St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross
An icon of John of the Cross by Brother Robert Lentz, OFM
St. Therese was John's faithful disciple. She wrote "Ah! how many lights have I not derived from the works of our holy Father St. John of the Cross! At the ages of seventeen and eighteen I had no other spiritual nourishment." She shared her affinity with John of the Cross with her novice, Sister Marie of the Trinity, who wrote that, when Therese first encountered John's line "Here there is no road, because there is no law for the just man," she lost her breath with excitement. "He is the saint of love par excellence," she used to declare.
Resources in book form for understanding John's influence on Therese:
John and Therese: Flames of Love: The Influence of St. John of the Cross in the Life and Writings of St. Therese of Lisieux by Guy Gaucher, OCD, the foremost expert on Therese in France. 192 pages, paperback, $12.95.
In "Experiencing Saint Therese Today," a collection of papers given at a symposium in 1988 to honor the centenary of Therese's entrance into Carmel, Sister Margaret Dorgan writes about the influence of John of the Cross on St. Therese.
Orderimg the above books through these links supports this Web site.
Online Resources about St. Therese of Lisieux and St. John of the Cross:
The above icon of John of the Cross by Br. Robert Lentz is available in many formats from 