Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

 

By Maria Cristina B Borges

St Thérèse of Lisieux (1873 – 1897) is a much beloved saint, known for the many miracles she has worked from her entrance into Heaven (the “shower of roses” she promised to bestow on those who requested her help). She is also known for her Little Way, that is, our living in complete trust and self-abandonment to God’s Holy Will, placing ourselves entirely in His hands, out of love for Him. She was always looking for ways to please Him and deny herself, such as dropping a piece of embroidery, in the middle of a stitch, immediately when the bell rang calling the nuns to prayer in the monastery chapel.

She was born in France into a family of very holy parents, Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, and five sisters. Extraordinarily, she was allowed to enter religious life at the young age of 15, becoming a Carmelite nun in the Carmelite monastery of Lisieux where three of her sisters also were nuns. Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, has helped countless people in their faith journey. Her sister, Céline Martin (Sr Genevieve of the Holy Face), also wrote a very helpful biography, My Sister St Therese, with her teachings, examples of her hidden virtues, and many anecdotes of her life and how she handled difficult situations.