About Saint Thérèse of Lisieux.

While reading about saints over the last couple months, I have seen several references to St. Therese of Lisieux. Each time, she was described as a very popular saint, but none of them said why. Now that I have begun to study her, I understand why she is so popular, and I can’t believe I didn’t find her sooner.

St. Therese is known for finding ways to strive for holiness in the normal everyday events of life. The Society of the Little Flower says, “Therese’s spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.” (found here, para 3) I love this about her, and I believe this is why she is so popular among the faithful. It certainly endears her to me as an Everyday Catholic Woman.

Early Life

Therese was the youngest of nine children born to Louis and Zelie Martin, although only five of their children, all girls, lived to adulthood. The couple actually planned to live a celibate life, but a parish priest explained that might not be what God would want, so they instead decided to have a big family. Louis and Zelie were beatified in 2008 and canonized in 2015.

The Society of the Little Flower describes young Therese like this, “Precocious and sensitive, Therese needed much attention. Her mother died when she was 4 years old. As a result, her father and sisters babied young Therese. She had a spirit that wanted everything.” (found here, para 1)

When her mother died, Therese’s 16-year-old sister, Pauline, became like her second mother. Therese had a difficult time when Pauline went into a Carmelite convent 5 years later, such that she even became terribly ill to the point that people thought she was on her death bed. Her sisters frequently prayed to Mary for healing, so Therese began to pray to Mary, too. She became suddenly well just after reportedly seeing the Blessed Mother smile at her.

For a large part of her childhood, she used to burst into tears anytime she felt that someone criticized her. She would even cry harder because she had cried. She prayed for Jesus to help her find composure, but it seemed that He did not respond.

Then on Christmas morning, 1886, when she was 14 years old, she overheard her father revealing truths about Christmas that the family had avoided letting her know. Her sister, Celine, braced herself for the outburst that must be inevitable from Therese at any second in such an emotional situation, but she finally received Jesus in her heart. At that moment Therese was able to consider her father’s feelings over her own. She went into the room, pretended she hadn’t heard him, and made a big fuss over her Christmas gifts. In her autobiography, Therese refers to that Christmas as her conversion.

Entering the Convent

After her Christmas day conversion, Therese decided that she wanted to enter the Carmelite convent where Pauline and another sister, Marie, were already living. However, she was only 14 years old, so her initial application was denied. She asked the bishop to intervene for her, but he declined.

When her father took her to Rome in an attempt to get her mind off the idea of entering the convent at such a young age, she decided to take the opportunity to ask the pope for his intervention on her behalf. They did get an audience with the pope, but were told not to speak to him. Instead, she began to plead with him the moment she got near him. She was removed by two guards, but the Vicar General was impressed by her courage. He did intercede for her, and she was accepted to the convent the following year.

Convent Life

As a member of the Carmelite convent, she was bound to a life of prayer and domestic duties. She became worried because she would never be able to do great works. In her words, “Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.” (cited here, para 20)

In her time at the convent she realized that the power of God’s love is the most important thing. Although she wouldn’t make a name for herself by grand gestures, she decided to make every small act in her life an act of love.

Fortunately, her sister, Pauline, advised Therese to keep a journal during her time at the convent. Consequently, after her death, her “little way” became known to the world when Pauline shared her journal writing.

A Short-Lived but Well-Lived Life

Therese suffered with tuberculosis at the end of her life. She spent a lot of time in severe pain, and struggled with periods of spiritual darkness when she doubted her faith. At one time she said, “Jesus isn’t doing much to keep the conversation going.” (cited here, para 19)

Therese was in so much pain, that she would have killed herself if not for her faith. But she was determined to bear her illness with a positive attitude and was so successful that some began to suspect she was faking.

Bravely Facing Death

When it became clear that she was nearing death, Therese seemed to find perspective. She promised, “I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth.” (found here, para 26), like she was unable to do in her earthly life.

Therese also came to the conclusion that God was gracious to take her at such a young age. She had long struggled because she felt called to be a priest, but that was certainly not an option for her. As she neared death, she realized that this meant she would never have to face attaining the age that young men can become priests.

Therese died in 1897 at the age of 24. Other nuns in the convent questioned how the mother superior would even find anything to say in her obituary. Then Pauline shared the journals with other convents, and Theresa’s “little way” to live a holy life full of small deeds without the grand gestures, was revealed. She “gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among all the other flowers in God’s garden.” (found here, para 4)

Sainthood

Pope Pius XI canonized Therese on May 17, 1925, just 28 years after her death. She was also declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II, because of “her holiness and the influence of her teaching on spirituality in the Church” (found here) Therese is only the third woman to receive that designation.

Please stay with us this week as we explore the many lessons of this popular saint. She is the patron saint of florists, missionaries, pilots, priests, and people who feel abandoned by God during times of suffering, pain, depression, or loneliness. But most importantly, she set an amazing example of the path to holiness through the ordinary moments of our lives. Here’s to a great week!