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The Context of Holiness: Psychological and Spiritual Reflections on the Life of Saint Therese of Lisieux
This book explores both the psychological and spiritual dimensions of the life of St. Thrse of Lisieux. The basic premise of this book is that the spiritual life is not an encapsulated sphere, cloistered from the realities of our human existence. Rather it is our response to God within the physical, psychological, social and emotional dimensions of life.
178 pages, Kindle Edition
First published September 1, 2008
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews
October 2, 2024
“St. Thérèse was no plaster statue saint. Her life was a real life… The specific nature of Thérèse's trials may differ from our own, but psychological and emotional suffering are our common lot… The sufferings that we share with Thérèse are universal - physical pain, anxiety, anger, sadness, depression, loneliness, doubts of faith, to name a few. These sufferings make doing the will of God difficult, but they are the context of our choices. They are the context of holiness.”
I feel like this book was made for me. Utilizing the principles of various psychological theories, Fr. Marc demonstrates that St. Thérèse’s deeply wounding childhood experiences were not only not impediments to her holiness, but the particular means and context in which she became one of the greatest saints of the modern era. The references to classic literature and poetry throughout were just icing on the cake :)
As an aside, if you struggle with understanding Thérèse/the Little Way/saints generally, I highly recommend this read. It gives a distinctly human perspective to a saint (who among many others) is often portrayed as having little personality and no relatable characteristics.
I feel like this book was made for me. Utilizing the principles of various psychological theories, Fr. Marc demonstrates that St. Thérèse’s deeply wounding childhood experiences were not only not impediments to her holiness, but the particular means and context in which she became one of the greatest saints of the modern era. The references to classic literature and poetry throughout were just icing on the cake :)
As an aside, if you struggle with understanding Thérèse/the Little Way/saints generally, I highly recommend this read. It gives a distinctly human perspective to a saint (who among many others) is often portrayed as having little personality and no relatable characteristics.
June 29, 2024
4.5/5 stars
wow, what a captivating, thought-provoking analysis of the life of St. Therese of Lisieux!
though familiar with St. Therese's story, i had no idea just how intensely her anxiety shadowed her life, especially in the early years. i flew through the first few chapters because of this, and highlighted several passages regarding motherhood and family in relation to mental health.
Foley does an excellent job of presenting Therese's anxiety and sufferings in the context of her childhood and the place/period in which she grew up. there was a section midway through that i thought leaned a bit too heavily into psychological explanations, which slowed down the pace and ultimate point the author was trying to make. however, the final part picked up again and was just as good as the first. the revelation of Therese's doubts of heaven's existence in the final months of her life shocked me; yet how comforting it is to know that even one of the greatest saints to live suffered from dry periods of prayer and succumbed to doubt!
now i really need to finish Story of a Soul!
wow, what a captivating, thought-provoking analysis of the life of St. Therese of Lisieux!
though familiar with St. Therese's story, i had no idea just how intensely her anxiety shadowed her life, especially in the early years. i flew through the first few chapters because of this, and highlighted several passages regarding motherhood and family in relation to mental health.
Foley does an excellent job of presenting Therese's anxiety and sufferings in the context of her childhood and the place/period in which she grew up. there was a section midway through that i thought leaned a bit too heavily into psychological explanations, which slowed down the pace and ultimate point the author was trying to make. however, the final part picked up again and was just as good as the first. the revelation of Therese's doubts of heaven's existence in the final months of her life shocked me; yet how comforting it is to know that even one of the greatest saints to live suffered from dry periods of prayer and succumbed to doubt!
now i really need to finish Story of a Soul!
July 13, 2016
Suffering and how we deal with it can be instrumental to our spiritual health. The author presents the life and sufferings of St. Therese of Lisieux....and how she internalized the hurt and pain she suffered but most importantly how she overcame her weakness and turned it over to Our Lord and Our Mother to live a life of holiness and Sacrafice. Remarkable saint and a remarkable book. I feel like I have a more intimate knowledge of this wonderful Saint and I thank the author for pulling it all together and presenting it with great skill.
October 28, 2025
Compré este libro hace más de un año, porque sentía que Santa Teresita me estaba “persiguiendo” para acompañarme en mi camino. Este año, al darme la oportunidad de conocerla y tenerla como patrona, me sorprendió cómo su vida y su testimonio llegaron a mí en el momento más perfecto.
Cada vez que abría este libro, algo resonaba en mí, como si fuera un click perfecto a lo que necesitaba escuchar en ese preciso momento.
Plus... amo que el libro incluye psicología !!
Santa Teresita, you’re the best <3
Cada vez que abría este libro, algo resonaba en mí, como si fuera un click perfecto a lo que necesitaba escuchar en ese preciso momento.
Plus... amo que el libro incluye psicología !!
Santa Teresita, you’re the best <3
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January 10, 2024“What lay ahead of Thérèse was coming to grips with the death of her mother. The reason why repressed memories come to consciousness with an ‘undiminished vividness of a recent event,’ is because it is the psyche’s ‘attempt not merely to relive an earlier experience, but to live it for the first time—to live it, that is, with full emotional participation.’ Thérèse never fully mourned her mother’s death because she never fully experienced it. Psychologically, Zélie’s death could not be past tense because it was never present tense” (82)
May 6, 2025
Another book that I read for a class haha
Thérèse's story has been one that I have been inspired by for years. I love her.
1. I read her autobiography a few years ago and found her story so inspiring. This dove deeper into Thérèse's mental illness and the struggle of her life. This is something that encouraged me in my own journey of faith because I saw myself in her story. She was imperfect, she was wounded and traumatized at a young age and somehow she found a way to embrace the love of God despite that. I want to be like her.
2. This book showed that sainthood is attainable to anyone, no matter how hurt you are or what you struggle with. You can make it by embracing your suffering and being who you are through that.
I would 110% recommend this.
Thérèse's story has been one that I have been inspired by for years. I love her.
1. I read her autobiography a few years ago and found her story so inspiring. This dove deeper into Thérèse's mental illness and the struggle of her life. This is something that encouraged me in my own journey of faith because I saw myself in her story. She was imperfect, she was wounded and traumatized at a young age and somehow she found a way to embrace the love of God despite that. I want to be like her.
2. This book showed that sainthood is attainable to anyone, no matter how hurt you are or what you struggle with. You can make it by embracing your suffering and being who you are through that.
I would 110% recommend this.
September 9, 2025
¡No pude dejar de leer! Siento que lo que más me picó fue tal cual conocer el contexto de la santidad de Teresita. Yo creo que si hay que conocerla antes para leer este libro o al menos haber leído Historia de un Alma.
Conocer el contexto de Teresita ayuda a entenderla un poco más y mejor. Siento que nos podemos identificar con Teresita más de lo que creemos.
Es un libro demasiado esperanzador. Me quedo con que Dios es más grande que nosotros mismos, nuestras manías, nuestras debilidades, es más grande que nuestra realidad. Dios trabaja a través de todo. Nada se le escapa, El triunfa siempre.
¡Ya quiero comentarlo en el book club!
Conocer el contexto de Teresita ayuda a entenderla un poco más y mejor. Siento que nos podemos identificar con Teresita más de lo que creemos.
Es un libro demasiado esperanzador. Me quedo con que Dios es más grande que nosotros mismos, nuestras manías, nuestras debilidades, es más grande que nuestra realidad. Dios trabaja a través de todo. Nada se le escapa, El triunfa siempre.
¡Ya quiero comentarlo en el book club!
April 14, 2022
A thoughtful presentation on St. Thérèse’s psychological trauma and how it brought her closer to God. I especially enjoyed the idea that we are called by God to love everyone without exception. To love everyone fully however does not mean that we must like them. The fact there are real applications in my life where I will love someone as I am called to without liking them as a person is not lost of me. Overall a worthy story, but repetitive in detail.
October 18, 2024
Def on a st Therese kick but holy wow this book was so eye-opening in to her human-ness and how the wounds/insecurities/flaws in our lives are not obstacles to holiness but the exact path of day to day living that we are called to.
July 3, 2015
Some genuinely interesting psychoanalytic perspectives and literary references. I found the tone of this book a bit uneven however: it oscillates between the academic and the pastoral (i.e. offering impromptu homilies), and I didn't appreciate repeatedly being addressed as 'dear reader'. Foley suggests that Therese knew about Nietzsche which is surely incorrect. They were contemporaries, and interesting dialogues and plays have been written about their imaginary encounters (by e.g. Michael Gallagher and Bridget Edman), but I find no indication that Therese really knew about or referred to him. She encountered heresy and atheism in Hyacinthe Loyson and Leo Taxil so perhaps her alleged comment refers to one of them? A recommend, but with a few reservations.
August 9, 2025
SO GOOD.
The biggest draw of the book for me was the establishment of its premise: that the difficulties of life do not preclude us from living full lives, but that they are the *context* within which we can live full lives.
It was wildly liberating to explore the concept, with the life of Therese as a case study, so to speak. I really want to leave some stellar, impactful insight to express how much I was impacted by this book, but I don't think I can do any better than share one of the many passages that touched me:
"Freud once said that therapy ends when we are dealing with our problems and they are no longer dealing with us. Thirty-five years ago... Freud's viewpoint sounded pessimistic and depressing. Now, as a man in his sixties struggling with the same fears and neurotic tendencies that I wrestled with in my youth, I see Freud's perspective as being realistic. ...
"Even though by the grace of God I am not the man I was thirty-five years ago... during times of stress when my old fears and neurotic compulsions well up within me in all their savage intensity, I feel that nothing has changed. I say to myself, 'When will I ever be rid of this fear?'
"Once I could accept the answer, 'Never,' I felt a great weight taken off my shoulders. For I was released from the impossible goal of trying to become someone other than myself. 'Working on yourself' can be an insidious mask of self-hate, for it makes you feel that there is something wrong with you until you are 'healed.'
"I have often told people... in spiritual direction to never make it a goal to conquer their faults, but instead to simply focus on the grace needed for that moment. ...
"Thérèse did not make it a goal to go beyond the effects of her childhood but to do the will of God in the midst of them. She understood that the emotional wounds of her childhood were not obstacles to spiritual growth but the context of growing in holiness."
GAAAAHHH so good. I bought this whole book just because Matt Fradd shared that one passage on his podcast, and I am so glad I did, and I think you should too. Regardless of one's familiarity with St. Thérèse, the spiritual and psychological insights that Foley provides have been so liberating and rejuvenating to explore. The fact that he is constantly quoting Wordsworth and Hopkins just is icing on the cake ✨️
The biggest draw of the book for me was the establishment of its premise: that the difficulties of life do not preclude us from living full lives, but that they are the *context* within which we can live full lives.
It was wildly liberating to explore the concept, with the life of Therese as a case study, so to speak. I really want to leave some stellar, impactful insight to express how much I was impacted by this book, but I don't think I can do any better than share one of the many passages that touched me:
"Freud once said that therapy ends when we are dealing with our problems and they are no longer dealing with us. Thirty-five years ago... Freud's viewpoint sounded pessimistic and depressing. Now, as a man in his sixties struggling with the same fears and neurotic tendencies that I wrestled with in my youth, I see Freud's perspective as being realistic. ...
"Even though by the grace of God I am not the man I was thirty-five years ago... during times of stress when my old fears and neurotic compulsions well up within me in all their savage intensity, I feel that nothing has changed. I say to myself, 'When will I ever be rid of this fear?'
"Once I could accept the answer, 'Never,' I felt a great weight taken off my shoulders. For I was released from the impossible goal of trying to become someone other than myself. 'Working on yourself' can be an insidious mask of self-hate, for it makes you feel that there is something wrong with you until you are 'healed.'
"I have often told people... in spiritual direction to never make it a goal to conquer their faults, but instead to simply focus on the grace needed for that moment. ...
"Thérèse did not make it a goal to go beyond the effects of her childhood but to do the will of God in the midst of them. She understood that the emotional wounds of her childhood were not obstacles to spiritual growth but the context of growing in holiness."
GAAAAHHH so good. I bought this whole book just because Matt Fradd shared that one passage on his podcast, and I am so glad I did, and I think you should too. Regardless of one's familiarity with St. Thérèse, the spiritual and psychological insights that Foley provides have been so liberating and rejuvenating to explore. The fact that he is constantly quoting Wordsworth and Hopkins just is icing on the cake ✨️
September 22, 2025
Que consuelo es leer a Teresita de vez en cuando. En este libro aprendí muchas cosas que no sabía de ella y su familia, amé todo el contexto psicológico. Me ayuda más a entenderla y empatizar con ella. Me llevo muchas cosas para rezar, pero sobretodo como Dios no desaprovecha ninguna circunstancia en nuestra vida para santificarnos. Las circunstancias y heridas con las que creció Teresita, fue el terreno perfecto para su santidad.
Recomiendo leer previamente otro libro de la vida de Teresita para contexto. Creo que este libro no resume en totalidad su vida, e incluso no me encantó como pintan a su mamá, me faltó contexto positivo, por algo es Santa la mamá, creo que el autor solo explica sus “carencias”.
En general si recomiendo el libro. Da mucho insight a quien era Teresita y como no desaprovechó ninguna circunstancia para ofrecerla y entregarse más a Jesús.
Recomiendo leer previamente otro libro de la vida de Teresita para contexto. Creo que este libro no resume en totalidad su vida, e incluso no me encantó como pintan a su mamá, me faltó contexto positivo, por algo es Santa la mamá, creo que el autor solo explica sus “carencias”.
En general si recomiendo el libro. Da mucho insight a quien era Teresita y como no desaprovechó ninguna circunstancia para ofrecerla y entregarse más a Jesús.
October 4, 2024
Finished on her feast day, Oct. 2 ❤️
Therese has always been difficult for me to relate to, but in this season of life when the little things count for so much, I begin to understand her little way. Written from a Catholic perspective, this book shines a light on the psychological aspects of Therese’s sainthood: the good and the ugly. She was certainly not a saint without suffering. Her childhood was riddled with loss, and the author examined how this informed her temperament, sickness, and struggles even after she was accepted into the convent. It certainly shines a new light on the Little Flower and makes her much more “human”.
Therese has always been difficult for me to relate to, but in this season of life when the little things count for so much, I begin to understand her little way. Written from a Catholic perspective, this book shines a light on the psychological aspects of Therese’s sainthood: the good and the ugly. She was certainly not a saint without suffering. Her childhood was riddled with loss, and the author examined how this informed her temperament, sickness, and struggles even after she was accepted into the convent. It certainly shines a new light on the Little Flower and makes her much more “human”.
August 6, 2022
What does it take to be holy? No special conditions. Every life experience can be the context for growth in holiness. Foley illustrated this in the life of St. Therese with a readily accessible interpretation of her life with many relevant facts hitherto unknown to me. I found this very heartening. Holiness is not our achievement after all—if we open ourselves to God in the context in which we find ourselves, He will make us saints. He doesn’t need much to work with, just our trust!
Good chapter on scruples.
Good chapter on scruples.
September 9, 2020
This is a truly wonderful read which reminds us that while we canonize the person, that does not make all aspects of her life worth canonizing. It is a reality that St. Therese of the Child Jesus was a deeply wounded and disturbed person, but what made her saintly is that her active struggle to come to terms with her trauma, especially with the way they are resolved, were offered to the Lord.
February 23, 2022
Five stars for what this book is supposed to be, which is a Carmelite religious’ thoughts on how St. Therese’s holiness is not from nowhere and without struggle. A beautiful and fairly easy read, definitely worth it and edifying. I am so grateful for the beautiful people God has raised up for us. “St. Therese is one of the most sane saints I know of”, to paraphrase the author.
October 2, 2023
Fascinating read that gave me an immense respect for St. Therese and the challenges she dealt with in her short lifetime. This book isn’t so much of a biography as it is a deep dive into Therese’s psyche, and it humanized her, making her extremely relatable. I would recommend!
December 21, 2023
St. Therese of Lisieux is one of my favorite saints, but there were times I thought this book was going a little overboard in theorizing about her psychological issues. But just as I was about to abandon the book, the author would produce an insight applicable to my own life. Well worth the read.
December 14, 2024
I’m giving this 5 stars because although not every chapter was helpful, the parts that were really hit the nail on the head for those who suffer from anxiety and scrupulosity. I feel so much closer to Sts. Zelie and Therese after reading this.
November 17, 2025
incredible and relevant for today
This thorough look at of one of the church’s most beloved saints has all the marks of a well researched and deeply insightful look at holiness in the messy of life.
This thorough look at of one of the church’s most beloved saints has all the marks of a well researched and deeply insightful look at holiness in the messy of life.
December 5, 2025
If you want a book that brings the saints to your level, this is the oneeeee 🤸🏻♀️ Insightful analysis on the life of sweet Thérèse. Full of reminders of our humanity and how God draws near to us with extreme humility + gentleness.
March 18, 2023
I love reading Catholic books and this gave a new light to the humanity of the Martin Saints.
August 5, 2025
Such a sad yet inspiring story of true faith. So many similarities to the secular world in which we live in today and the struggle to maintain faith
October 26, 2024
This really helped me understand St Therese. At times I wasn't a fan of the speculation, but it also had parts with serious insight.
February 4, 2024
A well researched book on St Therese and her struggles through life, starting with the loss of her mother at 4. Therese suffered an agonizing dark night of faith. Later in life she had health issues. She was no plaster saint. The author's psychological insights are informative. Therese lived at a time in France when their was much scepticism throughout the country. From 1879 to 1889 most religious congregations were dissolved and religion was banned from public education. Written in 1949
March 14, 2024
Llegué a la conclusión que cada cierto tiempo leeré algo sobre St Teresa de Lisieux… ¡qué bien hace al mundo! Nada de vidas perfectas,,, Nuestros problemas, enfermedades y temperamento son el contexto de nuestra grandeza y santidad.
December 3, 2024
I'd recommend this book to anyone who thinks that St. Thèrése was just another 'flowery' little saint. It is an absolutely eye-opening read filled with wonderful wisdom & insight into the struggles she faced from her childhood to her deathbed.
December 15, 2022
This book was amazing! It was so interesting and eye-opening to see the whole life of St. Therese written out! And to have the psychological and spiritual insight throughout just made this book even more “chewable” and applicable to my own life! Loved it! Recommend it often to my friends!
September 28, 2012
deeply insightful analysis.
Displaying 1 - 29 of 29 reviews