During Therese's few years on earth this young French Carmelite was scarcely to be distinguished from many another devoted nun, but her death brought an almost immediate awareness of her unique gifts.  Therese of the Child Jesus or "Little Flower" soon came to mean a great deal to many people for she had shown them the way of perfection in the small things of every day.  Miracles and graces were being attributed to her intercession, and within twenty-eight years after death, this simple young nun had been canonized.

"The Little Flower" was an admirer of St. Teresa of Avila, and a comparison at once suggests itself.  Both were christened Teresa, both were Carmelites, and both left interesting autobiographies.  There are several differences which separate them however such as the differences of period and of race.  By the same token, the similarities are very striking.  They both patiently endured sever physical sufferings; both had capacity for intense religious experience; both led lives made radiant by the love of Christ.

Therese's parents were Louis Martin, a watchmaker and Azelie-Marie Guerin, a lace maker.  Only five of their nine children lived to maturity; all five were daughters and all were to become nuns.  Francoise-Marie Therese, the youngest, was born on January 2, 1873.  Her childhood must have been normally happy, for her first memories, she writes are of smiles and tender caresses.  Although she was affectionate and had much natural charm, Therese gave no sign of precocity.  When she was only four, the family was stricken by the sad blow of the mother's death.  Monsieur Martin gave up his business and established himself at Lisieux, Normandy where Madame martin's brother lived with his wife and family.  The Guerins, generous and loyal people, were able to ease the father's responsibilities through the years by giving to their five nieces practical counsel and deep affection.

The Martins were united in the closest bonds.  The eldest daughter, Marie, although only thirteen, took over the management of the household, and the second, Pauline, gave the girls religious instruction.  When the group gathered around the fire on winter evenings, Pauline read Spiritual works aloud.  Their lives moved along quietly for some years until Pauline entered the Carmelite convent of Lisieux.  Therese, then only nine years old, had a great desire to follow in her sister's footsteps.  Four years later, when Marie also joined the Carmelite convent, Therese's desire for a life in religion was intensified.  Her education during these years was in the hands of the Benedictine nuns of the convent of Notre-Dame-de-Pre.  She was confirmed there at the age of eleven.

At the early age of fifteen she told her father that she would like to become a Carmelite.  Her father readily consented but the Carmelite authorities and Bishop Hugonin of Bayeux refused to consider it while she was still so young.  Shortly afterwards, her father took her and one of her other sisters on a pilgrimage to Rome where they had an audience with the Pope.  Therese spoke earnestly to the Holy Father about her desire to become a Carmelite but was cut short by M. Reverony who explained that she was merely a child wanting to enter Carmel at fifteen.  The Pope told her that if it was God's will she would indeed be permitted to enter.  And, indeed, she did not have to wait long; by the end of the year Bishop Hugonin gave his permission and on April 9, 1888, Therese joined her sisters in the Carmel at Lisieux.

Therese loved the daily round of religious practices, the liturgical prayers, the reading of Scripture.  On September 8, 1890, at the age of seventeen, Therese took final vows.  In spite of poor health she carried out from the first all the austerities of the stern Carmelite rule, except that she was not permitted to fast.  She suffered silently and was most plagued by the cold of the convent building in winter, but no one even suspected this until she confessed it on her death-bed.  And by that time she was able to say, "I have reached the point of not being able to suffer any more, because all suffering is sweet to me."

In June, 1897, Therese was moved to the infirmary of the convent.  On September 30, with the words, "My God . . . I love Thee!" on her lips she died.

The Church has recognized, through Therese, the profound and valuable teaching in "the little way"  - - connoting a realistic awareness of one's limitations and the wholehearted giving of what one has, however small the gift.  In 1927, Therese of Lisieux was named heavenly patroness of foreign missions along with St. Francis Xavier.