A Little White Flower

1. A Child's Heart: Early Love and Profound Loss

All my life it has pleased Him to surround me with affection. My first recollections are of loving smiles and tender caresses; but if He made others love me so much, He made me love them too, for I was of an affectionate nature.

Cherished childhood. Thérèse, the youngest of nine, was deeply loved by her parents, Louis and Zélie Martin, and her elder sisters. Her early years were filled with tender affection and a natural, demonstrative love for her family.

Mother's passing. At four and a half, she experienced the profound grief of her mother's death. This loss marked a significant shift, transforming her naturally happy disposition into one of timidity and extreme sensitivity.

New mothers. Her eldest sisters, Marie and Pauline, stepped into maternal roles, providing comfort and guidance. This period of intense family love laid a foundation for her later spiritual journey, even amidst sorrow.

2. God's Garden: The Beauty of Little Souls

I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its springtide beauty, and the fields would no longer be enameled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our Lord’s living garden.

Divine preferences. Thérèse pondered why God granted unequal grace, favoring some souls with extraordinary gifts. She questioned why not all received the same measure of holiness.

Nature's lesson. God revealed this mystery through nature: every flower is beautiful in its own way. Just as daisies and violets contribute to spring's beauty alongside lilies and roses, so too do "lesser" souls gladden God's eyes.

Infinite greatness. God's love is manifest in simple souls who do not resist His grace. His condescension to the "little child" and the "poor savage" reveals His infinite greatness, shining on all, great and small.

3. The Trial of Sensitivity: Overcoming Inner Weakness

I must tell you that after my Mother’s death my naturally happy disposition completely changed. Instead of being lively and demonstrative as I had been, I became timid, shy, and extremely sensitive; a look was enough to make me burst into tears.

Profound change. Her mother's death left Thérèse deeply wounded, transforming her into a timid, shy, and overly sensitive child. She found solace only within her loving family circle.

Scruples' torment. This sensitivity intensified into a "martyrdom of scruples" for nearly two years, where every thought and action became a source of anguish. She constantly sought reassurance from her sister Marie.

Seeking attention. A childish attempt to gain sympathy by feigning a headache, like her cousin, resulted in a stern lesson. This experience cured her of the desire to attract attention, teaching her humility.

4. Our Lady's Smile: A Miraculous Cure and Renewed Hope

Suddenly the statue Seemed to come to life and grow beautiful, with a divine beauty that I shall never find words to describe. The expression of Our Lady’s face was ineffably sweet, tender, and compassionate; but what touched me to the very depths of my soul was her gracious smile.

Desperate prayers. During a severe, mysterious illness, Thérèse's family prayed a novena to Our Lady of Victories. Her father's faith was particularly moving, as he sought a cure for his "poor little Queen."

Heavenly intervention. One Sunday, as her sisters prayed fervently, the statue of Our Lady came to life and smiled at Thérèse. All her pain vanished instantly, and she was miraculously cured.

Hidden grace. This smile was a profound, hidden grace, initially causing her distress when others questioned her account. It taught her humility and the value of keeping such divine favors secret.

5. Christmas Grace: A Conversion to Strength and Zeal

On that blessed night the sweet Infant Jesus, scarce an hour old, filled the darkness of my soul with floods of light. By becoming weak and little, for love of me, He made me strong and brave; He put His own weapons into my hands, so that I went from victory to victory, beginning, if I may say so, “to run as a giant.”

Childhood's end. On Christmas Day, 1886, at age 13, Thérèse experienced a profound conversion. Hearing her father express weariness over her childish custom of finding presents in her shoes, she choked back tears.

Inner transformation. In that moment, Jesus changed her heart, drying her tears and filling her with strength and self-forgetfulness. She felt a newfound happiness and began to "run as a giant" in the spiritual life.

Thirst for souls. Soon after, seeing a picture of Christ's bleeding hand, she felt an intense desire to save souls, resolving to remain at the foot of the Cross to pour forth the Divine Dew of Salvation upon them.

6. Thirst for Souls: The Mission to Save Sinners

My heart was torn with grief to see that Precious Blood falling to the ground, and no one caring to treasure It as It fell, and I resolved to remain continually in spirit at the foot of the Cross, that I might receive the Divine Dew of Salvation and pour it forth upon souls.

Pranzini's case. Her zeal was ignited by the case of Pranzini, an impenitent murderer sentenced to death. Thérèse prayed intensely for his conversion, offering Christ's infinite merits.

A sign granted. She asked God for a sign of his repentance, and it was granted: Pranzini, at the last moment, kissed the crucifix three times. This confirmed her mission and deepened her thirst for souls.

Exchange of love. Thérèse understood this as an exchange of love: she poured Jesus' Precious Blood upon souls, and offered these refreshed souls back to Him, quenching His thirst for love.

7. Unwavering Vocation: The Call to Carmel

The Divine Call was becoming so insistent that, had it been necessary for me to go through fire, I would have thrown myself into it to follow my Divine Master.

Early desire. From the age of two, inspired by her sister Pauline, Thérèse felt a call to be a nun. This conviction solidified into a certainty of a Divine Call to Carmel.

Family opposition. Despite her father's initial consent, her uncle strongly opposed her entry at fifteen, deeming it against common sense. He declared only a miracle would change his mind.

Miracle of consent. After three days of spiritual desolation, her uncle's heart was miraculously changed. He embraced her, calling her a "privileged little flower" and removing his opposition.

8. Rome and the Pope: A Bold Plea for God's Will

Holy Father, if only you say ‘yes,’ everyone else would agree.” He looked at me fixedly and said clearly and emphatically: “Well, well! you will enter if it is God’s Will.”

Ecclesiastical barrier. The Carmelite Superior refused her entry until she was twenty-one. Undeterred, Thérèse, with her father, decided to appeal directly to Pope Leo XIII during a pilgrimage to Rome.

Papal audience. During the audience, despite a strict prohibition against speaking, Thérèse boldly pleaded with the Holy Father to allow her to enter Carmel at fifteen.

Prophetic words. The Pope's response, "You will enter if it is God's Will," though not an immediate "yes," was a prophecy that sustained her. This trial, a "piercing" of Jesus' little plaything, deepened her trust.

9. The Little Way: Sanctity in Smallness

For me to become great is impossible, I must bear with myself and my many imperfections; but I will seek out a means of getting to Heaven by a little way—very short and very straight, a little way that is wholly new.

Lift to Heaven. Recognizing her littleness and imperfections, Thérèse sought a "lift" to God, rather than climbing the steep stairway of perfection. She found this lift in Jesus' arms.

Remaining little. She understood that to be raised to Heaven, she must remain little, even become "still less." This insight became the core of her "Little Way" of spiritual childhood.

Daily sacrifices. Her path to perfection involved checking inclinations, giving patient answers, and performing small, hidden services. These trifles, offered with love, prepared her to be Jesus' Spouse.

10. The Science of Love: Union with Jesus

Thine Arms, then, O Jesus, are the lift which must raise me up even unto Heaven. To get there I need not grow; on the contrary, I must remain little, I must become still less.

Desire for love. Thérèse's sole ambition was to love God alone, a love that grew into an unfathomable abyss. She desired to make God's love her own, finding rest only in Him.

Drawing souls. Inspired by the Canticles, "Draw me: we will run after Thee to the odor of Thy ointments," she understood that her intimate union with Jesus would draw all those she loved in her train.

Prayer's power. Prayer, for Thérèse, was a simple uplifting of the heart, a glance towards Heaven, a cry of gratitude and love. It was the "lever" that, leaning on God's power, could lift the world.

11. Charity in Community: Loving the Unlovable

I know now that true charity consists in bearing all our neighbors’ defects—not being surprised at their weakness, but edified at their smallest virtues.

New Commandment. Jesus revealed to her the profound meaning of His New Commandment: to love others as He loved them, not for their natural qualities, but with a divine, self-sacrificing love.

Hidden acts. She practiced charity by seeking out sisters towards whom she felt natural aversion, offering services, and enduring annoyances with patience and a sweet smile.

Spiritual banquet. These hidden acts of charity, like enduring a fidgeting sister or being splashed with dirty water, became a "splendid banquet" of extraordinary pleasure, transforming bitterness into sweetness.

12. The Night of Faith: Trust Amidst Darkness

He allowed my soul to be overwhelmed with darkness, and the thought of Heaven, which had consoled me from my earliest childhood, now became a subject of conflict and torture.

First call. On Good Friday, 1896, Thérèse experienced her first hemorrhage, a "sweet distant murmur" of her Beloved's joyful approach to eternal life.

Spiritual darkness. Soon after, her soul was plunged into a profound "night of faith," where the thought of Heaven became a source of torture. She felt surrounded by the mocking voices of unbelievers.

Gallant soldier. Despite this interior martyrdom, she remained a "gallant soldier," turning her back on the devil and vowing to shed her blood for belief in Heaven. Her trust in God's mercy remained unwavering.

Last updated: February 12, 2026