Saint Therese of Lisieux

Saint Therese of Lisieux.

The little flower.

Saint Therese of Lisieux

Presented is a picture of Saint Therese of Lisieux dressed as Joan of Arc. So far, this is the only known picture of a saint dressed as another saint. This picture moved me, because the main character in my story, Samiare, has been compared to Saint Joan, and Joan was one of the inspirations for the character. And to see another who was also inspired by her just filled my heart. At the time of her death, succumbing to tuberculosis at a young age, Saint Therese was admired by those of her convent, and was known as the Little Flowers by the sisters of Carmel Lisieux.

Saint Therese did not have the heroic life that she dreamed of or wanted. She spent her life wishing to be a saint, and directed most of her life's energy towards it. But the saints she admired had all done great things, been renowned as martyrs, or contributed much to the insight and advancement of Christianity. Sadly for Therese, she did not live such a life, and did not believe that sainthood would be something she could achieve. But the Lord works in mysterious ways. While it is true that Therese did not do great deeds, in a profound way, she may have become one of the most important saints...for Therese lived a pious life of sacrificing her own dreams and doing small things for the benefit of others, keeping a godly soul, and always with Christ in her heart. And at her canonization, she became a saint that lives as a beacon to all of us, that it is not always that we do great deeds and fill the history books that makes us saintly, but the small things we do every day to keep true to our faith, and being of service to others that we can be called children of god, and living in Christ's example. Saint Therese became a saint that serves for all of us who did not throw the English out of Orleans, or part the Red Sea, or bring Christendom to Ireland. She was instead, a devout believer, who lived a pious life in a small way, but in a big way, is a Saint for all of us.

Here is to you Therese of Lisieux. Joan was a great inspiration, but so were you.

To learn more about this saint, here is a link to her life and story: https://www.littleflower.org/st-therese/who-is-st-therese/