Today is the Feast Day of Louis & Zelie Martin

Parents of Therese of Lisieux

Born in 1823, Louis Martin was a successful watchmaker by profession. His lineage was steeped in military tradition, and his early life was spent in the disciplined environment of French military posts. At the tender age of 22, Louis felt a divine calling and sought to join the Augustinian Canons at the Great St. Bernard Hospice in the Alps. However, his dreams were thwarted by his inability to master Latin, a prerequisite for entry into the monastery. Disheartened, Louis relinquished his aspirations for a monastic life and returned to Alencon to continue his craft of watchmaking.

Zélie Guerin, born in 1831, was a gifted artisan in the intricate craft of lace-making in Alencon. Like Louis, she too was born into a military family, but her childhood was marked by a lack of affection from her parents, which she described as "dismal." She too had sought to dedicate her life to the church, but her attempts to join the religious order of the sisters of the Hotel-Dieu were unsuccessful. Undeterred, Zélie honed her skills in the Alencon lace-making technique, eventually establishing a successful business of her own.

Providence brought Louis Martin and Zélie Guerin together in Alencon, and on July 13, 1858, they embarked on their shared journey of life as husband and wife. Over the next 15 years, their family grew with the birth of nine children, seven daughters and two sons. Zélie wrote of their children, "We lived only for them; they were all our happiness."

However, their joy was short-lived as tragedy struck their family repeatedly. Within a span of three years, Zélie lost two infant sons, a five-year-old daughter, and a newborn baby girl. Despite her profound grief, Zélie found solace in her faith. She wrote to her sister-in-law, who had also lost an infant son, "When I closed the eyes of my dear little children and buried them, I felt sorrow through and through … People said to me, 'It would have been better never to have had them.' I couldn’t stand such language. My children were not lost forever; life is short and full of miseries, and we shall find our little ones again up above.”

On January 2, 1873, the Martins welcomed their last child, a frail and weak baby girl whose life hung in the balance. The family, already acquainted with the sting of death, prepared for another loss. Zélie wrote of her three-month-old daughter, "I have no hope of saving her. The poor little thing suffers horribly … It breaks your heart to see her." However, the infant girl defied all odds and survived. A year later, she was a robust baby, full of life and laughter, bringing joy to all around her. This child, MarieFrancoise-Therese Martin, would later be known as St. Therese, the "Little Flower."

The trials and tribulations they faced only served to deepen the love between Louis and Zélie Martin. They showered their affection on their five surviving daughters: Marie, Pauline, Leonie, Celine, and their newborn. Their faith, which had been their anchor during their darkest hours, was a cornerstone in their family life. On October 18, 2015, Louis and Zélie Martin were canonized together, marking the first time in history that a couple was recognized as saints together.

Source: www.littleflower.org

The Holiness and Wisdom of Zelie

In a heartfelt correspondence to her brother and sister-in-law penned in 1870, Zélie Martin shared her profound insights on the divine will. She wrote, “The wisest and simplest thing to do in all this is to resign oneself to the will of God and to prepare oneself to be ready to carry one’s cross as courageously as possible.” (A Call to a Deeper Love-The Letters of Zelie & Louis Martin) This concept, while straightforward in its expression, is deeply imbued with wisdom and authenticity. It is in aligning our lives with the divine will that we find tranquility and peace in our hearts.

Louis and Zélie Martin were living embodiments of this Gospel truth. They demonstrated through their lives what it truly means to dwell in a state of beatitude. Their existence was a testament to the serenity and joy that comes from surrendering to God's will, even in the face of adversity. They bore their crosses, their personal trials and tribulations, with remarkable courage and faith, inspiring those around them and generations to come.

Their lives serve as a reminder that beatitude, a state of utmost meaning and divine joy, is not found in the absence of suffering, but in the presence of divine love and surrender. It is in embracing God's will, in carrying our crosses with courage, that we can experience the profound peace and joy that comes from living in harmony with the divine. This is the essence of beatitude, and it was this essence that Louis and Zelie Martin so beautifully embodied in their lives.

My Pilgrimage to Lisieux in 2019

In March 2019, I (with Pam and Catherine) was blessed to go on pilgrimage to Lisieux and pray at the reliquary of St. Louis and Zelie Martin at the Basilica of St. Therese of Lisieux. What a blessing and grace.

Let Us Pray

God of eternal love, you give us Blessed Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of St. Thérèse, as an example of holiness in marriage. In all duties and trials of life, they remained faithful to you and to your commandments. They desired to raise their children to become saints. May their prayers and example help Christian family life to blossom in our world today.