Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Living on Love

by Fr. Didier-Marie Golay

Thérèse of Lisieux is one of the most popular modern saints in the world, but the details of her life and spirituality are still not widely known and are somewhat of a mystery even to her devoted followers. With over 150 stunning photographs, in-depth text, and plentiful sidebars on history, geography, and themes, this gorgeous work helps us enter into the universe of "the greatest saint of modern times" to discover the simplicity, yet depth of her daily life and of her relationships, both human and spiritual. It invites us to a personal encounter with Thérèse, who once wrote, "I am your sister, your friend; I will always watch over you." It invites us also to discover her appealing and rich spirituality of "the little way". Patroness of missions, Doctor of the Church, this Carmelite sister, who died at only twenty-four, has not ceased to surprise us and to spread her powerful message of love and trust across the world. Her whole life of can be encapsulated in her poem "Living on Love": a passionate love of Christ lived out in the everyday, in the joys and trials of life, in inner and outer sufferings. Living on love is a spiritual program for life, but to live it requires a special grace for which we must ask, especially through the intercession of the "Little Flower" of Jesus. This unique, very beautiful and moving work will inspire readers to desire to imitate St. Thérèse in "living on love".

Genres: Biography, Catholic

318 pages, Hardcover

Published June 22, 2021

Reviews

[Rebecca Tabish · Rating 5 out of 5]

This has got to be one of my favorite reads so far this year! I truly loved everything about this book! Included in this book are lots of unseen photographs of St. Therese, paintings that she made, poems she wrote and lots of info about her and the rest of the Martin family. After having read this book I feel like I know St. Therese on a personal level now.

[Anthony · Rating 3 out of 5]

If you’ve read Story of a Soul but was sad at when it ended, feeling it was short, this book will be the perfect addition to help flesh out her life a little bit more and gain a stronger sense of her life and origins and a deeper intimacy with the Martin family. Though don’t expect it to be necessarily deeply theological or profound, though it is at times, as it is more of a history and chronology that may fill gaps as to where certain events happened in her life. I think it is a great addition to anyone interested in Thérèse and a great complementary work for her other writings.

Living On Love contains a healthy number of photos from Therese’s childhood and life in the monastery which you may not have encountered before. Amongst the photos of her short life there are also photos of the homes she grew up in, family tree, clocks made by her father, beautifully intricate and award-winning lace made by her mother, and artwork and paintings carefully crafted by Thérèse herself and her sisters. The book even answers questions I didn’t know I had, like what a day in the life of a 19th Century Carmelite looks like; it’s a very intense life to say the least. Not to spoil it too much but for another example, there’s a really nice portrait of the Holy Family at Christ’s nativity, in which an angel is portrayed nearby, but has the face of Thérèse, and Joseph and Mary have the features of Louis and Zelie. It was a nice little ‘easter egg’ painted by Céline Martin, aka Sister Geneviéve.

Living on Love is a reminder of her beautiful simplicity of life, that I too am no martyr, but love of Christ is well and truly within my grasp, and to love like her in the little things, just like 1 Corinthians 13 says, is true love. This book is an addition to my library I will treasure for the rest of my life.