Ten Quotes From St. Therese of Lisieux To Help Us Find Heaven

St. Therese of Lisieux (the Little Flower)’s feast day falls on Oct. 1. She is the youngest person to be declared a Doctor of the Church. She taught that the smallest act of love is great in the eyes of God, which may be the single reason so many people are devoted to her. I am listing ten quotes by St. Therese to reflect upon followed by a few of my thoughts:

1.  “Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.”

2.  “Our Lord’s love shines out just as much through a little soul who yields completely to His Grace as it does through the greatest.

3.  “The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity.”

4.  “I am certain that even if I had on my conscience every imaginable crime, I should lose nothing of my confidence; rather I would hurry, with a heart broken with sorrow, to throw myself into the Arms of my Jesus.”

(God’s power saves us, and no soul is lost. God can convert even the most wicked.)

5.  “The Creator of the universe awaits the prayer of one poor little person to save a multitude of others, redeemed like her at the price of His Blood.”

6.  “I realized that all souls have more or less the same battles to fight, but no two souls are exactly the same.” 

(St. Therese explains how our path to Christ is unique and still universal.)

7.  “Jesus may hide himself, but we know He is there.” 

(We don't even need to feel God's presence to have confidence in Him because we have the words and promises of Christ.)

8.  “Joy isn’t found in the material objects surrounding us, but in the inner recesses of the soul. One can possess joy in a prison cell as well as in a palace.” 

(The above thoughts are a fine reminder of what Christian joy looks like from a saint that suffered a great deal.)

9.  “How often have I thought that I may owe all the graces I’ve received to the prayers of a person who begged them from God for me, and whom I shall know only in heaven.”  

(This St. Therese quote explains why we are a Communion of Saints. We have an army of help. We don't go it alone!)

To end my tribute to my favorite saint, I’ll end with my all-time favorite quote by St. Therese, The Little Flower, because it gives me such hope:

   "It is Your arms, Jesus, which are the elevator to carry me to heaven."--St. Therese