Teris, the child Jesus, the rose of Christ that does not wither

“When I die, I will send from the sky a rain of roses on the ground, I will spend my sky by doing good on the ground.” With these words, the French Saint Teres I left the child Jesus, nicknamed “The Small Rose of Christ”, and a spiritual will that summarizes her short and deep career, before she left the world and she was not more than twenty -four years old.

Saint Teres, who was famous for her angelic face and spontaneous simplicity, was not limited to the Catholic Church, but rather crossed the limits of doctrines and beliefs, to become a global humanitarian symbol. Her writings in which she talked about “the love of God” in simple phrases, inflamed the feelings of believers and those looking for faith, and made it a living model for daily holiness. Even non -Christians found in its texts a clear picture of a person who is full of love, peace and honesty.

Despite her short life, Teres left a deep spiritual heritage, manifested in her teachings that coined what was later known as the “small way” towards holiness, an approach based on absolute confidence in God, and the practice of small daily works with pure love. This simple and deep spiritual path at the same time, made it one of the most close saints to people’s hearts.

Today, there are more than 700 churches around the world bearing its name, and the universal church honors it as a spiritual teacher, while the second pattern of France is considered after Saint Jean -Arc. Pope Pius tenth described it as “the greatest saint in the modern era.”

On the centenary of the announcement of her holiness, Saint Teres returned to the front of the spiritual debate after it raised a “white flower” and was placed on the grave of the late Pope Francis a wave of questions: Was this a symbolic sign of “the little rose” that he loved and influenced by the Pope in his life and his service? This simple symbolism of the white flower has woke up again the presence of Teres in a world that waves wars and crises, to remind humanity of its eternal mission: that the language of love is only able to heal the surgeon.

Saint Teres has a distinct position in Egypt among all citizens, whether Christians or Muslims, as it flocks to its church located in the Shubra neighborhood in Cairo, hundreds of daily those wishing to bless them and supplication to God, in a space that opens its doors for all without any discrimination or difference.

Perhaps what highlights the unique position of St. Trez in Egypt is that it is the only saint whose Egyptian authorities called on a biological subway stations near its church, where it was called “St. Teers Station”, in a tangible symbol of appreciation and respect.

Upon entering the church, the visitor draws the attention of the vowing marble paintings that decorate the walls of the cellar, which were prepared and placed by the saint lovers of various nationalities and languages. These paintings hold messages of thanks and gratitude, and testimonies for their love for Saint and their spiritual role in their lives. Among the most famous of these paintings, a painting bearing the name of the Nightingale Al -Asmar Abdel Halim Hafez, written on it: “To the spirit of the pure saint Teresa with my deep Shukri, Abdel Halim Hafez 1957 AD.”

On the secret of this vow painting, the novel, which was conveyed by the artistic writer Ashraf Gharib, stated in an interview with the Egyptian magazine Rosales, in 2022, that Abdel Halim Hafez, during a medical trip to London in 1956, saw in his dream a light lady who told him that he would heal from his pain and exceed his health crisis that he was suffering in that period. The novel added that this lady passed her hand on his liver, and when she inquired about her name, she said to him: “My name is Teres.”

The next morning, Abdel Halim asked the doctors to return tests, analyzes and radiology, and was surprised when the results of their expectations appeared, but he assured them that he knows what happened. Since then, he was keen to commemorate this anniversary and the virtue that his dream gave him, by placing the marble painting that is seen to this day by everyone who visits its church in Shubra, as a symbol of faith, gratitude and love that exceeds the limits of time and space.