I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux (Paperback)

~ Jean C. J. d'Elbée (Author) "Pope Paul VI, addressing the members of the Congress on the Apostolate of the Laity on October 15, 1967, in St. Peter's, and wishing to..." (more)
Key Phrases: immense confidence, merciful love, Heart of Jesus, Holy Spirit, Margaret Mary (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Review

With felicity and wisdom, this retreat introduces St. Thérèse free of sentimentalism and obscurantism. -- Fr. George W. Rutler, author, A Crisis of Saints

Product Description

This spiritual classic has long been beloved by Catholics for its wondrous distillation of the teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into a reader-friendly set of meditations. It's perfect as a personal retreat when you have only a few moments to spare each day - and for spiritual reading anytime and anywhere.

Fr. Jean C. J. d'Elbée, a French priest deeply imbued with St. Thérèse's spirit, brings you St. Thérèse's teachings on God's love and the confidence in Him that it should inspire in your soul; humility, peace, and fraternal charity; the apostolate; the Cross; and what it means truly to abandon yourself to Divine Providence.

I Believe in Love has helped countless souls embark on the way to the Father. It will help you focus on Him throughout each day, rest in Him amid your troubles, and live joyfully with Him at every moment!

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Product Details

• Paperback: 304 pages
• Publisher: Sophia Institute Press; 2nd edition (July 1, 2001)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 1928832288
• ISBN-13: 978-1928832287
• Product Dimensions: 8.1 x 5.5 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 13.6 ounces (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.9 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (13 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #132,588 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

20 of 20 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Wonderful Meditations on Therese's Wisdom, April 26, 2005

By	Glutton for books - See all my reviews

"I Believe in Love" is a wonderful introduction to the wisdom of Therese of Lisieux. Reading it made me more fully appreciate her autobiography "Story of a Soul." Each chapter of the book comprises different topics that she addressed in her writings, and serves well as a meditation. I think the author states that it is his intent to provide the reader with a personal retreat based on the teachings of Therese. I read one chapter a night before I went to bed.

Therese of Lisieux's approach to spirituality is accessible to any one in any walk of life. She describes souls as similar to different types of flowers. Some are roses, others lilies, and some like orchids, for example. And all can be equally pleasing to God in their own way, when seeking his role for them. People have different talents and different struggles, but these characteristics do not mean that any type is more valued than the other.

The chapters are divided according to topics that address needs of everyone; regardless of what type of flower they are. The topics are drawn from examples of Therese's life and writings, but the author also includes many biblical quotes and some writings of other Christians, such as Teresa of Avila, that support the advice given.

It is fitting that the first chapter describes love, as Therese sated that is the Church is one body, then she want to be its heart, that loves every one, because God is love. The chapter instructs how to demonstrate love to God and others through all actions of our lives, regardless of our station or ability. The chapter "Fraternal Charity" speaks in greater details about relations with others and how to fulfill our duties towards them

The chapter "Unshakeable Confidence" outlines advice for people who experience spiritual dryness. It amazed me to learn that Therese of Lisieux experiences dryness, and helps console me when I feel similarly, because if some one who lived as holy a life as she did suffered from this problem, than I should not feel disillusioned from the experience.

"Humble Confidence" is a chapter that provides sound guidance for acting in faith. It seems that there is a fine line between being confident in religion and proud, the latter of which is not a virtue.

"Abandonment to Jesus" and "The Cross" are helpful chapters for people experiencing difficult times, and anxiety about the future; whether it is the daily grind that is wearing one down, or a specific setback. And Catholic may benefit particularly from the chapter on the "Eucharist," as the late Pope has named this year the "Year of the Eucharist."

The book is easy to read and personal. The organization of the chapters, are useful for providing support to people during different struggles. I read the book through once, and return to different sections, depending on my needs, but each chapter is a complete meditation in itself and the book can be skipped around. Each reading makes me appreciate them more.

18 of 18 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars The Love of the Savior, April 22, 2001

By A Customer

I BELIEVE IN LOVE is an outstanding book which explores the personal love that Christ has for each individual. It is an answer to the common cry of our modern world, a cry for love. This book delves into the true meaning of love and applies it to how we can love Christ, and how Christ loves us. When read with an open heart, I BELIEVE IN LOVE can change your life.

17 of 17 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars St. Therese Cuts Through to the Essence of Spiritual Living, February 14, 2004

By A Customer

I received this book as a gift. A quick look at the Table of Contents and the conferences listed there had me feeling drawn to concentrate on this rather than dozens of other books waiting to be read on my shelves. I found that the book was exactly what the caption on the cover said: A Personal Retreat!

Based on the Teaching of Saint Thérèse, Father d'Elbée quickly gets to the heart of what we all need to hear: How we are truly loved by God! Saint Thérèse is also one to go beyond what we normally imagine. The confidence she claims we can place in God; the confidence we should have in placing ourselves and our total trust in God; is both necessary for us to hear and very comforting. She is so confident, she says: forget you past! Just tell Jesus: "Make up for what I have done badly" and "Do what I have left undone." She gives her own personal examples.

Father d'Elbée presents Saint Thérèse in such a realistic light. She appears as she truly is, for those who have studied her life, a child of God, similar to what she calls herself (Thérèse of the Child Jesus) and a disciple of Saint John of the Cross.

Like all the saints, her message is founded on the virtue of humility, which she claims is so absolutely necessary. The message we receive is that if we knew what we could gain from this we would thirst for it. Father makes it clear that "no one but a disciple of Jesus can be humble." The simple reason is that it is not humanly possible because of our fallen human nature. We need His grace!

The conference on "Great Desires, Humility, and Peace" is extremely helpful. One example, showing our blindness especially in respect to our need for humility, comes from the statement: "The majority of hurts, offended feelings, grudges, and bitternesses in life with others come from this obsession with our rights [i.e. we are always seeing injustice and demanding justice for ourselves and miserable when it does not happen], this need for esteem [the egotistical self-fulfilling pride that Saint John talks about], so strongly woven into our 'self.'" This is very true. We can only change ourselves. The solution for most of our problems lies within our grasp. It does, however, mean looking at ourselves with brutal honesty. But, it's the price we must pay for finding humility and peace.

Don't jump to this part of the book. Read the whole thing. I am sure there is plenty that each person needs to hear. There is a lot that will hit home in each chapter.

The Masters all say, not to advance in the Spiritual Life is to fall back. This book gives us food to help advance and keep advancing. Saint Thérèse is very profound in what she says, but when it comes down to what she asks us to do, they are very simple things-yes, maybe very hard to integrate into our lives, but it will not take a rocket scientist to know what she is talking about.

If the book has the same effect on you that it had on me, give it as a gift to someone else. That's what I am doing now. I received it as a gift. I am ordering two more copies now for others.