January 2, 1873–September 30, 1897
Patronage: Missionaries, Against Illness
Memorial: October 1
THÉRÈSE OF LISIEUX’S STORY
Born in 1873 at Alençon in Normandy, France, Françoise-Marie Thérèse Martin was the fifth daughter of Blessed Louis Martin and Blessed Marie-Azélie Guérin Martin. With the untimely death of her mother, Thérèse’s family relocated to Lisieux, France, where Thérèse was cured from a serious illness at the age of eight. Thérèse experienced a vision of the Christ Child when she was not quite fourteen. So great was her desire to join the Carmelites that, upon being declined because of her age, she took her personal request to Pope Leo XIII during a pilgrimage to Rome. Thérèse’s entry into Carmel was marked by her development of what would become known as the “Little Way,” her personal charism of total devotion to God by completing even the most mundane and ordinary tasks with the greatest of devotion, dignity, and love. Thérèse continued to serve within her Carmelite community in spite of her persistent battle with tuberculosis, and at the age of twenty, she was appointed to assist the novice mistress. In her twenty-third year, she began to pen the writings that would come to inspire so many all over the world. The simple recounting of her personal spirituality, known to us as Story of a Soul, was written under obedience to her prioress and beloved sister Pauline and further continued under the next prioress, Mother Marie de Gonzague. Thérèse died at the age of twenty-four, her heart filled with joy at the prospect of a life in eternity with Jesus. Her canonization came less than three decades after her death, and in 1997 Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, was declared a Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II.
LESSONS FROM THÉRÈSE
Most Catholic moms won’t be found in African missions or evangelizing China. Our mission fields are our homes, parishes, workplaces, and neighborhoods. I’ve evangelized at the side of soccer fields, in the line at the grocery store, and perhaps most eloquently when I simply said nothing but took the time to be Christ to a friend, family member, neighbor, or coworker in need. Thérèse wrote and spoke of her great desire to be a saint, to spread the Gospel to the ends of the earth, and to share her love for Christ with everyone. Despite the fact that a good portion of her brief life was lived within the cloistered walls of Carmel, she always felt a true sense of mission. When I doubt my own sense of mission, she reminds me that regardless of my circumstances, I too am called to play a part in the “Great Commission.” Thérèse’s Little Way sprung from her intense desire for our Lord and her almost childlike passion for pleasing him with daily acts of sacrifice and love. Whether I am employed outside the home or at home all day with children, my life as a mom is peppered with daily tasks that can be tedious and mundane. Laundry continues to pile up, dishes must be washed, and the running of even the smallest home can be filled with an endless “to-do” list. My professional life often contains far more busy work “valleys” than “peaks” of great accomplishment or achievement. It’s easy to despair, to think to myself, “Is this all there is?” And yet by following Thérèse, I discover a way to unite these unseemly tasks in my day, or my interactions with sometimes irritating peers, with a loving, prayerful attitude that transforms them from chores into opportunities. For modern moms, our Little Way might encourage us as we’re washing the sixth load of laundry, filing paperwork at the office, nursing a newborn in the middle of the night, or caring for a cranky toddler. Let’s look at those occasions as opportunities to grow in holiness. Simple? Yes! Saintly? If done with a heart for service and offered as an act of love—most definitely!
TRADITIONS
Saint Thérèse is quoted as saying, “My mission—to make God loved— will begin after my death. I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will send a shower of roses.” She has come to be associated with the roses she loved so greatly and is frequently depicted in art holding a bouquet of roses. Some devotees to Saint Thérèse remark that they have smelled a lingering scent of roses when praying through her intercession.
THÉRÈSE’S WISDOM
You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them.
THIS WEEK WITH SCRIPTURE
Sunday: Isaiah 6:8
Then I heard the voice of the Lord saying, “Whom shall I send? Who will go for us?” “Here I am,” I said; “send me!” Here I am, Lord; send me wherever you would have me do your will.
Monday: 1 Timothy 4:16
Attend to yourself and to your teaching; persevere in both tasks, for by doing so you will save both yourself and those who listen to you. Lord, help me to persevere in teaching your Gospel to all those I encounter along my path.
Tuesday: Luke 10:2
The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Heavenly Father, I want to be a laborer. Use me to harvest the souls of my family for you by showering them with your love.
Wednesday: Hosea 6:3
Let us know, let us strive to know the LORD; as certain as the dawn is his coming, and his judgment shines forth like the light of day! He will come to us like the rain, like spring rain that waters the earth. Lord, today I will strive to know you and to share you with the world around me.
Thursday: Deuteronomy 6:6–7
Take to heart these words which I enjoin on you today. Drill them into your children. Speak of them at home and abroad, whether you are busy or at rest. I ask for a heart to know your word and the conviction to speak it to those in my life.
Friday: Ephesians 3:20–21
Now to him who is able to accomplish far more than all we ask or imagine, by the power at work within us, to him be glory in the church and in Christ Jesus to all generations, forever and ever. Amen. Unworthy though I am, you are able to accomplish far more than I could ever imagine in and through me. Let all my acts glorify your name.
Saturday: Matthew 28:19–20
Go, therefore, and make disciples of all nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the holy Spirit, teaching them to observe all that I have commanded you. And behold, I am with you always, until the end of the age. Open my heart to the missionary opportunities in my life, and help me to know and appreciate your constant presence and love.
SAINT-INSPIRED ACTIVITIES
For Mom
Purchase a rose for your kitchen or a small rose plant to enjoy in your garden. As you ponder the beauty of each perfect petal and the wondrous aroma of the flower, take a few moments to realize how wonderfully God has created you to be his missionary. Focus on your own Little Way and on being a missionary in your home.
With Children
As a child and into adulthood, Saint Thérèse tried to grow in perfection each day by making small sacrifices. She carried a string with beads in her pocket and slid a bead across the string each time she completed an act of love or sacrifice. Make a simple set of “Sacrifice Beads” with each child and teach them to count the times each day he or she is able to offer God a gift of love. Directions for Saint Thérèse’s “Good Deed Beads” can be found online.
A PRAYER FOR OUR FAMILY
Pray as a family each day this week:
Saint Thérèse, your love for God knew no limits. Although you were simple and often sick, you offered everything you did as an act of love and prayer. Help us to offer each part of our days— the special parts and the parts that tire and try us— as a sign of our love for God and for one another. May we draw closer to Christ by sharing his Good News with everyone we may meet, but especially by loving and serving one another as we would love and serve him. Amen.
SOMETHING TO PONDER
What are some of the tasks you face that when done with love become your personal prayer? How does Thérèse’s example help you to respond more lovingly to your vocation?
Lisa M. Hendey is the founder of the award-winning CatholicMom.com. She is the bestselling author of multiple books for adults and children, including The Handbook for Catholic Moms, A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms, The Grace of Yes, I’m a Saint in the Making, and the Chime Travelers fiction series.
This excerpt from A Book of Saints for Catholic Moms is reprinted with permission of Ave Maria Press.
