St. Therese of Lissieux

                                St. Therese of Lisieux

        St. Therese of Lisieux was born on January 2, 1873 in a small town in France. She was raised in a middle-class, bourgeoisie family, and was taught to not stray from others outside her social and religious sphere.  When Therese was born, there was a high chance she would not live; a sickness had plagued four of her siblings before her. Although she had a very pampered lifestyle from her family’s social status, she had an arduous childhood from constantly enduring death, illnesses, and tremors. Therese was healed from her illnesses when she said the statue Mary smiled at her. She remained coy about the miracle, but when word spread about what had occurred, many dismissed it as a lie. It led Therese to further suffer from scruples, a disorder where she obsessively doubted if what she had seen occurred. She continued to manifest herself in prayer and religious studies to calm the issues that were conflicting her internally. After an incident on Christmas Eve that she calls a “conversion”, she was able to take control of her sensitivities and tendencies to have outbursts.  

By 14 years old, Therese wanted to follow in the footsteps of her two of her older sister’s, Celine and Marie, and join the Carmelites. However, due to her young age and the rigorous qualifications, she was not admitted. She went to the Bishop, and even took the risk of asking the Pope while on a vacation with her father, if she could join. She was eventually admitted due to her boldness and determination. During the beginning of her time as a Carmelite, she was emotionally stricken from her father’s illness that brought embarrassment and grief. She felt helpless being unable to see him, and decided that there were ways to make up for it through her faith.

        St. Therese is often referred to as, “Little Flower”, or the “Child of Jesus”. She desperately yearned to become a saint, but in comparison to those canonized before her, she seemed unqualified. She knew she was not going to have an extraordinary event happen in her life, or something so grand that she must be made a saint. Instead, she decided to focus on her vocation, humility, and the little gifts that life brings. She is often called “Little Flower” from her attention to detail, and planting holiness and goodness around her. She fulfilled her ordinary duties within the convent, and focused on readings of the Bible, especially Proverbs.

        Although it does not seem that St. Therese accomplished much, it was through her spirit and act of love that was far more fulfilling. She exclaimed, “ I feel in me the vocation of the Priest. I have the vocation of the Apostle. Martyrdom was the dream of my youth and this dream has grown with me… Charity gave me the key to my vocation. I understood that the Church had a Heart and that this Heart was burning with love. I understood that Love comprised all vocations, that Love was everything, that it embraced all times and places...in a word, that it was eternal! O Jesus, my Love...my vocation, at last I have found it...My vocation is Love!". It became apparent to her that the content that renders our body, love, is far more important than any external accomplishments. She had transitioned from an isolated, pampered, sensitive girl to a humble, dedicated nun. She believed that holiness was not something that can be obtained by our actions, but by the dedication to faith, God, and love.