# Theresian Anniversaires 2023 - Presentation In 2023 we will celebrate the 150th anniversary of the birth of Therese of the Child Jesus (January 2nd, 1873), as well as the first centenary of her beatification (April 29, 1923) and, in 2025, the first centenary of her canonization (May 17, 1925). For this occasion, the General Chap-ter of the Discalced Carmelites, celebrated in Rome from the 30th of August to the 14th of September 2021, decided to propose to the Order a cycle of reading the writings of Saint Therese. To make this decision a reality, the General Defini-tory has therefore prepared, in collaboration with the Paris Province, a program of reading and reflection on the Autobiographical Manuscripts and other writings of Therese. This will preferably be done in the context of a Community dialogue. The distribution is as follows: - Year 2023: Manuscript A - Year 2024: Manuscripts B and C - Year 2025: Prayers and other writings. Each year, 8 selected texts will be proposed. They will be accompanied by a brief comment and some questions aimed at stimulating reflection and dialogue. The main objective is to make us aware of the relevance of the experience and message of Therese of the Child Jesus for us today. Presentation 3It would be good if the community meeting were preceded by the reading and personal meditation on Therese’s text. The meeting could take place as follows: 1. Reading of the text. 2. One of the participants, who has already pre-pared his presentation, introduces the text with the help of the reading schedule (and other sup-ports, if necessary). 3. Community dialogue on the text, along these lines: a. What does the text say? Understanding the content and primary meaning of Therese’s text. b. What does the text say to us today? Grasping the relevance (social, ecclesial, spiritual…) of the text. c. What does the text say to me/us? Making relevant and applying the text to personal and community life. This way of doing things is for the purpose of al-lowing Therese to speak to us, to question us, to encourage us, and for welcoming her to shed light upon and con-firm our personal and communal journey. The questions proposed are therefore only indicative and can possibly accompany personal meditation and community sharing. For 2023, the texts selected in Manuscript A are the following: 1. Singing the mercies of the Lord (Ms A, 2r-4r) 2. The smile of the Virgin (Ms A, 29v-31v) 3. The Christmas grace (Ms A, 44r-45v) 4. Prayer for Pranzini (Ms A, 45v-46v) 5. Her father’s sickness and Therese’s clothing (Ms A, 71r-73v) 6. On the waves of trust and love (Ms A, 80r-81v) 7. Death of her father and Celine enters Carmel (Ms A, 81v-83v) 8. The Offering to Merciful Love (Ms A, 83v-84v) (For the texts of Therese, we use the Third Edition of Story of a Soul. The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Translated From the Original Manuscripts by John Clarke OCD, Washington: ICS Publica-tions 1997.) --- **Source:** OCD General Curia, *Theresian Anniversaries 2023: Manuscript A* (Rome: OCD General Curia, 2023).