St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Born into a deeply faithful Catholic family, Marie Thérèse Martin was the youngest of nine children, although four of her siblings died while still young children. Her parents, Louis Martin, a watchmaker, and Zélie Martin, a lace maker, provided their children with a home centered on prayer, charity, and love of God. Thérèse was especially close to her four surviving sisters: Marie, Pauline, Léonie, and Céline. After the death of her mother when Thérèse was only four, her older sisters helped care for her and became important figures in her spiritual development.

Her sisters eventually entered religious life, and therefore Thérèse's family life and her religious vocation were closely intertwined. The Martin household became, in effect, a remarkable school of Christian discipleship.

From an early age, Thérèse felt drawn to religious life. At fifteen, after obtaining the necessary permission, she entered the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux, taking the name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, and it was there that she spent the remaining nine years of her short life.

Her life at Carmel was outwardly quite ordinary. There were no great public accomplishments or spectacular works to distinguish her. Instead, Sr. Thérèse discovered holiness in the small things of everyday life. She aimed to perform every duty with love, to accept difficulties patiently, and to place her complete confidence in God's providence and mercy. This became known as her “little way.”

Thérèse understood that to grow in holiness does not require extraordinary accomplishments. Likening herself to a little child who cannot climb a great staircase, she trusted that God would lift her up and carry her. For her, spiritual childhood meant recognizing complete dependence upon God and trusting confidently in His love.

She had an intense love for the Church and a particular concern for the salvation of souls. Although enclosed in Carmel, she considered herself spiritually united with missionaries throughout the world and she prayed especially for priests.

Thérèse died of tuberculosis on September 30, 1897, at only twenty-four years of age. Her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, revealed the extraordinary depth of her spiritual life. Canonized in 1925, she was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope St. John Paul II in 1997.

St. Thérèse reminds us that holiness is not reserved for those who accomplish extraordinary things. The ordinary duties of family, work, prayer, and service can become a path to heaven when they are done with humility, trust, and love.

Known as the Little Flower, St. Thérèse saw herself as a small flower in God's garden. Unlike a spectacular rose or lily, she reminded the world that while a little flower might be unnoticed, yet it is still loved and created by God, thus reflecting her belief that holiness did not require becoming extraordinary in the eyes of the world. What matters most is to love God faithfully in small things.

O Lord Jesus Christ, who hast said, except ye become as little children ye shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven: grant us, we beseech thee, in meekness and lowliness of heart to follow the footsteps of blessed Thérèse thy Virgin; and so at last to come unto thine everlasting kingdom; who livest and reignest with the Father in the unity of the Holy Spirit, ever one God, world without end. Amen.