St. Thérèse of Lisieux. Nicknamed "Little Flower.”
"The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness." -ST
This post is dedicated to the first saint I felt connected to as a little girl, who I chose to become my confirmation saint and whom I have continued to feel drawn to into womanhood: St. Thérèse of Lisieux.
Growing up in the south, faith is often encouraged but I was blessed enough to see it acted out through the women in my family. My mother, grandmother and aunt always seemed to have prayer cards and rosaries nearby. It was very much the norm to hear them saying "I'm doing this novena" or "Not right now, I'm praying." One prayer card in particular caught my attention. It had pink roses and green vines, with a woman in the middle with a black veil, holding a cross .
My mom replied to my curiosity , “Maw maw prays to St. Thérèse. She believes in her."
As I got reached high school and made my way through countless puppy love, navigating new high school friendships and all of the little things that felt so important at the time, my mom would often remind me, “Pray to St. Thérèse. Ask for a rose.” This continued through my transition into college and she was the first saint I placed on my religious altar in my classroom for my Pre-K students to notice.
I still remember learning how to recite her special prayer. I’d leave my mom’s bedroom, start saying the prayer to myself, forget what came next, and make my way right back.
“Wait, how do I say it again?”
and when I first began to learn, we would often recite it together.
Holiness doesn’t have to be grand, but can be in doing small, ordinary things with respect. She will continue to remain a saint who brings me a soft sense of comfort.
I write this for anyone who may feel drawn to St. Thérèse the way I was as a little girl!
Say your prayer, ask for a rose an when a rose finds its way to you, remember to say thank you :)
Attaching prayer to St. There’s below:
Xoxo,
The New Orleans Lady
