ml> Devotions to St. Theresa of the Little Flower



Graciously hear us, O God of our salvation, and grant that we who keep with joy the festival of Blessed Teresa
of the Child Jesus, may by our sentiments of loving devotion advance in our piety and love to Thee. Amen.



To Scatter Flowers by Saint Theresa

Jesus, my only Love, on Calvary I strew -- With fond delight, each eve my gathering of flowers, -- Unpetaling for Thee a rose of vernal hue, -- That I may dry Thy tearful showers.

To Scatter Flowers! 'tis my first fruits to bring,--My faint drawn sighs, my long and anguished hours, -- My every pain, my joy, each little offering; -- These are my Flowers!

O Lord, won by Thy Beauty, my spirit swoons away, -- And I for Thee would lavish my fragrance with my flowers; -- I strew them on the wings of breezes as they play -- Hearts melt and burn 'neath petalled showers.

To Scatter Flowers!... Jesus my weapons see -- When sinners I would save by my enfeebled powers; -- Thy vengeance I disarm, mine is the victory! -- E'en by my flowers!

The petals of my flowers caress Thy sacred Face, -- They tell Thee that my heart hath fled to Thee above, -- Thou knowest well the language my leaf-strewn roses trace, -- And Thou art smiling at my love..

To Scatter Flowers!... 'Tis to intone Thy praise, -- My only joy 'mid tears, on this lone shore of ours; -- Soon to my Heaven I go -- There, with Angelic lays, -- To Scatter Flowers!











St. Theresa of the Child Jesus

Marie Francoise Therese Martin, known as the Little Flower of Jesus, was born January 2, 1873 at Alencon in Normandy, France, of very Christian parents. The Martins, who lost four of their little ones in early infancy or childhood, regarded their children as gifts from heaven and offered them to God before their birth. Therese was the last flower of this blessed stem, which gave four Sisters to the Carmel of Lisieux, still another to the Visitation of Caen. The five sisters were left without their mother, a victim of cancer, when Therese was only four years old; but her two oldest sisters were of an age to take excellent care of the household and continue the Christian character formation of the younger ones, which their mother had initiated. Their saintly father was soon to see his little flock separated, however, when one after the other they left to enter religious life. He blessed each one and gave them all back to God, with humble gratitude to God for having chosen his daughters.

From childhood Therese had manifested a tender piety which her naturally lively temperament could not alter. Her mother's death affected her profoundly, however, and at the age of nine she was visited with a severe trial in the form of an illness the doctors could not diagnose, and which seemed incurable. She was instantly restored to her ordinary good health by the Virgin Mary, in answer to her desolate sisters' prayers; Therese saw Her statue become animated, to smile at her with an ineffable tenderness as she lay on her bed of suffering.

Before the age of fifteen Therese already desired to enter the Carmel of Lisieux, where her two eldest sisters were already nuns; a trip to Rome and a petition at the knees of the Holy Father Leo XIII gave her the inalterable answer that her Superiors would regulate the matter. Many prayers finally obtained an affirmative reply to her ardent request, and four months after her fifteenth birthday she entered Carmel with an ineffable joy. She could say then, "I no longer have any desire but to love Jesus even to folly."

She adopted flowers as the symbol of her love for her Divine Spouse and offered all her little daily sacrifices and works as rose petals at the feet of Jesus. Divine Providence gave to the world the autobiography of this true Saint, whose little way of spiritual childhood was described in her own words in her Story of a Soul. She could not offer God the macerations of the great soldiers of God, only her desires to love Him as they had loved Him, and to serve Him in every way possible. She chose "all" in spirit, for her beloved Lord. Later she would be named patroness of missions. Her spirituality does not imply only sweetness and light, however; this loving child of God passed by a tunnel of desolate spiritual darkness, yet never ceased to smile at Him, wanting to serve Him, if it were possible, without His even knowing it.

When nine years had passed in the Carmel, the little flower was ready to be plucked for heaven; and in a slow agony of consumption, Therese made her final offering to God. She suffered so severely that she said she would never have believed it possible, and could only explain it by her desire to save souls for God. She died in 1897, was beatified in 1923 and canonized in 1925. And now, as she foretold, she is spending her heaven in doing good upon earth. Countless miracles have been attributed to her intercession.










A Petition for any Favor


Blessed Little Flower of Jesus, turn thy sweet face toward us, and through the intercession of that dear Little Infant Jesus, continue to fulfill thy promise to send upon the world a shower of roses, the sweetness of whose perfume will draw all souls from the passing things of time to the joys that never end. Amen.








A Prayer for Spiritual Childhood


O my sweet Jesus, give me the charity and simplicity of Saint Teresa of the Infant Jesus, whose mission in Heaven is to make others love the good God as she loved Him, to teach souls her "little way". Give me such longings that I may not rest until I arrive at the spiritual childhood of the Little Flower. Amen.








A Petition for a Private Necessity


Dear Little Flower of Jesus, Saint Therese, remember thy promise to spend your heaven in doing good upon earth. Hasten to let fall on those who call upon thy help, a shower of roses, and obtain for me this favor... which I ask through the infinite goodness of God. Amen.








A Prayer for Humility


O my patron and advocate, Saint Teresa, to whom God in His mercy and love did reveal the mystery of true humility and childlike simplicity, obtain for me that wonderful grace, that I may by thy example become a humble child in the sight of my heavenly Father. Amen.








A Prayer for Charity


O holy seraphic Little Saint, most pure victim of love, having at length expired by the vehemence of thy love for God; by that inexplicable joy and grief thou experienced when thy heart was wounded by the Seraph, obtain for us, we beseech thee, such an ardent love for God, as shall consume in our souls everything that is earthly and sinful.

O God, Who didst inflame by Thy Spirit of Love the soul of Thy servant, Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus, grant unto us also love and to make Thee ardently loved. Amen.








A Prayer to be poor in Spirit


Beloved disciple of poverty, dear Saint Teresa, who didst delight in the thought of living from moment to moment in the sight of Divine Providence; and being abandoned to God's holy will while living here on earth; obtain for me that true understanding and love of that wonderful virtue of poverty, that I may one day be numbered amongst those blessed poor in spirit who have obtained the Kingdom of Heaven. Amen.








A Prayer to be a Faithful Servant of Mary


Dear Saint Teresa, the beloved Flower of Jesus and Mary, the Immaculate Virgin, who specially favored thee, even from thy infancy, so as to lead thee to her cloister and there to conduct thee as a spouse of God up to the Altar; obtain for me, O little Saint, that Mary would continue to shower her blessing upon me, so that I may ever remain her faithful client, ever loving her and imitating her virtues, especially the virtue of the ardent love of God. Amen.








A Prayer for Confidence


O glorious Teresa of the Child Jeaus. whose unshaken confidence so glorified God, obtain for me the same filial trust and love which animated thy innocent heart and soul. Grant that I may practice patience and confidence, and that my confidence may be a fountain of blessings which God pours out upon me. As confidence was for thee the key to the greatest treasures of God, so may it induce me to throw myself into my Saviour's arms and say with the Psalmist: "In Thee, O my God, I put my trust, let me not be confounded". Amen.










Prayer to Saint Therese of the Child Jesus


O marvelous Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, who, in thy brief mortal career, didst become a mirror of angelic purity, of daring love and of whole-hearted surrender to Almighty God, now that thou art enjoying the recompense of thy virtues, turn thine eyes of mercy upon us who trust in thee. Obtain for us the grace to keep our hearts and minds pure and clean like unto thine, and to abhor in all sincerity whatever might tarnish ever so slightly the luster of a virtue so sublime, a virtue that endears us to thy heavenly bridegroom. Ah, dear saint, grant us to feel in every need the power of thy intercession; give us comfort in all the bitterness of this life and especially at its latter end, that we may be worthy to share eternal happiness with thee in paradise. Amen.


V. Pray for us, O blessed Therese,
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.


Let us pray:
O Lord, who hast said: "Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven"; grant us, we beseech Thee, so to walk in the footsteps of Thy blessed virgin Therese with a humble and single heart, that we may attain to everlasting rewards: who livest and reignest world without end. Amen.

(Indulgence 300 days once a day)







A Prayer for a Happy Death


O my dear Lord, grant me the filial veneration and love for Thy faithful foster-father and Thy most holy Mother, which Little Teresa of the Child Jesus cherished in her simple and child-like heart. And thou, O my Little Saint, address thyself to my protector and father St. Joseph, and my holy Mother Mary, and entreat them to obtain for me the grace of dying in the arms of Jesus and uttering thy own words:

"O, I love Thee! My God I love Thee". Amen.




Nihil obstat:       Fr. Ferdinancus Pawlowski, O.F.M (Censor deputatus)


Imprimatur:     Paulus Petrus Rhode, Ep. Sinus Viridis (1943)






Litany of the Little Flower

Lord have mercy.
Christ have mercy.
Lord have mercy.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear its.
God the Father of heaven,
Have mercy on us. *

God the Son Redeemer of the world, *
Have mercy on us. God the Holy Ghost, *
Have mercy on us. Holy Trinity, one God, *
Have mercy on us. *

Holy Mary Immaculate, Mother of God, *
Pray for us. **

Queen of Carmel, **
Our Lady of Victory, **
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, **
St. Therese of the Holy Face, **
St. Therese, flower of innocence, **
St. Therese, rose of charity, **
St. Therese, violet of humility, **
St. Therese, devoted to mortification, **
St. Therese, lover of crosses, **
St. Therese, reflector of heavenly sweetness, **
St. Therese, guide of little souls, **
St. Therese, mirror of resignation, **
St. Therese, rich in faith, **
St. Therese, teacher of trust in God, **
St. Therese, saint of childlike simplicity, **
St. Therese, heroine of penance, **
St. Therese, leader of the "sure way," **
St. Therese, child of benediction, **
St. Therese, affable with others, **
St. Therese, example of gratitude and self-surrender, **
St. Therese, beautiful in forgiveness, **
St. Therese, remarkable for gentleness, **
St. Therese, cheerful in sacrifices, **
St. Therese, joyful in suffering, **
St. Therese, steadfast in prayer, **
St. Therese, example for every state, **
St. Therese, wonderworker of our own time, **
St. Therese, showering roses from heaven, **
St. Therese, zealous for souls, **
St. Therese, fulfilling thy promises, **
St. Therese, comforter of troubled hearts, **
St. Therese, curing bodily ills, **
St. Therese, leading souls back to God, **
St. Therese, bringing earth nearer to heaven, **
St. Therese, drawing us closer to Jesus, **
St. Therese, made glorious by thy Spouse after death, **


Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Spare us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Graciously hear us, O Lord.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world:
Have mercy on us.


Let us pray:

O God of mercy, Who didst raise up in our own time the sweet child-saint of Carmel, to teach us the sure way to Thy loving Heart: deign to listen to her prayers in our behalf, and grant her the requests she asks; for Thou knowest she desires to obtain for us those things alone which will the more quickly and surely lead us to Thee. Through Thy Divine Infancy and Holy Face. Amen.





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