The Feast of the Little Flower, St. Thérèse of Lisieux

The Church celebrates the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a Carmelite nun who died of tuberculosis in France on September 30, 1897. Although she lived a life of obscurity, her spiritual autobiography later gained widespread recognition across the Catholic world.

Following her death, reports of miracles attributed to her intercession led to her canonization. During the centennial of her death, Pope John Paul II named her a Doctor of the Church, a title reserved for saints recognized as major authorities on the Christian spiritual life.

Fr. Steve Grunow notes that Thérèse's spirituality emphasizes that holiness is found through a willing surrender to God within ordinary life experiences rather than through extraordinary deeds.