St. Mariam Thresia Thresia entreated Bl. Virgin Mary who taught her to pray the full Rosary and other small prayers at the age of three and half.
St. Mariam Thresia, of Puthenchira, had fondled a filial affection to Blessed Mother from her infancy. The traditional Christian families in Kerala, dearly held the practice of daily family prayers. As the church bell goes for angelus every member of the family, young and old, knelt together,and the elders would help the young to make the sign of the cross and say the prayers. Thresia’s family too was truly a devout one,the sibling joined with their parents,to pray the Holy Rosary and recite other small prayers with great piety.
Now Thresia, at the age of three was grieved not being able to recite Rosary with other members of the family. Her dear mother Thanda consoled her saying “when you have learned how to read and write I shall teach you to say the full Rosary”. But Thresia entreated Bl. Virgin Mary who taught her to pray the full Rosary and other small prayers at the age of three and half. Her spiritual father, Fr. Joseph Vithayathil in History has recorded: “When she was three or four years old, she chose the Bl. Mother as her own mother, of body and soul, and consecrated herself to her”.Bl. Mother who taught the Rosary also taught her reading at the age of six, fulfillingher wish to attend the Holy Mass using the mass.
At the age of five Thresia was initiated to Catechism classes in the church, she showed great enthusiasm and extra intelligence in regard to the knowledge of God. She memorized the prayers quickly and taught other children who could not cope up the daily lessons well.
She showed signs of a deeply religious nature and would often retreat into silence for prayer. She was passionate and loved contemplating on the Crucified Lord even in her school days. Her teachers and friends, the parish Priest and the family members as well,silently admired the goodness and godliness in her; they were happy watching her grow in wisdom and insight above her age, and warned other kids to imitate her. Thresia was not extra ordinary in her looks or abilities, but in her inner yearning for God. Her sensibility was unlike the other children and other siblings due to the divine knowledge she acquired at an early age.
Bl. Mother often came and talked with her in company of Jesus and St. Joseph. Child Jesus played Elephant and Mahout with Thresia in the backyard of her house. She spend more time reflecting on God’s love than childhood games and entertainments.Hence her devotion to heaven was more real than the real world to her. She trusted and relied on heaven than to herself or her parents.Little Thresia as a child had imbibed this devotion from her parents who became her comfort after the death of her dear mother.
No worldly worries could be abothersome to this little saint Thresia than grieving God through her sins and offending Virgin Mary by her infidelity. Love of God was such a passionate affection in Thresia, and she would have never failed this affection since she had Bl. Mother by her side as a real mother.
Sr. Udaya Kallukaran Chf
.