A Letter to Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

On the feast of Saint Thérèse, Allison Brown shares a heartfelt letter, reflecting on her lifelong devotion to this beloved saint. 

Dear Thérèse…

I remember feeling drawn to you and your desire to send roses like rain upon the earth. It was something so simple, yet so profound: a shower of roses. 

You often quietly stood in the background, though never far away from me. It wasn't until many years later, in my adulthood, that our friendship grew and I realised that I had been gifted with a very special heavenly friend. Again, it was simple things I noticed or realised: my husband’s birthday coinciding with your feast day, and you sending me roses when I prayed for help or for answers.

A Best Friend Who Never Left My Side

You made that abundantly clear while I was suffering through post-partum depression after my youngest was born. I was feeling weighed down by the depression and anxiety. I felt like I was in a black hole consumed by its darkness with no way out. 

I remember locking myself in my bedroom, lying down and asking you to sit with me. I was afraid. Through the haze of exhaustion and sleep, you vividly reached out to me. You grabbed me by my arm and said very clearly that you did not want me to go over the cliff. 

I knew what you meant. You didn’t want me to fall any further into the deep depression I was already in. 

You then directed me to the Sacrament of Reconciliation, informing me that this was what I needed to do if I wanted to go to Heaven. 

A Saint Who Is a Comfort to Me 

Thérèse, you are often a comfort to me, and there have been many times when I sense you smiling upon me, or almost laughing with a knowing grin. When I see photos of you, I feel like I am looking at someone I have known all my life. 

We were born into two completely different worlds, many lifetimes apart, with the distance from heaven to earth now between us. Yet it feels like we are walking this journey side by side, with no distance between us, even though one of us has reached their heavenly, eternal home before the other. 

A Saint Who Teaches Me to Love 

Thérèse, you have taught me that acts of love can be shown in the quietest, simplest ways, and that these simple acts make the deepest impact on the heart. 

You are teaching me to love, even when it is hard to love the person right in front of me. You are teaching me what it truly means to serve the people I encounter: how to show up, love them, and put myself last. 

Most of all, you are teaching me how to love our Lord, and that the Lord isn't wanting any grand gestures from me but for me to give Him my whole heart, surrendering all to him. 

I find it comforting to know you would fall asleep during prayer and that you struggled to pray the Rosary. It reassures me that I still have a chance at becoming a saint — because I, too, have at times fallen asleep in prayer and struggle at times to pray the Rosary. When I was told this, I was so relieved! 

You understand the deep turmoil that emotions, anxiety, and depression can cause, and the suffering of physical illness. But you also understand that the Lord can transcend all of that if it is His will. I know the Lord is asking me to surrender in my suffering. 

Thérèse, your little ways have paved a path for those seeking Christ. This path is paved with the simple acts of love. You have shown me that, through love, we can reach out to others and bring them closer to Christ. By reaching out to others with love, we reflect Christ's love for them. 

Every rose I see reminds me of your example, and every flower reminds me that the Lord sees us all — from the roses to the wildflowers, He is constantly drawn to our simplicity, reaching down even to the smallest of them all.

My dear friend, I thank you for your friendship, love, and guidance. 

I look forward to celebrating your feast day with you in heaven someday. 

Happy feast day! 

Your little flower,

Allison

P.S. Feel free to send some roses this way.

P.P.S. I know you are smiling!

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Copyright 2026 Allison Brown
Images: Canva