The Hidden Face of Saint Therese

I hate The Story of a Soul by Saint Therese of Lisieux. I find it to be one of the most annoying books filled with flowery language of the most mundane things, like praising God and the saints over finding a little pebble. For the longest time I viewed Saint Therese as an overly romantic child and I did not understand the obsession over this child-like saint who, like Peter Pan, didn’t want to grow up.

Then, after a 7 year stint of being fallen away from the church, I started to rediscover my faith and realized that I needed to look at and appreciate some of the smaller things in life. I started to look at ‘the little way’ that Saint Therese followed.

I read an awesome book called The Hidden Face of Therese by Ida Friederike Gorres. I cannot express how much this made me appreciate the little saint and her philosophy. Therese was not so child-like in her thoughts and deeds. She was so much more spiritually developed then her autobiography puts forth. It is truly no wonder why she is so revered today.

I would highly recommend reading more into the life of Therese and her family! In fact, I am very inspired by the life of her mother and father, Zelie and Louis Martin, who are being canonized this year. I pray to Zelie Martin often because I look up to her as a woman and a mother.

I desire to raise my children in a godly household just like the Martins did, and they are a great example to follow.

If you want to learn more about Saint Therese, I would highly recommend The Hidden Face of Therese. It is long, but you learn so much more about her and her family that you will gain a new appreciation for the little saint!