St. Therese of Lisieux
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus—also known as St. Thérèse of Lisieux and the Little Flower—was born Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin in Alençon, France on January 2, 1873. She was the youngest of five surviving children, all girls, of Louis and Azélie-Marie Martin.
Thérèse had a happy childhood, surrounded by good influences. She wrote that her earliest memories were “of smiles and tender caresses.” When her mother died in 1877, her father sold his watchmaking business and moved the family to Lisieux so that the children could be near an aunt who would help to raise them. Mary, an older sister, ran the household and Pauline, the eldest, took charge of the family’s religious training.
From her earliest years Thérèse wanted all that life would offer. At the age of twelve, Thérèse’s sister Leonie felt she had no further use for her doll dressmaking kit, and stuffed a basket full of materials for making new dresses. Leonie then offered it to her six-year-old sister, Celine, and her two-year-old sister, Thérèse. “Choose what you wish, little sisters,” invited Leonie. Celine took a little ball of wool that pleased her. Thérèse simply said, “I choose all.” She accepted the basket and all its goods without ceremony
Thérèse was a very sensitive child. Every time she even imagined that someone was criticizing her or didn’t appreciate her, she burst into tears. Then she would cry because she had cried! She was sometimes made fun of by other kids at school, picked on because she would cry often or even because of the curls in her hair.
Then on Christmas eve in 1886, 14-year-old Thérèse hurried home from Midnight Mass. In France, young children left their shoes by the hearth at Christmas, and their parents would fill them with gifts. By 14, most children outgrew this custom. But her sister Céline didn’t want Thérèse to grow up. So they continued to leave presents in “baby” Thérèse’s shoes. As she and Céline climbed the stairs, their father’s voice rose up from the parlor below. Standing over the shoes, he sighed, “Thank goodness that’s the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Thérèse froze, and her sister looked at her helplessly. Céline knew that in a few minutes Thérèse would be in tears over what her father had said. But the tantrum never came. Something incredible had happened to Thérèse. Jesus had come into her heart and done what she could not do herself. He had made her more sensitive to her father’s feelings than her own. She swallowed her tears, walked slowly down the stairs, and exclaimed over the gifts in the shoes, as if she had never heard a word her father said. The following year, she entered the convent. In her autobiography she referred to this Christmas as her “conversion.” The holy Child’s strength supplanted her weakness. The strong character she had at the age of four and a half was suddenly restored to her. A 10-year struggle had ended; her tears had dried up.
Thérèse had a happy childhood, surrounded by good influences. She wrote that her earliest memories were “of smiles and tender caresses.” When her mother died in 1877, her father sold his watchmaking business and moved the family to Lisieux so that the children could be near an aunt who would help to raise them. Mary, an older sister, ran the household and Pauline, the eldest, took charge of the family’s religious training.
From her earliest years Thérèse wanted all that life would offer. At the age of twelve, Thérèse’s sister Leonie felt she had no further use for her doll dressmaking kit, and stuffed a basket full of materials for making new dresses. Leonie then offered it to her six-year-old sister, Celine, and her two-year-old sister, Thérèse. “Choose what you wish, little sisters,” invited Leonie. Celine took a little ball of wool that pleased her. Thérèse simply said, “I choose all.” She accepted the basket and all its goods without ceremony
Thérèse was a very sensitive child. Every time she even imagined that someone was criticizing her or didn’t appreciate her, she burst into tears. Then she would cry because she had cried! She was sometimes made fun of by other kids at school, picked on because she would cry often or even because of the curls in her hair.
Then on Christmas eve in 1886, 14-year-old Thérèse hurried home from Midnight Mass. In France, young children left their shoes by the hearth at Christmas, and their parents would fill them with gifts. By 14, most children outgrew this custom. But her sister Céline didn’t want Thérèse to grow up. So they continued to leave presents in “baby” Thérèse’s shoes. As she and Céline climbed the stairs, their father’s voice rose up from the parlor below. Standing over the shoes, he sighed, “Thank goodness that’s the last time we shall have this kind of thing!” Thérèse froze, and her sister looked at her helplessly. Céline knew that in a few minutes Thérèse would be in tears over what her father had said. But the tantrum never came. Something incredible had happened to Thérèse. Jesus had come into her heart and done what she could not do herself. He had made her more sensitive to her father’s feelings than her own. She swallowed her tears, walked slowly down the stairs, and exclaimed over the gifts in the shoes, as if she had never heard a word her father said. The following year, she entered the convent. In her autobiography she referred to this Christmas as her “conversion.” The holy Child’s strength supplanted her weakness. The strong character she had at the age of four and a half was suddenly restored to her. A 10-year struggle had ended; her tears had dried up.
