October 3, 2023

Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower of Jesus

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, ora pro nobis
October 3rd is the Feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897), Virgin, Mystic, Ecstatic, and Doctor of the Church. Also known as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, she is the patroness of florists, gardeners, missionaries and the victims of tuberculosis. On a personal note, the Little Flower is our familial patroness. I'll never forget when my maternal great-grandparents gave my paternal grandparents a statue for their front yard. Family and friends gathered to watch as my father installed it. Boy, have times changed. In celebration, I’m posting the Miraculous Invocation to St. Thérèse. Pictured are a few devotional objects passed down to me from my parents. Evviva St. Thérèse!
Miraculous Invocation to St. Thérèse
O Glorious St. Thérèse, whom Almighty God has raised up to aid and inspire the human family, I implore your Miraculous Intercession. You are so powerful in obtaining every need of body and spirit from the Heart of God. Holy Mother Church proclaims you "Prodigy of Miracles... the greatest saint of Modern Times." Now I fervently beseech you to answer my petition (mention in silence here) and to carry out your promises of spending heaven doing good on earth... of letting fall from Heaven a Shower of Roses. Little Flower, give me your childlike faith, to see the Face of God in the people and experiences of my life, and to love God with full confidence. St. Thérèse, my Carmelite Sister, I will fulfill your plea "to be made known everywhere" and I will continue to lead others to Jesus through you. Amen.