Story of a Soul. Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

On October 20, 1898, the first edition of “Story of a Soul” was published, a work in which Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, out of obedience, recounts her human and spiritual journey. Not only does she leave us her memoirs, reflections, and spiritual crises, but also poems, letters, and prayers that describe the spiritual journey of an extraordinary soul, despite the humility and hiddenness of her earthly life. Love filled Thérèse’s life; it is at the heart of her spirituality of spiritual childhood, which consists in seeking holiness not through great deeds, but through everyday acts, even the most insignificant, performed out of love for God. Thus Thérèse points us all toward her own “little way of trust and love.” Even today, the autobiographical account of her life, divided into three manuscripts, translated into thirty-five languages and circulated on every continent, attracts the attention of millions of young believers and nonbelievers and continues to speak to everyone’s heart. The weekly newspaper of the Diocese of Chioggia, “Nuova Scintilla,” presented the book and devoted an article to the volume.