booklady’s Reviews > Complete Spiritual Doctrine of St. Therese of Lisieux > Status Update

A death of love then, as Therese herself affirmed, is not necessarily accompanied by sweet transports, but what essentially constitutes this kind of death is the flame that consumes the soul; it is a divine assault of divine love that ruptures the web of life and carries the soul away to the Heart of Eternal Charity. That there be accompanying favors is something accidental. ... God is the master of His gifts.

If we, too, wish to enjoy peace of soul, we must practice self-denial and self-forgetfulness. That will demand a struggle, no doubt, but as Therese says, “let those who are frightened by the undertaking make an effort. God never refuses the first grace which gives us the courage to overcome ourselves. If the soul corresponds with that grace, she finds herself immediately in the light.