St. Therese of Lisieux - Saint of the Month (October)

by Anna Brown and Theresita Joseph

Saint Profile:

Name: St Therese of Lisieux

Also known as: The Little Flower of Jesus

Feast Day: October 1st

Patron Saint of the Missions

Background into the life of St Therese:

St Therese was born in France in 1873 into a holy Catholic family, and from a small age, she dreamt of becoming a nun. At age 15, in a general audience with Pope Leo XIII, she pushed through the crowds in Rome to approach him directly and beg him to let her join the Carmelite Sisters. After persuading the Mother Superior, she was finally able to join the Carmelite Sisters. Whilst fulfilling her burning desire; convent life was not always easy, and she began to understand the importance of doing the smallest things with great love; something she would later develop to be known as ‘the little way’. St Therese was met with many obstacles and struggled with living a quiet and unseen life. She was plagued with poor health and died at the age of 24. 

Although this young nun was not known by many at the time of her death, she soon captured the hearts of Christians around the world through her spiritual autobiography “The Story of a Soul”. Her masterpiece still inspires millions of Catholics each year and St John Paul 2 made her the youngest Doctor of the Church in 1997 - a recognition of the wisdom shown in her teachings for the good of whole Universal Church.

How did you come to learn about St Therese of Lisieux and what inspired you?

ANNA - I first learnt about St Therese of Lisieux in my early twenties, where I discovered an amazing story of a woman who lived a very small life but whose understanding of the spiritual life was phenomenally huge. What first drew me to her was actually through her family; I was amazed to learn that her parents were both saints - and one of her sisters is currently a candidate for sainthood! I realised that this was truly one very special family, which encouraged me to learn more about her own life and her devotion to Jesus through reading her own autobiography.

THERESITA - St Therese of Lisieux was the patron saint that my mother chose for me, and my name (Theresita), reflects the way in which she was seen; ‘Therese’ for her first name and ‘ita’ which translates in Spanish for ‘little’ and 'youth'; as she was known as the Little Flower of Jesus. My mothers own love and admiration for the love that St Therese had to Jesus was what first drew me to learning more about her.

How has St Therese’s imagery of nature and flowers helped you understand God’s love and the meaning of true beauty?

THERESITA- St Therese was well known for her love of nature, where she saw the world as ‘God’s garden’. She explained how every person is created like a different kind of flower; each unique and precious in their own way. Whilst admiring the roses, she saw herself as a little wildflower; small and simple; yet still enough in herself to be fascinated by and deeply loved by God.

"He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God's glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be."

I think the way St Therese explains this is so beautiful. So often in life, especially as girls, we struggle for perfection and the need to be enough. We compare ourselves to others and often feel we fall short of our own expectations of beauty, intelligence, or personality; especially when we see it in those around us or those portrayed in the media. Yet St Therese teaches us that the fact we are all born different; with our own different appearances, personalities and talents; is a beautiful thing and is the way that God has intended us to be. We all in our own way are perfect in His eyes; as we have been made in His own image and likeness, and so we should truly be free to bloom where we have been planted – as His love and acceptance of us is the most important. And too, by accepting and being grateful of our own blessings and gifts, we are able to appreciate and love those of others; as we are all contributing, each in our own little way, to God's glory!

How have St Therese’s experiences of suffering helped you in your own struggles?

ANNA - I remember first reading A Story of a Soul and being so surprised to hear that in the last years of her life, St Therese felt like her soul was invaded by a thick darkness, and she experienced great spiritual and physical suffering. I was even more surprised to read that in this time of personal suffering she came to understand that the suffering she experienced was good for her soul. When St Therese struggled with disbelief in heaven she realised that this was her way of experiencing a glimpse of what her contemporaries who did not have faith experienced. She then used this experience to pray for her contemporaries and to call out to the Father.

I find that in my own personal suffering, whether this be an obvious suffering such as the loss of a loved one or a hard day at work, or in my private suffering such as anxiety about what job I may have in the future or what man I may marry - I can give this all to the Father. When I do give this suffering to Him, He always listens and uses this to transform my own heart. I feel a strong sense of peace invade me, and that hard day at work or my pain and anxiety suddenly becomes an experience that I can learn from! This surrender is not easy however, and will be a lifelong lesson for me. Yet St Therese reminds me that my small life is important to God, and when I give my joys and sorrows to him He is faithful in using them for His good as part of His bigger plan. He knows my heart and I can go to Him and pray with complete honesty and He will always respond in love.

Is there suffering is your life? Do you have a deep desire for peace in your heart? Ask St Therese to pray for you!

How has St Therese helped you in your own prayer life?

THERESITA - At the Walsingham festival last summer, I was blessed to make friends (and end up last minute sharing a tent) with an incredible girl attending from Scotland. Within moments of introducing ourselves we quickly got into a conversation over the origin of my name, and she explained to me that she had always had a very strong devotion to St Therese; to whom she often prayed and asked to intercede for her during times of struggle. I was incredibly inspired by her faith and her love of St Therese, and wished that we lived closer (as I was living in London at the time). Later along in the year, I was going through my own struggles of making a big decision regarding whether to take a year out of my degree, and after contacting her, she suggested that we started praying a Novena to St Therese together.

During that time, despite not knowing what was going to happen, I felt a sense of peace and security slowly washing over me each day, and I had faith that God was going to be behind me through my decision making process. On the last day of the Novena (which was the Feast of the Holy Family), I made a total surrender to God in front of the Blessed Sacrament at the Youth 2000 New Years Retreat to guide me over what to do. Within a couple of days time into the New Year; I had confirmed my decision to take a year out, had miraculously received an unconditional offer to do a year of research in an area incredibly close to my heart - and would be moving and living for the year in a place in Scotland only an hour's drive away from the very friend who had been praying the Novena with me! 

Reflecting back on that Novena I said to St Therese, the way God has been continually answering my prayers throughout this year has been incredible, and has brought me closer in realising the power of prayer. On St Therese's feast day today, I have restarted the Novena to pray for the remaining decisions and worries left in my heart this year, and have the faith, like St Therese, that God will hear these prayers and not let me fall. 

Do you have any particular prayers that you need to surrender to God? On St Therese's feast day, if you would like to begin her Novena, find it at the end of this blog post!

What do you think is St Therese's most important lesson?

ANNA  - St Therese had a real unique ability for finding and celebrating holiness in small ways in everyday life. She understood the importance of being expectant and hopeful, and, like “a little child who sleeps without fear in its Fathers arms”, she had a strong desire to do all things out of love, where 'everything is grace'. I often feel the pressure to share my faith in great big ways, and to make a huge declaration. Yet St Therese reminds me to be childlike not in an immature way, but trusting in God the Father to use me in the small everyday details of life. 

St Therese always calls us back to our primary vocation, which is given to us at baptism, which is to love. For me when I am tired I find it the most hard to love; but actually this is when I am most encouraged to love in little ways and show Jesus to others. I can give up my seat on the tube, not to make a public declaration of goodness, but out of complete love of the other person. It is in these little ways, that St Therese teaches us how do the ordinary things of life with extraordinary love.

Are there small apparently unseen sacrifices we could make today out of complete love? Are there people that you could reach out to in a small way - even through a message, helping hand, or daily prayer - that could help show your love for them?

What is your personal favourite quote of hers?

ANNA - “When I die, I will send down a shower of roses from the heavens - I will spend my heaven by doing good on earth." 

THERESITA - “God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realised; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.” 

St Therese reminds us that we are created out of love to love. We are part of Gods unique plan and in our everyday lives we can respond to His invitation to love the world. Through these small acts of love we are being reminded of our call to be saints - for which we should all strive to become.

Novena to St Therese:

Dearest Saint Therese of Lisieux, you said that you would spend your time in heaven doing good on earth, of letting fall from Heaven a shower of roses. 

Your trust in God was complete. Pray that He may increase my trust in His goodness and mercy as I ask for the following petitions… (State your intentions)

Pray for me that I, like you, may have great and innocent confidence in the loving promises of our God. Pray that I may live my life in union with God’s plan for me, and one day see the Face of God whom you loved so deeply. 

Saint Therese, you were faithful to God even unto the moment of your death. Pray for me that I may be faithful to our loving God. May my life bring peace and love to the world through faithful endurance in love for God our Savior. 

May I fulfil your plea to be made known and I will never cease to lead others to Jesus through you.

Amen