The "Little Flowers of Africa" is inspired by my patroness and friend: St. Therese of Lisieux.
St. Therese lived a life of radical love through her "Little Way" of simplicity and humility. She called herself the Little Flower of Jesus, living a hidden life of prayer and service, confident in God's great love for her. Her principle of "doing no great things, only small things with great love" has been a source of motivation and strength in the spiritual lives of many, and especially for me.
Therese's promise to the world, written shortly before her death, says, "I feel especially that my mission is about to begin, my mission of making God loved as I love Him, of giving my little way to souls. If God answers my desires, my heaven will be spent doing good on earth until the end of the world. Yes, I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth." She promised to send showers of roses on those in need, and I know Therese showers her little flowers upon the struggling, beloved children of Africa. This is where my blog gets its namesake.
St. Therese's model of love is a call to a radical way of life. "The only thing I really wish for is to love until I die of love." St. Therese, help us all to live this little way.
