Thought for the Day – October 3 – The Memorial of St Théodore Guérin
Every holy person has a strong sense of God’s Divine Providence.
During his homily at the canonisation Mass, Pope Emeritus Benedict said:
““Go, sell everything you own and give the money to the poor… then come, follow me”. These words have inspired countless Christians throughout the history of the Church to follow Christ in a life of radical poverty, trusting in Divine Providence. Among these generous disciples of Christ was a young Frenchwoman, who responded unreservedly to the call of the divine Teacher. Mother Théodore Guérin entered the Congregation of the Sisters of Providence in 1823 and she devoted herself to the work of teaching in schools.
Then, in 1839, she was asked by her Superiors to travel to the United States to become the head of a new community in Indiana. After their long journey over land and sea, the group of six Sisters arrived at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. There they found a simple log-cabin chapel in the heart of the forest. They knelt down before the Blessed Sacrament and gave thanks, asking God’s guidance upon the new foundation. With great trust in Divine Providence, Mother Théodore overcame many challenges and persevered in the work that the Lord had called her to do. By the time of her death in 1856, the Sisters were running schools and orphanages throughout the State of Indiana.
In her own words, “How much good has been accomplished by the Sisters of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods! How much more good they will be able to do if they remain faithful to their holy vocation!”.
Mother Théodore Guérin is a beautiful spiritual figure and a model of the Christian life. She was always open for the missions the Church entrusted to her and she found the strength and the boldness to put them [the missions] into practice in the Eucharist, in prayer and in an infinite trust in Divine Providence. Her inner strength moved her to address particular attention to the poor and above all to children.” – Pope Benedict XVI, from the canonisation homily of Saint Mother Theodore
God’s work gets done by people ready to take risks and to work hard – always remembering what St Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered but God caused the growth.” (1 Cor 3:6).
St Théodore Guérin, Pray for us!
AnaStpaul 