St. Thérèse of Lisieux- When You Need Hope, Trust & a Little Sign from Heaven

Feast Day: October 3

Have you ever asked God for a little reassurance that He hears you?

Have you been praying for an intention and wondering whether your prayers are reaching Heaven?

Meet St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, affectionately known as the Little Flower.

St. Thérèse is loved throughout the Catholic world for her simple path to holiness—her “Little Way” of doing small things with extraordinary love and complete confidence in God.

She is also famous for something beautiful:

Roses.

Many people who seek St. Thérèse's intercession have shared stories of unexpectedly receiving or encountering a rose while praying to her. For them, the rose became a little encouragement to continue trusting God.

Her Story

Thérèse Martin was born in France in 1873. From childhood, she desired to belong completely to Jesus.

At only fifteen years old, she entered the Carmelite convent at Lisieux. She would never become famous during her earthly life. She did not travel the world, found a religious order, or accomplish things that the world would consider great.

Instead, Thérèse discovered that she could become a saint through small acts performed with great love.

She called this her Little Way.

She learned to offer Jesus everything—the little annoyances of daily life, difficult personalities, sacrifices no one noticed, moments of suffering, and ordinary duties.

Rather than trying to accomplish extraordinary things, she wanted to love God extraordinarily well in the ordinary things.

St. Thérèse died of tuberculosis in 1897 at only twenty-four years old.

Yet her mission was only beginning.

“I Will Let Fall a Shower of Roses”

Before her death, St. Thérèse spoke beautifully about continuing her mission from Heaven. She desired to spend her Heaven doing good upon earth.

Because she called herself Jesus' Little Flower, roses eventually became closely associated with devotion to her.

Over the generations, countless Catholics have shared personal testimonies of unexpectedly encountering roses while asking for St. Thérèse's intercession.

Sometimes it is a single rose.

Sometimes someone unexpectedly gives them roses.

Sometimes they encounter a picture of roses, the scent of roses, or roses appearing somewhere completely unexpected.

For many devotees, these moments are received as a personal consolation and encouragement to continue trusting God.

A rose is not a guarantee that a particular request will be granted exactly as we desire, nor should we become overly concerned with searching for signs.

The greatest gift St. Thérèse wants to give us is something much deeper:

confidence in the goodness and mercy of God.

Testimonies of the Roses

One of the beautiful things about devotion to St. Thérèse is how often people tell similar stories.

Someone begins a novena and asks St. Thérèse for help.

Then, unexpectedly, a rose appears.

A friend arrives with flowers without knowing about the prayer.

A rose is discovered in an unexpected place.

Someone hears the name “Thérèse” or sees an image of the Little Flower at precisely the moment they were beginning to lose hope.

These are personal devotional testimonies rather than promises of the Church, and we should receive them with gratitude without treating them as guarantees.

But they beautifully reflect the message St. Thérèse spent her life teaching:

Remain little. Trust God. Do not be afraid to approach Him with confidence.

When Should You Turn to St. Thérèse?

St. Thérèse is a beautiful saint to seek when:

• You are losing hope.

• You are waiting for an answer to prayer.

• You need greater trust in God.

• You feel spiritually discouraged.

• You think you are not “holy enough.”

• You struggle to see value in your ordinary daily duties.

• You need help loving a difficult person.

• You are praying for priests or missionaries.

• You desire a deeper love for Jesus.

• You need reassurance that God has not forgotten you.

And yes—when your heart simply needs a little rose from Heaven.

Prayer to St. Thérèse

O glorious St. Thérèse,
whom Almighty God has raised up
to aid and inspire the human family,
I implore thy miraculous intercession.

Little Flower of Jesus,
teach me thy Little Way
of confidence, surrender, and love.

Help me to offer the smallest actions of my day to Jesus
and to accept with love the little crosses He permits.

I place before thee my special intention:

[Mention your intention.]

If it be for the glory of God and the good of my soul,
I ask thee to intercede for this favor.

And if God permits,
send me a little rose as an encouragement
to continue trusting in His loving Providence.

But above all, dear St. Thérèse,
obtain for me the grace to desire God's will
more than my own.

Help me to believe that even when I cannot see His plan,
He is still working.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus,
Little Flower of Jesus, pray for me.

Amen.

The Rose Novena

One of the most beloved ways of seeking St. Thérèse's intercession is through a novena—nine days of prayer for a particular intention.

Some people ask St. Thérèse to send them a rose as an encouragement that she has heard their request for her prayers.

If you choose to do this, remember:

Do not let your faith depend upon receiving a rose.

You may receive one.

You may receive your answer in an entirely different way.

Or God may ask you to continue waiting.

The purpose of the novena is not to test St. Thérèse or demand a sign from Heaven. It is to place your intention before God while asking this little saint to pray beside you.

If a rose comes, smile and thank God.

If no rose comes, keep trusting.

That is exactly what Thérèse would want you to do.

Her Little Way

Perhaps the greatest testimony of St. Thérèse is not the roses.

It is the millions of ordinary Catholics who have learned from her that they, too, can become saints.

You do not need to accomplish something enormous today.

Wash the dishes for Jesus.

Be patient with someone who irritates you.

Offer your suffering without complaining.

Say a kind word when you would rather remain silent.

Forgive.

Pray when you do not feel like praying.

Accept a disappointment.

Do the next little thing well.

Then give it to Jesus with love.

That is the Little Way.

Learn More About the Little Flower

Would you like to know St. Thérèse more deeply?

Visit our parish bookstore to find books about St. Thérèse and her Little Way.

Her autobiography, Story of a Soul, is a wonderful place to begin. In it, St. Thérèse opens her heart and explains the simple spirituality that transformed her ordinary hidden life into extraordinary holiness.

Have You Received a Rose?

Have you prayed to St. Thérèse and unexpectedly received a rose?

Have you experienced an answer to prayer after asking for her intercession?

We would love to hear your testimony.

Your story might be exactly the encouragement someone else needs while waiting for an answer to prayer.

And the next time you feel small, forgotten, discouraged, or uncertain, remember the Little Flower.

Ask her to pray for you.

Then keep your eyes—and especially your heart—open.

Perhaps a rose is on its way.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, pray for us!