The Letters of St. Therese of Lisieux, Vol. 2

This authoritative translation of the second volume of the critical edition of the letters of St. Therese and those written to her is an unprecedented breakthrough in the field, and a delight for her new and old friends. For the first time in English, one can read Therese's letters from the time of her final vows in September 1890 until her death in 1897. Readers can accompany her through the most hidden years of her Carmelite life, the election of her sister as prioress ("Mother! ah! how sweet it is for your child to give you this name!"), the death of her father ("Papa's death does not seem like a death to me, but like a real life . . ."), her letters to her missionary brothers, Adolphe Roulland and Maurice Belliere ("Ah! Brother, let me tell you: the good God is reserving for your soul very sweet surprises."), her letters to her sisters Marie ("what pleases God in my little soul . . . is that He sees me loving my littleness, my poverty, the blind hope I have in His mercy"), Leonie and Celine ("Yes, it is enough if we humble ourselves and bear with our imperfections; that is real sanctity,"), and her growing sense of mission ("I would like to save souls and forget myself for them; I would like to save them even after my death." The letters written to Therese deepen the reader's knowledge of her milieu and the persons who surrounded her in the Lisieux Carmel. The notes are a marvel of depth and precision, enabling the reader to see Therese's words in the context of her real life. An index to both volumes of Therese's letters is a great enhancement. I cannot recommend the book highly enough.