The Lily and the Little Flower: St Rafqa El-Rayes and St Therese of Lisieux in their Times and for Today

In the nineteenth century, two beautiful flowers were planted and came to blossom in the Church’s spiritual garden, one in Lebanon and one in France. These flowers were St Rafqa El-Rayes, ‘the lily of Hemlaya’, and St Thérèse of Lisieux, ‘the little flower’. The autobiographies of these two women, as well as eyewitness accounts, lead us on a journey of discovery as we uncover the depths of each one’s life and spirituality, a journey that takes us through the social, cultural, political and ecclesiological contexts of Lebanon and France in the nineteenth century. Important spiritual lessons emerge from their experience that help us on our own journey with God. I commend Fr Maroun Elkazzi for this fascinating book and I recommend it to the reader in the hope that it will bring you closer to Jesus and help you on your path of holiness. Antoine-Charbel Tarabay Maronite Bishop of Australia Fr Maroun Elkazzi is a Maronite Catholic priest in the Eparchy of Saint Maroun, Australia. He was born in Jiyeh, Lebanon, and migrated to Australia in 1986. Fr Maroun was ordained a priest in 2005 and gained a Licence in Sacred Theology from the Catholic Institute of Sydney in 2015. Since then he has led many mission trips to the Philippines, Lebanon, Peru and India, working with the poorest of the poor. He is currently the Parish Priest of Saint Joseph’s Maronite Catholic Church, Croydon NSW, Australia.

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