Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families

By Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle

Ave Maria Press, 2013

96 pages, $2.95

To order: avemariapress.com

 

During Lent, Catholic parents have the valuable opportunity to catechize their children about the true meaning of this beautiful liturgical season and offer their children — and themselves — opportunities to grow in holiness.

In Bringing Lent Home With St. Thérèse of Lisieux: Prayers, Reflections and Activities for Families, popular author and EWTN host Donna-Marie Cooper O’Boyle leads families on a retreat, using St. Thérèse of Lisieux as a spiritual guide to anchor domestic churches in prayer, fasting and almsgiving this Lenten season.

The wisdom of St. Thérèse guides families through each day of Lent — all the way through to Easter Sunday. Each day’s devotional reading offers a quote from the Little Flower and a brief excerpt from her life, as well as fasting and almsgiving suggestions, points to ponder and a simple yet poignant prayer.

The parent reflections in the book are particularly moving. Here is one example:

"The Blessed Mother has much to teach us. She remained with her Son, Jesus, to the bitter end and witnessed every drop of blood he shed on our behalf. While in his agony on the cross, Jesus gave his Mother Mary to all of us to be our Mother.

While Mary won’t always perform miracles for us as she did with St. Thérèse the day she was cured of her illness, Mary will work miracles in our hearts and will indeed bring us closer to her Son. We need to ask her to guide us."

Calling to mind important Catholic truth and saintly wisdom, this booklet offers both spiritual depth and practicality of format. The saint’s spirituality is shared in an easy-to-understand manner, even for children. The short devotions are perfect for busy families’ schedules, and the suggested activities for fasting and almsgiving are creative and doable.

As a doctor of the Church whose spiritual doctrine consists of the "Little Way," St. Thérèse is an excellent spiritual guide and model of holiness for both children and adults, especially for Lent.

This booklet is a beautiful spiritual companion for your family this Lent — and Lenten seasons to come.

Jean M. Heimann blogs at CatholicFire.blogspot.com.