Traditional Feast Day: 3-October
Modern Feast Day: 1-October
Hometown Feast Day: Last Saturday of September
Basic Stats:
Born: Marie Françoise Thérèse Martin 7-January-1873
AKA: St. Thérèse, The Little Flower, St. Thérèse of the Holy Face, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Country of Origin: France
Died: 30-September-1897 (24 years old)
Patron of: France, Missions, Florists
Symbol: Roses and a crucifix
Have You Heard of St. Thérèse of Lisieux?
What do you know of St. Thérèse of Lisieux? I first remember hearing about her maybe 2015 or so. I never really paid her much mind but, a couple years later, Mama and I were searching for a place to stay in Louisiana for our annual Mother/Daughter trip. I decided to look up B&Bs in the area. I stumbled across this adorable little home and, as I was looking at the pictures, I noticed statues in the yard. My little Catholic antenna immediately went woooop??? I felt just like a cartoon character. “Those are Catholic Statues!” I had no idea at the time that Louisiana was so predominately Catholic. Well turns out the little B&B is La Petite Voix de St. Thérèse, or The Little Way of St. Thérèse. The hostess is the most warm and wonderful woman named Emmaline. She practically giggled when she found out we are Catholic as well. She welcomed us in to this house that she had completely restored with her family and started telling us all about St. Thérèse and how she had helped her purchase and rebuild this home. Miss Emmaline has since become a dear friend of ours and we go there most every summer. We just cannot get enough of that beautiful home and the warmth of the Cajun people.
I am coming to love St. Thérèse quite a lot. I always imagine our great saints as these larger-than-life humans who change the world because they are so intelligent and pious… and gifted… and other-worldly, almost like super heroes or ancient heroes of mythology. Whereas I admire them all, it often leaves me feeling a bit disconnected and unable to relate to them. I was just speaking with a couple of my friends the other day how, growing up, I would hear people say “Lord, let me not be a saint, for I don’t want to live above others but let me be good, instead, that I may live amongst others.” This gave me such a misunderstanding of who saints are and why we should be friends with them. Even why we ourselves should want to be saints. I think I admire St. Thérèse so much because she was so ordinary.
“Her greatness showed in the constancy of her love for others in the most simple ways.” “Her “Little Way” teaches us to do the ordinary things of life with extraordinary love. A smile, a note of encouragement, a phone call, suffering in silence, always having a positive word, a simple unnoticed task to brighten the life of another, and so many other simple deeds, done with love – these are the examples of her spirituality. The smallest action, done with love, is more important than great deeds done for personal glory, gratification or simply out of obedience.”
She was the youngest of 9 children and one of only 5 to survive childhood. I read of how she spent her entire life in her little town in France, only leaving once to have an audience with the Pope. She described herself as a little wildflower growing in the fields, never seen by most of the world but so loved by God. For God to do such wondrous and miraculous works in such an “ordinary” woman gives me great hope that I too may one day be a saint. Like Thérèse, I don’t wish for people to see or remember me, just that I be pleasing to my Creator. My greatest desire, dear friend, is for when others look at me, they see not me but Jesus! I want to be so void of self that only Jesus remains in me. It was quite a while before I discovered this is what being a saint truly is and I desire it for myself.
Headstrong and Determined
Thérèse was a willful and stubborn child who would throw tantrums when things did not go as she saw fit. Her Mother Zelie would speak of this in letters, all the while, marveling in her love and joy of Thérèse and all her daughters. Losing her mother at only 4 years old was a life changing moment for Thérèse. Her always joyful spirit changed and it took some time to find her way back to joy. Thérèse, though having faults, was so determined from a very young age to join the Carmelite Convent. She once even went all the way to Rome (after being rejected several times to joint the convent, on account of her young age) to petition Pope Leo XIII himself stating “If you give permission, everyone will agree.” She was bold, courageous, stubborn, and unrelenting; such admirable qualities when used for God’s Kingdom. We should all be so courageous as her. I also greatly admire her love for the Holy Eucharist. She greatly desired to receive Jesus, daily, in the Holy Eucharist. I am saddened by how, in recent years, so many have forgotten the real and true presence of Jesus in the Sacrament. I am pleased to relay to you that The Holy See (that is to say the Pope and the rest of the Magisterium) are calling for a mission of Eucharistic Renewal within the Catholic Church. May our beloved St. Thérèse intercede and aid us in this mission.
Thérèse was aware of her littleness. “It is impossible for me to grow up, so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new.” Thérèse went on to describe the elevator in the home of a rich person. And she continued: “I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. I searched then in the Scriptures for some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires and I read these words coming from the mouth of Eternal Wisdom: ‘Whoever is a little one let him come to me.’ The elevator which must raise me to heaven is your arms, O Jesus, and for this I have no need to grow up, but rather I have to remain little and become this more and more,” And so she abandoned herself to Jesus and her life became a continual acceptance of the will of the Lord.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Known by her fellow nuns as being little more than a “good nun”, Thérèse was quietly becoming sanctified. She suffered illness off and on from birth and once received a miraculous healing while gazing, on the wall, at a picture of Mother Mary. She recalls asking Mary to heal her when, suddenly, the image of Mary smiled at her and she was instantly healed of her sickness. She discovered early in life that holiness required struggle and suffering. It seems so often that we spend so much time avoiding suffering at all cost when there is grace and beauty in suffering. It is necessary for our spiritual growth. You may not have seen it but there is a small booklet by St. Thérèse on the joy of suffering. It is definitely worth the read if you have not already.
Being only 24 when Thérèse died of tuberculosis, her life was not lengthy but it was magnificent. She was undoubtedly overjoyed to reunite with her mother and father as she met Our Lord Jesus. Now this “good nun” is one of only 2 women to be given the title “Doctor of the Church”. She had such a great love for Jesus and for souls that she dedicated much of her life to prayer in reparation for souls and their salvation. Her “first soul” was a man convicted of murdering 2 women and a child. He had no desire to repent but, just as he was awaiting the guillotine, he reached out grabbing the crucifix hanging from the neck of the priest and kissed it 3 times. This reminds me of St. Dismas, the thief on the cross next to Jesus. It is so heart-warming to know that, as long as we draw breath, it is never too late to grasp the hand of Jesus and beg His pardon.
I look forward to celebrating her feast day as it approaches. I hope you will celebrate with me. Though Thérèse passed from this world on 29-September, her feast day was traditionally celebrated on 3-October. (Many say this is due to an overpacked liturgical schedule.) As the changes of Vatican II took effect, her feast was moved to 1-October. Interestingly though her hometown in France celebrates her feast day on the last Saturday of September, regardless of the date. Perhaps I will celebrate her love and devotion to Jesus for a whole week. Haha. What day do you celebrate her feast?
Celebrating:
- Create or decorate an altar, in your home, to Jesus and place statues and holy cards of St. Thérèse.
- Cut a bouquet of wildflowers and place them on your home altar or table.
- It is said that eclairs were a favorite of St. Thérèse. Here is a recipe. Eclairs
- Summer Vegetable and Pesto Rose Tart
Favorite Quotes:
“I know that Jesus could not wish useless suffering for us, and He would not inspire me with the desires I feel, were He not willing to fulfill them.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
“How can I fear a God who is nothing but mercy and love.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
“It is such a folly to pass one’s time fretting, instead of resting quietly on the heart of Jesus.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
“Love proves itself by deeds.”
– St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Great Books About St. Thérèse
Find many other great books about her here.
Sources:
Dictionary of Saints by John J Delaney
Learn more and grow in relationship with Jesus through the help of St. Thérèse here: https://www.littleflower.org/st-therese-daily-devotional/i-know-jesus/
https://ca.littleflower.org/therese/life-story/
Note: This post is not sponsored and thus I receive no commissions or compensation for links included herein.