Saint Therese Is Stalking Me!

[NonNovi]

Seriously, I see Saint Therese of Lisieux everywhere. It started a week ago, when I watched a moviefragment on youtube, the last scene. I cried when she was about to die and cried out her love for God. I cry very rarely, don't know why this time. The next day I was in a priests house and found a big picture of Therese on a bookshelf. On a table near the books was a plaster flower piece, with a red rose in the middle. On facebook, one of my priest friends posted a link to his blog, where he wrote an article about The Story of a Soul. Later I had a dream where a friend handed me a red rose. One night, before I fell asleep, I looked at my window (where I put al my religious things, like a house altar) and suddenly realised I have had a little statue of Saint Therese for ages. Never realised it was her, until that moment. This morning I went to help in the remembrance house of a candidate for canonisation. I passed a cemetery and saw some roses on a grave. In the house itself, I had to go to the attic and there stood a statue of Saint Therese. On the same table, in a box, I found a glass bulb with a giant plastic red rose in it.

Wherever I go I see Saint Therese or red roses. It's too weird, I've never had a special devotion to her or something. But the past week she just popped up sooo much, I can't deny there must be something going on.

I know some of you have experience with her. Advice anyone?

[vee]

ya, she's a stalker

[Eowyn]

Whoa, she's trying to tell you something. Been praying about anything in particular lately?

[savvy]

[quote]I know some of you have experience with her. Advice anyone? [/quote]

I can only say, welcome to the club!

She entered my life uninvited. A seminarian friend told me I reminded him of her. I never knew who she was, but then read the Story of a Soul. We had so much in common. Youngest in the family, sensitive, introspective, spoilt earlier in life until difficulties and the reality of life got to us.

I also smelt fresh roses at adoration once. I thought someone brought in flowers, but nobody did. When i told a lady at church, she told me "Oh Theresa of the child Jesus also did".

I did not like her stalking me at first, but then just looking at a picture of her, brought me so much peace. I started a novena to her to help me discover what community God was calling me to. I am sure she led me to this one. The church in Montreal has a huge statue of her because it's a Blessed sacrament church and she had a strong devotion to it. It's also French. like her.

When I was praying before it, a another girl came up to me, and said, "You have a special friend too."

Therese is a little stalker. She might be trying to lead you to what God wants.

Edited October 28, 2012 by savvy

[dominicansoul]

[quote name='vee8' timestamp='1351379905' post='2498858']
ya, she's a stalker
[/quote]

this is an understatement coming from u vee

[ruso]

Too bad, God calls, but respects our freedom. As say in Spain, signals, the essential, no more.

Tell us more, dear brother, but it sounds like obsession, not a vocation.

[emmaberry101]

[quote name='ruso' timestamp='1351390545' post='2498918']
Too bad, God calls, but respects our freedom. As say in Spain, signals, the essential, no more.

Tell us more, dear brother, but it sounds like obsession, not a vocation.
[/quote]

I very much disagree with this and hope you aren't discouraged by this post, Non Novi.

I am a convert, so I don't have a whole lot of experience with Saints stalking me (only a couple years worth! ) However, t does seem logical that perhaps Saint Therese is trying to get you to pay attention to something. What that 'something' is is the question though. Saints don't try to gain our devotion for themselves, but only to increase the glory of God. Maybe Saint Therese wants you to pray a novena to her, or maybe you are supposed to become more devoted to her Little Way and offer up every small suffering for souls and/or priests?

I would love to hear about any more experiences with roses and Saint Therese you have! My friend also smelt fresh roses in adoration one day-amazing considering they were painting the Church and it smelled terrible in there. Saint Therese is such a wonderful personable Saint in that way, always granting little signs and gestures to us.

[BigJon16]

[quote name='ruso' timestamp='1351390545' post='2498918']
Tell us more, dear brother, but it sounds like obsession, not a vocation.
[/quote]


What is that supposed to mean? St. Therese can be very influential in leading a person to their vocation.

She certainly has been for me, and many of our fellow Phatmassers can testify to her intersession in their own lives.

Who are you to judge that as an "obsession?"


The Saints are all around us, as is God. They are constantly leading us closer to Him by the examples of their lives and by their prayers.



I see God every day, it could even be said that He "stalks" me. Is that an obsession?

No. It is recognition. Recognizing the fact that He is present in my life, and along with Him are the saints.



And even if it is an obsession over St. Therese, how is that a bad thing? There are much more worse things that a man could be obsessed with..




Jeesh. [/end rant]

I am normally not this aggressive, but It's been a long day, and St. Therese is especially dear to my heart. One could even say that I am obsessed with her...

[maximillion]

^^^^^^^^

Props.

[Carmelshrimp]

This is so typical of Therese it made me smile. One minute you've hardly heard of her and the next she's everywhere! Therese has been a dear friend to me for some years now, but when she first turned up she certainly caught me out. The scent of roses thing is something I recognise. It's happened to me more than once. On one occasion it was at a very difficult time and it brought a great sense of peace and comfort. On another I was on the brink of taking a huge step in my faith journey and the night before the priest who was involved in the process was baffled to find his house smelling of roses wherever he went. He said he'd been round the place sniffing curtains and even his cassock to see if the scent was clinging to the fabric! She played a huge part in my discernment, even turning up in a dream when I was uncertain about something and leaving me quite sure that it wasn't the right path. She's very persistent though, so I wouldn't worry about what's on her mind - she'll tell you when she's good and ready. The difficult bit is giving her the slip, not finding out what her plans are. I find it's much easier and saves loads of time to give in gracefully without a fight. She never takes no for an answer

Edited October 28, 2012 by Carmelshrimp

[TheresaThoma]

I would guess that St Therese is trying to get your attention! Is there something that you have been praying about or that has been on your heart lately? That might be a good place to start in trying to figure out what she is up to.
Don't worry if you can't figure it out right now. In my experience sometimes Saints will start popping up in your life you start learning about them and getting to know them. Then later on when you are going through something you realize that particular Saint is the EXACT one that can help you through that situation. So maybe she has something to tell you right now and maybe she just wants to "get to know you" so she can help you later.

[inperpetuity]

Saints can and do do these things, consider yourself blessed, NonNovi.

[NonNovi]

Thank you all for the replies!

[quote name='emmaberry101' timestamp='1351398162' post='2498979']
I very much disagree with this and hope you aren't discouraged by this post, Non Novi.
[/quote]
Not at all, Emma I don't care what they say in Spain (What do they actually say? I didn't understand), it's just too much to be ignored. And I believe it's better to be obsessed with the saints instead of being obsessed with other women, isn't it?

I haven't been specifically praying for something lately, besides maybe the regular vocation stuff, that's why I thought it was weird in the beginning. I didn't ask for anything but Therese seemed to answer me anyway. It's probably like TheresaThoma said, I just have to get to know her now and will get why afterwards. She was already present in my life (I knew the statues, I already saw pictures, etc.etc.), but I didn't realise it. It's like someone suddenly switched a light on and now I can see it.

Yesterday at Mass the priest started to quote Saint Therese in his sermon. I just knew this was going to happen with this priest Afterwards I told him and he promised to give me a book about Therese the next time. And when I was going trough some pictures of a pilgrimage I participated in, this picture caught my eye. I've seen these pictures dozens of times, but I never noticed wich saint was on the banner.
[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/479702_10150929670254571_26471161_n.jpg[/img]

I think I'm going to start a novena and try to not deliberately search for signs of Therese everywhere (then it would become an unhealthy obsession ).

[vee]

When you do your novena to her make the intention as whatever Therese wants. Whether or not she wants to answer that right now is up to her of course

[vee]

[quote name='NonNovi' timestamp='1351509535' post='2499570']


Yesterday at Mass the priest started to quote Saint Therese in his sermon. I just knew this was going to happen with this priest Afterwards I told him and he promised to give me a book about Therese the next time. And when I was going trough some pictures of a pilgrimage I participated in, this picture caught my eye. I've seen these pictures dozens of times, but I never noticed wich saint was on the banner.
[img]https://fbcdn-sphotos-e-a.akamaihd.net/hphotos-ak-snc7/479702_10150929670254571_26471161_n.jpg[/img]


[/quote]


Oh yes she is sneaky!! I found a pic from back in 2005 when I had no idea who she was and was having a difficult time. Id been away from the Church but had gone on one occasion due to the insistence of others. It was only this year, 2012, that I found a pic of the inside of that church and guess who is hiding in the corner??!!! She was covertly there with me even in the darkest of times when I had no clue about anything.