Prayers For Baby Leo - A Novena For Healing

[Ash Wednesday]

Prayers, prayers, prayers.

[AnneLine]

Day 5 - Novena

 

Louis and Zelie created a loving, faith-filled home that fostered the human gifts and religious vocations of all of their daughters.

 

Over the next two days, I will share a bit of info about St. Therese's sisters.

 

Today, we will look at the two eldest daughters, Marie and Pauline.

 

 

Marie Louise Martin - Sister Marie of the Sacred Heart, OCD

 

Marie was the eldest child of Louis and Zelie. She was named for her godmother, Zelie's sister Marie Louise, known as Elise. Zelie was very close to Elise, who served as Zelie's surrogate mother, whom she called her 'little mother' because their own mother was very remote and strict. Elise was the sister who started the lacemaking work with Zelie! Elise eventually became a nun (Sr. Marie Dosithee) in the Visitation Monastery at Caen. That is why Marie and Pauline were sent there to be educated!

 

 

Marie was nicknamed 'the Gypsy' by the family, and was called 'the Diamond' by her father. She was St. Therese's godmother! Marie followed her younger sister, Pauline, into the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux. She was a very practical woman, and served the sisters as the procurator (buyer) for the monastery. After Therese's beatification and canonization, she was in charge of sending out all the 'Therese' materials for the monastery for many years.

 

We owe to Marie the section in St. Therese' Story of a Soul where she talks about love and her vocation to be love in the heart of the Church. Marie had complained to Therese that while she had written extensively for Pauline and Mother Gonzaga about her life as a girl and as a Carmeltie nun, she hadn't written anything for her! Therese dashed off her thoughts on love for Marie while she was on her last retreat... and they form the 'heart' of St. Therese' autobiography.

 

You can read more about Marie here:

 

http://martinsisters.org/sister_marie_of_the_sacred_heart.html

 

 

 

Marie Pauline Martin - Mother Agnes of Jesus, OCD

 

Pauline was second child of Louis and Zelie. Her godfather was Zelie's brother, Isidore, and she was named for her her godmother, a close friend of the family. Like her older sister Marie, she was educated at the boarding school run by the Visitation Nuns in Caen, where her godmother was a nun.

 

Pauline was especially close to her mother, and there are a number of letters from Zelie to Pauline in existence. Zelie shared many confidences with her, and felt that this daughter was an especially blessed soul and an excellent confidante, and that she possessed exceptional wisdom for her age. Her father called her the Pearl.

 

 

After Zelie's death (when Therese was only 4 and Celine only 7), the two youngest daughters reached out to their older sisters to fill the void. Celine, three years older than Therese, ran to Marie and threw herself into her arms, saying, 'You will be my little mother now.' Therese wanted to do the same, but didn't want to hurt Pauline. Therese went to Pauline and told her that she chose Pauline to be her 'little mother'. They developed a very close relationship that spanned the rest of Therese's life.

 

Pauline was the first of the Martin daughters to enter the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux. She eventually became the Mother Prioress (superior) of the community, and served in that role for part of the time that Therese was a nun, and for many years after St. Therese' death. She was the one who first encouraged Therese to write the story of her childhood, and she also was the one who pursuaded Mother Marie de Gonzague (the prioress who took her place just before Therese' death), to have Therese write the story of her time in the Carmel as well. Those two sections, along with the section on love, comprise the book that we know as The Story of A Soul. Mother Agnes edited the manuscript at Therese' request; unedited 'facsimile' copies only became available after the death of St. Therese's last living sister in 1959. While some people may criticize the extensive editing that Pauline made to the manuscript, it is almost certain that had she not done so, the book would never have been published after Therese's death.

 

Pauline also appears to have been a very good superior who was not afraid of new things. When the last of the Martin sisters, Celine, entered the Carmel, she allowed her to bring her photography equipment with her -- which is why we have so many photos of St. Therese and her sisters!

 

You can read more about Pauline here:

 

http://martinsisters.org/mother_agnes_of_jesus.html

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

God of eternal love, You give us Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage. They remained faithful to You in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today. If it be your will, grant me the grace I now ask of You, through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, and let them be counted among the Saints in Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

.............................................................................

[AnneLine]

Day 6 - Novena

 

Louis and Zelie created a loving, faith-filled home that fostered the human gifts and religious vocations of all of their daughters.

 

Today, we will look at the two middle daughters, Leonie and Celine.

 

 

Marie Leonie Martin - Sister Francoise-Therese, VHM

 

Leonie was the middle child of Louis and Zelie. She was named for her godmother, who was a friend of the family. Leonie's health was poor, and as she grew up, she had numerous problems with learning and with her behavior. She was so difficult that the Visitation nuns refused to let her stay at the monastery in Caen, and refused to consider taking Celine and Therese. That is why Leonie and her two younger sisters would be educated at home in Lisieux by their mother and sisters.

 

 

Leonie was loved by her parents and siblings, who called her the Little Violet, but they were aware of her problems. Zelie in particular was concerned about what would become of Leonie, and this was a big worry for her as her breast cancer grew worse and it became clear she would not be around to take care of Leonie or help her to grow into a proper young woman. Zelie made sure to prepare her for her First Communion, and tried to help her as much as she could. However, Leonie was slow, and her problems were compounded because she was terrorized by a family servant, despite being under the watchful eyes of her parents and siblings. Leonie testified at St. Therese's beatification hearings that Therese was able to help her to learn to read, and that she managed to do it in such a way that she did not make her older sister feel stupid.

 

Leonie's problems did not end when her schooling was done. She tried to enter religious life several times, but was unsuccessful in her first attempts. Leonie believed that her sister Therese's intersession was responsible for her being able to succeed when she tried again after Therese's death.

 

She and her younger sister, Celine, were the ones who stayed home to take care of Louis in his final illness. After Celine's entrance to the Carmel, Leonie finally was able to be successful at the Visitation Nuns at Caen, where her older sisters had attended school, and where her Aunt had died several years before. There are those who believe that of all the Martin Sisters, Leonie was able to achieve the greatest holiness, because she made her sister Therese' 'little way' her own, learning to quietly and humbly find God in the midst of her disabilities. She achieved a reputation for great holiness by the end of her life.

 

You can read more about Leonie here:

 

http://martinsisters.org/sister_francoise_therese.html

 

 

Marie Celine Martin - Sister Genevieve of the Holy Face, OCD

 

Celine was the eighth child of Louis and Zelie. Her godmother was her Aunt Celine, married to Zelie's brother, Isidore. Because Zelie had lost several children inthe years before Celine's birth, her mother had her baptized at home immediately after her birth. As Zelie was unable to successfully nurse Celine, she sent her to a wet-nurse in the country.... to the same nurse that St. Therese would be sent three years later.

 

Celine was educated at home by her mother and older sisters. She was very close to Therese, who was three years her junior. Whereas the elder sisters were mentors to the youngest girls, Therese and Celine were more friends and confidants. They encouraged each other to grow in 'wisdom, age and grace.' Celine was known as 'The Intrepid' in her family -- and she was the one who encouraged Therese to speak to the Pope regarding her desire to enter Carmel at fifteen. Although Celine also hoped to follow her older sister to the Carmelite Monastery, she graciously let Therese go ahead of her, choosing to be the sister who would remain behind to care for Louis in his final illness (and to some extent, Leonie). She would later have St. Therese as her own novice mistress!

 

 

 

While she waited to enter the convent, Celine took advantage of Louis' offer to travel and to study art and photography. She became fascinated by the newly-discovered photographic pictures of the Shroud of Turin, and she and Therese were profoundly moved by the image of the Man on the Shroud, as he so reminded them of their Father, who was suffering from the effects of strokes and dementia in his final years. When Celine entered the Carmelite monastery after Louis' death, she chose as her name Genevieve (in honor of the foundress of the monastery), and added the title "of the Holy Face'... for the powerful image of Jesus that had become so important to her spirituality... and undoubtedly as a tribute to her father as well.

 

Painting by Celine Martin of the Holy Face from photos taken of the Shroud.

 

 

 

The well-known painting of St. Therese with the roses is also the work of Celine:

 

 

 

Celine brought her artistic skills and her photographic equipment with her to the monastery when she entered, and it is because of that we have so many fine photos of St. Therese and her sisters.

 

You can read more about Celine here:

 

http://martinsisters.org/sister_genevieve_of_the_holy_face.html

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

God of eternal love, You give us Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage. They remained faithful to You in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today. If it be your will, grant me the grace I now ask of You, through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, and let them be counted among the Saints in Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

...........................................................

 

 

Bl. Louis Martin surrounded left to right, by Leonie, a servant, Celine, a servant, and their uncle, Isidore Guerin (1892).

St. Therese's spaniel, Tom, is also in the photo! It is easy to see why the face of Louis reminded her of the Holy Face!

[AnneLine]

Day 7 - Novena

 

Here is a short video about Louis and Zelie from the Apostleship of Prayer:

 

(Click to display the video....)

 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LW_zmHmKGz0

 

 

This is a interesting article about the Beatification of Louis and Zelie by Ms. Maureen Riordon, T.O.C., who was able to attend:

 

http://www.carmelitereview.org/issues/v47n4/tracing.php

 

 

Ms. Riordan also prepared a beautiful Beatification Photo Gallery that is posted on her St. Therese website.

 

It includies a number of photographs of unique articles connected with the Martin Family:

• Sites of the Martin Family in Alencon
• Louis Martin before his marriage
• Zelie Guerin (including more of her exquisite lace!)
• The Marriage of Louis and Zelie Martin (including the wedding register with their signatures!)
• Photos of their Parish Church in Alencon
• Their home in Alencon

and additional items as well!

 

The photos are copyrighted, so I can't post them.  But it is worth clicking!

 

http://www.thereseoflisieux.org/louis-and-zelie-martin-beatifi

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

God of eternal love, You give us Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage. They remained faithful to You in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today. If it be your will, grant me the grace I now ask of You, through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, and let them be counted among the Saints in Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

............. .....

 

 

The beautiful requilary containing the relics of Bls. Louis and Zelie

 

 

The bronze urn containing the relics of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese of Lisieux, on display in St. Peter's Basilica. (CNS photo by Cindy Wooden)

 

The relics on display in the crypt of the Basilica of St. Therese in Lisieux.

[AnneLine]

Day 8 - Novena

 

Louis and Zelie created a loving, faith-filled home that fostered the human gifts and religious vocations of each other and of their daughters.

 

They also have left us powerful lessons about how to deal with the difficult times in life: Sicknesses, stresses within the family, and how to face incurable illnesses and death.

 

 

This is a family that faced breast cancer, children with learning disabilities, loss of a spouse, mental illness and long, protracted final illnesses. They have left us a legacy of how to find God in the difficult things of life as well as in life's joys.

 

 

Louis and Zelie Martin (Parents of Therese of Lisieux)

Bl. Louis (1823-1894) & Zelie Martin (1831-1877)

Optional Memorial in the Discalced Carmelite Order on July 12th

http://thirdordercarmelite.wordpress.com/carmelite-feast-days/louis-zelie-martin-parents-of-therese-of-lisieux/

 

 

Information on the final illnesses of both Zelie and Louis

http://100holyheroes.blogspot.com/2012/07/july-12-bl-zelie-and-louis-martin.html

 

 

Another video on Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ToSxk8sN730

(click if necessary to watch video)

 

 

 

An interesting two-part blogpost about the connection between the Martin Family's devotion to the Holy Face and the sickness and death of Bl. Louis Martin.

 

http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/c022rpLouisMartin01.html

 

http://www.traditioninaction.org/religious/c023rpLouisMartin02.html

 

 

Drawing of Louis Martin in death by his daughter, Celine

 

Memorial card for Louis Martin that was selected by Celine.

 

 

 

Celine Martin (Sr. Genevieve of the Holy Face), had strong devotion to the Holy Face. She was very interested in the photographs of the Shroud of Turin that were taken at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th century. Because of here connection to St. Therese, her artistic skill and her familiarity with photography, she was the artist who was commissioned to create a painting of Jesus based on the photographs of the Shroud of Turin.

 

Positive and Negative Images

 

 

Painting by Celine Martin of the Holy Face from photos taken of the Shroud.

 

 

 

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

God of eternal love, You give us Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage. They remained faithful to You in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today. If it be your will, grant me the grace I now ask of You, through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, and let them be counted among the Saints in Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

..............................................

[Evangetholic]

The holiness of the Martins is a genuine inspiration.

[Archaeology cat]

I didn't know much about them before this, but I'm feeling quite a connection with Bl Zelie now. Thank you, AnneLine. Leo's appointment is at 10.40 EST tomorrow. I'll update when I can.

[AnneLine]

ArchaeologyCat.....

 

It has been a privilege to do this for you and your family. 

And for OUR Phamily.

 

 

Special prayers for Leo and for all of you. 

 

Those of us who will be up at 10:30 EST will be with you in spirit.

 

We pray for healing and/or the graces you all need to journey through this with Leo.

 

I'm so glad you have gotten closer to my good friends, Bl. Zelie and Bl. Louis.  

 

That makes ME very happy.

 

 

AnneLine

[AnneLine]

 

 

 

Day 9 - Novena

 

On this last day of the novena, it seems only appropriate to close with the USUAL gateway most people use to getting to know the Martin Family -- their youngest daughter, St. Therese.

 

There is much written about St. Threse and her spirituality on the internet; today's entry will focus on some things you may not have known about her.

 

St. Therese of Lisieux - Apostle of Prayer

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=f1rQTVhv_ag

 

 

"O Jesus, why can't I tell all little souls how unspeakable is Your condescension? I feel that if you found a soul weaker and littler than mine, which is impossible, You would be pleased to grant it still greater favors, provided it abandoned itself with total confidence to Your Infinite Mercy. But why do I desire to communicate Your secrets of Love, O Jesus, for was it not You alone who taught them to me, and can You not reveal them to others? Yes, I know it, and I beg you to do it. I beg you to cast Your Divine Glance upon a great number of little souls. I beg You to choose a legion of little Victims worthy of your LOVE!"

St. Therese

Story of a Soul (manuscript B)

 

Therese was easily the most-photographed saint of the 19th Century.

 

We have family photos of her as a child and young woman from professional photographers in Alencon and Lisieux.  There are a few photos that were taken when she became a novice (with the white veil) that are shown in the videos and in some of the links. (The novice photos were taken by a friend of the Carmel when she was trying the habit on for size prior to her actual clothing day -- which is why the veil looks so huge--all her hair is under there!) Therese was actually fairly tall at about 5'9".

 

There were no photos taken when Therese made her vows, but about five years later, we again begin to have photos, after Celine entered the Carmel after Bl. Louis' death with her camera.

 

The Carmelite habit is made of a tunic of brown wool with a white headcovering (the 'toque'). Over that a brown wool scapular is worn (with a crucifix worn under the scapular over the heart). The whole thing is then topped with a veil. Novices (sisters who hadn't taken vows/are in training) wear white veils; the black veils are worn after vows. Additionally, on special occasions and for Mass, the Carmelites wear a creamy-white wool mantle (cape).

 

The photos by Celine were all taken with a box camera, and required the subjects to remain absolutely still for a long period of time. Then the photos had to be developed using chemicals and glass negatives. Because gold was often used in the developing process, the photos have a distinct 'sepia' or gold tone to them. Almost all of the photos we have of Therese are part of group shots with the other sisters....

 

 

 

On some special occasions, the Sisters would put on plays and for those they might dress up in a costume... over the habit.    We have several pictures of Therese as an actress!

 

All the pictures of St. Therese that show long, flowing hair... are actually taken from a play in which she played St. Joan of Arc, one of Therese's favorite saints. She is wearing a brown wig over her toque!!!! 

 

Below are more of the photos of St. Therese that were taken of Therese by Celine.

 

 

 

 

 

The photo below was taken only a few months before St. Therese' death from tuberculosis in 1897. The Sisters realized they needed some photos of her before she died, so several solo photos were taken. In one, she is holding a large wooden cross; in this one she is holding the two objects associated with her full name as a Carmelite: Sister Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face.

 

You will recognize that image of the Holy Face as being the one that was used for Louis' remembrance card at the time of his death.

 

 

 

(You can see how much thinner she had become by the time of this photo. Therese had to hold the pose kneeling for several minutes without moving, and apprently she found it VERY tiring. She begged Celine to 'please hurry.' Somehow, that makes me feel closer to her... and it makes her feel very much like one of us.

 

 

This blog has more photos and some quotes from St. Therese:

 

http://hicatholicmom.blogspot.com/2011/10/st-therese-of-child-jesus.html

 

 

In the videos below you will be able to see some parts of St. Therese's Carmel and some of her relics -- including her Joan of Arc costume... and Celine's camera! (click as necessary to watch the videos)

 

Visit to St. Therese's Carmelite convent in Lisieux

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e8MHfr0NABA

 

 

The Story of St Therese of Lisieux

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xOk19qcgW1U

 

 

After Therese's death, the nuns sent copies of her autobiography around to the various Carmelite houses around the world, to share the story of her life. This is a pretty common custom in the Carmelite order.

 

But the nuns started to share these books with friends of the monastery... and they started to share this spirituality of doing little things well for the love of God... and people began to get interested.

 

Favors started to be attributed to Therese.

 

During World War I, a number of soldiers and pilots insisted that they had seen Therese and that she had helped them. These included French and American soldiers and pilots, who found her in their airplanes! They often didn't know who she was, but recognized her face when they saw her - (which would have been Celine's paintings at that point) .

 

This blog has some interesting info about this!

http://laudemgloriae.blogspot.com/2009/08/pluie-de-roses.html

 

The clamor for her beatificaton and canonization made Rome move faster in her case than was customary at that time. Only about 25 years elapsed between her death and her canonization... which was unheard of in that time, when usually it was a minmum of 50 to 100 years.

 

Toward the end of her life, Therese told Celine and Pauline that she wanted to spend her heaven doing good on earth. She spoke many times of wanting to be a missionary, and of her desire to travel all over the earth to share her love of Jesus with all the souls on the planet.

 

In a very modern way, St. Therese got her wish during this century! One of the shuttle astronauts contacted the Carmelite nuns in New Caney, Texas, to make a very special request: He wanted to bring a relic of St. Therese with him when he went on his shuttle mission. The nuns agreed, and let him carry their relic of St. Therese with him on his next mission. You can read about it on this link to the website of the Generalate of the Discalced Carmelite Order, in Rome! (If by some chance it opens in Italian, look for the British or American Flag and click on it to change the language.)

 

St. Therese and Space shuttle

 

http://www.discalcedcarmel.com/vernoticia.php?Id=1557

 

And.. this article indicates that she may have made a return trip!

 

http://www.catholicnewsagency.com/news/astronaut_to_carry_another_relic_of_st._therese_to_space_in_2011/

 

...........................................

 

Obviously, St. Therese intends to stay very busy!

 

 

 

Novena Prayer

 

God of eternal love, You give us Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, the parents of St. Therese, as an example of holiness in marriage. They remained faithful to You in all the duties and trials of life. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today. If it be your will, grant me the grace I now ask of You, through the intercession of Blessed Louis and Zelie Martin, and let them be counted among the Saints in Your Church. Through Jesus Christ, our Lord. Amen.

 

...................................

 

 

 

If you want to know more about Bl. Louis, Bl. Zelie, St. Therese and the rest of their family, there is lots of good information here!

 

http://www.sttherese.com/

 

If you want to read St. Therese' autobiography, The Story of a Soul, be sure you get the translation into English by John Clark, OCD. It is the best and most complete one in English. Many of the earlier translations were made including the editorial changes made by Pauline.... and it is generally felt that you will get a better sense of St. Therese'sspirituality and her personality without the 'improvements' that Pauline put into the early editions.

 

The letters of Louis and Zelie have been issued in the last few years, as well as those of Therese and biographical materials on her sisters and parents. All of these will help the Martin Family come alive for you.

Edited March 8, 2013 by AnneLine

[BG45]

I'll be 100% honest, even though it makes me look awful.  I forgot Novenas were 9 days long somehow. :| 

 

Continued prayers though, even with this novena coming to an end.

[Lil Red]

archaeology texted me:

"Leo's labs are great! We'll continue to monitor but no surgery."

 

:woot: :woot: :woot:

[KnightofChrist]

WOOT! WOOT!

[AnneLine]

archaeology texted me:

"Leo's labs are great! We'll continue to monitor but no surgery."

 

:woot: :woot: :woot:

OF ALL THE DAYS AND TIMES TO REACH MY QUOTA OF POSITIVE VOTES!!!!!

 

That's wonderful news, Red!  Thank you.

 

And thank YOU, Lord.... and thank you, Zelie and Louis!

 

Let's keep on praying, everyone.....

 

Blessings,

 

AnneLine

[BG45]

archaeology texted me:

"Leo's labs are great! We'll continue to monitor but no surgery."

 

:woot: :woot: :woot:

 

Wonderful!!!!
 

[Archaeology cat]

Thank you guys so much! When he had labs at 6weeks, his bilirubin and GGT(?) levels were abnormal. Now both are normal! The stones have stayed the same, but he's growing so the stones aren't blocking as much now. He'll continue having u/s and labs, but nothing else unless something changes. Deo gratias! Thank you for your prayers!