 St. Theresa - The Little Flower
St. Theresa of Lisieux was born in Alençon, France, on January 2, 1873, and christened
Marie Francoise Therese Martin, the youngest of nine children. Four of them died quite
young and their mother died when Theresa was only four years old. She was thereafter
"mothered" in turn by two older sisters, each one of whom left for the Carmelite
Cloister when of age to enter. Theresa herself was admitted to the Order when she was only
15, six years before the age of admittance, after repeated insistent entreaties to her
bishop and finally to the Pope himself.
From the time she entered the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux until she died of tuberculosis
on September 30, 1897, at 24 years of age, she lived an obscure life as a cloistered nun.
During those nine years she perfected a spiritual way of life based upon doing little
things well for love of Jesus and small acts of charity for others. Her life was one of
patient sweetness, loving sacrifice for others, and uncomplaining acceptance of pain and
suffering. So unusual was her behavior in everyday ways that her superiors ordered her to
write her autobiography, explaining her "Little Way" and her great and consuming
love of Jesus.
St. Theresa knew to the full the value and power of prayer: "My whole strength lies
in prayer and sacrifice. These are my invincible weapons... the power of prayer has been
understood by all the saints, and especially perhaps by those who have illumined the world
with the light of Christ's teaching. Was it not in prayer that St. Paul, St. Augustine,
St. Thomas Aquinas, St. John of the Cross, St. Teresa (of Avila), and so many other
friends of God, acquired the wonderful knowledge which has enthralled the loftiest minds?
'Give me a lever and a fulcrum on which to rest,' said Archimedes, 'and I will lift the
world.' But what this scientist could not obtain, because his request had merely a
material end without reference to God, the saints have obtained in all its fullness. The
Almighty has given them a fulcrum to lean upon, Himself - Himself alone; and for a lever,
the prayer that inflames with the fire of love. And thus they have uplifted the world -
thus do the saints who still combat on earth continue to raise it and will continue to
raise it till the end of time."
Among St. Theresa's well-known sayings are: "After my death, I wish to descend to the
earth again to spread the work of love; - I wish to spend my heaven doing good upon earth;
- I will help priests, missionaries and the whole church."
Since her death, devotion to St. Theresa, The Little Flower, has swept the entire world;
countless graces and miracles are attributed to her intercession, and in 1925 she was
named a saint of the Catholic Church. Surely there is no moment in any day in which there
is not someone turning to her for help, this little Saint whose life was dedicated to the
love of God.
St. Theresa Parish claims her as most powerful patroness and intercessor of heavenly
grace.
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