Once upon a time, a little more than a hundred years ago, there lived in Lisieux, France, a little girl named Thérèse. She was simple, sweet, and a little spoiled. She grew up to be a Carmelite nun, died of tuberculosis at age 24, and was declared a saint in 1925. Her story always fascinated me. I remember when I was seven years old, I saved my allowance, took the bus downtown (Corpus Christi) by myself and bought a small ceramic statue of St. Thérèse. As an adult, I recently rediscovered the mature mystic Thérèse, who expressed her experiences of God in metaphors of nature.

         What an honor it was to be selected to present a paper on Thérèse for the Society for the Study of Christian Spirituality
Conference recently at Notre Dame. The theme for this gathering of scholars and theologians as well as poets, musicians, artists, pastors, and practitioners was "Wondrous Fear and Holy Awe." The theme fit quite well with the research in which I have been engaged concerning Thérèse's nature mysticism.

         St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) is a modern mystic, infused with wondrous fear and holy awe, whether in the joys of floral delights or the terrors of dark clouds. From her early childhood to her eternal gift - the 'shower of roses' from heaven - Thérèse's mystical awareness of God through nature - "Jesus deigned to teach me this mystery. He set before me the book of nature" (Ms A, I, 2) - reflects the internal face of her soul.

         Drawing on her autobiography, letters, prayers, poems, and plays, and posthumous studies of her life, I addressed some of the deep spiritual and personal complexities of this "simple" saint known as the Little Flower, revealed through her many references to nature. Nature, the medium of ineffable perception in Thérèse's experience, appears as metaphor, allegory, anthropomorphism, revelation, and, particularly, a glimpse into the face of God.

         My presentation demonstrated the mystical dimensions of Thérèse's understanding of nature in her world.  Our contemporary world is one of complexity, strife, distraction, and displacement. Against this background, nature mysticism - looking into the face of nature for the Divine and for wisdom, guided by Thérèse - can help individuals reclaim a personal and spiritual relationship with God. Tracing Thérèse's understanding of nature reveals a powerful theology of transformation through the purgative, illuminative, and unitive journey to spiritual freedom.

          The SSCS Conference was a marvelous retreat-like experience of sacred liturgies, morning prayer and vespers, blended with the scholarly and academic contributions. I was impressed with the ecumenical and interdisciplinary gathering of so many people seeking to name the ineffable experiences of God. I especially appreciate the positive feedback I received from my colleagues, their encouragement toward a book manuscript, and the support from my soulmate / literary critic, Bill, along the way.