Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Saint Thérèse was the youngest of nine children. Four died at a young age, and the remaining five girls, including Thérèse, would all enter religious life. In her short life, Thérèse endured great suffering and gave great love. At just four years of age, Thérèse’s mother died of breast cancer. She suffered greatly from this loss and carried this weight into her early teen years. Still, she was supported by the love and care of her father and sisters.

Thérèse was taught by her elder sisters, Marie and Pauline until age eight. Then she went to a Benedictine school; while she excelled in school, students treated her badly and caused her great sorrow. Her sister Celine supported her through this time. At age ten, her sister Pauline, who had acted as her second mother, left for the convent. Thérèse soon experienced a serious illness with physical and emotional symptoms that doctors could not treat. After months of prayer by Thérèse and her family, she was miraculously cured. She attributed the cure to Our Lady of Victories.

Everything changed for Thérèse one Christmas Eve in 1886. Nearly fourteen years old, she had a profound conversion. In a single moment of grace, she received the strength to set aside her past sorrow and turned her energy outward toward loving others. This freedom, joy, and strength of soul prepared her for the next stage of her life. She soon actively sought to join the Carmelite order, following in her sister’s footsteps. On a trip to Italy--speaking out of turn--she asked the pope for permission to enter religious life early. At age 15, she entered a cloistered Carmelite convent in Lisieux, Normandy, and took the name Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

At the convent in Lisieux, she grew in her “little way” of holiness-seeking perfection in the ordinary things of life with a simple but total trust in God. Poor health made her dream of missionary work impossible, but the “Little Flower” soon realized that her true vocation was to love. She made small daily sacrifices for souls and sought to show love to her religious sisters by simple gestures.

Thérèse’s personal spirituality was preserved in her autobiography, which a convent superior had directed her to write. Summing up much of her spirituality, she wrote, “What matters in life is not great deeds but great love.” In 1896, Thérèse contracted tuberculosis and died the following year at age 24. The manuscript of her life story, “The Story of a Soul,” was published after her death and prompted popular devotion. She was canonized in 1925 and declared the Patron Saint of Missions two years later. In art she is portrayed in her
Carmelite habit with roses and a crucifix.

Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux Prayer for Vocations
St. Thérèse, Little Flower, you are “love in the heart of the Church.” You dedicated your life as a Carmelite Nun for good Priests to serve God’s people. From your privileged place in God’s Heart, I ask you to stir up responsive hearts in young men to follow Jesus as good and holy priests and religious. Bless our Church with loyal servants of the Gospel. Renew our Church in love by igniting the love of the young men Jesus calls. We need your help, intercession, and intervention today, Beloved Patron of Priests. Amen.