is well organized and reads easily for anyone who wants to know more about the world and thought of this great Carmelite nun. A popular saint for many years, St. Therese has become respected for the deep insights of her mysticism, so much so that she bears the honor of being called a Doctor of the Church. Yet this book treats the subject without grandiose hagiography. It is dedicated to explaining the theological thinking of this great mystic and why it is relevant for today. Any devotee of St. Therese will treasure this synopsis. High school and college students trying to come to an understanding of her will benefit from reading this treatise. Filled with references, it has an extensive bibliography. Recommended for senior high, college, and even the seminary library. --Darren G. Poley in Catholic Library World, Volume 80, No. 1, September 2009.
I recently read the autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. She is a holy person, I thought, but how gushy! Definitely not for me.
Father Charles Connor recognizes that Thérèse's writing style may give readers the impression of a sentimental piety with shallow roots, and he takes pains to correct this false impression. Scholars have serached beneath the flowery prose and found the depth of Thérèse's doctrine, popes have honored her, and tens of thousands of Christians have followed her "Little Way." Indeed, her "Little Way" is simple, but it is not easy. It is nothing less than abandonment to divine love.
This book begins with a brief look at the world in which Thérèse Martin lived -- nineteenth-century Normandy in France. It introduces the Martin family, an extraordinarily religious, very close, upper middle-class family. Connor then describes various aspects of Thérèse's practice of abandonment to God and how we ordinary Christians can walk in her "way".
Thérèse was a Carmelite, and thus her way of life was austere. Yet she did not, as other saints often did, perform extra physical penance. Instead, she looked for small penances; for example, she might be extra kind to a sister she found difficult, an opportunity most of us meet every day. Did you know that Thérèse often slept during prayer? This did not disturb her. She knew that a father loves to have his child sleep in his arms, and God was her loving, merciful Father. This should encourage us. And just as we might be tempted to doubt our faith or some aspect of it, Thérèse, during the last year and a half of her life, struggled mightily with the temptation to doubt the existence of heaven, the home she had longed for all her life.
Finally, Thérèse's special passion was praying for priests. For this she might especially be called the saint for the third millennium. We who have been deeply saddened by the clergy sex-abuse scandal and who pray for priestly vocations can depend on the intercession of Thérèse. I recommend this book for anyone who has read Story of a Soul (Thérèse's autobiography) and would like additional context and reflection on that work --Sister Patricia Chaffee, O.P. in the July-August 2008 issue of Liguorian
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