Who was Saint Thérèse of Lisieux?
Thérèse Martin was the youngest of five sisters in a French family that prayed together every day. Her papa called her his little queen, and he took her on long walks. One evening she saw a group of stars shaped like a T and said, “Look, Papa! My name is written in heaven!”
Thérèse had a tender heart and cried very easily. One Christmas, when she was nearly fourteen, she heard her tired papa say he was glad this was the last year for the shoes by the fireplace. Her eyes filled with tears, but she felt Jesus make her heart strong. She ran downstairs and opened her surprises with a happy face. She called it her Christmas grace, and from then on she thought less about herself and more about making others happy.
She wanted to give her whole life to Jesus in Carmel, a quiet house of prayer. Her papa said yes and gave her a tiny white flower from a stone wall. She was so young that she even went to Rome to ask the Pope, and at fifteen she entered Carmel. There she found her little way: she couldn’t do great big things, but she could do little things with great love. She even gave her sweetest smiles to a sister she found hard to like.
While she was still young, Thérèse became very sick and went home to Jesus. Before she did, she promised to spend her heaven doing good on earth and to let fall a shower of roses: blessings and help for people everywhere. She liked to call herself Jesus’ little flower, and that is why we call her the Little Flower.
When is Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s feast day?
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux’s feast day is October 1. Many families pray a novena to her in the nine days before, from September 22 to 30, and some bring roses to church on her day.
Clara tells the whole story at bedtime, in the Little Prayer Stories app.Get the app →
