October Book Club – Story of a Soul

I will be honest: the first time I started to read the Autobiography of St Thérèse of Lisieux, I read a few pages and threw the book in frustration into a corner. In my ignorance it appeared to be the scribblings of a foolish little girl and I could not understand how so many people loved this book. But I was merely a Baby-Christian after just having returned back to the Catholic Church, the faith of my childhood and I just could not understand the simplicity with which our Little Flower wrote.

The second time around a few years later I could not stop reading it and re-read it. So many things stood out to me: her own struggles with other people (other nuns so that put some things into perspective about relationships in general), her desire of entering religious life and the fierce determination to get there although she was too young to be accepted as well as many of her stories like her prayers for a murderer on death row whom she named her “first child” or her “elevator to heaven” (you will have to read the book, I don’t want to spoil it).

St Thérèse’s book helped me to accept my weakness and struggles in praying the rosary. She says in her book:

“When alone, (I am ashamed to admit it) the recitation of the rosary is more difficult for me than the wearing of an instrument of penance. I feel I have said this so poorly! I force myself in vain to meditate on the mysteries of the rosary; I don’t succeed in fixing my mind on them.”

But she did not give up. Instead she focused on Mary as a Mother seeing her good will instead of her perfection. This allows me to find the grace to keep trying and praying the rosary as much as I can, even if it is sometimes hard and I do not want to. I pray that this book will guide you in your own life and why not read it this month as October is the month of the Rosary.

If a saint and Doctor of the church experienced such struggles in praying the rosary, maybe there is hope for you and me also.