«I would like to travel the earth, to preach your name, but O my Beloved God, one mission alone would not be enough, I would like to announce the Gospel in the five parts of the world and even in the most remote islands … not only for a few years. I would like to be a missionary but I wish I had been since the creation of the world and the being until the consumption of the centuries». These words are those, which St. Teresa addressed to Jesus in his prayers. If she did not travel during her lifetime, her light radiated across the oceans.
The relics of St. Teresa began traveling in 1944 when she was appointed patroness of France. After the victory of 1945, a tour of the reliquary was organized through the dioceses of France to thank her for peace.
In 1997, year of the centenary of the death of Teresa of Child Jesus, the rector of the time decided to organize a trip of the relics in three big cities of France: Paris, Lyon and Marseilles. At the time, many people were concerned that this event was a flop. Yet the success was immediate! Today, the relics of Saint Teresa of Child Jesus and her parents, the Martin Spouses, have crossed nearly sixty countries on five continents.
The relics of St. Teresa have visited nearly 70 countries and continue today. On September 30 this year, she will visit Egypt and stay there until December 31st.
It is an opportunity to return to their meaning and to welcome the fabulous witness of faith and love that the life of this saint gives us. The relic is a sign that these men and women are alive in Jesus today. Pray with the reliquary allows living a communion between the earth and the heaven. Touching a relic is not a morbid or nostalgic gesture or an act of superstition. Relics are signs of the active presence of the saints to us. Through these poor signs, the power of God unfolds itself to the measure of our faith and our prayer.
The Carmelite community of Egypt is preparing this visit with enthusiasm.
