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A Sister of St. Thérèse: Servant of God, Léonie Martin – Bearer of Hope with Fr. Timothy Gallagher – Episode 9
In this episode, Fr. Gallagher shares more letters exchanged between Léonie and her sister, Thérèse.
In this episode, Léonie has returned to the Monastery of the Visitation at Caen for a second time, hoping once again to enter fully into religious life. Her beloved younger sister, Thérèse, who is now a Carmelite sister in Lisieux, sends spiritual words of encouragement during her time there. Two years pass, and with great sadness, Léonie finds she must leave the Monastery. This marks her third failure to become a religious sister. Her family rally around her, but the question becomes once again, “What will become of poor Léonie?”
Fr. Gallagher says, “Léonie’s life holds a very important story because she was the forgotten one; she was the one who was in the last place; she was the one who was less gifted than the others. Today we would call her a ‘problem child,’ and we’ll see that she certainly was the source of great anxiety to her parents, especially to her mother, Zélie, who loved her dearly.”
As a child, Léonie suffered from severe illnesses and physical maladies that would plague her entire life. She also struggled with understanding social clues and interactions and with behaving appropriately. Conventional educational models of the day failed to meet her particular needs, and she was labeled “developmentally delayed.” Yet those who knew her well described her as having a “heart of gold.”
Who was Léonie and what were her struggles? Why has her cause of canonization begun? Father Gallagher, along with Kris McGregor, answers these questions and explains why Léonie is “a bearer of hope” in this landmark series.
Discerning Hearts Reflection Questions:
- Thérèse’s Other-Centered Love: How does Thérèse’s other-centered approach to love, as seen in her letters to Léonie, inspire us to reflect on our own relationships and interactions with others?
- The Role of Scripture in Encouragement: Reflect on the significance of Thérèse’s use of scripture in her letters to Léonie. How can incorporating scripture into our own words of encouragement deepen their impact and meaning?
- Finding Hope in Small Sacrifices: Thérèse emphasizes the value of even the smallest sacrifices in pleasing Jesus. How can we apply this perspective to our daily lives, recognizing the spiritual significance of seemingly mundane actions?
- The Importance of Perseverance: Despite Léonie’s struggles, Thérèse continues to encourage her to persevere in her vocation. How can Thérèse’s example inspire us to support and uplift others who are facing challenges or setbacks in their own journeys?
- Longing for Belonging and Unity: Reflect on Léonie’s deep longing for belonging and unity within her family. How does her experience resonate with our own desires for connection and community, both within our families and within the broader context of the Church?
- Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Life’s Trials: Consider how the letters between Thérèse and Léonie demonstrate the power of love, faith, and perseverance in navigating life’s trials. How can we draw strength and inspiration from their example in our own spiritual journeys?
Marie
Pauline
Céline
St. Thérèse
St. Louis Martin
A resource used for this series
Images in this post of the Martin/Guerin family are used with permission from the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux website for strictly non-commercial use. We encourage you to visit the website for more information on this remarkable family.
For more series Fr. Timothy Gallagher podcasts, visit here
Father Timothy M. Gallagher, O.M.V., was ordained in 1979 as a member of the Oblates of the Virgin Mary, a religious community dedicated to retreats and spiritual formation according to the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius. Fr. Gallagher is featured on the EWTN series “Living the Discerning Life: The Spiritual Teachings of St. Ignatius of Loyola”. For more information on how to obtain copies of Fr. Gallaghers’s various books and audio which are available for purchase, please visit his website: frtimothygallagher.org
