Saint Therese: A Saint for International Woman's Day

Yesterday, was International Woman’s Day and I figured I would do a post on one woman that I hold a special devotion to, Saint Therese of Lisiuex.  A few years ago I went on my first cruise and I met a friend who later sent me A Shirt of Flame: A Year with Saint Therese of Lisieux.  The book left me with the curiosity to learn more about Saint Therese and soon I read her autobiography.  After reading The Story of a Soul, I began a very special relationship with her because I felt like in many ways I mirror the tantrum-throwing, emotional child she once was and it gave me hope that someday God would too help me overcome my weaknesses.  I love the simple, sentimental language she uses throughout her book.  As a lover of words I tend to favor the simple use of language best because there’s a strong level of raw honesty and clear understanding.  Nonetheless, this simplicity went beyond her poetic language, reaching her soul from where her “little way” sprung - the path she found towards holiness.  In doing ordinary things with great love and disciplining herself to daily sacrifices she slowly shed that emotional, selfish child within and became a woman who embodied Jesus’ “become little” message.

“We live in an age of inventions. We need no longer climb laboriously up flights of stairs; in well-to-do houses there are lifts. And I was determined to find a lift to carry me to Jesus, for I was too small to climb these stairs of perfection.  So I sought in Holy Scripture some idea of what this life I wanted would be, and reach these words: “Whosoever is a little one come to me.” It is your arms, Jesus, that are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up: I must stay little and become less and less.” 

When she became little her quiet soul learned that her true vocation surpassed being a Carmelite into a much more important mission- the one of love: “My origin is love, my vocation is love, my destiny is love.”

In addition to her romantic piety she still had a strong, courageous spirit.  I love the story of how when she discern that she wanted to become a nun, but was refused by the Carmelite superior and her Bishop because she was too young she went to the Pope.  Some stories say that she had to be carried out by two guards from the Pope’s audience because she had been previously forbidden to speak to him.  Can you imagine little Therese being carried out because she got too passionate in her discourse about being allowed to enter into the Carmelites (smile)!  Her persistence worked because soon her wish was granted and she was admitted to join the Carmelites.

She died when she was just twenty-four-years-old; however, she knew great suffering during her short life.  At the age of four she lost her mother to cancer and four years later her oldest sister (who became like a second mother) had to leave Therese to join the convent.  These losses carved deep into the soul of the Little Flower and pushed her with great force towards God, finding refuge in her Catholic faith.  In a lesser form she also experience the death of her dreams for she wanted to do great things in the name of God, but was sickly and died young of Tuberculosis.  As she spent her last days in bed knowing her end was near, she had to make peace with the dreams of someday performing great deeds.  She also had to endure the pain of her illness, which she said that if it weren’t for her faith she would have been tempted to end her life.          

I want to be so much like her, the woman she became.  So, I often return to her story, converse with her and ask for her intercession.  Every now and then she sends me flowers which come as bits of hope, as signs that God has heard my prayer. She said, “After my death I will let fall a shower of roses.  I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth.  I will raise up a mighty host of little saints.”  Which I think at least with me she is trying (smile).