Lives of the Saints: St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Too often we measure success by the number of great deeds we’ve accomplished; that’s why the life of St. Thérèse of Lisieux is so amazing. By the world’s standards, she didn’t accomplish anything, and yet she’s a doctor of the Church! It’s a good thing we have higher standards to aspire to-the standards of God.

Born on January 2, 1873, in Alençon, France, Thérèse was the youngest of nine children. Her mother died when Thérèse was only 4, and she looked up to her older sisters, wanting to do everything they did. Because Thérèse was the youngest, her father spoiled her. Little Thérèse focused only on herself.

But on Christmas Eve 1886, Thérèse had a conversion. Rather than thinking only of her own needs, she began to appreciate all that her father had done for her. She prayed that she might become more selfless as she grew older. At age 15, she entered the Carmelite convent in Lisieux, following the example of her older sisters, even though her father-and the bishop-disapproved.

Life in the convent was very difficult for Thérèse. Her father became sick, and it was hard for her to pray. She believed that as a Carmelite nun, bound to live within the convent all her life, she would never get to do great deeds. And she struggled with how she could show her love for God and the world without accomplishing anything of value.

From this realization, Thérèse’s great spirituality took root. She read the Scriptures, trying to discern God’s will for her life, and realized that she was called to a “little way of spiritual childhood”-to joyfully find God in the small, simple things. Thérèse was particularly moved by Christ’s invitation to children. And she recognized that what mattered in life was “not great deeds, but great love.” As a result, she accepted little sacrifices as opportunities to serve and praise God in her ordinary, daily routines: Thérèse smiled at nuns she didn’t get along with; she ate all the food on her plate even if she didn’t like it; she obeyed her superiors even if she disagreed.

Thérèse died when she was only 24, but she was canonized by Pope Pius XI in 1925-only 28 years later. Her sister Pauline, the prioress of the convent, had asked Thérèse to write down her life’s story to share with the world after her death. As a result, St. Thérèse continues to speak of her “little way” through Story of a Soul, the journal that became her autobiography.

St. Thérèse is the patron saint of missionaries. She wanted to become a missionary herself, but realized that God was calling her to a cloistered life-setting up a necessary limitation in her life. In response, she prayed fervently for the work of the missions.

We can’t all leave our day jobs to serve in countries like Tanzania, but we can pray for that good work. How does your prayer life help you make sense of those necessary limitations in your life?