A Sector

The full name of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, popularly known as th "Little Flower", is Marie Franscois Therese Martin. She was born at Alencon in France, on 2nd January 1873, as the youngest of the nine children of Louis and Zelie. Of the nine, only five, all girls, survived. Baby Theresa was very intelligent and would never tell a lie. She loved talking about God and saying her prayers. When she was four, Therese mother passed away, and her elder sisters, especially Pauline, brought her up. In October 1882 Pauline who was a mother to Therese, left to join the Camelites at Lisieus. This was such a shock to Therese that she fell ill, suffering hallucinations and violent body conditions. The doctor was helpless. Her father arranged a novena of Masses for her cure. She ketp getting worse, but on the ninth day of the novena, while she and three of her sisters were praying, the Blessed Virgin appeared to her, and at once her illness left her never to return. She breathed her last on 30 September 1897 when she was 24 years old. 28 years later in 1925, she was canonized. Along with St/ Francis Xavier, she is patron saint of Catholic Missionaries.

St. Therese who lived a humble life is now venerated all over the world as a great saint and a patroness of the missionaries. Let us pray to her to obtain for us the grace of humility and innocence. May she help us all become beautiful little flower in the garden of heaven, to praise the glory of God.