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The
Story of a Soul:
Questions for
Discussion & Reflection
| The questions for
this study were created by Karen Nys for the CinCarm Mail List, and are
based on Clarke's 1975 edition of The Story of a Soul.
Corresponding versions are indicated with each chapter. |
Chapter 1
| Beevers |
Chapter 1 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 1: "Alencon" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 1: "Earliest
Childhood Memories" |
| Knox |
Chapters 1-4, and including the
first paragraph of Chapter 5 |
- For Whom did Therese write and why? How did she justify writing about
herself?
- Therese says she was very stubborn. What is the positive or redeemed
side of Stubbornness? How was it manifested even in childhood?
- What else does Therese reveal as her faults?
- What virtue did Therese have from early age that helped her
overcome faults?
- What great gift did God give Therese from birth that resulted in her
development as a saint?
- What was the significance of Therese's dream about the two devils?
- What does Therese mean by "Choosing all"?
- What developing virtues can you see that fit her for religious life?
- Take some time to reflect on your own childhood and the mercies of
God. What would you write? Write, is so inspired, as an act of thanksgiving to God.
Chapter 2
| Beevers |
Chapter 2 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 2: "Les
Buissonnets" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 2: "A Catholic
Household" |
| Knox |
Beginning with the second
paragraph of Chapter 5 through the second sentence of Chapter 8. |
- What did St. Therese consider her 'second
phase' of life? Why (in part) did she consider it her most painful stage?
- What kind of relationship did St. Therese have
with her father? How do you think it may have influenced her relationship
with God?
- What lessons did St. Therese learn by
observance of the world around her? Have you ever had a similar experience
that you could share? (Romans 1:20)
- What kind of relationship did Therese have with
Pauline? From Therese's description of her, what can we learn of Pauline's
character?
- What seemed most meaningful to you in Chapter
2? Why?
Chapter 3
| Beevers |
Chapter 3 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 3:
"The Distressing Years" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 3:
"Pauline Enters Carmel" |
| Knox |
Beginning with the
2nd sentence of Chapter 8 through the 5th paragraph of Chapter 10 (top
of page 96). Ending sentence: "I shall never be able to describe
it--not in this world." |
- What were Therese's experiences of school?
- When did St. Therese first come to believe that
she had a call to Carmel? What did Carmel mean to her?
- Describe Therese's illness. What did she
believe was the cause of it?
- How was Therese cured of her illness?
- Why did she later suffer for having told of her
cure?
Chapter 4
|
Beevers |
Chapter 4 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 4:
"First Communion--At the Boarding School" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 4:
"First Communion" |
| Knox |
Continuing Chapter
10 (top of page 96) through the 3rd paragraph of Chapter 15. Ending
sentence: "I have often sought out their company, to tell them what
a sad thing exile is, and how I long to join them soon in my true
country" (p. 125). |
- According to Therese, how does one reach true
glory?
- Why did Therese feel such a bold confidence of
becoming a great saint?
- What were some of the preparations Therese made
for her First Communion? Describe her experiences of that day.
- What were Therese's feelings and desires the
day after her First Communion? What special grace did she receive on her
Confirmation Day?
- How did Marie deal with Therese's problem of
scruples?
- What lesson did Therese learn while staying
with her cousin, Marie Guerin?
- What part of Chapter 4 made the biggest
impression on you? Why?
Chapter 5
| Beevers |
Chapter 5 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 5: "After the
Grace of Christmas" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 4: "Vocation of
Therese" |
| Knox |
Continuing from 4th paragraph
of Chapter 15 (p. 125): "If heaven showered its graces . . . "
through to the end of Chapter 18. |
- What was the grace of Christmas? How did it
change Therese?
- Who was Therese's "first child"? Have
you ever experienced the joy of seeing the fruitful results of intercessory
prayer?
- How did Therese's father respond to her desire
to enter Carmel at 15? To Therese, what was the meaning of the symbolic
gesture he made that gave her such joy?
- What did Therese learn from her experience of
being with young children? What advice would she have for parents?
- What adversity did Therese face in her desire
for early entry into Carmel?
Chapter 6
| Beevers |
Chapter 6 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 6: "The Trip to
Rome" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 6: "A Pilgrimage
to Rome" |
| Knox |
Chapter 19 through most of
Chapter 13, ending on the bottom of page 181 with the words: ". . .
the day I had been looking forward to so eagerly." |
- How did Therese come to further understand her
vocation to Carmel during her trip to Rome?
- Describe how Therese related to Mary.
- What descriptions about Therese's pilgrimage
did you most enjoy?
- After Therese met with Pope Leo XIII, what
example did she use to explain her feelings and disappointment?
- When Therese found that she had to delay her
entry into Carmel for three months, how did she put that time to use to
prepare herself?
Chapter 7
| Beevers |
Chapter 7 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 7: "The First
Years in Carmel" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 7: "Carmel at
Last" |
| Knox |
The final 3 paragraphs of
Chapter 23 through most of Chapter 26, ending on the top of page 198
with the words: "I could only look upwards and appeal, with more
confidence than before, to my Father in heaven." |
- For what purpose did Therese say she came to
Carmel? How did she understand that she would fulfill this role?
- What were Therese's earliest experiences of
Carmel?
- According to Therese, what is true wisdom?
- Reflect on the statement Sister Febronie made
to Therese: "...your soul is extremely simple, but when you will be
perfect, you will be even more simple; the closer one approaches to God, the
simpler one becomes." Have you experienced this process of
simplification in your own life?
- To what did Therese refer when she spoke of her
dear father's 'martyrdom'?
- What were some of the lessons Therese learned
from her "Director"? How did she try to respond to these lessons?
- What surprise gift did Therese receive from her
Beloved on her Clothing Day?
Chapter 8
| Beevers |
Chapter 8 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 8: "Profession and
Offering to Merciful Love" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 8: "Profession of
Soeur Therese" |
| Knox |
The rest of Chapter 26 from top
of page 198 beginning with the sentence: "Before mentioning all
this, I really ought to have said something about the retreat . .
." through Chapter 29 |
- St. Therese tells us that she fell asleep
during prayer and even in her thanksgiving after Holy Communion. She says,
though, that she 'was not desolate' at this weakness. Why?
- What happened to Therese on the evening before
her profession? What other interior trials did Therese experience?
- In what way does Therese prepare her soul to
receive Holy Communion? How do you prepare to receive your Beloved?
- How did Therese understand God's justice?
- Therese said that she knew from experience that
"the kingdom of God is within you." What did she mean by that?
Chapter 9
| Beevers |
Chapter 11 (NB: jump ahead to
chapter 11) |
| Clarke |
Chapter 9: "My Vocation is
Love" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 13: "A Canticle of
Love" (NB: jump ahead to chapter 13) |
| Knox |
Chapter 30 |
- What important truth was reinforced in
Therese's mind after her dream of Anne of Jesus OCD?
- What other vocations did Therese feel called
to? With which one do you most identify?
- Since she was unable to fulfill these
vocational desires, what did she find was the key that would allow her to
participate in all vocations?
- What does Therese mean when she says that in
her desire to prove her love for Jesus, she will strew flowers before His
throne?
- Therese recognized her littleness and weakness
-- even her mediocrity as far as talents or intellectual skills were
concerned -- yet she had the most amazing confidence in God's power to make
her a great saint! What do you think is at the root of this confidence?
Chapter 10
| Beevers |
Chapter 9 (NB: Go back to
chapter 9) |
| Clarke |
Chapter 10: "The Trial of
Faith" |
| Taylor |
Chapter 9: "The Night of
the Soul" (NB: go back to chapter 9) |
| Knox |
Chapter 31 through most of
Chapter 35, ending on the bottom of page 276 with this sentence:
"Ah yes, our Lord's teaching does run counter to the instincts of
nature; without His grace, we shouldn't merely be unable to carry them
out -- we shouldn't even understand them." |
- On her journey to Rome, Therese had been very
impressed with the new invention of the elevator. In this chapter she says:
"I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am
too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection." What is this
elevator?
- What was Therese's reaction to the onset of her
illness on Good Friday of 1896?
- What interior trial began at the same time? How
did she respond to this trial?
- Therese speaks of the vow of Obedience and the
vow of Poverty. What benefits did she find in them?
- What does Therese have to teach us about
charity? How did she practice charity in her life?
Chapter 11
and Epilogue
| Beevers |
Chapter 10 |
| Clarke |
Chapter 11: "Those Whom
You Have Given me" and Epilogue |
| Taylor |
Chapters 10, 11, and 12, and
Epilogue Part I |
| Knox |
The remainder of Chapter 35
through Chapter 40 |
- What was Therese like as a Novice Mistress?
What did she learn from her experiences with the novices?
- How did Therese practice prayer?
- Which Sisters did Therese most seek out? Why?
- What beautiful truths did Therese come to
understand about those who are drawn to God?
- What did Therese consider her final mission to
be?
- Thinking back over the study of The Story of a
Soul, what were some of the thoughts expressed that meant the most to you?
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