St. Thérèse is here dressed as a Carmelite because she became a nun of Carmel. The crucifix signifies her suffering with Christ. Thérèse is shown holding roses in her hands because she wrote, "The only way I can I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and doing the least action for love." 84

St. Thérèse was born in Aleçon, France on January 2, 1873. She was the ninth child of Louis and Zélie Martin, both saintly parents who were denied their desire to dedicate their life to God.

Thérèse was a soul sensitive to the beauty of nature as well as to the mysteries of God. Above all Thérèse loved flowers, she comments, "He set before me the book of nature; I understood how all the flowers He had created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the field would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. And so it is, too, with souls , Jesus' garden. 85

Shortly before her 15th birthday, Martin took Thérèse on a pilgrimage to Rome. There she met Pope Leo XIII and although fearful, she knelt, kissed his slipper and when he presented his hand instead of kissing it she took it and with tears filled eyes, cried out "Most Holy Father, I have a great favor to ask you." Leo XIII lowered his head toward her and she saw his deep black eyes as if looking into her soul. She said, "In honor of your jubilee permit me to enter Carmel at the age of fifteen!" (Ibid., 134)The pope was given to understand that the superiors at Carmel were considering the matter and so the Pope told to do what the superiors decided.

And indeed she entered Carmel on April 9, 1988, at the age of 15. In the convent she found peace but also spiritual aridity became aridity became her daily experience. Shortly before her fist profession of vows she was tempted to leave. She wrote, "My darkness was so great that I could see and understand only one thing: I didn't have a vocation." (Ibid., 166) Fortunately she was reassured by her Novice Mistress. She made profession of vows on Sept. 8, 1890, the Feast of the Nativity of Mary.

She saw herself as far below the great saints so she developed her "little way" to holiness. Convent life is made up of prayer and work and the inevitable human likes, dislikes and misunderstandings. For example, she would fold the mantles forgotten by the other sisters as an act of love for God. One day she was accused of breaking a vase she had not broken. Instead of defending herself, she kissed the floor and promised to be more careful. (Ibid., 159) In other words, she learned to mortify her self-love and abandon herself to God.

In 1892, Influenza struck the Carmelite Convent and some of the sisters died. Despite the difficult and sad conditions, St. Thérèse felt that God was watching over them. She observed that the sisters died without a struggle and that immediately after death an expression of joy and peace covered their faces. She wrote, "Surely, this was true because, after the image of this world has passed away, they will awaken to the enjoy eternally the delights reserved for the Elect." (Ibid., 172)

One night St. Thérèse found herself coughing up blood. She began to suffer from tuberculosis. In the days and weeks that followed, as the disease attacked her intestines, she began to suffer violently with each breath she took. One day she cried with pain, "What a grace it is to have faith! If I had no faith, I would have inflicted death on myself without hesitating a moment!" (Ibid., 264) As her sufferings increased and death was approaching "Suddenly her eyes came to life and were fixed on a spot just a little above the statue of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Her face took up the appearance it had when Thérèse enjoyed good health. She seemed to be in ecstasy. This look lasted for the space of the 'Credo." Then she closed eyes and expired. It was 7:30 in the evening." (Ibid., 271) The year 1897.

St. Thérèse was declared
Doctor of the Church in 1997
by Pope John Paul II

St. Francis Xavier