Who is the greatest woman you know?

Many of the most extraordinary women in history are Catholic saints. They were elegant and dignified, kind and courageous, confident and deliberate, humble and honest. They were strong-willed and at the same time had the beauty of self-control. They were incredible thinkers and prayerful giants. And their love knew no limits, as demonstrated by their empathy and compassion for others. Thérèse of Lisieux is just one example of many.

Thérèse was dead by the age of twenty-four; she entered the cloistered life as a Carmelite nun at fifteen and died nine years later, yet few women have had more impact than the Little Flower, as she is affectionately known. She is the ultimate example of blooming where you are planted.

Toward the end of her life her superiors ordered her to write her story. Thérèse was reluctant; in fact, in the end her vow of obedience had to be invoked to get her to write. Those writings became the enduring classic Story of a Soul, in which she outlines what she calls "the little way.” The essence of the little way is to do little things with great love. By pouring great love into the smallest act, Thérèse discovered great joy.

Thérèse didn’t become one of the greatest modern saints because of a complex philosophy or academic theology, but by the simple and consistent application of the Gospel. This amazing woman took Jesus at his word when he told us that whatever we do for another person we do for him. When someone actually lives the Christian faith, it is practical, relevant, accessible, and hopeful.

Thérèse of Lisieux didn't waste her life caught up in the self-importance of wondering what God's specific will was for her. She knew clearly what his universal will was for us all: to love others. By living what she knew to be the simple and universal will of God, she discovered His specific will for her days, weeks, months, and life. Thérèse of Lisieux wrote, "Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be."

How different would your life be if, in every moment, you did the little things that you believed God was calling you to do?



Feast Day: October 1

Patron Saint of: Florists, Foreign Missions, Loss of Parents, Priests, and The Sick 

Also Known As: The Little Flower

Symbols: Roses

Canonized: May 17, 1925

Canonized By: Pope Pius XI