Shower of Heavenly Roses: Stories of Intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux

If I could give this book a million stars I would. It is that GOOD!! The perfect book to read for mediation during Advent and Lent or any time of the year! It is divided up in different categories and each category are clusters of enjoyable stories of how St. Therese had helped countless people. Catholic and non-Catholic alike! You will have a stronger devotion to this great Saint at the end. I read the book in only TWO days!!! You won't regret buying it!!!

All stories in this book serve as inspiration to many to become more and more closer to Jesus through the little flower's intercession. All those whom I shared this book with told me that once they start reading the book, they could not put it down. Some even experience little miracles themselves. And to others, they got to know St. Therese more and now invoke her powerful intercession as well. One lady I gave the book to shared with me that she didn't really know St. Therese that well, but after reading the book, she wanted to have a picture of St. Therese with her little prayers on it. To her amazement, she found a little card with St. Therese' picture on her bedroom, but nothing was printed on it. It was a two fold card but inside was blank. She wished it contain some kind of novena prayers as she would like to start a novena with her. The following day, that same card had the 24 Glory Be's novena inside. When she came to see me before she left for the Philippines, I had the prompting to give her a beautiful 11 x 14 picture of St. Therese. She was just so thrilled to see the picture as she also wished for a bigger picture of St. Therese. Thank you Elizabeth for putting together such inspiring stories.

Therese of Lisieux's autobiography is a book I love to take with me when I travel or have a long day with a lot of waiting. Elizabeth Ficocelli's book is a lot like that as well -- a book you can either read from cover to cover or, better yet, dip into to see inspirational stories from people of all different backgrounds. I was amazed at how many different kinds of people have experienced graces from Therese, and in all sorts of different circumstances, including weddings, distance of family members, and so forth. I like to read each story, then say a prayer asking that I can receive the grace with the same openness that many of these people did. Final note -- you'll love the story from Tara Lipinski, the Olympic figure skater!

There are literally hundreds of books about St. Therese of Lisieux and her spirituality, but I don't think that in recent times there has been one quite like this one. This book is a lovely compilation of stories relating St. Therese's "intervention" in the lives of those who love her still. Yet, there is not a trace of sacharine sentimentality or trite ritualism here. The stories, some of them quite simple, are pure reaffirmations of faith. Prayer, St. Therese once noted, is a loving glance towards heaven. This volume recounts Therese's own loving glances towards earth.

I believe that my own strong devotion to St. Therese of Lisieux, lovingly known as "The Little Flower", stems from the fact that she gives me such great hope - hope that someone who spends most of every day doing mundane little tasks (like washing laundry and driving car pools), can make these little acts holy by offering them to God with a loving heart. In her new book Shower of Heavenly Roses: Stories of the intercession of St. Therese of Lisieux (Crossroad Publishing Company, September 2004, paperback, 227 pages), author Elizabeth Ficocelli shares stories of countless hearts touched through the intercession of St. Therese. For those not acquainted with St. Therese and her wonderful autobiography Story of a Soul, Ficocelli's introduction relates the life history and spirituality of this magnificent woman. In her Prologue, Ficocelli shares her own personal faith journey and the role in that journey played by St. Therese, as well as the meaning of the sign of the rose. Millions have turned to St. Therese for aid and intercession in times of difficulty and despair. The stories shared in Shower of Heavenly Roses are stirring accounts of prayers answered by miracles, great and small. St. Therese inspired many with her words "I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth." Shower of Heavenly Roses shows that St. Therese's spirit of love and service, her "little way", lives on in our world.

A Jesuit priest once noted that the actions of the saints in our lives build our faith on a personal level, but they are also meant to edify the entire Body of Christ. In other words, when the Saints "talk" to us, they are addressing all our brothers and sisters as well. Food that nourishes us must be shared with those around us. That's exactly what Shower of Heavenly Roses, Elizabeth Ficocelli's heart-warming and inspiring story collection of people's experiences with St. Therese of the Child Jesus, does. The story collection feeds our faith and energizes our prayer life, exciting us with new spiritual discoveries and promising avenues of prayer. For those who are not Catholic and not familiar with the "Communion of Saints," this is a wonderful introduction to that teaching and practice in the Church. Lest anyone think that praying to a Saint demeans our relationship with Christ, we must remember that the Lord himself AUTHORIZED the apostles (and the saints through the ages) to heal and deliver and work the same wonders he did. Therefore, to shy away from their help is to shy away from the One who gave them the authority to dispense that help. Each story opens up beautiful new vistas where we can stroll and meditate, then return to our everyday lives, refreshed and renewed for the next challenges we face. Elizabeth Ficocelli has done a splendid job in choosing these vistas; now, it's your turn to avail yourself of them. It's a decision you won't regret.