“I have always desired to be a saint; but alas! I have always noticed, when comparing myself with the saints, that there is between them and me the same difference that exists between a mountain whose summit is lost in the heavens and the obscure grain of sand trampled underfoot by passers-by. Instead of becoming discouraged, I said to myself: God cannot inspire unrealizable desires; I can, then, in spite of my littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me to grow up; I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to Heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short, a completely new little way.” – Saint Thérèse of Lisieux – Story of a Soul
Céline Martin (1869–1959)
Psalm 131
Lord, my heart is not lifted up, my eyes not raised from the earth;
my mind does not dwell on high things, on marvels that are beyond my reach.
Bear me witness that I kept my soul ever quiet, ever at peace.
The thoughts of a child on its mother’s breast, a child’s thoughts were all my soul knew.
Let Israel trust in the Lord, henceforth and for ever.
Gospel Reading : Matthew 18:1-4
At that time the disciples came to Jesus, saying, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?”
And calling to him a child, he put him in the midst of them, and said, “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Whoever humbles himself like this child, he is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven.
What do the Fathers say?
And Jesus calling a little child, set him in the midst of them.
St JEROME. As this child, whom I set before you as a pattern, is not obstinate in anger, when injured does not bear it in mind, has no emotion at the sight of a fair woman, does not think one thing while he speaks another; so you, unless you have the same innocence and purity of mind, shall not be able to enter into the kingdom of heaven.
Whosoever shall humble himself as this little child, that is, whosoever shall humble himself after My example, he shall enter into the kingdom of heaven.
St HILARY. He calls infants all who believe through the hearing of faith; for such follow their father, love their mother, know not to will that which is evil, do not bear hate, or speak lies, trust what is told them, and believe what they hear to be true.
ORIGEN. Every one who believes in the Son of God, and walks after evangelic acts, is converted and walks as a little child; but he who is not converted that he may become as a child, it is impossible that he should enter into the kingdom of heaven. But in every congregation of believers, there are some only newly converted that they may become as little children, but not yet made such; these are the little ones in Christ, and these are they that receive offence.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux (born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin; January 2, 1873 – September 30, 1897), also known as “The Little Flower” and Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, was a French Discalced Carmelite nun whose simple, profound approach to the spiritual life transformed modern Catholic theology.
Early Life & Conversion (1873–1888)
- Family Background: Born in Alençon, France, to Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin (who were canonized as a couple in 2015). Thérèse was the youngest of five surviving daughters, all of whom would eventually enter religious life.
- Loss & Relocation: Following her mother’s death from cancer in 1877, the family moved to Les Buissonnets in Lisieux. The loss deeply affected Thérèse, making her hypersensitive and emotionally fragile.
- Christmas Grace (1886): At age 13, she experienced what she termed her “complete conversion” on Christmas Eve, instantly overcoming her emotional fragility and gaining a deep resolve to live selflessly for God and the salvation of souls.
Entry into Carmel (1888)
- Papal Appeal: Determined to enter the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux at age 15, she faced opposition from local clergy due to her youth. During a diocesan pilgrimage to Rome in 1887, she broke silence during a private audience with Pope Leo XIII to ask him directly for permission to enter.
- Monastic Profession: She officially entered the Lisieux Carmel on April 9, 1888, taking her final vows on September 8, 1890, and receiving the religious name Sister Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
The “Little Way” (La Petite Voie)
Living an outwardly unexceptional life within the cloister, Thérèse developed a spiritual path centered on childlike confidence, humility, and complete surrender to divine love:
- Spiritual Littleness: Acknowledging her inability to perform great, heroic feats like the historical saints, she viewed her spiritual smallness not as an obstacle, but as an attraction for God’s mercy.
- Ordinary Acts of Love: She emphasized seeking holiness in the smallest, most hidden tasks—enduring difficult personalities without complaint, performing secret acts of kindness, and offering every momentary trial up to God.
Suffering, Trial of Faith, & Death (1896–1897)
- Physical & Spiritual Suffering: In April 1896, Thérèse suffered her first hemoptysis (coughing up blood), signalling the onset of severe tuberculosis. Concurrently, she entered a dark trial of faith—an intense interior darkness where she felt the reality of heaven stripped away, allowing her to offer her suffering for atheists and non-believers.
- Death: She died in the convent infirmary on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Her final words were: “My God, I love You!”
Posthumous Recognition & Legacy
- Story of a Soul (L’histoire d’une âme): Compiled from three spiritual autobiographical manuscripts written under obedience to her prioresses, the book was published in 1898 and rapidly became a worldwide spiritual best-seller.
- Canonization: Beatified in 1923 and canonized on May 17, 1925, by Pope Pius XI.
- Patronage: Declared co-patroness of universal missions (1927) alongside St. Francis Xavier—despite having spent her adult life inside a cloister—and co-patroness of France (1944) alongside St. Joan of Arc.
- Doctor of the Church: Declared the 33rd Doctor of the Church by Pope John Paul II in 1997, making her the youngest Doctor in the history of the Church.
Sources:
Bible readings from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Second Catholic Edition, copyright © 2006 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the USA
Quotes of the Fathers from :
Thomas Aquinas’ Catena Aurea Translated by St John Henry Newman
Story of a Soul (L’histoire d’une âme), Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Wikipedia
Artwork ex Wikimedia Commons