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A Saint I Almost Dismissed

A Saint I Almost Dismissed

Last updated on: October 1, 2026 at 4:25 pm by Billy Kangas

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A Saint I Almost Dismissed 2026-10-01T16:25:38-04:00 Billy Kangas

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Today is the feast of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, often called the Little Flower.

She is a saint I almost dismissed, and have since come to love.

On my way into the Catholic Church, I would often see images of her as a young woman, even a girl, and I assumed she didn’t have much to say to a grown man like me. With a name like “the Little Flower,” I expected her spirituality to be saccharine and sweet. I was looking for strong saints who demonstrated the power of the Cross.

Yet, over and over, Catholics I respected spoke of her with reverence. I read quotes from Mother Teresa and Dorothy Day describing how her transformative spirituality shaped their own lives and ministries. Friends whose opinions I deeply trust told me how her book, Story of a Soul, completely upended their spiritual journey. Eventually, I gave up resisting this little saint.

To say opening her book was eye-opening would be an understatement. It struck me like a bolt of lightning. It convicted me that the theology of the Cross I was searching for isn’t found only in grand theological treatises, or even in the lives of martyrs who gave their lives in dramatic imitation of Christ. Instead, she taught me that the theology of the Cross has to be woven into even the smallest decisions, the most menial circumstances, and the relationships we might consider trivial or unimportant.

I can’t honestly say I’ve learned to live out the Little Way perfectly, or that I even approach it most days. But it continues to be an inspiration to me of the sacredness of human life, and I’m grateful for it.

I hope you’ll join me in celebrating Saint Thérèse of Lisieux today. And if you haven’t had the chance to read her wonderful autobiography, I’d strongly encourage you to make plans to do so. She is, indeed, one of the great saints for the modern age.

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