'Little Flower of Jesus' feast day celebrated at Carmelite monastery

RARITAN TOWNSHIP — More than an hour before the Annual Solemn Pontifical Benediction and Blessing of Roses began at the Carmel Monastery Oct. 1, people arrived. They filled the pews of the small chapel, lined the walls and stood in the hallway just outside. They had come out of love for St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a French Discalced Carmelite Nun also known as “The Little Flower of Jesus,”  to celebrate her feast day, to thank her for favors received and seek her help.
In her autobiography, “Story of a Soul,” St. Thérèse wrote, “My mission — to make God loved — will begin after my death. I will spend my heaven doing good deeds on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.” Today, the Little Flower is universally recognized as the saint who sends roses to those individuals who pray to her for help.
The service began with the angelic voices of the Discalced Carmelite nuns singing their “Hymn to St. Thérèse of Carmel” as Bishop James F. Checchio processed to the altar. Preceding him were priests from the diocese and Auxiliary Bishop Manuel A. Cruz of the Archdiocese of Newark.
The Discalced Carmelites follow the rule of life established by St. Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) — a  Spanish Carmelite who reformed the order — to support the Church by their cloistered, contemplative lives of prayer.   
In his greeting, Bishop Checchio, who presided at the service, spoke about St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. At the age of 15, she entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux and died in 1897 at the age of 24. “She still inspires us by her example of childlike simplicity and her unbounded confidence in God’s merciful love,” the bishop said.
Exposition of the Blessed Sacrament followed with the bishop kneeling before the Eucharist as all silently prayed. Adoration included a reading from Scripture by Father Michael Fragoso, pastor, St. James the Less Parish, Jamesburg. Father Anthony M. Sirianni, pastor, St. Helena Parish, Edison, read the Gospel
In his homily, Bishop Checchio spoke first about the Blessed Sacrament and how Christ is truly present in the Eucharist and how it is the way he fulfills his promise to be with us always. He said we can grow in our relationship, our friendship with Jesus by spending time with him in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament and that it also serves as the way we can become purified.
Continuing, he shared some of St. Thérèse’s thoughts on love. She said, “My call is love. Love appeared to me to be the hinge of my vocation.”
“Here before the Lord,” the bishop said, “we can hear anew what true love is and the cost of that love for our savior and what it will demand of us, too.”
Bishop Checchio concluded his homily recalling Pope Francis’ visit to a Carmel during his trip last month to Madagascar. “The Holy Father said to the nuns there and he says it here to our Sisters in Flemington, too, and all Carmelites devoted to Our Lord. The Church appreciates you and when she thinks of Carmel she thinks of a school of contemplation,” said the bishop.
“Indeed, this evening, we thank God for this Flemington Carmel and for our dear Sisters who provide the blood to flow through our diocese by their prayers. It’s an oasis of prayer which leads us, anchors us and loves us,” he added.
In closing the bishop prayed, “May the prayers and intentions that are brought to this house be heard by our loving Father through the intercession of St. Thérèse.”
A short novena was then recited and the pontifical benediction took place. Next, the dozens of roses that surrounded a statue of the Little Flower of Jesus were sprinkled with holy water, incensed and distributed to all attendees who were also able to venerate a relic of St. Thérèse.
Among the attendees at the prayer service was Ryan O’Shaughnessy. It was his first time at the Carmelite Monastery. He had come because one of his best friends, Kim Esguerra, had chosen the feast of St. Thérèse to enter the Carmelites. “We were missionaries together with Saint Paul’s Outreach, doing campus ministry at Rutgers,” he said. The tagline of Saint Paul’s Outreach is “Catholic Faith Alive on Campus.” According to its website Saint Paul’s Outreach (SPO) mission is “To build transformational communities that form missionary disciples for life.”
Inside the monastery, O’Shaughnessy, a member of St. Peter the Apostle University and Community Parish, joined 13 other young adults who also worship at the New Brunswick parish. Some were or had been missionaries with Saint Paul’s Outreach at Rutgers University. Others were involved with Petros, the Young Adults at St. Peter’s where the ministry is part of the parish’s Faith Formation programs. All had come to show support for the Carmelites’ newest novice, Esguerra. Monica Butler, SPO Chapter Leader, noted that many left notes for their friend, telling her they were at the Blessing of the Roses.
Many at the prayer service were devotees of St. Thérèse. One of them was Walter A. Starycki, a member of Immaculate Conception Parish, Somerville. More than 40 years ago, a friend of Starycki encouraged him to go to the Carmelite Monastery to pray for priests. He went, not only once but year after year has joined the Carmelite nuns at their monthly Holy Hour to pray for priests. “The priests need our prayers,” said Starycki, who prays to St. Thérèse, too, and said she has answered many of his requests for help. Reflecting on the evening’s prayer service, Starycki called it “very beneficial, very helpful and most of all very spiritual.”
Jean Lyons, a member of the Cathedral of St. Francis of Assisi parish, Metuchen, started her devotion to St. Thérèse when she was 14 and a student at Little Flower High School, Philadelphia. There was a statue of St. Thérèse on the school’s first floor and the students passed by her on their way to classes. “I’ve had a major devotion to St. Thérèse ever since then,” Lyons said, noting that she has been a secular Carmelite for 20 years and her first daughter was named after the Little Flower of Jesus.
“I can feel her [St. Thérèse] presence everywhere,” Lyons said, adding, “She is a very powerful saint.”