“Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.”
St. Therese of Lisieux
October 1st is the feast day of St. Therese of Lisieux, also known as, St. Therese of the Child Jesus or St. Therese of the Little Flower.
Although, St. Therese of Lisieux only lived for 24 years, she accomplished becoming a saint and becoming a doctor of the church. A feat that only 3 women have ever accomplished!
When she was still a child, her mom had died. Her older sister took care of her after their mom’s death. Eventually, her older sister left for the convent. A few months later, Therese became sick and was bedridden. She saw her sisters praying to Mother Mary and was told to start praying to her as well and all her troubles would go away. So little Therese did. One night as Therese was praying to Mother Mary, asking for healing, she had a vision of Mother Mary smiling at her. As soon as the vision disappeared, little Therese was able to sit up and was completely healed.
In her home she was spoiled by her sisters. She also dealt with a lot of emotions and outbursts. One day she overheard, her sister and father talking about her behaviors. God transformed her heart and helped her deal with her behaviors.
When Therese was 15 years old, she felt a calling to enter the convent. She was too young and the convent didn’t want her to enter. Her mind was made up and she even traveled to the Vatican to speak to the pope. The pope told her to do as the Superior decides. Within a few days, she got the required permission and entered the Carmelite convent. Her life in the convent was hard, cold, and some were mean to her and spread gossip. However, she did little good deeds for everyone around her to make them happy and sacrificed as much as she could including, smiling at the sisters that didn’t like her, eating everything given to her without complaining, taking the blame for other sisters’ accidents.
When Therese became very ill with Tuberculosis, she didn’t tell anyone and no one knew until a year later, since she continued to work. At the age of 24, Therese died with a crucifix pressed to her heart. Her last words were “I love Him! My God, I love You!”
We can all learn from St. Therese and even in our ordinary lives do small good deeds for others.
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