“’But some seeds fell in good soil, and the plants bore grain: some had one hundred grains, others sixty, and others thirty.’ And Jesus concluded, ‘Listen, then, if you have ears!’” Matthew 13:8-9
In May, I led forty-four pilgrims to France to learn about women saints, including St. Therese of the Child Jesus. I recently read her memoir, The Story of a Soul, but failed to appreciate her story until we visited Lisieux.
Good Soil
Therese was raised on good soil. Her parents were both saints, the first married couple to be canonized. All five of Louis and Zelle Martins’s became nuns. That’s quite a track record!
What struck me most about the saints was their quiet but powerful faith. They didn’t push their daughters to become religious sisters or flaunt their religiosity. They lived as humble servants of God and greatly influenced their children. Though Therese’s mother died when Therese was only four, Therese’s memories of her were of true love and commitment to God and family.
Bearing Grain
Therese watched her sisters become nuns and her father lead a pious life. She learned to be obedient to God, be patient and loving, and place her trust in the Lord. As important as her family’s effect on Therese, was Therese’s effect on the world.
The Little Flower, as Therese is known, died at twenty-four, a young, sickly girl with little worldly knowledge and none of the sophistication of today’s twenty-somethings. Yet within less than five years, the grand Basilica of St. Therese was built in her hometown, one of the world’s most breath-taking and awe-inspiring churches. The love and admiration the world has for Therese is unfathomable. The impact this unknown child and cloistered nun has on the entire world speaks volumes to the seeds she sowed and the plants she cultivated.
One-Hundred Grains
Each of us can learn what Therese knew: “What matters in life is not great deeds, but great love.” When we follow her example, we, too, can bear one-hundred grains or more. We must “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”
First published on July 23, 2025 at https://catholicvineyard.com/bearing-flowers-to-the-world/
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