The Church within Me. The Science of Love according to St. Therèse of the Child Jesus

Abstract

The article presents insights on the nature of the Church which are to be gained from reading the autobiographical book of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, The Story of a Soul. As indicated by the title of the book, the soul is the central personal reality and agency of spiritual transaction. It is within the sphere of the soul that the person first lives the sacramentality of the Church as a source of encounter with God that opens onto the possibility of a relationship of love. Divine love in turn expands the natural capacities of the soul to encompass others, even strangers, in the life of one’s soul as a living member of the community of the Church, thus also giving them a share in the spiritual gifts of Christ mediated by the Church. Special attention is paid to the conformity of Thérèse’s experience of soul transforming divine love with that of other saints and mystics throughout history, as expressed by the metaphor of iron and fire.