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Trusting God with St. Therese
Are your fears, weaknesses, doubts, and anger keeping you from intimacy with Christ? Do you struggle with despair? Let St. Therese teach you perfect trust.
Learn how Therese of Lisieux trusted God through tragedy, scruples, spiritual darkness, and physical suffering. Connie Rossini pairs episodic stories from the saint’s life with memories of her own quest to trust. With Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and insights from psychology, Rossini leads readers to surrender their lives completely to Jesus.
Practical and accessible, Trusting God with St. Therese includes questions for reflection that make it perfect for book clubs and faith-sharing groups.
Learn how Therese of Lisieux trusted God through tragedy, scruples, spiritual darkness, and physical suffering. Connie Rossini pairs episodic stories from the saint’s life with memories of her own quest to trust. With Sacred Scripture, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and insights from psychology, Rossini leads readers to surrender their lives completely to Jesus.
Practical and accessible, Trusting God with St. Therese includes questions for reflection that make it perfect for book clubs and faith-sharing groups.
228 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 14, 2014
49 people are currently reading
324 people want to read
About the author
Connie Rossini
14 books96 followersConnie Rossini gives whole families practical help to grow in holiness. She is the author of Trusting God with St. Therese, the series A Spiritual Growth Plan for Your Children, and Is Centering Prayer Catholic? The Contemplative Rosary, co-written with Daniel Burke, is due out in October 2017. Connie writes a column on prayer for The Catholic Voice of the Diocese of Omaha, and she blogs at Contemplative Homeschool. She is also a columnist for SpiritualDirection.com. She and her husband Dan have four young sons.
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Displaying 1 - 21 of 21 reviews
October 13, 2014
Trusting God is easier said that done, at least for me. I always seem to think I know better. Or that I can do it myself, which puts me at about the same level as my three-year-old.
Over the years, I’ve become quite a St. Therese fangirl, though I will admit that I struggle sometimes. Her Little Way doesn’t seem little in terms of effort or difficulty. Her philosophy trumps me. And yet I keep coming back to her.
So I was intrigued by Connie Rossini’s new book Trusting God with St. Therese (Four Waters Press). Rossini seems to be a highly practical person, so I didn’t expect a lot of flowery advice that I won’t be able to follow anyway.
Rossini manages to make St. Therese, the great Doctor of the Church, into someone accessible, and she does it in part by sharing her own story in conjunction with Therese’s. Suddenly the Little Flower becomes not just a saint who either bordered on whiny or who was so perfect I stand no chance of being inspired, but someone who I can turn to in prayer and maybe even hear speaking to me as I read about her.
At the end of each of the 13 chapters, there are reflection questions that would be ideal if you were using the book for a study group or even for journaling inspiration. Rossini has also included at least two, and sometimes as many as four, practical suggestions at the end of each chapter, too.
Reading about Rossini’s experiences through the lens of St. Therese was inspiring, true. Beyond that, though, it also motivated me to consider how my own experiences can be viewed in light of the saints who impact and inspire me.
Over the years, I’ve become quite a St. Therese fangirl, though I will admit that I struggle sometimes. Her Little Way doesn’t seem little in terms of effort or difficulty. Her philosophy trumps me. And yet I keep coming back to her.
So I was intrigued by Connie Rossini’s new book Trusting God with St. Therese (Four Waters Press). Rossini seems to be a highly practical person, so I didn’t expect a lot of flowery advice that I won’t be able to follow anyway.
Rossini manages to make St. Therese, the great Doctor of the Church, into someone accessible, and she does it in part by sharing her own story in conjunction with Therese’s. Suddenly the Little Flower becomes not just a saint who either bordered on whiny or who was so perfect I stand no chance of being inspired, but someone who I can turn to in prayer and maybe even hear speaking to me as I read about her.
At the end of each of the 13 chapters, there are reflection questions that would be ideal if you were using the book for a study group or even for journaling inspiration. Rossini has also included at least two, and sometimes as many as four, practical suggestions at the end of each chapter, too.
Reading about Rossini’s experiences through the lens of St. Therese was inspiring, true. Beyond that, though, it also motivated me to consider how my own experiences can be viewed in light of the saints who impact and inspire me.
July 15, 2014
I am shamelessly giving my new book 5 stars. Since I blog on Catholic spirituality, I receive several emails a week from readers seeking help in their spiritual lives. I estimate that 90% of the problems they ask me about come down to trust. I too struggled with fears, doubts, and frustrations until about 18 months ago, when I began to focus intently on trusting God according to the life and teaching of St. Therese of Lisieux. Doing so changed my life. Now I want to share this message with as many others as possible, so they too can be free to follow God whole heartedly.
August 5, 2014
Many Catholics (including this one) are struggling in their “daily grind” to attain the happy, holy union with God that He intends for everyone, but without the benefit of a regular spiritual director. While no book can replace the saint-recommended assistance of a person gifted by God and trained to help souls, Connie Rossini’s first full-length book, Trusting God with St. Therese, thankfully comes very close to directing us on this very worthwhile — and challenging — journey. Rossini notes that her book is written at an intermediate level, and I would agree that Catholics who are not regularly attending Holy Mass and Confession, and trying to live their Faith each day, will probably find this book unhelpful — until they are, at which point it is “full speed ahead.” (Spiritual growth — like advanced college coursework — assumes that prerequisites have been met.) I can see re-reading this book several times over the course of one’s life.
Rossini is obviously well-read, particularly in the Carmelite Doctors of the Church (the list of abbreviations for her source material gets the book off to an impressive start), and her book not only captures the reader’s imagination, but methodically teaches and provokes reflection, chapter-by-chapter. The general format is chronological chapters that begin with a biological sketch of St. Therese, then continue with a story from Rossini’s own life, then draw-out spiritual lessons (often with the help of secular thought, such as psychology), and then end with several soul-searching questions and practical applications. I find the book exciting and challenging; it is taking me a while to get the most out of each chapter, but it is well worth it. (I am filling many, many pages in my spiritual journal with ink from my fountain pens, which may be unduly delaying me, but I consider the review e-copy of book the author sent me to be God’s precise answer to my prayers to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in a novena preceding her feast last month. Since then, I have bought a hard copy of her book from Amazon Prime for around $15 with tax, a Kindle copy for only 99 cents more [so I can have my Kindle Fire read it to me while I work, and highlight like mad without violating my strict policy of keeping my personal library of paper books in pristine form for my children and future generations], and another Kindle version for a friend for only $3.99. This is possibly the best $20 I have spent in months.)
Though I am exploring Carmelite spirituality, I have not yet read St. Therese’s Story of a Soul (an awful admission, I know), so much of the biographical information Rossini provides about the saint is new and fascinating to me, as it is not part of general Catholic knowledge, which tends to treat The Little Flower like a wilting daisy (which she certainly was not!) in the same way it treats St. Francis of Assisi like a hippie hardened into a garden gnome (which he wasn’t, either). There are two extremes biography can tend to: hagiography and dirt-dullness, but Rossini avoids both regarding St. Therese and herself; in fact, her description of the fatal problems Therese’s mother had providing adequate nutrition to her nursing babies, and the author’s telling of her own family’s devastation by two car accidents, moved this reader nearly to tears. Similarly, though the reflection questions require us to probe the sensitive areas of our own lives, it’s the kind of probing that a doctor does to expose and heal something that will otherwise sap our energy, or even infect us, year after year. There is much practical help here, too. Rossini performs a valuable service by restoring for us the original purpose of the “Therese beads” that are found in the homes of most Catholic homeschooling families. When our little ones make them as a craft, we are told to instruct them — as Therese and her sisters, and many people since, were — to pull a bead each time they do some good deed, to essentially “keep score” of the good things they do. It doesn’t take long, of course, before our natural vanity takes over and we are preening ourselves on how well we’re doing (and perhaps even competing with a sibling), all the while fooling ourselves into thinking that we’ve earned God’s love, and even Heaven, by hitting a personal best score. Talk about impeding spiritual growth in the family! As Rossini explains, the original purpose of the beads was to remind us of our sins when we make our daily examen, as recommended by St. Ignatius (“Oh, yeah, I pulled that bead when I said that unkind thing, and that one when I told that lie…”). This is, of course, a far more spiritually-healthy use of the beads (and, since there are ten of them, we can even use them to pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, too).
This book is only one of several helpful resources Rossini provides. Her first book was a short e-book called 5 Lessons from the Carmelite Saints that Will Change Your Life. It is available for free on her blog, Contemplative Homeschool (contemplativehomeschool.com), which also offers frequent posts about practical Carmelite spirituality and helping our children grow in holiness. She also organizes the Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network (catholicspiritualityblogs.blogspot.com) to aggregate blogs that help with spiritual growth. Most recently, she has begun blogging at the popular site SpiritualDirection.Com (spiritualdirection.com/blog/), as well (many useful ideas can be gleaned from the combox there, which is not true of very many blogs).
Rossini is obviously well-read, particularly in the Carmelite Doctors of the Church (the list of abbreviations for her source material gets the book off to an impressive start), and her book not only captures the reader’s imagination, but methodically teaches and provokes reflection, chapter-by-chapter. The general format is chronological chapters that begin with a biological sketch of St. Therese, then continue with a story from Rossini’s own life, then draw-out spiritual lessons (often with the help of secular thought, such as psychology), and then end with several soul-searching questions and practical applications. I find the book exciting and challenging; it is taking me a while to get the most out of each chapter, but it is well worth it. (I am filling many, many pages in my spiritual journal with ink from my fountain pens, which may be unduly delaying me, but I consider the review e-copy of book the author sent me to be God’s precise answer to my prayers to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in a novena preceding her feast last month. Since then, I have bought a hard copy of her book from Amazon Prime for around $15 with tax, a Kindle copy for only 99 cents more [so I can have my Kindle Fire read it to me while I work, and highlight like mad without violating my strict policy of keeping my personal library of paper books in pristine form for my children and future generations], and another Kindle version for a friend for only $3.99. This is possibly the best $20 I have spent in months.)
Though I am exploring Carmelite spirituality, I have not yet read St. Therese’s Story of a Soul (an awful admission, I know), so much of the biographical information Rossini provides about the saint is new and fascinating to me, as it is not part of general Catholic knowledge, which tends to treat The Little Flower like a wilting daisy (which she certainly was not!) in the same way it treats St. Francis of Assisi like a hippie hardened into a garden gnome (which he wasn’t, either). There are two extremes biography can tend to: hagiography and dirt-dullness, but Rossini avoids both regarding St. Therese and herself; in fact, her description of the fatal problems Therese’s mother had providing adequate nutrition to her nursing babies, and the author’s telling of her own family’s devastation by two car accidents, moved this reader nearly to tears. Similarly, though the reflection questions require us to probe the sensitive areas of our own lives, it’s the kind of probing that a doctor does to expose and heal something that will otherwise sap our energy, or even infect us, year after year. There is much practical help here, too. Rossini performs a valuable service by restoring for us the original purpose of the “Therese beads” that are found in the homes of most Catholic homeschooling families. When our little ones make them as a craft, we are told to instruct them — as Therese and her sisters, and many people since, were — to pull a bead each time they do some good deed, to essentially “keep score” of the good things they do. It doesn’t take long, of course, before our natural vanity takes over and we are preening ourselves on how well we’re doing (and perhaps even competing with a sibling), all the while fooling ourselves into thinking that we’ve earned God’s love, and even Heaven, by hitting a personal best score. Talk about impeding spiritual growth in the family! As Rossini explains, the original purpose of the beads was to remind us of our sins when we make our daily examen, as recommended by St. Ignatius (“Oh, yeah, I pulled that bead when I said that unkind thing, and that one when I told that lie…”). This is, of course, a far more spiritually-healthy use of the beads (and, since there are ten of them, we can even use them to pray the Rosary and Divine Mercy Chaplet, too).
This book is only one of several helpful resources Rossini provides. Her first book was a short e-book called 5 Lessons from the Carmelite Saints that Will Change Your Life. It is available for free on her blog, Contemplative Homeschool (contemplativehomeschool.com), which also offers frequent posts about practical Carmelite spirituality and helping our children grow in holiness. She also organizes the Catholic Spirituality Blogs Network (catholicspiritualityblogs.blogspot.com) to aggregate blogs that help with spiritual growth. Most recently, she has begun blogging at the popular site SpiritualDirection.Com (spiritualdirection.com/blog/), as well (many useful ideas can be gleaned from the combox there, which is not true of very many blogs).
September 7, 2014
Looking for a spiritual read which is so interesting that you can hardly put it down but has the potential to change your life as well? Trusting God with St. Therese by Connie Rossini more than satisfies both these prerequisites.
Connie delves not only into the biography of the Little Flower but also grapples with the ramifications of these facts as they affected her spiritually and psychologically. Connie then applies these in-depth reflections on the saint to her own struggle to trust God, applying the same magnifying glass to her life. The result is a unique book which captures the reader's curiosity, holds our interest and at the same time touches our heart and inner spirit, triggering a yearning for our own inner healing and spiritual growth.
Because Connie humbly reveals both her own and St. Therese's weaknesses and struggles, she connects personally with the reader, helping us understand that sanctity is possible for everyone. To make it easier to apply her insights to the reader's daily life, Connie offers Questions for Reflection and Practical Suggestions at the end of each chapter. This delightful book reveals secrets of the spiritual life which can transform the reader if they say yes to trusting in God along with Connie and St. Therese.
by melanie jean juneau
Connie delves not only into the biography of the Little Flower but also grapples with the ramifications of these facts as they affected her spiritually and psychologically. Connie then applies these in-depth reflections on the saint to her own struggle to trust God, applying the same magnifying glass to her life. The result is a unique book which captures the reader's curiosity, holds our interest and at the same time touches our heart and inner spirit, triggering a yearning for our own inner healing and spiritual growth.
Because Connie humbly reveals both her own and St. Therese's weaknesses and struggles, she connects personally with the reader, helping us understand that sanctity is possible for everyone. To make it easier to apply her insights to the reader's daily life, Connie offers Questions for Reflection and Practical Suggestions at the end of each chapter. This delightful book reveals secrets of the spiritual life which can transform the reader if they say yes to trusting in God along with Connie and St. Therese.
by melanie jean juneau
January 18, 2016
This book is a skillful mix of information about Therese that the average person might not know... and vulnerable witness by the author. Therese is a saint I found a bit treacly as a child... and have grown to love. The author did a wonderful job of bringing this simple yet complex young woman to life... and showing her relevance to us today. I also enjoyed the reflection questions at the end of each chapter.
August 18, 2014
"Trusting God with St. Therese," by Connie Rossini is a remarkable story of suffering and grace. The main theme of Trusting God with St. Therese is learning to trust God in the midst of suffering and through God’s grace, using our suffering for good purposes, following the example of St. Therese of Lisieux. Why does God allow suffering? What is the purpose of suffering? How can we trust God in the midst of our suffering? Using the Scriptures, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, excerpts from the life of St. Therese, and her own personal experiences, Rossini answers these questions and analyzes the meaning of suffering as it relates to trusting God, giving her readers sound, practical advice on how to deal with the trials and tribulations they face in their own lives.
In chapter three, using a narrative format, Rossini describes and discusses three tragic losses in St. Therese’s life – the loss of her mother, Zellie Martin, to breast cancer, the loss of her “second mother,” her sister Pauline, to Carmel, and finally, the loss of her third mother figure, her sister Marie, to Carmel. Rossini also describes her own tragic suffering as a young child –the loss of her older sister, Terri, also known as Therese, in an automobile accident. Like St. Therese of Lisieux, the loss has a traumatic impact on her life. Similar to St. Therese's family, Rossini’s family were devout Catholics who trusted in God’s goodness. At the end of the chapter, she uses questions for reflection to assist the reader in understanding and coping with their own pain on a spiritual level and offers practical suggestions for assisting the reader in attaining the peace they seek.
Connie Rossini writes with clarity, wisdom, and keen insight about suffering. As a lay Carmelite, she applies St. Therese’s Little Way of spirituality as a method of growing in grace and rising above the pain of suffering. This book is a real treasure and I believe it would be particularly beneficial for: teens or adults, who want to understand the meaning of suffering and how to deal with it in their lives, Christian counselors, for use in grief counseling, and for Christian support groups, which deal with chronic physical or psychological pain. Overall, I found Trusting God with St. Therese to be an amazing book that will capture the hearts and souls of a wide audience. I highly recommend it.
In chapter three, using a narrative format, Rossini describes and discusses three tragic losses in St. Therese’s life – the loss of her mother, Zellie Martin, to breast cancer, the loss of her “second mother,” her sister Pauline, to Carmel, and finally, the loss of her third mother figure, her sister Marie, to Carmel. Rossini also describes her own tragic suffering as a young child –the loss of her older sister, Terri, also known as Therese, in an automobile accident. Like St. Therese of Lisieux, the loss has a traumatic impact on her life. Similar to St. Therese's family, Rossini’s family were devout Catholics who trusted in God’s goodness. At the end of the chapter, she uses questions for reflection to assist the reader in understanding and coping with their own pain on a spiritual level and offers practical suggestions for assisting the reader in attaining the peace they seek.
Connie Rossini writes with clarity, wisdom, and keen insight about suffering. As a lay Carmelite, she applies St. Therese’s Little Way of spirituality as a method of growing in grace and rising above the pain of suffering. This book is a real treasure and I believe it would be particularly beneficial for: teens or adults, who want to understand the meaning of suffering and how to deal with it in their lives, Christian counselors, for use in grief counseling, and for Christian support groups, which deal with chronic physical or psychological pain. Overall, I found Trusting God with St. Therese to be an amazing book that will capture the hearts and souls of a wide audience. I highly recommend it.
Read
October 5, 2015I've always loved reading books about Catholic spirituality and "Trusting God with St. Therese" is THE best book I've read all year. Not just the best CATHOLIC book I've read all year - the best book I've read all year, period. (And I read A LOT of books!)
One of the things that really struck me as I read "Trusting God with St. Therese" is the amount of spiritual ground Connie Rossini covers in this book. She makes it very easy for the reader to grasp the spirituality of "The Little Way". I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like this. The format is unique in that it not only leads us through defining moments in the lives of both St. Therese and the author's but also shows us how to incorporate the way of "trust and love" into our own lives. The book breaks away from formats used in traditional saint and spirituality books while at the same time giving the reader a big glimpse into the life and spirituality of one of the greatest saints in the Catholic Church. There are many books on St. Therese out there BUT NONE LIKE THIS. The chapters in this book cover areas such as: the three spiritual stages, signs of a lack of trust in God, despair and how to overcome it, forgiveness, suffering, dealing with emotions, scruples, presumption, etc...
I can't count the number of times over the years I have read a book on Catholic spirituality and at the end have felt as if I am still in the dark as how to integrate what I have learned into my own life. Not the case with this book. I found the "Questions for Reflection" and "Practical Suggestions" at the end of each chapter extremely helpful. (This would be a great book for book clubs!)
Trusting God with St. Therese may possibly be the most spiritually significant book I have read in years. I highly recommend it.
One of the things that really struck me as I read "Trusting God with St. Therese" is the amount of spiritual ground Connie Rossini covers in this book. She makes it very easy for the reader to grasp the spirituality of "The Little Way". I'm not sure I've ever read a book quite like this. The format is unique in that it not only leads us through defining moments in the lives of both St. Therese and the author's but also shows us how to incorporate the way of "trust and love" into our own lives. The book breaks away from formats used in traditional saint and spirituality books while at the same time giving the reader a big glimpse into the life and spirituality of one of the greatest saints in the Catholic Church. There are many books on St. Therese out there BUT NONE LIKE THIS. The chapters in this book cover areas such as: the three spiritual stages, signs of a lack of trust in God, despair and how to overcome it, forgiveness, suffering, dealing with emotions, scruples, presumption, etc...
I can't count the number of times over the years I have read a book on Catholic spirituality and at the end have felt as if I am still in the dark as how to integrate what I have learned into my own life. Not the case with this book. I found the "Questions for Reflection" and "Practical Suggestions" at the end of each chapter extremely helpful. (This would be a great book for book clubs!)
Trusting God with St. Therese may possibly be the most spiritually significant book I have read in years. I highly recommend it.
November 1, 2014
I've read many books by and about my patron saint, St Therese. Connie's book stands out from all of those written about the saint because it brings the faith walk of Therese into our 21st Century life. It is a well thought out and well researched book. I would highly recommend this book to anyone desiring a closer walk with God, regardless of the place they are on the journey.
January 15, 2015
A terrific book! The author does a great job interweaving her own struggles in life and faith with that of St Therese. St Therese is my favorite saint, so it all really came together for me in this book. I highly recommend it!
November 24, 2014
Excellent Read
Trusting God with St. Therese is an excellent unfolding of the mystery of the Little Way in practical language. A great read!
Trusting God with St. Therese is an excellent unfolding of the mystery of the Little Way in practical language. A great read!
May 15, 2017
This was one of those books that I think you have to read at just the right time in your life. If I had picked it up 1 year ago, 5 years ago or whatever, it might not have been liked so much. However, in reading (I listened to the audiobook) it at this particular time of my life, I found it inspiring, challenging and full of hope.
July 15, 2021
More powerful than it seems
Like Therese’s Little Way, this book seems small and easy but it packs a powerful punch. It helped more evaluate my own lack of trust due to past experiences. It also, by praying while reading, pointed me to how to open myself to trusting more especially in God as Father.
Like Therese’s Little Way, this book seems small and easy but it packs a powerful punch. It helped more evaluate my own lack of trust due to past experiences. It also, by praying while reading, pointed me to how to open myself to trusting more especially in God as Father.
January 6, 2020
Inspiring
I didn’t know what to expect from this book but it really enhanced my understanding of what it means to trust God and all that that means for my life. I highly recommend.
I didn’t know what to expect from this book but it really enhanced my understanding of what it means to trust God and all that that means for my life. I highly recommend.
June 21, 2020
Enjoyed this book. I had put it on the shelf after getting it as a birthday present. Three-ish years later, I read this as a newlywed during the season of Lent. My perspective on life has truly been changed and my trust for God has become a new focus.
July 26, 2014
"Trusting God with St. Therese" is a very in-depth spiritual read. In fact, I'd like to rate it higher, and maybe it is because of my state in life (busy homeschooling mom with a large family) and my brief amounts of time to read that I haven't "really" liked it or loved it. I feel that it needs to be read with quiet, and with careful attention to fully appreciate the lessons.
Connie Rossini provides a new perspective and understanding to the "Little Way", by way of telling more about Therese's struggles and how trusting God changed her life, as well as showing how St. Therese grew in trust, and how Therese's story impacted her--Connie--as a woman of faith.
The brilliance in this spiritual book is not only how Connie breaks down each chapter of Therese's life to show spiritual growth, but how she shows us how to let that be a guide for us, and how we can learn more from Therese's Little Way. Each chapter ends with questions for the reader to ponder, questions which engage the reader's own spirituality and emotions. It is a journey, reading this book, because every chapter challenges the reader to look deeper, and encounter trust more fully in their life.
Not a read to be taken lightly or read casually, you will want to be able to spend enough time reading to finish a whole chapter at a time, and have time to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the questions at the end. Definitely worth reading for those looking for a deeper understanding of the Little Flower and her Little Way, especially if you want to more fully trust in God yourself.
Connie Rossini provides a new perspective and understanding to the "Little Way", by way of telling more about Therese's struggles and how trusting God changed her life, as well as showing how St. Therese grew in trust, and how Therese's story impacted her--Connie--as a woman of faith.
The brilliance in this spiritual book is not only how Connie breaks down each chapter of Therese's life to show spiritual growth, but how she shows us how to let that be a guide for us, and how we can learn more from Therese's Little Way. Each chapter ends with questions for the reader to ponder, questions which engage the reader's own spirituality and emotions. It is a journey, reading this book, because every chapter challenges the reader to look deeper, and encounter trust more fully in their life.
Not a read to be taken lightly or read casually, you will want to be able to spend enough time reading to finish a whole chapter at a time, and have time to thoughtfully and prayerfully consider the questions at the end. Definitely worth reading for those looking for a deeper understanding of the Little Flower and her Little Way, especially if you want to more fully trust in God yourself.
April 24, 2015
This was a wonderful audiobook for reflection about trust, faith, anger, and renewal through lessons reflecting back to the pure soul of Saint Therese of Lisieux. She was known as 'The Little Flower'. The author Connie Rossini did a remarkable job with narratives from the the autobiography 'Story of a Soul' by St. Therese. She incorporated many of her own life experiences into this book which made it easy to relate to.
She also discusses fear, pride, and judgement which were followed by practical suggestions about dealing with these issues that all people have at some time or another. She put it in an easy to understand format to help the listener try new approaches to practical living. I enjoyed her thoughts on meditating on different passages. This I plan to do.
I love any and all books about the Saints. I still have a really old copy of "Lives of the Saints" handed down to me that I carry. Saint Therese of Lisieux is one of the most beloved for her spiritual life and as a Doctor of the Church. This is a must read for any Catholic or Christian or anyone simply ready to rediscover or strengthen their spirituality and/or faith.
Betty Arnold narrated this book beautifully. Her soft voice made it a delight to listen to. She spoke clearly and precisely and I would love to hear more from both her and the author. Great work.
Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.
She also discusses fear, pride, and judgement which were followed by practical suggestions about dealing with these issues that all people have at some time or another. She put it in an easy to understand format to help the listener try new approaches to practical living. I enjoyed her thoughts on meditating on different passages. This I plan to do.
I love any and all books about the Saints. I still have a really old copy of "Lives of the Saints" handed down to me that I carry. Saint Therese of Lisieux is one of the most beloved for her spiritual life and as a Doctor of the Church. This is a must read for any Catholic or Christian or anyone simply ready to rediscover or strengthen their spirituality and/or faith.
Betty Arnold narrated this book beautifully. Her soft voice made it a delight to listen to. She spoke clearly and precisely and I would love to hear more from both her and the author. Great work.
Audiobook received in exchange for an unbiased review.
September 12, 2014
In Trusting God with St. Therese, Connie Rossini brings us the life of St. Therese chapter by chapter, retold with more clarity than, honestly, I found in Story of a Soul. [Will I get in trouble for saying that?] As if this clarity weren’t gift enough, Rossini distills for us the lessons in trust and holiness that Therese learned bit by painful bit, then gives us a reflection from Rossini’s own, more modern life to help the reader apply Therese’s own lessons. This last bit was done with great skill: so often I get the sense that spiritual memoirs are written to stroke the author’s ego and not to lead others deeper into the heart of Jesus. Trusting does not fall into this easy trap. The questions at the end of each chapter are great for either personal journaling or for group study. In the end, I’m glad Connie Rossini approached me with the offer of a review copy. I’m even happier I accepted. I don’t often review nonfiction, and this was a worthy exception.
March 25, 2015
This book touched my heart. I thought I knew a lot about one of my favorite Doctors of the Church, but Connie Rossini's writing opened up a deeper way of "knowing" St. Therese. I thought after reading one of my favorite books, The Four Teresas by Gina Loehr, that I knew all I needed to know about St. Therese. Connie intertwined her own spiritual journey with St. Therese's journey, and the intertwining made for a deep, almost personal experience for me. As modern American Catholic women, it can be so difficult to live a truly spiritual life. We have children, careers, commutes. Ms. Rossini was so determined to be a part of the Secular Order of the Discalced Carmelites, and she didn't let this world get in the way. Yes, she suffered bumps and bruises, but Ms. Rossini's life can serve as an inspiration to any Catholic wife and mother today.
October 13, 2015
This is a wonderful book! Part memoir, part biography, part devotional , the author does a fantastic job of covering both why and how to trust God. She uses St. Therese as her example of how to trust completely in God in all circumstances. St. Therese believed that it was not only preferable but possible for imperfect sinners to go directly to heaven without having to pass through purgatory first. Read and/or listen to this book to find out the secret that St. Therese taught!
the narrator was very good with only a few hiccups along the way. My biggest complaint with the audio is the background hiss that plays for almost the entire audiobook. It sounded like a digital dub of an old audio tape that was wearing out! I very highly recommend this book!
I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review!
the narrator was very good with only a few hiccups along the way. My biggest complaint with the audio is the background hiss that plays for almost the entire audiobook. It sounded like a digital dub of an old audio tape that was wearing out! I very highly recommend this book!
I was given a copy of this audiobook in exchange for a fair review!
June 10, 2022
Connie rossini has the wonderful ability to read my mind and to ponder the questions I would ask
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychology and religion . I believe I learned some important concepts from st Theresa’s life that make a big difference in understanding suffering. Theresa always offered her suffering for the sake of others and not to store up riches for her own salvation.
I would highly recommend this book to anyone who enjoys psychology and religion . I believe I learned some important concepts from st Theresa’s life that make a big difference in understanding suffering. Theresa always offered her suffering for the sake of others and not to store up riches for her own salvation.
September 6, 2014
a good book for inspiration
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