Thrse

Dorothy Days unpretentious account of the life of St. Thrse of Lisieux sheds light on the depth of Days Catholic spirituality and illustrates why Thrses simplicity and humility are so vital for today. Whether you are called to the active life like Day or a more hidden existence like Thrse, you will discover that these paths have much in common and can lead you to a love that has the power to transform you in ways that are unexpected and consequential. Now back in print, this short biography of St. Thrse of Lisieux by Dorothy Day expresses the surprising yet profound connection between Daythe founder of the Catholic Worker movement who was praised by Pope Francis for her passion for justice and dedication to her faithand the beloved saint best known for her Little Way. When Day first read St. Thrses autobiography, The Story of a Soul in 1928, she called it pious pap. At the time, Daya social activist who had been living a bohemian lifestylehad only recently been baptized a Catholic. Some twenty-five years later, Days perspective on Thrse had so completely changed that she was inspired to write this biography. She did not find it an easy task: Every time I sit down to write that book on the Little Flower I am blocked. . . . I am faced with the humiliating fact that I can write only about myself, a damning fact. But she persisted, and despite numerous rejections eventually found a publisher for it in 1960. She wrote in the Preface: In these days of fear and trembling of what man has wrought on earth in destructiveness and hate, Thrse is the saint we need. Written originally for nonbelievers or those unaware of Thrse, the book reflects how Day came to appreciate Thrses Little Way, not as an abstract concept, but as a spirituality that she had already been living. The Catholic Worker, which she cofounded with Peter Maurin, was dedicated to feeding the hungry and sheltering the homeless. Days life, like Thrses, was filled with all the humble, self-effacing jobs that were a part of this work. She found in Thrse a kindred spirit, one who saw these simple hidden tasks as the way to heaven. We want to grow in love but do not know how. Love is a science, a knowledge, and we lack it, Day wrote. Just as Day had a conversion of heart about the Little Way, you, too, can be changed by Thrses simple, yet profound spirituality.