The Little Flower’s Hidden Garden: St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s Life of Prayer and Mystical Love

Introduction

Although many flowers have bloomed in the expansive garden of Christian mysticism, few have had such fragile beauty and yet intense aroma like St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897). A young French Carmelite nun who died from tuberculosis at age 24, and who never left the convent nor performed public miracles, became one of the Church’s most influential mystical figures, and in 1997, was named a Doctor of the Church. Pope Pius X referred to her as “the greatest saint of modern times.” This praise for a person whose entire religious life was hidden by the walls of a convent was truly remarkable.

What makes Thérèse so special is how ordinary she appears. Unlike St. Teresa of Avila, she did not experience any dramatic visions, nor did she receive any stigmata like St. Catherine of Siena. While she was alive, she did not perform any miraculous deeds for the public. Nevertheless, her “little way” of spiritual childhood and her unseen dedication to prayer have inspired millions—and her example demonstrates that achieving the highest mystical union with God is not reserved only for those who are metaphysical giants. It is also possible for ordinary people who are aware of their limitations, and have total faith in God’s mercy.

Thérèse’s autobiography, Story of a Soul, has become one of the most revered spiritual classics in Christianity, illustrating how even the most humble, simple child-like confidence in God can yield deep contemplation. Jesus said,

Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven

Matthew 18:3

Thérèse took this seriously and learned from it that rather than a regressive state of development, spiritual childhood provides the shortest and easiest route to mystical perfection in God’s presence.

A Tender Conscience: Early Formation in Prayer

Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin was born on January 2, 1873, in Alençon, France, to a devout Catholic family of nine children (five survived to adulthood). Louis and Zélie Martin (both canonized saints) established a very strong influence in their home based upon prayer, Bible reading, attendance at daily Mass (when available) and consistent observance of their faith. This created the grounds for Thérèse’s formation in prayer not as an obligation, but as an expression of love for God.

Thérèse demonstrated an exceptional degree of spirituality from a young age. In letters written by her mother, Thérèse’s extreme sensitivity to right and wrong is apparent, for she could not stand to see someone upset without crying. She was empathetically aware of the failings of others, which would eventually result in her deep humiliation and contrition. She took great satisfaction in going to Mass, although she did not know the meaning of the liturgy at that time. She was very attentive to the actions of her father, and when she observed him crying during communion, she wondered what he was experiencing that was so deeply felt.

These formative years of development provided Thérèse with insight into prayer. Through observation of her father’s demeanor while praying, she learned that prayer rises from and involves a person’s heart. Prayer evokes strong emotion when one comes into contact with God. Worship is a deeply personal interaction with God, rather than cold, structured, uninspired legal actions of the body. Ultimately, she wrote, prayer is “a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”

When Thérèse was just four years old, her mother succumbed to breast cancer, and the loss began a difficult emotional struggle that would accompany her during her formative years. After the death of her mother, Thérèse described her early childhood as one of great distress. During this time she felt extreme, emotional weakness, easily cried, and required constant reassurance. During these years, she struggled with experience-related feelings of inadequacy . Ultimately, though, it was her fragility and weakness that offered fertile soil for her future spiritual growth. Thérèse learned that God does not require us to be strong; rather, He invites weak people to find Him. Therefore, she learned that God is only able to help those who recognize that they are needy.

The Smile of the Virgin: First Mystical Grace

At age ten, Thérèse became ill from a mysterious illness which doctors were unable to diagnose or to cure. During this illness, she experienced hallucinations, trembling, and near death. In desperation, her sisters turned to prayer, kneeling in front of a statue of the Virgin Mary in Thérèse’s room, and asking for divine healing of their sister.

On the 13th of May, 1883, as Thérèse’s sisters prayed with fervor, Thérèse looked to the statue and beheld the Virgin Mary come alive. The Virgin Mary smiled sweetly, with an expression of maternal love beyond compare, and immediately Thérèse was both physically and emotionally healed. In later writings, Thérèse described the experience as follows:

The Blessed Virgin appeared beautiful to me, so beautiful that never had I seen anything so attractive; her face was suffused with an ineffable benevolence and tenderness, but what penetrated to the very depths of my soul was the ravishing smile of the Blessed Virgin.

The moment of experiencing the Virgin Mary’s smile was the first true mystical grace that Thérèse received. Though only a brief vision, this experience was oriented completely in support of her healing; there were no great acts of supernatural power associated with it. The warmth and emotion of the Virgin Mary’s smile expressed God’s loving care towards this little suffering child, which Thérèse was not to despair but rather that she was not abandoned, even though her mother had died and she was very ill. The Virgin Mary’s smile was God’s motherly kindness knowingly offered in this moment.

Thérèse’s response to this particular mystical grace also revealed a level of wisdom rare for one so young. When her sisters were insistent on questioning her closely regarding the vision’s details, with the intent of entertaining their audience or attempting to validate her specialness, Thérèse felt confused, and eventually pained. To her, the experience was private—more intimate and sacred than to be used for one’s own amusement. It was during this experience that Thérèse developed a belief that mystical experiences should be treated with respect and confidentiality. Throughout her life, this discreet belief regarding experiences would remain with her, and she encouraged others to follow her example of only speaking of their private mystical graces when it was necessary, and never giving credence to personal mystical experience.

Christmas Conversion: Strength in Weakness

For Thérèse, a decisive moment in her spiritual development was Christmas Eve of 1886 when she was just thirteen years old. Although she had a naturally religious nature, she was still emotionally immature. When she was hurt, even slightly, she would cry. She needed constant reassurance, and she could not take criticism. During the Midnight Mass, as she was about to open the Christmas gifts as was the family custom, she overheard her father complain: “Well, fortunately this will be the last year!” —meaning she was too old to still expect shoes filled with gifts like a small child.

Usually, a statement such as this would have sent Thérèse into a fit of tears, followed by self-pity. Instead, however, she experienced a major change. Instead of running upstairs and crying, she was filled with a sense of superhuman strength. She had control of her emotions and ran upstairs with happiness to open her gifts, hiding her disappointment. Although this might seem insignificant to us, for Thérèse it marked a significant change in her internal development.

She later wrote:

On that night of light began the third period of my life, the most beautiful and the most filled with graces from heaven... The work I had been unable to do in ten years was done by Jesus in one instant, contenting himself with my good will which was never lacking.

Her “conversion” was not a conversion from gross sin, since she had always been devout, but moving into spiritual maturity from emotional immaturity and transforming her self-centeredness into self-forgetfulness.

This experience taught Thérèse the most important principle that would form the basis of her spirituality: Sanctity cannot be attained through human efforts alone; it is received through divine grace. For years, she attempted to work against her sensitivity through her willpower but repeatedly failed. One moment of God’s grace provided what she could not do. This planted the seed of her “little way” —the recognition of our smallness and completely depending on God’s merciful love.

He had a strong biblical foundation. Jesus said,

Apart from me you can do nothing

John 15:5

Paul wrote,

By the grace of God I am what I am

1 Corinthians 15:10

Thérèse personally experienced these two truths: that transformation comes from letting go of our protective instinct and letting God’s action transform and recreate us. This paradox—that by recognizing that we cannot advance on our own, we advance spiritually—would be the core of her mystical teaching.

The Call to Carmel: Radical Gift

Almost immediately after her conversion, Thérèse, when she was fourteen, felt called to enter Carmel, which was the same contemplative order as her two older sisters, Pauline and Marie, had entered. It was not an attraction to the religious life on a romantic level but truly a vocation to contemplation. She wanted to commit her entire life to prayer, for the love of Jesus, and to the role of interceding at hidden places for sinners and priests.

But the obstacles to her entering Carmel were enormous. The Carmelite Constitutions required any postulant to be at least twenty-one years old, and Thérèse was only fourteen. At this time her father had already given three daughters to Carmel, and he would lose his “little queen” who brought him much happiness. The authorities of the Church refused to grant an exception. Still, Thérèse boldly persisted in her belief that her heavenly Father wanted to give her her heart’s desire.

She appealed to the local bishop, who refused her request. She traveled to Rome on a pilgrimage to ask Pope Leo XIII directly. During a papal audience when it was clearly stated that no one was allowed to speak to the Holy Father, Thérèse violated this warning and fell at the feet of Pope Leo XIII shouting:

Most Holy Father, in honor of your jubilee, permit me to enter Carmel at fifteen!

Guards immediately pulled her away, but the Pope had heard.

This boldness appears to be at odds with her later teachings concerning littleness and humility. However, it reveals another aspect of spiritual childhood. A child has great confidence and does not feel embarrassed to ask their parents for what they need. Jesus teaches us,

Ask, and it will be given to you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you

Matthew 7:7

Thérèse’s persistence reflected the trust of a child who believed that her heavenly Father wanted to give her the gift that she was asking for.

Finally, on April 9, 1888, Thérèse received permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux. She would live out the next nine years in the convent without ever leaving, seeing her father and her sisters only occasionally through a grille. She accepted a way of life which, to the outside world, appeared monotonous—rising at 5 AM, praying the Liturgy of the Hours, engaging in manual labor, maintaining silence, living in community with sisters she didn’t choose—but within those four walls, she was experiencing the most profound love affair with Jesus.

The Prayer of Aridity: Dark Contemplation

The other surprising and educational aspect of Thérèse’s prayer life was how very difficult her prayer life usually felt. In contrast to many saints who wrote of rapture, ecstasy, and the all-important consolation, Thérèse’s normal experience of prayer was dryness, distraction, and darkness. She frequently fell asleep in the middle of prayer time and her mind constantly wandered during meditation. She rarely had warm emotional feelings of the presence of God or received tangible consolation.

Thérèse’s experience of prayer may appear to be the result of failure—a sign that she had not progressed in her relationship with God, or that God disapproved of her. Nevertheless, guided by an experienced spiritual director and Thérèse’s own contemplative intuition, she came to understand that her dryness was a particular type of purification. In her experience of dryness, God was teaching her to love Him without the aid of a feeling of His presence, to remain faithful without the benefit of consolation, and to trust Him when she could neither see nor feel His presence.

Thérèse’s experience reflects the “dark night of the soul,” which St. John of the Cross often wrote about. It is God’s way of purifying the souls attachment to spiritual consolation and creating pure love. Job’s experience during his trial is paralleled in his announcement, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15). Thérèse was coming to love God for who God was, and not because of any gift or feeling God gave her.

Thérèse learned to love God, even during her dryness, to regard those times as gifts. Thérèse wrote:

When I suffer from dryness, I try not to worry, I content myself with having offered Jesus the sacrifice of absence of all spiritual consolation.

Thérèse recognized that faithfulness was the measure of love, not feelings. A mother loves her sick child, even when tired and emotionally drained, the same as God loves His children, and His love for them is authentic, even if they can neither feel nor see God.

Thérèse would hear her many times during prayer, even if it were not frequent. Thérèse reasoned simply:

I think that little children please their parents as much when they are asleep as when they are awake.

If earthly parents show so much love for their sleeping children, then certainly this is similar to God’s love for all His children, even in their ‘sleep’. Thérèse had the same complete trusting surrender to God when she was resting in God’s arms.

Through her teaching, countless numbers of believers who find themselves struggling with “dry” prayer, regularly falling asleep during meditation, and facing constant distractions can take comfort in her words. Thérèse assures each of us that God values the effort and intention we put forth, that by being faith-filled, we reflect a greater expression of love than if experiencing continual sweetness.

Spiritual Childhood: The Little Way Revealed

The core of Thérèse’s mystical philosophy is her “little way” led by spiritual childhood and the ease of the path to holiness open to everyone. Those who wish to be holy do not require extraordinary talents, radical penances or mystical fireworks. Her philosophical approach to holiness is built on her contemplative reflections on the Scriptures, in particular the words of Jesus:

Whoever does not receive the kingdom of God like a child shall not enter it

Luke 18:17

How do we understand spiritual childhood? Spiritual childhood is a series of interconnected elements that Thérèse outlines:

Recognition of complete dependence on God. Just as very young children are totally dependent on their parents for everything (food, clothing, shelter, protection, love), so too do spiritual children acknowledge they are completely dependent on God for every breath, every grace and every good thing. This does not mean we revert to being babies, but rather truism to acknowledge. Jesus stated, “Apart from me you can do nothing” (John 15:5). Spiritual childhood means receiving this dependence with joyful acceptance.

Confidence in God’s merciful love. Children trust their parents will take care of them even though they do not always understand their parents’ decisions. Spiritual children trust God’s goodness regardless of the circumstances. Thérèse wrote:

”What

The word “blind” here indicates that blind trust is a way of trusting what we cannot see, or hoping without evidence, with faith that God’s love does not depend on our worthiness.

Acceptance of weakness without despair. Children do not feel shame for their size, weakness, and ignorance; it is simply the truth of their existence. Spiritual children, on the other hand, accept their weaknesses, sins, and imperfections without despair and without becoming complacent. Thérèse stated:

It is my weakness that gives me boldness to offer myself as victim to Your Love, O Jesus.

Thérèse understood that weakness does not cause God to move away from us but actually draws us closer to His mercy:

God opposes the proud but gives grace to the humble

James 4:6

Simplicity in approaching God. Children do not have sophisticated vocabulary when they speak to their parents; they speak directly from their hearts in simple words. According to Thérèse, her prayers were personal and intimate forms of speaking to Jesus like she would a friend. She reflected on how Jesus taught:

When you pray, do not heap up empty phrases as the Gentiles do, for they think that they will be heard for their many words

Matthew 6:7

Willingness to be carried. One of the key elements of Thérèse’s little way is that her understanding of herself was comparable to that of a small bird. This bird wants to fly toward the sun, but it has no wings. Rather than becoming discouraged, instead, the small bird looks to the eagle as a model of trust that God will come and take her on His journey to the divine heights. Thus, we do not climb to God with our own efforts; we depend on His work to carry us upward.

The Elevator to Heaven: Grace Not Effort

To illustrate her little way, Thérèse created this beautiful image of the elevator. Her contemporary world was one where elevators were becoming commonplace and thus provided the perfect example of how her little way could be understood. In a letter to her sister Céline, Thérèse wrote:

The elevator which must raise me to heaven is Your arms, O Jesus! For this I do not need to grow; on the contrary, I must remain little, become smaller and smaller.

Thérèse’s little way stands in stark contrast to the spirituality of her era, which was focused on strict self-discipline, heroic sacrifices, and moving up the ladder of perfection by means of struggle and sheer effort. Thérèse’s approach was radically different but absolutely biblical: God actually came down to lift us up. We cannot ascend to heaven; instead, we must surrender our efforts to God’s strength, and so the way up becomes the way down—to the bottom of humility, littleness and dependence.

The foundation of the scriptural authority on which this teaching is built is solid. God prophesied through Isaiah that He would gather His lambs “in his arms” and “gently lead those that are with young” (Isaiah 40:11). The Psalmist declares, “He raises the poor from the dust and lifts the needy from the ash heap” (Psalm 113:7). Jesus invited, “Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). Paul taught that salvation is “by grace… through faith… not a result of works, so that no one may boast” (Ephesians 2:8-9).

Thérèse simply believed these truths. If God exalts the humble, then the way to be exalted is to humble oneself. If salvation comes through grace, then to try to earn it through good works contradicts the Gospel. If Jesus calls the weary to rest in Him, then to strive and to struggle is not the way to enter into rest.

There is nothing passive or lazy about this. Thérèse worked very hard, practiced the virtues with great care, and courageously battled against her temptations. However, she did all this in the knowledge that all good things come to her by the grace of God and not by her own merits. Like Paul writes:

I worked harder than any of them, though it was not I, but the grace of God that is with me

1 Corinthians 15:10

Effort and grace work together; grace is first, and it is what gives the power to accomplish.

Scattering Flowers: Hidden Sacrifices as Prayer

Thérèse expressed her contemplative prayer life not through dramatic penance, but rather through the many small sacrifices made with love. The mysticism of Thérèse was embodied, as it were, in the smallest details of convent life rather than through extraordinary severities. She distinguished her little acts of sacrifice as her “little sacrifices” or “scattering flowers,” which, taken together, formed a deep way of expressing self-emptying love.

For example, Thérèse sat beside a sister whose dress annoyed her, and she treated that sister kindly at all times. Thérèse never said anything when splattered with dirty laundry water by the clumsy incident of a fellow sister. Thérèse ate food she did not enjoy without complaint. Thérèse accepted the cold of winter without asking for an additional covering. Thérèse smiled at those sisters who treated her harshly or who ignored her. Thérèse cheerfully performed the most tedious of tasks. Thérèse held her tongue when tempted to speak unkindly.

These examples appear small when compared to the enormous penances performed by saints of long ago—hair shirts, sleeping on boards, fasting until emaciated. However, what Thérèse discovered was most important: it is not the difficulty or the visible aspect of the act that gives it value before God, but rather the love that motivates the act. As she famously stated:

Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers, and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.

This teaching of Thérèse reflects the parable of Jesus:

One who is faithful in a very little is also faithful in much

Luke 16:10

It echoes Paul’s teaching that Thérèse knew that holiness does not come from doing great things; it comes from doing small things with great love.

Thérèse’s contemplation was a result of her reflection on the hidden life of Jesus. Our Lord spent thirty years in Nazareth being a carpenter, having meals with His family, making His daily prayers, and being a good neighbor before His public ministry began. Just as Jesus made the ordinary holy, it is possible to make ordinary life holy by being an ordinary Christian. There is no need for dramatic opportunities; the opportunity exists in the everyday, and the key is to have a consistent love.

This teaching of holiness is open to all Christians. Not every Christian is able to perform penitential acts; not every person will go and found a congregation or become a famous missionary in life. Yet all Christians can smile at one who hurts them, serve others without recognition, work hard at whatever humble jobs are given to them, and speak kindly when they are tempted to criticize others. Thus, all Christians can “scatter flowers” in their specific circumstances. The little way of Thérèse opens the door to holiness to every person.

Praying Always: Continuous Communion

Although Thérèse of Lisieux had certain times set aside for the purpose of praying within Carmel’s horarium such as morning prayer, Mass, office, and each evening for night prayer, she did pray constantly throughout each day and nighttime. She not only fulfilled Paul’s instruction to “pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17) by communing continuously with Jesus through prayer every moment of each day, but she did this by continuing to be conscious of Jesus at all times, regardless of what she was doing. For example, when washing dishes, making religious art on religious images, sweeping, or spending time with other sisters, every action became an opportunity for communion with Jesus, an invitation for her to love Him, and through her actions, an acceptance of God’s love.

Such a constant reflection of God’s presence is perfectly in alignment with the teachings of Paul and other biblical authors who encourage all believers to pray always and always through Scripture (1 Thessalonians 5:17; Ephesians 6:18). Additionally, it resembles what Jesus undoubtedly would have known regarding the ancient Jewish practice of making every gesture, thought, or action a prayer of gratitude or blessing every time one thinks of or reminds oneself about God or something spiritual. Furthermore, it reflects what Paul commands, to “present your bodies as a living sacrifice” (Romans 12:1)—not just during religious rituals but throughout ordinary life.

Thérèse described prayer as “a surge of the heart; it is a simple look turned toward heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.” Thérèse made it possible for all people at all times in their lives to have access to the Divine through prayer. In concordance with this definition is the practice of “aspirations” which consisted of short prayers or Scripture verses that Thérèse constantly repeated to herself throughout each day. For instance: “My God, I love You.” “Jesus, make me like You.” “I thirst for You, O Living God.” These short prayers maintained her connection to Christ even during busy or difficult moments, keeping her heart oriented toward Him.

Meditation on Scripture: Living Word

Thérèse had limited formal education and wasn’t able to study theology systematically, but every time, she prayed, she prayed in accordance with the very same Bible that all Christians have access to every single day, the Bible was a book to Thérèse to be able to encounter Jesus (the Living Word of God). She believed that through the Scriptures, God poignantly and personally addressed her, or that God revealed Christ to Thérèse.

She believed that there were particular biblical passages that helped her to form her religious beliefs:

“Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven” (Matthew 18:3). This passage became the foundation for how she viewed spiritual childhood, knowing that Jesus viewed childhood as separate from the spiritual immaturity of adults of their time.

“Whoever is little, let him come to me” (Proverbs 9:4). Thérèse understood that God called all people to Him who are little in the world; those who recognize their need are considered small and insignificant.

“Come to me, all who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest” (Matthew 11:28). The invitation that Jesus gave to every one of us who are exhausted, worn out, was the reminder to us all that when we have weaknesses, struggles, we can always remain confident we are going to receive mercy from Him and not judgment.

“As a mother comforts her child, so I will comfort you” (Isaiah 66:13). In this verse, God has revealed to us through this passage, His maternal love; as a mother cares, nurtures, loves, comforts, so God cares, nurtures, and loves.

“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness” (2 Corinthians 12:9). Paul wrote of God’s strength being revealed in human weakness; Thérèse found the truth behind those words.

Thérèse also had a great deal of love for the Song of Solomon because she viewed the beautiful love poetry of the Bride and the Beloved as being an expression of how our souls love God. Like the Bride, Thérèse sought after the Beloved; God’s love, the kiss of the Beloved was paramount; to declare, “I am my beloved’s and my beloved is mine” —Thérèse uses this to define her single-mindedness in pursuing Jesus.

The Act of Oblation: Total Self-Gift

On June 9, 1895, during Mass on Trinity Sunday, Thérèse made one of her most significant spiritual acts—offering herself as a victim of holocaust to God’s Merciful Love. She composed a formal “Act of Oblation” expressing her desire to be completely consumed by divine love as a burnt offering.

The significance of the formal Act of Oblation was three-fold. First, the focus of the Act of Oblation was God’s Merciful Love and not God’s Justice. Even in Thérèse’s time, the majority of religious offered themselves to God’s Justice; they assumed that they were suffering for the punishment allotted to the sinner by God. Thérèse saw a different approach in approaching God and offered herself, not to appease God but rather to embrace His mercy. Thérèse’s desire was to be completely consumed in/by the fire of love.

Second, this prayer shows the greatest confidence and faith. She asks to “dwell in You, O my Beloved” and to “become one with You.” This is mystical language—describing union with God that transcends ordinary relationship. Yet she speaks with the simplicity of a child asking her father for what she needs, without elaborate theological qualifications.

Third, Thérèse realized through her own inner life that every moment of her life, every action in her life, enabled her to give herself to God in any way He desired, and thereby give to God the love of God in every action she did in union with the sacrifice of Christ.

The theological significance and teaching from Thérèse’s Act of Oblation:

O my God, Most Blessed Trinity... I desire to love You and to make You loved... to work for the glory of Holy Church... I offer myself as a victim of holocaust to Your Merciful Love, asking You to consume me incessantly, allowing the waves of infinite tenderness shut up within You to overflow into my soul, and that thus I may become a martyr of Your Love, O my God!... That this martyrdom... may consume me rapidly, and that I may fly away at last to You, my Beloved...

This act shaped her final two years, during which she suffered terribly from tuberculosis yet experienced it as being consumed by divine love’s fire. She was living Paul’s teaching:

Present your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and acceptable to God, which is your spiritual worship

Romans 12:1

Prayer for Sinners: Intercessory Love

Although Thérèse lived a cloistered life, she was able to engage in elaborate intercessory ministry due to her understanding of the contemplative life as being involved in the world at such a deep level when it came to praying before God for souls who do not know Him or who have turned away from Him.

The first person who became a “spiritual child” to Thérèse was Henri Pranzini, a convicted murderer who would not repent before he was executed. At the time, Thérèse was only fourteen years old and made Henri her personal mission; for weeks, she prayed and offered sacrifices for Henri’s conversion and begged for a sign from Jesus that Henri had repented. The day following the execution, the newspaper reported that just before being executed, Henri Pranzini kissed the crucifix presented to him. This was Thérèse’s sign; her prayers had gone as far as reaching even this hardened criminal.

This experience confirmed Thérèse’s belief that prayer and sacrifice truly affect all souls, even those so far from God that they seem unreachable. It revealed to her that although she was physically contained in Carmel, she could spiritually journey to all souls on the earth through intercessory prayer. In Thérèse’s own words:

I understood that the Church had a Heart, and that this Heart was burning with love. I understood it was Love alone that made the Church's members act... I understood that Love comprised all vocations... Then, in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out: O Jesus, my Love... my vocation, at last I have found it... My vocation is Love!

She prayed particularly for priests and missionaries, those engaged in the work of evangelization—she was appointed co-patron saint of missions by the Church, along with St. Francis Xavier, because even though she lived in a cloister, her prayers supported the missionary work as much as any visible action. This was an expression of the biblical teaching that prayer produces results that cannot be achieved by human effort, and as James wrote, “the prayer of a righteous person has great power” (James 5:16).

Thérèse was specific and persistent in her intercessory prayer; she would name individual people to God, plead for their conversion, and offer to God the suffering she experienced on their behalf. Thérèse understood that intercessory prayer was not simply a vague “I hope for” kind of statement but rather a true spiritual job—interposing between God and man just like Moses and Abraham and Paul.

The Dark Night: Trial of Faith

In April of 1896 Thérèse coughed up blood for the first time, which was the first sign of tuberculosis that would end her life. Just that evening she experienced what she referred to as “the tunnel” —an unrelenting darkness of faith so oppressive and timeless that it was almost too much for her to bear. This experience continued until her death; it became daily more intense.

At this point she had lost all sense of God’s presence; heaven seemed to her to be an empty void. Instead of viewing death as her introduction into eternal life, she now considered death as her annihilation into nothingness.

She was bombarded daily by doubts, each moment bringing her terrible blasphemy, temptation, and suggestion as to the validity of her faith and what it meant to have faith. One of her statements on this subject was,

When I want to rest my heart, fatigued by the darkness that surrounds it, by the memory of the luminous country after which I aspire, my torment redoubles; it seems to me that the darkness, borrowing the voice of sinners, says mockingly to me: 'You are dreaming about the light, about a fatherland embalmed in the sweetest perfumes; you are dreaming about the eternal possession of the Creator of all these marvels; you believe that one day you will walk out of this fog that surrounds you! Advance, advance; rejoice in death which will give you not what you hope for but a night still more profound, the night of nothingness.

This was not mere momentary despair, but continuous spiritual suffering that lasted every day until she died; through it, Thérèse demonstrated to the world extraordinary faith. She maintained her unwavering faith without feelings of support, and she maintained her trust in God with no evidence of His presence. Although she experienced no emotions of affection or consolation from God, she continued to place her faith in God, even writing the entire Creed in her own blood in commitment to remain faithful in the darkness.

Thérèse’s trial of faith purified her faith to its foundational purity. She did not have to depend on any good feeling or any sense of God’s presence to convince herself of the truthfulness of God’s promises; rather, she concluded that the only reason she could believe was that she made the decision to trust God’s Word. This was an example of faith at its highest level: “the assurance of things hoped for, the conviction of things not seen” (Hebrews 11:1).

Like Job, she could say, “Though he slay me, I will hope in him” (Job 13:15), continuing to love, serve, and obey God, even when He seemed as though to destroy her.

Thérèse interpreted her darkness as vicarious suffering. To her, this was no different than the atheist or the agnostic because she believed that, in order to love and serve Him with all of her heart, Thérèse experienced what atheists felt when they could not believe. She wrote,

I want to be strengthened for the struggles; make me stronger, Lord, make me a martyr of faith... Let me not only believe but understand. Lord, make atheists believe.

She offered this terrible trial for those who don’t believe, transforming her agony into intercession.

This “dark night” of Thérèse’s also brought into full view the implications for all of us regarding our “little way.” The spiritual child knows to trust and believe the Father without reservation, even when darkness envelops him or her and without being able to see the Father’s face. When a child falls asleep in their father’s arms, he does not cease to trust; likewise, Thérèse maintained her and trust in God even in a darkness far more dreadful than physical darkness.

Prayer as Simple Loving Attention

Thérèse’s answer to the question “What is your method of prayer?” often disappointed seekers of techniques or formulas. Thérèse had no elaborate prayer system, no complex prayer practice, and no experience of mystical prayer, rather, she simply made her heart “turn” to Jesus with love, sometimes with words, often without words, and always with her heart’s desire.

Thérèse said:

For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.

Notice the elements that make up prayer: “aspiration of the heart,” “simple glance,” “cry,” “in trial as well as joy,” and “expands… and unites.” This is contemplative prayer in its purest form—uncomplicated, simple, loving, easy-to-understand, and not bogged down by “technique.”

To further clarify, Thérèse described prayer as being no different than a child with their father. Prayer can be “talking to the father,” or “a silent pause.” Prayer can be  “to ask of him” or “just to wait with him.” The most important aspect of a child with his/her father is that they are trusting in their father’s love for them. In the same manner, our relationship with God is not based on technical skill in prayer or perfect prayer performance, but on the relationship that we have with God through prayer; God’s love for us gives us the ability to be faithful and commends us to receive God’s love and the confidence that we have God’s blessing even in the midst of pain.

Thérèse’s simplicity makes prayer easy for everyone to engage in, instead of worrying about “how” to do prayer correctly, she is asking for everyone simply to “be” with Jesus—openly, simply, and trustingly. It does not matter whether the seeker has intense and eloquent thoughts or distracting and unrestful thoughts, whether he/she experiences internal or external untimeliness or difficulty, whether he/she articulates their prayers beautifully or laboriously, or even if their prayers are simply heartfelt expressions of the heart.

Finding God in Duty: Sacrament of the Present Moment

Thérèse taught us that we can find God when we accept and fulfill our daily responsibilities, as opposed to daydreaming about all the ways we could serve God at some future date. She wrote:

Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

To be holy, one does not leave behind his/her responsibilities to pursue other ways to serve God, but rather, fulfills their current obligations in love, devotion, and fidelity.

The example of Thérèse in this respect comes from her own life; she had fantasies of many grand and dramatic accomplishments, but she eventually recognized that all of those things were nothing more than temptations for her to abandon the vocation God had given her: living in obscurity in a small Carmelite convent and doing very simple tasks that would never be commemorated by anyone.

Thérèse realized that God didn’t want her to resent her limitations, but instead to embrace them with open arms. While she could not be a priest, she could pray for priests. While she could not go to the mission fields and share the Gospel there, she could pray for the missionary. While she could not be martyred in a dramatic death, she could die daily to her own self in small, insignificant, yet meaningful ways. As she realized: “My vocation is Love!” —and love can be expressed in any circumstance.

God can be found in the ordinary things in life, such as a parent changing a diaper, a worker sitting at a desk doing tedious work, a student sitting in class being bored by the subjects he/she learned, and a sick person confined to a hospital room. It is the way we respond to those circumstances that makes us holy, not our circumstances. As Paul said,

Whatever you do, in word or deed, do everything in the name of the Lord Jesus

Colossians 3:17

Thérèse’s teaching also helps prevent “spiritual procrastination,” such as “I’ll really pray when I have more time to do so” or “I’ll serve God seriously when my circumstances improve.” God provides His grace to fulfill the daily duties we have in life and does not give us grace to fulfill our duties in the future. Therefore, the sacrament of the present moment—the fulfillment of our daily duties while being open to God’s will through the fulfillment of those duties—provides us with the most certain avenue to meet God.

The Science of Divine Love

Thérèse’s “little way” was an understanding of God’s merciful love through his interactions with all human beings, and through God’s grace, we enter into a new relationship with God through our acceptance of His love. The essence of the “little way” is understanding the love of God—He is not a judge who stands above us waiting for us to be perfect before approaching Him, but rather He is a loving Father who desires to show His mercy to all of His children.

She discovered this new understanding of God through contemplation. She discovered the father running to meet the prodigal son (Luke 15:20), the shepherd who left the other ninety-nine sheep to seek after the lost one (Luke 15:4-7), and Jesus eating with and welcoming the sinners of His time (Luke 15:2). She realized that God does not reward those who are good and punish those who are evil. God’s love can only be accepted freely and completely by those who accept God’s mercy.

She realized God’s love isn’t earned by worthiness but freely given to unworthiness. This was revolutionary for someone formed in a rather severe religious environment. She came to understand that “God is more tender than a mother” and that His mercy surpasses all our sins. As the Psalmist declares,

As a father shows compassion to his children, so the LORD shows compassion to those who fear him

Psalm 103:13

This discovery liberated her from spiritual anxiety. She no longer worried about being perfect before approaching God. Instead, she brought her imperfections to Him confidently, knowing He delights to show mercy to the weak. She wrote:

Even if I had committed all possible crimes, I would always have the same confidence... I feel that the whole multitude of offenses would be like a drop of water thrown into a fiery furnace.

Her confidence in God’s mercy was not presumption, but rather, it was biblical faith. She recognized Jesus came “to call not the righteous, but sinners” (Mark 2:17). The tax collector who beat his breast crying “God, be merciful to me, a sinner” went home justified rather than the self-righteous Pharisee (Luke 18:9-14). Thérèse deepened her understanding of God’s incredible love, which has no dependence upon any goodness or worthiness that we may possess. Our worthiness is established by God’s complete goodness (1 John 4:8).

Suffering United to Christ: Redemptive Love

Although Thérèse placed special emphasis on being spiritually childlike and the fact God is merciful, she also emphasized the Cross of Christ. She lived with the desire to suffer for the love of Jesus and for the salvation of others. Through her understanding, she began to recognize that only through uniting her suffering to the suffering of Jesus could she offer up her suffering as redemptive for all.

Thérèse did not believe that by suffering for the love of Jesus she was somehow showing masochistic tendencies. Her view of suffering was very mature and a classic example of Paul’s teaching:

I rejoice in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am filling up what is lacking in Christ's afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church

Colossians 1:24

Jesus’ suffering and death was perfect and completely sufficient for all of humanity, but Christians are invited to participate through our suffering, thus expressing our love to the world through our love for each other.

Thérèse experienced extreme physical pain because of her tuberculosis: coughs of blood, the difficulty catching her breath, fevers and night sweats, and intensely slow suffocation from her advanced lung disease. Despite the intense pain, she remained smiling and continued to encourage her fellow sisters in the community and continued living with her fellow sisters as long as she could. Even after she was forced to go to the infirmary, she accepted her circumstances with peace.

But physical suffering paled beside spiritual suffering—the terrible darkness of faith that assaulted her constantly. Yet she transformed even this into offering. She wrote:

I ran toward my Jesus. I told Him I was ready to shed my blood for Him to the very last drop. I understood that the cross awaited me.

She was experiencing martyrdom not by executioner’s sword but by interior crucifixion—faith crucified in darkness yet remaining faithful.

However, the greatest pain Thérèse suffered was not physical, but spiritual; she was continually tortured by a terrible spiritual darkness of faith. She wrote:

I want to love You unto folly!... I want to suffer for love of You!... I want to die for You!

Her passionate words to God express how she shared a profound relationship with Him. Although she also had romantic feelings for God and wanted to have the closest possible relationship with Him, like the bride in the Song of Songs, she also had no reservations about expressing her desire:

Love is strong as death

Song of Solomon 8:6

Thérèse discovered that authentic love includes willingness to suffer.

Thérèse’s teachings challenge us today in a time when many people see suffering as an evil they should do everything within their power to avoid. While Thérèse would not disagree that suffering is painful, she also has given believers hope through the understanding of God that we can unite our sufferings to the redemptive suffering of Jesus Christ. Although pain is painful, the suffering of one’s life takes on meaning through participation in the redemption of the world.

Confidence and Love: Twin Wings

In two phrases, it is possible to summarize Thérèse’s spiritual journey, “Confidence” and “Love.” These are the twin wings that lift the soul to God. They are intimately related to each other. Confidence in God’s merciful love allows one to love God fearlessly; loving God deeply increases one’s confidence in God’s infinite goodness.

What pleases [God] is that He sees me loving my littleness and my poverty, the blind hope I have in His mercy,” she wrote. The phrase “blind hope” is crucial—trusting without seeing evidence, confident despite circumstances, hoping against hope as Abraham did (Romans 4:18). This is not an optimistic temperament but rather the supernatural virtue of the Holy Spirit that enables one to be confident in the goodness of God, regardless of circumstances.

Thérèse’s confidence remained unshaken even in darkness. When she could no longer feel God’s presence or sense His love, she continued trusting that He loved her based on His promise, not her feelings. She demonstrates what faith means practically—believing God’s word when everything contradicts it, trusting His character when experience suggests otherwise.

Her love for Jesus, meanwhile, wasn’t primarily emotional but volitional—choosing Him, desiring Him, giving herself to Him regardless of feelings. She loved through dryness, darkness, and difficulty. This is mature love—the charity Paul describes that “bears all things, believes all things, hopes all things, endures all things” and “never ends” (1 Corinthians 13:7-8).

The relationship between confidence and love is reciprocal. As we trust God’s love more deeply, we love Him more freely. As we love Him more completely, we trust His goodness more firmly. The two virtues strengthen each other in upward spiral, lifting the soul progressively toward divine union.

“I Will Spend My Heaven Doing Good on Earth”

As Thérèse neared the end of her physical life, she made a statement about what she believed her mission would become after death:

I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let fall a shower of roses.

Thérèse believed that her true work would begin after death when she would no longer be limited by her body and could thus intercede for all lost souls.

Thérèse didn’t presume her abilities, rather, she demonstrated a confidence and faith in God’s promises. Jesus said,

Whatever you ask in my name, this I will do, that the Father may be glorified in the Son

John 14:13

Thérèse believed that once in heaven with Christ, her prayers would be even more effective than they were while on earth.

These predictions have been fulfilled extraordinarily. After her death on September 30, 1897, and particularly after the publication of her autobiography, Story of a Soul, numerous people began to report that they had received many graces due to her intercession. Healings, conversions, answered prayers, so many people received such an abundance of “roses” that the devotion to Thérèse began to flourish and grow worldwide.

Due to overwhelming evidence of the power of her intercession, her cause for canonization moved extremely quickly, and she was canonized in 1925, just twenty-eight years after she died. Millions of people have discovered in “this little saint” a powerful intercessor in heaven who understands everyday concerns and all of the challenges of life, and who will help anyone that comes to her for help.

Thérèse understood the meaning of the communion of saints and what it means to intercede on behalf of others. In the Book of Revelation, it is revealed that “the prayers of the saints” ascend before God (Revelation 8:3-4). Thérèse knew she would be a part of this divine family in heaven, and as she grew closer to God, she would be able to fulfill her mission of love perfectly.

Doctor of the Church: Universal Teacher

In 1997, Pope John Paul II conferred upon Thérèse the title of Doctor of the Church. The title of Doctor of the Church is a recognition that this teaching is universal and can be applied in all aspects of the Christian faith. This was an incredible honor for someone who did not receive a formal theological education, and who expressed her thoughts in simple terms and limited experiences.

What are the reasons why the work of Thérèse is considered a “Doctoral” piece? Some of them include:

Biblical foundation. Although she did not have a formal education, the spirituality of Thérèse is based upon Gospel truth. Her “little way” is not new or innovative, but rather is the rediscovery of the essential teachings regarding God’s infinite mercy, trust in God, and childlike faith.

Universal accessibility. Anyone, regardless of their educational level, ability to understand, or status in life, can read the teachings of Thérèse and apply them to their lives. Thus, Thérèse demonstrated that one does not need to be educated or highly developed to be able to understand and apply profound theology, love, and trust in God.

Theological depth. Behind her simple statements, Thérèse understood clearly the Holy Spirit’s grace, redemption, God’s love, and humanity’s faith. Her grasp of these truths is deeper than that of many formally trained theologians.

Practical wisdom. Her teaching is not about what to believe but how to live a Christian life. Thérèse shows how each Christian can live what Christ instructed.

Prophetic relevance. Thérèse anticipated many of the theological teachings that were fully revealed during Vatican II—such as the emphasis on God’s mercy, the call to holiness for everyone, and the value of a simple Christian life.

Pope John Paul II focused on Thérèse’s teachings regarding God’s mercy and the importance of confident trust in God. The world today is full of people who are struggling with guilt, anxiety, and discouragement. Thérèse’s message of God’s love and our trust in it provides a healing balm to those who are suffering.

Thérèse’s “little way” has allowed Christians to see that holiness does not depend upon extraordinary experiences or abilities. Rather, Thérèse assures Christians of every walk of life that holiness can be achieved through simple love and trust in God in the midst of their current circumstances.

Legacy for Contemporary Believers

Today, St. Thérèse has relevance for contemporary Christians as she had in her day, perhaps even more.

In an achievement-obsessed culture, she offers permission to be small. We don’t have to prove ourselves or become famous. Our worth to God is based on who we are and not what we accomplish. We can rest in the assurance that we are beloved children instead of being burdened by the need to prove our worth.

In an age of spiritual anxiety, she offers confidence. Many Christians live with guilt, fear, and uncertainty regarding their salvation. St. Thérèse’s teachings regarding the love and trust in God offers true and absolute peace.

In a complex world, she offers simplicity. Spiritual life need not be complicated. The essential aspect of our spiritual journeys is loving God and neighbor, trusting in the mercy of God, and doing ordinary things with great love.

In individualistic times, she models community. She demonstrated how we could love and serve one another even when personalities clash. She teaches us that it is in the relational aspects of the body of Christ that we become sanctified.

In a success-driven society, she validates hidden lives. Not everyone will accomplish great things; however, our hidden lives can have a great impact for God.

In a pleasure-seeking culture, she shows purpose in suffering. Suffering has meaning when it is united with the redemptive effect of the sacrificed life of Christ.

Conclusion: The Little Way to Great Heights

In summary, St. Thérèse’s greatest legacy is that extraordinary holiness develops through the radical trust in God through ordinary circumstances. She did not achieve mystical heights through great outside actions; she lived the life of a mystic through her love of God and fidelity to her loving acts daily. The little way is large enough for all Christians to have room.

She invites us to stop trying to become spiritual giants and allow ourselves to be spiritually children. Be humble enough to receive the gifts of God, and trust enough to surrender ourselves fully to God. Thus, this childlike path will prove to be the most enlightened spiritual path.

The life of St. Thérèse will forever show that we can all reach those contemplative heights regardless of who we are, as long as we embrace the humble path of spiritual children (recognizing how small we are), trusting the divine mercy of God, loving in simple ways, and relinquishing our will to God’s will.

Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be... Jesus does not demand great actions from us but simply surrender and gratitude.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux

In an era of spiritual striving and anxious seeking, Thérèse whispers the liberating truth: stop climbing and let yourself be carried. The elevator of God’s merciful love awaits to lift you to heights you could never reach alone. Simply remain little, trust greatly, love constantly—this is the little way that leads to the greatest heights of mystical union with God.