SAINTS CORNER- The Faithful Flower: The Story of Saint Therese of Lisieux

Hello! It's Julia! I have a question for you: do you ever feel like what you do doesn't matter or won't do anything to help anyone? Many people have felt this, but there is one saint who fought against this feeling. Do you know who she is? It's Saint Therese of Lisieux! Saint Therese tried to do everything that she did with a smile and with love. How about we learn about her?

Saint Therese was born into a very pious family in France called the Martin family. She had four older sisters. Their names were Marie, Marie Pauline, Marie Leonie, and Marie Celine. Therese's parents are actually saints, too.

Therese's mother died when she was four, but her big sisters were her best friends, and they functioned as a mother to her. Her father called her his "Little Queen," and Therese loved her father very much.


Therese also loved Mary. One time, when she was young, a statue of Mary smiled at her, and Therese was miraculously cured.

All of Therese's sisters went off to the convent to find God's Will there, and Saint Therese found herself drawn to the Carmelite convent. Pauline left first, followed by Marie into the Carmelite convent. Leonie left to be a Poor Clare, and soon it was just Celine and Therese in the Martin home. But when Therese was fifteen, she felt a calling to the Carmelite convent, too. She asked her father, and together they went to the Carmelite convent, but they turned her away. Therese and Mr. Martin kept going to people higher up until they reached the Pope. They were told they couldn't speak to him, but Therese did anyway. "God will let you enter if He wills it," said the Pope. Therese was dragged away by the Swiss Guards. But a little while later, Therese received a letter telling her that she could join the Carmelite convent very soon. So Therese did, and after her father died, Celine joined, too.

In the convent, Therese kept a diary. She tells about her life in the convent. She tells about a particularly picky sister who Therese tried to be kind to even though the sister wasn't kind to her. She even tells us about her Little Way, her way to please God by doing little acts of kindness.

Therese died when she was 24 of tuberculosis. She loved Jesus through her entire life. So when you feel like you are doing something that doesn't matter, just remember that, just like Saint Therese, you can do small things with a smile.

Saint Therese of Lisieux, PRAY FOR US!!!