Saint Therese... perhaps one of the finest examples
of simplicity available. She lived her life simply, and sheltered herself in the refuge of God's love. All her life she wanted
to become a Saint, and so she did.
Marie-Francoise Therese Martin was the ninth child of
the happy Martin couple. She was born on January 2, 1873. Therese was named after one of the other girls that had passed away,
Marie Melanie Therese.
Therese was a charming addition to the Martin family.
She loved her mother and her father dearly, and enjoyed spending time with Celine, her playmate. Therese had many pets, including
the well known Spaniel named Tom. She also had a magpie, rabbits, silkworms, fish, and plenty of other pets. She
loved to play in the gardens, where bushes were bent with sweetly-scented rose blossoms. During her time in Carmel,
she considered her life a toy ball with which the Child Jesus could do what he wished: inflict pain, bounce on the ground,
toss in the air, or whatever he chose. And Therese would always bear it with a smile.
She enjoyed prayer time with her father and mother,
and never hesitated to place fresh rose blossoms in front of the Statue of the Infant of Prague; the Child Jesus, as it was
more commonly known.
On August 28, 1877, Zelie died of breast cancer. The death of
her mother devastated little Therese. She became quiet, withdrawn, and shy. She became a serious girl, but was still
lively and had fun. Marie and Pauline took the role of mothers for the two younger girls; Celine and Therese. Celine instantly
jumped into Marie's arms, claiming her as her little mother. But Therese had also wanted Marie for her mother. But she didn't
want to hurt Pauline's feelings or leave her out, so she happily accepted her as her little mother.
After the death of Zelie, the Martins were invited to live in Lisieux
by Zelie's side of the family: the Guerins. Louis did not want to leave Alencon, with the cemetary, Notre Dame church, and
other things he loved in Alencon. But they moved eventually, as Louis saw it would be good for the girls. They were now close
to a good deal of their relatvies, including their cousins Marie and Jeanne.
On October 3, 1881, Therese entered the Benedictine Abbey school
where all her sisters had gone before. Therese was in a class two or three times her age; she was smart and was always at
the top of her class. She was determined to please her father with good grades, and if he expressed the slightest dissapointment,
she went past her limits to see him smile again.
A year later, on October 2, 1882, Therese had to let go of her little
mother. Pauline was the first of the five Martin girls to give her life to Jesus in the Carmel of Lisieux. In later
years, Therese would be reunited and live with Celine, Pauline, and Marie in the same Carmel. But I will save that story for
later.
It was after Pauline's departure that Therese fell seriously ill
with a fever that made people think she was dying. The world became distorted to her, and she was frightened of everything.
Old nails in the walls looked like charred fingers reaching out to her. Her sisters and father, when kneeling by her bed praying
for her, looked like a string of onions. It was not until May 13, 1883, that she was cured. Her sisters were kneeling by her
bed, praying, and Therese decided to join in the prayer. Therese looked at the statue of Mary as she prayed, and saw that
it was smiling at her. Thus, she was miraculously cured.
