Take a Walk with St. Thérèse to Celebrate her Feast Day

Tami Kiser suggests a fun family activity with a special connection to the Little Flower's feast day.

Of course we know St. Thérèse of Lisieux as “the Little Flower,” but did you ever think about why that inspiration?

According to the Society of the Little Flower,

She was just like the simple wild flowers in forests and fields, unnoticed by the greater population, yet growing and giving glory to God. Thérèse did not see herself as a brilliant rose or an elegant lily, but simply as a small wildflower. This is how she understood herself before the Lord—simple and hidden, but blooming where God had planted her.

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But let’s take the why a little deeper. She could have compared herself to a button or a stitch on one of her mother’s handkerchiefs, but no she was very much influenced by nature.

She considered nature one of her greatest teachers. She refers to it as a book. In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, she writes:

Jesus set before me the book of nature. I understand how all the flowers God has created are beautiful, how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understand that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty, and the fields would no longer be decked out with little wild flowers. So it is in the world of souls, Jesus’ garden. He has created smaller ones and those must be content to be daisies or violets destined to give joy to God’s glances when He looks down at His feet. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being what He wills us to be.

Let’s set the book of nature before ourselves and our children on her feast day, October 1. It’s a Saturday this year and promises to be a beautiful fall day. It doesn’t need to be anything complicated, just a simple walk someplace where nature abounds.

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My kids tend to run on a hike, which is fine for a little bit, but make sure you take some time to slow it down. Find a quiet place to sit and ask the kids to remain silent and observe the nature around them. This is such an easy and wonderful practice. It doesn’t have to be long. And it's best after a few minutes to not say anything but remain quiet a few minutes longer, get up, and continue the walk together.

Let’s get in the habit of letting nature be our book that shows us more about God.

St. Thérèse, the Little Flower, pray for us!

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Let’s get in the habit of letting nature be our book that shows us more about God. #catholicmom

If you are in the Western Carolinas area, join me and a few other families for a St. Thérèse hike on the day after her feast day, Sunday, Oct. 2nd, 2022. We’ll do a family friendly 3-mile loop to a beautiful waterfall along a trail filled with wildflowers and colorful fall leaves. We’ll meet at Heart Ridge Retreat Center at 2:00.

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