By Colleen Pressprich
St. Therese is one of my favorite saints. She has been a patron and companion of mine since I was a young college graduate. Most well-known for her quote that “my vocation is love,” Saint Therese is often portrayed in pastel colors and depicted as a gentle, sweet young woman.
And while she certainly was those things, St. Therese was also fierce, confident, and bold.
Who was St. Therese?
Therese Martin was born in France in 1873. She was the youngest of 9 children of Louis and Zelie Martin (the church’s first canonized married couple). Five of their children survived through childhood and all of them became religious sisters.
Therese joined the Carmelite order at the age of 15. She suffered from depression, anxiety, and scruples throughout her life. Physically, Therese was afflicted with tuberculosis, which caused her death at the young age of 24.
What is her Little Way
At the request of the Mother Superior of her order, Therese wrote down a series of manuscripts detailing her interior life. It was later published under the title Story of a Soul, and it’s how the world was introduced to her. In her writings, Therese discusses what holiness looks like in the ordinary moments of life, and what it means to choose to love those closest to us, even if they are difficult at times.
Therese showed remarkable faith and trust in God and spoke of running to the Father’s arms whenever she sinned. She wrote that she was too little to make it up the staircase to Heaven, but that Jesus’ arms would become her elevator, and he would carry her.
How to Celebrate Therese
When I introduce my children to St. Therese, I like to show them photographs of her. There are some lovely photos of her as a young girl and as a religious sister, but my personal favorite is the photo of her dressed as St. Joan of Arc for a play. I love showing my kids that the saints were real people and that as a kid, St. Therese looked up to saints too!
We take the time to read the St. Therese section in my book The Women Doctors of the Church and spend time looking at the illustration of a young St. Therese sitting on God the Father’s lap. I take the opportunity to remind our kids that God is a merciful Father and that even when they sin, He is ready to hold them. I do this because I want them to run to God (like Therese) instead of away from Him (like Adam and Eve) in their darkest moments.
My kids also love to color, so this coloring storybook is a good activity!
Making sacrifice beads is another great activity in honor of St. Therese. She carried a set of 10 beads in her pocket and would move them as she made a sacrifice. It was a way for her to remember to make small sacrifices out of love for the Lord. As we make them, the kids and I talk about what types of sacrifices they can make- choosing to share a favorite toy, offering a kind word to a sibling who is grouchy, or helping with a chore without being asked are a few I mention. This concrete activity helps them to retain the lessons of St. Therese’s life and apply them to their own.
Happy Feasting!
Colleen Pressprich is a homeschooling mom of five and the author of Marian Consecration for Families with Young Children, The Women Doctors of the Church, The Jesse Tree For Families, and God the Father’s Love: A Journey Through Scripture for Catholic Families. You can learn more about her, order her books, and read more of her writing at elevatortoheaven.com.
