St. Therese, our holy sister and ever faithful friend,
remember your promise to do good upon earth...
enfold in the mantle of your protection all our children,
the unborn babies in danger of abortion,
those suffering unspeakable abuses, our troubled youth,
the unloved and unwanted,
and those struggling with teenage pregnancy.
Ask your own loving parents, Zelie and Louis Martin,
to pray for restoration of respect for family life
and for God's blessing and help
for all parents everywhere.
Implore Our Heavenly Father
to quiet the fears of our children,
return peace, innocence and security to their hearts,
and give them the comforting awareness of His love.
Make our cries of outrage heard
by officials of every land,
as we pray for an end to the violence and evils
that besiege our society.
We earnestly pray that the true understanding
and value of life be made known and respected by all.
We thank you, dear St. Therese, for all the graces
you will obtain for us and for our precious children
during this Centenary Year of your holy death
and throughout the years to come.
We ask all this from Our Heavenly Father,
in the name of Jesus His Beloved Son,
and through Their Holy Spirit.
Amen.
With Ecclesiastical Approval
(Biographical Sketch)
Marie Francoise Therese was born on January 2, 1873, in Alencon, France, the ninth and last child of fervent Catholic parents, Zelie and Louis Martin. After the early death of her mother, when Therese was only four years old, the family moved to Lisieux. Because of the excellent religious spirit in the home and the upbringing given her by her two older sisters, her love for God and desire to please Him alone in everything was awakened from the tender age of three. She entered the Carmel of Lisieux when she was 15, after overcoming many obstacles. There she led a hidden life of heroic, joyful virtue and continual sacrifice, and after undergoing long months of extreme spiritual and physical suffering, she died of pulmonary tuberculosis on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24. Before she died, she often spoke of her mission about to begin of teaching others her Little Way of loving the Good God and of total trust in His merciful goodness. After her death, the numerous miracles attributed to her began to fill many volumes. She was canonized by Pope Pius XI on May 17, 1925, and became known as "the greatest Saint of modern times". She continues to fulfill her promise of sending down a shower of roses and doing good upon earth ~ spreading her Little Way of love and confidence.