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St. Thérèse’s Personal Devotion to Jesus

St. Thérèse’s Personal Devotion to Jesus

Last updated on: June 15, 2026 at 10:03 am by Dave Armstrong

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St. Thérèse’s Personal Devotion to Jesus 2026-06-15T10:03:17-04:00 Dave Armstrong

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Copiously Documented from Her Widely Read and Admired Autobiography: Story of a Soul

Photo credit: St. Thérèse of Lisieux at age 8 in 1881 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

I’m currently reading Story of a Soul, the spiritual autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) and I’ve been struck by how many times she mentioned Jesus (especially over against the far fewer times that the Blessed Virgin Mary was mentioned). In my apologist’s mind it occurred to me that it might make an interesting article to chronicle a great many of these instances, in order to counter the ever-present Protestant suspicion that Catholics characteristically, massively, and habitually place the saints and especially Mary above God Himself in the scheme of things: in how they think, and in how they pray and engage in various devotions. In other words, they imagine that we are perpetually in a state of rank idolatry: which indeed it would be, if true. But it’s not. It’s a lie.

The other bogus charge we hear is that Catholics have little or no understanding of “personal relationship with Jesus” like Protestants do. We all know both of these things are false as generalities (which is how they are expressed: as allegedly true of Catholics en masse). So I thought that St. Thérèse’s example would be especially helpful, in light of the fact of her extreme popularity among Catholics. The Wikipedia article on her states that:

Therese has been a highly influential model of sanctity for Catholics and for others because of the simplicity and practicality of her approach to the spiritual life. She is one of the most popular saints in the history of the church, . . . Pope [St.] Pius X called her “the greatest saint of modern times”. . . .

After her death, Therese became known globally through her spiritual memoir, The Story of a Soul, which explains her theology of the “Little Way”. As a result of her immense popularity and reputation for holiness, she was quickly beatified and canonized by Pope Pius XI, who completed the process just 28 years after her death. In 1997, Pope [St.] John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church. . . . She is well known throughout the world, with the Basilica of Lisieux being the second most popular place of pilgrimage in France after Lourdes. . . .

Therese of Lisieux is one of the most popular Roman Catholic saints since apostolic times. . . .

She rapidly became one of the most popular saints of the twentieth century.

A Doctor of the Church, as Wikipedia explains, is someone “recognized as having made a significant contribution to theology or doctrine through their research, study, or writing.” There are only four females among the number of 38 Doctors of the Church.

My point, then, is that someone as celebrated and loved and honored among Catholics as St. Thérèse of Lisieux would obviously be a prime example of our piety and spirituality. So what do we find along these lines in her own autobiography? Does she mention Mary and/or other saints many more times than Jesus? Does she routinely or relentlessly place them above God as idols? Or does she put God front and center? Of course it’s the latter. But words are cheap. As is my custom, I will now document my contention this from a public domain version of Story of a Soul from 1912.

***

Chapter I – Earliest Memories

Jesus

opening the Gospels, my eyes fell on these words: “Jesus, going up into a mountain, called unto Him whom He would Himself.”

It is for you alone that I write the story of the little flower gathered by Jesus.

Jesus watched over His little Spouse, and turned even her faults to advantage, for, being checked early in life, they became a means of leading her towards perfection.

Saviour

These are the field flowers whose simplicity charms Him; and by His condescension to them Our Saviour shows His infinite greatness. As the sun shines both on the cedar and on the floweret, so the Divine Sun illumines every soul, great and small, and all correspond to His care . . .

Lord

Our Lord has deigned to make me understand that by simple obedience I shall please Him best. I begin therefore to sing what must be my eternal song: “the Mercies of the Lord.”

. . . the favours which Our Lord has granted to my soul.

In reading the lives of the Saints I was surprised to see that there were certain privileged souls, whom Our Lord favoured from the cradle to the grave, . . .

Our Lord has deigned to explain this mystery to me. He showed me the book of nature, and I understood that every flower created by Him is beautiful, that the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all the lowly flowers wished to be roses, nature would lose its springtide beauty, and the fields would no longer be enamelled with lovely hues. And so it is in the world of souls, Our Lord’s living garden. He has been pleased to create great Saints who may be compared to the lily and the rose, but He has also created lesser ones, who must be content to be daisies or simple violets flowering at His Feet, . . .

. . . the graces which it has pleased Our Lord to bestow on me.

Now, like a flower after the storm, I can raise my head and see that the words of the Psalm are realised in me: “The Lord is my Shepherd and I shall want nothing. . . . ”

Yes, to me Our Lord has always been “compassionate and merciful, long-suffering and plenteous in mercy.”

The Little Flower, that now tells her tale, rejoiced in having to publish the wholly undeserved favours bestowed upon her by Our Lord. She knows that she had nothing in herself worthy of attracting Him: His Mercy alone showered blessings on her. He allowed her to grow in holy soil enriched with the odour of purity, and preceded by eight lilies of shining whiteness. In His Love He willed to preserve her from the poisoned breath of the world . . .

I also understood that there are many degrees of holiness, that each soul is free to respond to the calls of Our Lord, to do much or little for His Love—in a word, to choose amongst the sacrifices He asks.

I think Our Lord made use of it [a dream with two “little devils”] to show me that a soul in the state of grace has nothing to fear from the devil, who is a coward, and will even fly from the gaze of a little child.

I was to be the Spouse of Our Lord at such an early age that it was necessary I should suffer from my childhood.

God

As St. Paul says: “God will have mercy on whom He will have mercy. . . .”

I often asked myself why God had preferences, why all souls did not receive an equal measure of grace. I was filled with wonder when I saw extraordinary favours showered on great sinners like St. Paul, St. Augustine, St. Mary Magdalen, and many others, whom He forced, so to speak, to receive His grace.

I understood this also, that God’s Love is made manifest as well in a simple soul which does not resist His grace as in one more highly endowed. In fact, the characteristic of love being self-abasement, if all souls resembled the holy Doctors who have illuminated the Church, it seems that God in coming to them would not stoop low enough. But He has created the little child, who knows nothing . . .

If a little flower could speak, it seems to me that it would tell us quite simply all that God has done for it, without hiding any of its gifts.

. . . having summed up in a few words all that God’s goodness has done for me, . . .

God, in His goodness, did me the favour of awakening my intelligence very early, . . .

. . . as in the days of my childhood, I cried out: “My God, I choose everything, I will not be a Saint by halves, I am not afraid of suffering for Thee, I only fear one thing, and that is to do my own will. Accept the offering of my will, for I choose all that Thou willest.”

(God)

And so it gives me great joy, dear Mother, to come to you and sing His unspeakable mercies.

+++++

Our Lady

Before setting about my task I knelt before the statue of Our Lady which had given my family so many proofs of Our Heavenly Mother’s loving care. As I knelt I begged of that dear Mother to guide my hand, and thus ensure that only what was pleasing to her should find place here.

In His Love He willed to preserve her from the poisoned breath of the world—hardly had her petals unfolded when this good Master transplanted her to the mountain of Carmel, Our Lady’s chosen garden.

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 23 / Mary: 2

*****

Chapter II – A Catholic Household

Jesus

There she would drink of the mysterious wine which Jesus, at His Last Supper, promised to share with us in the Kingdom of His Father.

. . . my sister having assured me that at this solemn moment the tears of the Holy Child Jesus would purify my soul.

As the Adorable Face of Jesus was veiled during His Passion, so it was fitting that the face of His humble servant should be veiled during the days of his humiliation, in order that it might shine with greater brilliancy in Heaven . . .

Then I pictured my soul as a tiny barque, with a graceful white sail, in the midst of the furrow, and I resolved never to let it withdraw from the sight of Jesus, so that it might sail peacefully and quickly towards the Heavenly Shore.

Lord

Our Lord did not leave me wholly an orphan; on the day of my Mother’s funeral He gave me another mother [i.e., one of her sisters],

If Our Lord had not lavished so much love and sunshine on His Little Flower, she never could have become acclimatised to this earth.

A sermon on the Passion of our Blessed Lord was the first I understood, and it touched me deeply.

Our Lord with His Own Divine Hand was to wipe away the bitter tears of His faithful servant.

God

A thunderbolt fell in a field close by, and, far from feeling the least bit afraid, I was delighted—it seemed that God was so near

As I grew older my love of God grew more and more. I often offered my heart to Him, using the words my Mother had taught me, and I tried very hard to please Him in all my actions, taking great care never to offend Him.

Pauline had warned me: “Thérèse, darling, it is not to a man but to God Himself that you are going to tell your sins.” I was so persuaded of this that I asked her quite seriously if I should not tell Father Ducellier that I loved him “with my whole heart,” as it was really God I was going to speak to in his person.

Above all I loved the procession of the Blessed Sacrament: what a joy it was to strew flowers in God’s path!

And if the great feasts came but seldom, each week brought one very dear to my heart, and that was Sunday. What a glorious day! The Feast of God! The day of rest!

Pauline put me to bed, and I invariably asked her: “Have I been good to-day? Is God pleased with me? Will the Angels watch over me?” The answer was always “Yes,” otherwise I should have spent the whole night in tears.

How I admire God’s ways! He showed us this precious cross beforehand, as a father shows his children the glorious future he is preparing for them—a future which will bring them an inheritance of priceless treasures.

My God, how good Thou art! How well dost Thou suit the trial to our strength!

When I was six or seven years old I saw the sea for the first time. The sight made a deep impression on me, I could not take my eyes off it. Its majesty, and the roar of the waves, all spoke to my soul of the greatness and power of God.

+++++

Our Lady

I remember well that he exhorted me above all to a tender devotion towards Our Lady, and I promised to redouble my love for her who already filled so large a place in my heart. Then I passed him my Rosary to be blessed, and came out of the Confessional more joyful and lighthearted than I had ever felt before. It was evening, and as soon as I got to a street lamp I stopped and took the newly blessed Rosary out of my pocket, turning it over and over.

St.

If St. Teresa was mentioned, my Father would bend down and whisper to me: “Listen attentively, little Queen, he is speaking of your holy patroness.”

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 17 / Mary + saint: 2

One gets the idea already, so I’ll simply summarize the other chapters:

Chapter III. Pauline Enters the Carmel

Jesus 3

Lord 6

God 11

+++++

Our Lady 9

Blessed Lady 2

Heavenly Mother 1

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 20 / Mary: 12

Chapter IV. First Communion and Confirmation

Jesus 11

Lord 16

God 15

Holy Ghost 1

+++++

Mary 2

Our Lady 2

Our Blessed Lady 2

Blessed Virgin Mary 1

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 20 / Mary: 7

Chapter V. Vocation of Thérèse

Jesus 13

Saviour 4

Divine Master 4

Lord 27

God 17

Holy Ghost 1

+++++

Our Lady 2

The Blessed Virgin 1

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 66 / Mary: 3

Chapter VI. A Pilgrimage to Rome

Jesus 11

Saviour 2

Divine Son 1

Divine Child 1

Divine Master 1

Lord 10

God 13

+++++

Mary 1

Our Lady 4

Blessed Virgin Mary 1

the Blessed Virgin, my Mother 1

Blessed Lady 1

Saint / St. 12

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 39 / Mary + saints: 20

Chapter VII. The Little Flower Enters the Carmel

Jesus 8

Divine Master 2

Lord 12

God 15

+++++

Our Lady 1

Blessed Virgin 1

Divine Mother 1

Saint / St. 1

[Explanatory note: lest our Protestant brethren claim that “Divine Mother” means that Mary is God. It does not. The Oxford English Dictionary (“Divine” / adjective) provides at least two meanings that this would or could be an example of:

Given by or proceeding from God; having the sanction of or inspired by God. (“Divine Scripture” is one example given)

Addressed, appropriated, or devoted to God; religious, sacred.

As related to Mary specifically, it also is associated with “divine motherhood” in the sense of Mary being involved in the incarnation as the Mother of God; i.e., of God the Son (Greek, Theotokos, or literally, “God-bearer”) ]

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 37 / Mary + saints: 4

Chapter VIII. Profession of Soeur Thérèse

Jesus 26

Divine Spouse 2

Divine Master 3

Lord 24

God 25

+++++

Mary 1

Our Lady 1

Blessed Lady 1

the Glorious Virgin Mary, Queen of the Heavenly Court 1

Holy Virgin 1

Saint / St. 3

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 80 / Mary + saints: 8

Chapter IX. The Night of the Soul

Jesus 18

Saviour 2

Divine Master 3

Divine Commander 1

the Divine Artist of souls 1

King of Heaven 1

Lord 31

God 26

Holy Ghost 1

+++++

Our Lady 1

Saint / St. 3

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 84 / Mary + saints: 4

Chapter X. The New Commandment

Jesus 5

Divine Master 3

Lord 25

God 29

Holy Ghost 2

Spirit of Love 1

+++++

Mary 1

Blessed Lady 1

Saint / St. 1

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 65 / Mary + saints: 3

Chapter XI. A Canticle of Love

Jesus 30

Saviour 2

Divine Master 1

Divine Spouse 1

Divine Painter 1

Divine King of Kings 1

Divine Throne 1

Divine Hands 1

Divine Sun 1

Divine Sun of Love 1

Divine Eagle 3

Divine Eyes 2

Lord 14

God 25

Holy Spirit 1

+++++

Blessed Lady 1

Saint / St. 11

RATIO: Jesus, God, etc.: 85 / Mary + saints: 12

*****

Grand Total:

Jesus, God, etc.: 536 (87%)

Mary + saints: 77 (13%)

***

On a related note, I also analyzed word usage in examples of the highest, most “flowery” veneration of Mary in three well-known Catholic works that are wrongheadedly despised by Protestant critics as gross idolatry:

St. Alphonsus de Liguori: Mary-Worshiper & Idolater? [8-9-02]

Was St. Louis de Montfort a Blasphemous Mariolater? (cf. abridged, National Catholic Register version) [2009]

Maximilian Kolbe’s “Flowery” Marian Veneration & the Bible [2010]

Catholics Think Mary is “Co-Creator”? (vs. T.F. Kauffman) (Refuting a Distortion of What St. Alphonsus de Liguori Actually Teaches in The Glories of Mary) [7-17-23]

Mary, Not Jesus, is the Catholic “Savior”? (Response to More Misrepresentation of St. Alphonsus de Liguori’s Book, The Glories of Mary) [7-21-23]

Goddess Mary? Reply to Gospel Simplicity’s Austin Suggs . . . and His Objection to St. Louis de Montfort’s True Devotion to Mary [9-25-25]

What I documented in these articles is that even the most enthusiastic Marian devotion is invariably grounded in the absolute transcendence of God. The centrality of God and Mary’s place as an essentially lesser creature is made very clear in these works. But if critics never read them, or seek to understand them, how would they know that? Instead, they search for the most “extreme” (in their view) instances of Marian veneration that they can find in these books, that will — at first glance and taken out of the overall context — appear the most scandalous to Protestant readers, while ignoring all of the data about God, so that everything is in the right perspective.

This is dishonesty and it’s the mortal sin of bearing false witness: one of the Ten Commandments. If one has to resort to lies and distortions and caricatures of opposing viewpoints in order to set out one’s own view, then it obviously isn’t a very strong “case” at all, and not worthy of allegiance.

*****

Photo credit: St. Thérèse of Lisieux at age 8 in 1881 [public domain / Wikimedia Commons]

Summary: St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s devotion to God compared to mentions of Mary and the saints in her autobiography, Story of a Soul, debunks false Protestant conceptions of Catholicism.

Blessed Virgin Mary

Saints & Purgatory & Penance

Salvation & Justification

Personal relationship with Jesus

St. Therese of Lisieux

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