St Therese de Lisieux, the Little Flower

This month the church celebrates the feast of St Therese of Lisieux. She is also known as ”the little flower”. Her life showed that she had a great intimacy with God. She died at the age of 24.

How did she get the name ”little flower” ? She loved nature and often used this image of nature to explain how God’s presence is everywhere. She saw herself as the “little flower of Jesus” because she was just like the simple wildflowers in forests and fields, unnoticed by most, but growing and giving glory to God. She was not a rose. She was a small wildflower, simple and hidden, but blooming where God had planted her. She believed as a little child. She has total trust in God like a child in her mother. She saw the world as God’s Garden and each person was a different flower.

She said “If all flowers wanted to be a rose, nature would lose its springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers”. “Perfection consists in doing God’s will, in being what he wills us to be.”

I think Therese fits well the description that Jesus gives, “The one who makes himself as little as a child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven”. Therese believed that God shows love by mercy and forgiveness. The way to approach God is to be like how a little child approaches its parent, with open arms and complete trust.

She decided to live a lifestyle she called “The little way”. Therese lived “the little way” in everything she did. She took on all the lowly chores in the convent. She served to set the altar for mass, served in the kitchen and the laundry room. She took care of the old and sick sisters.

Therese said that when she went into prayer, she decided to behave like a little child. She writes “I tell God simply what I want, and He always understands.”

She knew that love was at the center of everything. She showed that “The Little Way” consists of simplicity in life, prayer from the heart to Jesus, total trust in God as our loving Father, seeking God’s will in everyday activities. She showed that we should do everything for the love of Jesus with humility.

Childlike simplicity and humility, this is what we learn at her feet. As Vincentians we are to serve the poor humbly, without attracting attention to ourselves. We need to find what their needs are and meet them, not do what we think is best. We should go to God in prayer like a little child. Doing little acts of love, that is how we should use our time.

Pray that St Therese will help us to be little flowers in God’s Garden of creation.

Deacon John Girolami