Today, we celebrate the feast of St Thérèse of Lisieux.
She was a Discalced Carmelite nun who died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis.
Yet, she is a Doctor of the Church and the patroness of the Missions — even though she never travelled to distant mission lands.
Her spirituality is known as the ‘Little Way’.
She believed in doing the small, everyday things out of love for God.
She was once reprimanded by a priest for falling asleep during prayer.
Thérèse did not accept his scolding and responded, “I remember that little children are just as pleasing to their parents when they are asleep as when they are awake.”
She also looked to other saints—such as St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, and others—for inspiration and example.
She suffered from poor health and had a tendency towards depression.
Although she saw these saints as spiritual giants and considered herself merely a ‘grain of sand’ in comparison, she was never discouraged and placed her full trust in God.
She longed to be at the heart of God and to help share His love with many.
Her autobiography, written out of obedience to her superior, is well worth reading.
She had great faith in God’s love to cleanse us of our sins and human weaknesses.
She understood human frailty. Due to her illness, she kept painkillers in her room.
But she once asked the sisters to remove them, fearing she might take too many when she was unwell.
Despite everything, she continued to trust in God to help her live out the Gospel.