Seeds of ‘The Little Flower’

Therese at 13    (Public Domain)

The apple doesn't fall far from the tree, and from tiny acorns mighty oaks grow. Similarly, St. Therese of Lisieux (aka “The Little Flower”) had roots that ran deep within the wellspring of love.

Therese’s parents, Louis and Zelie Martin, provided her with an upbringing that was bound to bear fruits (and flowers) of the spirit.  The Martins also nurtured four other daughters to become nuns.

Nicole Winfield and Colleen Barry of the Associated Press report that Pope Francis recently canonized the Martins “as a couple.”  Francis has long been a devotee of Therese, and has kept a copy of her “Story of a Soul” on his bookshelf for years.

The pontiff prays to Therese in times of trouble, and “often a white rose appears to him as a sign that she has heard his prayers.

This is the very “first time a couple has been canonized as a couple.”  It is said that Pope Francis wishes “to provide Catholic families with saintly role models who took particular care to educate their children in the faith.”

Resources

http://www.msn.com/en-us/news/world/pope-canonizes-first-married-couple-in-modern-times/ar-AAfzj3L?li=AA54ur

Copyright October 19, 2015 by Linda Van Slyke   All Rights Reserved