The Story of a Modern Saint: Saint Therese

I approached the train ticket counter at the airport of Paris, and after uttering some words in broken French, which the young lady behind the counter could hardly understand, I had a train ticket in my hand to the small northern French town of Lisieux.  That evening, after several hours of travel from Rome, I reached the hometown of one of the modern world’s favorite saints: Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, also known as Saint Therese of Lisieux or the Little Flower.  As I walked towards the pilgrim house where I would spend a few nights, I recalled how Saint Therese had traveled by train from Lisieux to Rome over the span of several days on a pilgrimage to meet Pope Leo XIII.  A little over one hundred years later, I had completed the same journey in reverse, but in just a few hours.

When I first entered the seminary in 2002, I read the book I Believe in Love by Father Jean d’Elbee.  The book was an amazing introduction to the life of Saint Therese, including her writings and her spirituality.  I had heard of her before, but knew very little about her.  As a new seminarian, exited and eager to absorb everything faith-related, this book was ideal.

Throughout the years much has been written on this popular saint, yet Father John Wright, one of the two recently ordained priests of our diocese, has published a wonderful, unique book about the life of Saint Therese that is worth a read.  The Smallest Spark is a well-researched, unique, and easy to read book that tells the story of this great saint through brief vignettes that help the reader enter into specific events of the life of Saint Therese.  The title itself serves as a reminder that the smallest acts of love and kindness can serve as sparks of something great, just as the simple, hidden life of Saint Therese sparked a renewed fire in the universal Church.  Father Wright’s love for the saint is evident as he carefully crafts and brings to life the major events of her life through the eyes of different characters.

Saint Therese desired to be a saint from a young age, and found a little and simple way to God, one based on love and sacrifice.  Born in 1873, she entered the local Carmelite Monastery at age 15, died of tuberculosis at age 24, and was canonized on May 17, 1925.  Even though she died young in a cloistered monastery, her life has impacted millions of faithful Christians, drawing them closer to God.  She promised she would spend her heaven doing good on earth, and she has kept her promise through her prayers and intercession.

The story of this modern saint continues to encourage many as we strive to serve God and neighbor through our small and seemingly insignificant actions.  Father Wright’s  The Smallest Spark is a vivid reminder of Therese’s little way, that through the littleness of our lives and actions, we are indeed able to serve God and neighbor, and that the smallest spark is enough to set the world ablaze with the presence of God.

All the pictures are mine, all rights reserved.