St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face: AKA The Little Flower!

 Look at that picture. That's my favorite saint of all time, Therese of Lisieux, dressed as Joan of Arc. There's not a cooler picture in the world.

St Therese was born in France in the 19th century. Her parents were Louis and Zelie Martin, and they are also both saints. I was at the mass in Rome when they were canonized! They were two very holy people who wanted to be a priest and a nun, but God called them to be parents instead. They had several daughters, all of whom became nuns. 

St Therese suffered a great deal in her life, and she welcomed the suffering. She knew from her reading that becoming a saint required suffering, so she asked for even more! Her mom died when she was very young, and her sisters one by one were entering the Carmelite convent nearby. She begged to be able to enter the convent when she was still very young and was told to wait. She did not want to wait. So she asked the bishop. Then she went to see the Pope! She grabbed his legs and begged him to please make an exception and let her enter the convent early. Isn't this the saint you want interceding for you? She's so precious.

She suffered in the convent, too. Her health was poor and the other nuns were not very nice to her. She loved them all so selflessly that none of them could tell who she liked and who she didn't care for. I'm striving very hard to be more like her in this regard. One day she felt a stream of blood rise to her lips, and she knew that it was almost time to go home. She was excited. She promised to spend her eternity doing good on earth, and she's very good at answering our prayers when we ask for her intercession. She often gives roses or the smell of roses when miracles come due to her intercession. You can learn more about this precious saint here. AND, I highly recommend listening to THIS. It is the book she wrote under orders from her superior in the convent. No one knew who Therese was during her lifetime - not even her fellow nuns. But after she died at the age of 24, the whole world came to know her through that little book. And that little book will change your life.

God, thank You for this wonderful gift of the Little Flower. St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for us. We love you.