Thérèse Teacher of Prayer
CTS Spirituality
Brother Craig Driscoll
ISBN 9781860824807
eISBN 9781784694845
ASIN B075P2671D
CTS Booklet D693
Over the last several years I have read over 400 volumes from the Catholic Truth Society. This was the third volume from the pen of Brother Craig Driscoll that I have read. And one of many I have read about Saint Thérèse. I enjoyed that volume so much I picked up a few others from Brother Craig. This book was a good little read. He appears to have two others available from the CTS, and two from other publishers. This booklet was published by the CTS in 2008 and the eBook edition released in 2017. The description of this volume is:
“St Thérèse of Lisieux has much to teach us about prayer. This delightfully simple booklet will help all who wish to follow the young Carmelite’s way of praying with the heart.
St Thérèse of Lisieux has much to teach us about prayer. This delightfully simple booklet will help all who wish to follow the young Carmelite's way of praying with the heart. The author, Brother Craig, takes us through some of the richest traditions: Eucharistic adoration, devotion to Our Lady and veneration of the saints and angels. Prayers to and by Thérèse are included.”
The chapters in the work are:
Learning from example
Prayer in the life of St Thérèse before she became a Carmelite
Prayer in the life of St Thérèse as a Carmelite
St Thérèse’s Act of Oblation
Particular devotions of St Thérèse
St Thérèse, apostle of prayer
Praying with St Thérèse
I highlighted a few passages while reading this volume. Some of them are:
“Some years ago when I told a renowned theologian that I was writing about St Thérèse as a Teacher of Prayer the response was that, “she did not write anything on prayer.” But she did. What she wrote is perhaps over-shadowed by her doctrine of the Little Way and that the “other Teresa”-of Avila-wrote so much and so profoundly on prayer. It is true that not all we learn about prayer from St Thérèse come from her writing. 1 Much has comes from writings about her. That is, the lessons we learn about prayer by her example.”
“Regarding Prayer, she learned that prayer saved souls. So she prayed much for them.”
“St Thérèse prayed for a logical reason (and this would help her when the devout feels no longer existed during her Dark Night of the Soul) 2 because she was a pragmatist. She prayed because it worked: it brought about results.”
“Today, when one visits Les Buissonnets (the name of the Saint’s home in Lisieux) one can almost see the life that went on there-a life of prayer, work, study and recreation, all at their ordered times, a well-to-do, scheduled life completely free from worldliness.”
“Years later the Saint told the Bishop of Bayeux that she had wished to give herself to God from the time she was three. Even more amazing is that she could say that from the age three she had never refused God anything!”
“In Carmel Thérèse had much to suffer. Without complaining she accepted poor food, poverty, work and most painful of all, the cold. Some nights she never slept, she simply shivered the entire night.”
“To this she added many hidden acts of self-denial that completely conquered her self-will and allowed God’s will to reign in her, so much so, that during her last illness she could say that she had never done her own will.”
“It is necessary to understand that her prayer was coupled with a solid foundation of penance and mortification. Her prayer was one of a faithful soul, willing to carry her cross. Her prayer was the prayer of one who first accepted suffering, then desired it, then found peace and joy in suffering until she became a victim for reparation and the salvation of souls.”
“Throughout her life she lived in a state of recollection. As the other French Carmelite nun, Blessed Elizabeth of the Blessed Trinity, lived adoring the Blessed Trinity within her, her “sister,” St Thérèse, lived with an awareness of being a child carried by God.”
“One can learn a great deal about prayer from the example of the prayer of Thérèse during her last illness.”
“The person who has been transformed lives only to do God’s Will. The person, therefore, completely forgets himself or herself.”
“Thérèse was, throughout her entire life, a child of Mary. Let us consider now the special character of her devotion to Our Blessed Mother. She was especially devoted to Our Lady as the Mother of Jesus during His hidden years at Nazareth.”
“She looks at the statue of Our Blessed Mother and says the Holy Name of Jesus. In remembering Our Lady she does not forget Jesus and in remembering Jesus she does not forget Our Lady. For Thérèse it is simply Jesus and Mary.”
“Along with St Joseph, Thérèse had special devotion to a to a number of saints. She often prayed to the saints. She, of course, was devoted to St Teresa of Avila, her namesake and to St John of the Cross, her teacher of the spiritual life. She was also especially devoted to the martyrs. Since she was a child when she and Céline would read and talk about the brave martyrs, she had a special love and devotion to them. She had a special friendship with St Cecilia and St Agnes.”
I really enjoyed working through this little volume. The more I read about Saint Thérèse the more I appreciate her insights, her life and her example. I have read numerous volumes from the CTS about her and with each one I have a greater appreciation. This is an excellent little volume. It is listed as 80 pages but it is packed full of information. The prayers in the final section of the book are:
Litany to St Thérèse
Litany to Saint Thérèse
To obtain graces through the intercession of St Thérèse
Prayer to St Thérèse
Prayer for missionaries
Prayer to the Father
Prayer for spiritual childhood
Prayer for world peace
I hope those samples above give you a feel for the volume. This is a good little volume to read. It is a book I benefited from. And I am certain one that all who read will benefit from. The teachings are real and easily applicable. It is a little primer on prayer, or prayer in imitation of the little way. I can easily recommend this great resource by Brother Craig Driscoll and from the Catholic Truth Society.
Note: This book is part of a series of reviews: 2025 Catholic Reading Plan! For other reviews of books from the Catholic Truth Society click here.
CTS Books and Booklets n the life and spirituality of St Thérèse:
Thérèse of Lisieux - On the visit of her relics to Great Britain (Do 810)
Louis and Zélie Martin, Parents of Thérèse of Lisieux, by Paulinus Redmond (B 709)
The Prayer of St Thérèse of Lisieux by Vernon Johnson (CL23)
...
Other books by or about Lisieux:
Books by Brother Craig Driscoll:
Of the Cross a Biography of Blessed Edith Stein
Our Lady, an Angel, and Sister Agnes: the story of the wondrous events at Akita, Japan
Thérèse - Teacher of Prayer
The Coming Chastisement
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