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A Call to a Deeper Love
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Item Number: 1321-5
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The 218 letters of Zelie and the 16 letters of
Louis Martin reproduced in these pages provide us with a treasury of
rich insights into the lives and spirituality of these two individuals
who were Beatified by the Church on October 19, 2008 at the Basilica of
St. Therese in Lisieux, France. We are given here a series of snapshots
revealing the tone and texture of the lives of these two saintly, and
in many ways, very ordinary people. The incidents described in these
pages give us access to the honesty and intimacy of the lives of the
parents of St. Therese never meant for the general public. They greatly
enrich our understanding of this charismatic couple who radiated
holiness and brought to life the greatest saint of the modern age. They
underscore the fact that sainthood is a family project of parents and
children immersed in the God of love. They call us to a deeper love for
God, for each other and for the poor in our midst and invite us to
accept whatever the will of God may be for us in our lives, however
confusing and painful that may be, and to have total trust and
confidence in Him. The anguish of losing four of their nine children,
the economic reverses that threatened their businesses, Zelie's losing
battle with breast cancer and the Alzheimer's disease suffered by Louis
are all brought vividly to light in these letters as is the undying
love of this model couple for one another. As St. Therese wrote: "God
has given me a father and mother more worthy of heaven than of earth."
The present volume has been invaluably enhanced by Dr. Fran
Renda through a large number of expanded footnotes and other
introductory material explaining the background, the times and the
customs that prevailed in France during the years in which these
letters were written. Guy Gaucher, Auxiliary Bishop of Bayeux and
Lisieux and the Sisters of Lisieux are responsible for the preface, the
notes and the overall presentation of the text which has been
flawlessly translated into English by Ann C. Hess.
Two 16-page color sections replete with hither-to-now unseen
photographs of the family from this time (1863-1885) make this work an
invaluable treasure for the afficionados of St. Therese and her parents.
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