St. Therese of the Child Jesus,

The Little Flower

Therese Martin was born to Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin on January 2, 1873. She was the last of  nine children, however, only five of these children lived to reach adulthood.  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.

 *At the age of 14, on Christmas Eve in 1886, Therese had a conversion that transformed her life.  From then on, her powerful energy and sensitive spirit were turned toward love, instead of keeping herself happy.  At 15, she entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux, France to give her whole life to God.  With the religious name of Sr. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, she lived a hidden life of prayer.  She was gifted with great intimacy with God.  Through sickness and darkness, she remained faithful, rooted in God's powerful love.  After a long struggle with tuberculosis, she died on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24.  Her last words were the story of her life: "My God, I love you!"

   *The world came to know her through her autobiography, "The Story of a Soul."  She described her life as "a little way of spiritual childhood."  She lived each day with unshakeable confidence in God's love.  What matters in life is "not great deeds, but great love."  She loved and taught a spirituality of attending to everyone and everything well and with love.  She believed that just as a child becomes enamored with what is for her, we should also have a childlike focus and totally attentive love.  Therese's spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with extraordinary love.

 *Therese saw the seasons as reflecting the seasons of God's love affair with us.  She loved flowers and saw herself as the "little flower of Jesus," who gave glory to God by just being her beautiful little self among other flowers in God's garden.  Because of this beautiful analogy, the "little flower" remained with St. Therese.

   *The inspiration of her life and her powerful presence from heaven touched so many people so quickly that she was solemnly canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius XI.  Had she lived, she would have only been 52 years old at he time of her canonization.  In 1997, St. Therese was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II - the only Doctor of his pontificate - in tribute to the powerful way her spirituality has influenced people all over the world.

  *"My mission - to make God loved - will begin after my death," she said.  "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth.  I will let fall a shower of roses."  Countless lives have been touched by her intercession, and millions have imitated her "little way."  She has been acclaimed the "greatest saint of modern times."  Everywhere in the world, her roses continue to fall.