St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Oct. 1 is her feast day.

"Littleness, as she understood it, and mediocrity as we live it - I could not conceive of two more contrary ways of life."
-- Karl Stern, in Luce, Saints for Now.

From her autobiography (trans. Ronald A. Knox):

I found myself crying out: "My, God, I choose the whole lot. No point in becoming a Saint by halves. I'm not afraid of suffering for your sake; the only thing I'm afraid of is clinging to my own will. Take it, I want the whole lot, everything whatsover that is your will for me."

I felt that I was born for greatness; but when I asked myself how I was to achieve it, God put into my mind that ...the glory which was reserved for me was one which didn't reveal itself to human eyes. I must devote myself to becoming a great saint. That sounds conceited, of course, ...but this daring ambition of aspiring to great sanctity has never left me.

When I'm told that an innocent soul can't love as a repentent soul does, how I long to give that sentiment the lie!

It isn't that [the Lord] wants us to do this or that, he wants us to love him.