#stslouismartinandzelieguerin — Public Fediverse posts
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Join us as we celebrate the feast of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Learn how their lives exemplify the grace to lead a holy life as Christian spouses and parents, inspiring us to love and serve God faithfully.
Music credit: Sean BeesonThe good God gave me a father and a mother more worthy of heaven than of earth.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Letter 261On July 12, we celebrate the feast day of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. Their lives exemplify the possibility of receiving the grace to lead a life of holiness as Christian spouses and parents. Through their intercession and example, they show us how to love and serve God faithfully, living worthily our own vocation.
Louis Martin was born on 22 August 1823 in Bordeaux. After settling in Alençon, he became a skilled watchmaker. In 1858, he married Azélie Guérin, a talented lace-maker born on 23 December 1831. The couple had nine children, five of whom survived to adulthood and embraced religious life. The surviving children were: Marie, Pauline, Léonie, Céline, and Thérèse.
The Martins’ home was a nurturing environment where faith was paramount. Louis and Zélie were dedicated to their children’s education and spiritual formation. Despite the loss of four children and Zélie’s battle with cancer, their faith never wavered.
Zélie was diagnosed with breast cancer in 1865 but continued to manage her business and care for her family. She passed away on 28 August 1877, leaving a lasting legacy of strength and devotion.
After Zélie’s death, Louis moved to Lisieux to support his daughters. He faced significant health challenges, including cerebral arteriosclerosis. Despite his struggles, Louis remained a pillar of faith for his family until his death on 29 July 1894.
The lives of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin continue to inspire us. Their unwavering faith, deep love, and dedication to their family are a testament to their sanctity. They remind us that holiness can be found in the everyday moments of family life.
As we honor Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, let us reflect on their example and seek to emulate their faith and love in our own lives. May their lives teach us to love and serve God faithfully, and to live worthily our own vocation. Join us in celebrating their feast day and drawing inspiration from their remarkable journey.
We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications.
Featured image: This detail of the 1925 window in the baptistry of the Basilica of Notre-Dame of the Assumption in Alençon was designed and executed by the native Alençon stained glass artist Louis Barillet; it represents the baptism of the Servant of God. Image credit: GFreihalter / Wikimedia Commons (Some rights reserved)
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/11/lzm-ep08/
#Alençon #familyLife #holiness #Lisieux #marriage #Podcast #StLouisMartin #StThérèseOfLisieux #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
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SCRIPTURE
Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.
READING
As for me, I know God takes care of me, and I’ve already noticed it many times in my life. How many memories I have of this that I’ll never forget.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 156 from Zélie Guérin to her daughter Pauline
12 March 1876PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/10/lzmnovena24-9/
#anxiety #care #DivineProvidence #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust
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SCRIPTURE
Then Jesus told his disciples, “If any want to become my followers, let them deny themselves and take up their cross and follow me. For those who want to save their life will lose it, and those who lose their life for my sake will find it. For what will it profit them if they gain the whole world but forfeit their life? Or what will they give in return for their life?
READING
It’s true that each person has a cross to bear, but there are some for whom it is heavier than others. My dear sister, you’ve already begun to see that life is not a bed of roses. God wills this to detach us from the world and raise our thoughts toward Heaven.
Yesterday, while going with the doctor to see my little Thérèse, who is very sick, I noticed a beautiful chateau and some magnificent properties. I said to myself that all of that is nothing. We’ll only be happy when all of us, we and our children are reunited in Heaven, and I offered up my child to God.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 90 from Zélie Guérin to her sister-in-law Céline
30 March 1873PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/09/lzmnovena24-8/
#CélineGuérin #cross #detachment #happiness #heaven #novena #prayer #roses #StThérèseOfLisieux #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
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SCRIPTURE
The Lord is my light and my salvation;
whom shall I fear?
The Lord is the stronghold of my life;
of whom shall I be afraid?
When evildoers assail me
to devour my flesh—
my adversaries and foes—
they shall stumble and fall.
Though an army encamp against me,
my heart shall not fear;
though war rise up against me,
yet I will be confident.READING
I’m not sure if you know that the Prussians have been in our home since Monday morning, at seven o’clock. They marched in front of the house until one o’clock in the afternoon. There were 25,000 of them. I couldn’t describe our anxieties.
Monday, around three o’clock, all the doors were marked with the number of enemy soldiers to be housed. A big sergeant came to ask us to inspect the house. I took him up to the first floor while telling him we have four children. Fortunately for us, he didn’t try to go up to the second floor. Finally, they made us take in nine of them, and we can’t complain. In our part of town, small shopkeepers who have only two apartments are taking in fifteen, twenty, and even twenty-five. Those we have are neither mean nor looters, but they love to eat like I have never seen.
We’ve had to let them have the entire first floor and move to the ground floor. If I told you everything, I’d have to write a book.
All the livestock in the surrounding area were taken. Now there’s no more milk anywhere. What will my little Céline do? She drinks a liter a day! And what are the poor mothers who have only small children going to do? Nor is there any meat in the butcher shops. In short, the town is in desolation. Everyone is crying except me.
My husband is sad. He can neither eat nor sleep. I believe he’s going to get sick.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 64 from Zélie Guérin to her sister-in-law, Céline
17 January 1871PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/08/lzmnovena24-7/
#anxiety #CélineGuérin #familyLife #FrancoPrussianWar #intercession #novena #prayer #sadness #StLouisMartin #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #suffering #war
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SCRIPTURE
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.
READING
For the last two months, my little Léonie has had a kind of purulent eczema on her entire body, and the illness is getting worse every day. I’m very upset and the doctor doesn’t know how to treat it. He told me to give her some antiscorbutic syrup [anti-scurvy medicine], which I did, but the ravages of the illness didn’t lessen. It seems that these kinds of illnesses are almost incurable. Please, give me your advice and tell me what I should do. Perhaps you know some famous specialists who will be able to give you some effective remedies. You wouldn’t believe how much I suffer seeing my poor little daughter in this state. I’ve just written to our sister Élise [Sister Marie-Dosithée, V.S.M.] asking that she say a novena for her.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 12 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
5 March 1865PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/05/lzmnovena24-4/
#advice #illness #intercession #LéonieMartin #medicine #novena #prayer #SrMarieDosithée #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
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I, also, would like to be a saint, but I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much to do that I limit myself to the desire. I often say during the day, “My God, how I would like to be a saint!” Then, I don’t do the work!
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 154 to her daughter Pauline
26 February 1876Introduction
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin are exemplary models of Catholic family life and holiness. Through their unwavering faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to living out the theological virtues, they nurtured a spirit of faith and love in their family. Their commitment to God and their devotion to daily prayers, reception of the sacraments, and surrender to His will offer profound lessons for us today.
Pope Francis highlighted their sanctity during their canonization, stating:
“The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus” (Homily, Holy Mass and Canonization, 18 October 2015).
Their example is particularly relevant today, as families navigate the complexities of contemporary life. As Saint John Paul II profoundly stated, “The family is the domestic church… the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family” (Homily, Apostolic Pilgrimage to Australia, 30 November 1986). This highlights the vital role of the family as the foundation of society and the Church.
Let us ask Saints Louis and Zélie to intercede for us, helping us grow in faith, hope, and charity. May we trust in God’s providential care, persevere in our daily challenges, and abide in the joy and hope that a living faith in Christ brings. May this novena encourage us in our spiritual journeys and remind us of the sanctity and beauty of family life, providing points of reflection on the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie as we present our needs to them, begging their intercession.
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Pray each day with Saints Louis and Zélie
- Day 1
His Divine Providence - Day 2
Calm and moderation - Day 3
A good woman - Day 4
Léonie’s illness - Day 5
Real life - Day 6
The death of Hélène - Day 7
The Prussian army in Alençon - Day 8
Life is not a bed of roses - Day 9
God takes care of me
Novena Prayer
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Our novena prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie comes from the Shrine of Saints Louis and Zélie in Alençon, France (Imprimatur +Jacques Habert, Bishop of Séez, 26 May 2016).
Join us for the 2024 Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena. Reflect on their faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to family life. Seek their intercession through nine daily meditations inspired by their letters.
Music credit: Sean BeesonAll scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-intr/
#familyLife #intercession #novena #perseverance #prayer #StLouisMartin #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust #virtues
- Day 1
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St. John of the Cross Novena, Day 4: Walking in love
Reading
The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired.
Sayings of Light and Love, 97
Scripture
If I have all the eloquence of men or of angels, but speak without love, I am simply a gong booming or a cymbal clashing. If I have the gift of prophecy, understanding all the mysteries there are, and knowing everything, and if I have faith in all its fullness, to move mountains, but without love, then I am nothing at all. If I give away all that I possess, piece by piece, and if I even let them take my body to burn it, but am without love, it will do me no good whatever.
Love is always patient and kind; it is never jealous; love is never boastful or conceited; it is never rude or selfish; it does not take offense, and is not resentful. Love takes no pleasure in other people’s sins but delights in the truth; it is always ready to excuse, to trust, to hope, and to endure whatever comes.
Love does not come to an end.
Meditation
“Love makes _____.”
How would you complete this sentence?
Our answers may give us clues as to how we understand love: God’s love, our love for God, and how love, in all its forms—filial, erotic, and caritative—is at work in our lives. In his first letter to the Corinthians, St. Paul is talking about charity, or what some refer to as agape love (αγαπη).
And like a professor standing at a blackboard or whiteboard, Paul defines his term, including both what love is and what it is not. We can feel fairly certain that he is sketching some of the basic parameters of love… as St. John of the Cross might define it in his saying, an untiring love.
Now, nowhere in this passage of his first letter to the Corinthians is St. Paul scolding the Church for possessing a lack of love or a warped concept of love. The context of this chapter is an instruction on worship in the Corinthian church, and how any worship—no matter how glorious it may be—that lacks the spiritual gift of charity, i.e. love, is so much dust in the wind. Hence that famous verse that we so often hear at weddings: “Love never ends; as for prophecies, they will pass away; as for tongues, they will cease; as for knowledge, it will pass away” (1 Cor 13:8)
It was in reading these chapters that St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus found her inspiration one day. “I opened the Epistles of St. Paul to find some kind of answer. Chapters 12 and 13 of the First Epistle to the Corinthians fell under my eyes… the Apostle explains how all the most PERFECT gifts are nothing without LOVE. That Charity is the EXCELLENT WAY that leads most surely to God” (Ms B, 3r-3v). Therefore, St. Paul urges the Corinthians, “make love your aim” (1 Cor 14:1).
St. John Paul II noted this inspired reading of First Corinthians in his 1997 Apostolic Letter Divini Amoris Scientia:
She discovered hidden treasures, appropriating words and episodes, sometimes with supernatural boldness, as when, in reading the texts of St Paul (cf. 1 Cor 12-13), she realized her vocation to love (cf. Ms B, 3r-3v). Enlightened by the revealed Word, Thérèse wrote brilliant pages on the unity between love of God and love of neighbor (cf. Ms C, 11v-19r).
St. Thérèse did not develop her mad love for God in a vacuum. Love was her aim from her youth, as she testified time and time again in her autobiographical manuscripts and letters. St. John Paul II explained the nature of her formation when he declared Thérèse to be a Doctor of the Universal Church:
Her doctrine, as was said, conforms to the Church’s teaching. From childhood, she was taught by her family to participate in prayer and liturgical worship. In preparation for her first Confession, first Communion and the sacrament of Confirmation, she gave evidence of an extraordinary love for the truths of the faith, and she learned the Catechism almost word for word (cf. Ms A, 37r-37v).
So what was this untiring love that St. Thérèse learned in her family? What did it look like? Who were her models?
When a Doctor of the Universal Church is born to a pair of Saints, one doesn’t have to look very far because ‘the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree.’ In fact, one particular letter from her mother, Saint Zélie Guérin Martin to her father, Saint Louis Martin, provides us with an example of the untiring love that was taught by example in the Martin family home. Written during the summer of 1873 after the birth of Thérèse, Zélie takes Pauline and Marie with her to visit her brother and the Guérin family in Lisieux. Can you read untiring, selfless love in the following lines?
Lisieux, August 31, 1873
My dear Louis,
We arrived yesterday afternoon at four-thirty. My brother was waiting for us at the station and was delighted to see us. He and his wife are doing everything they can to entertain us. This evening, Sunday, there’s a beautiful reception in their home in our honor. Tomorrow, Monday, we’re going to Trouville. Tuesday there will be a big dinner at the home of Madame Maudelonde and, perhaps, a drive to the country house of Madame Fournet. The children are thrilled and if the weather were good, they’d be ecstatic.
As for me, I’m finding it hard to relax! None of that interests me! I’m absolutely like the fish you pull out of the water. They’re no longer in their element and they have to perish! This would have the same effect on me if I had to stay a lot longer. I feel uncomfortable, I’m out of sorts. This is affecting me physically, and it’s almost making me sick. However, I’m reasoning with myself and trying to gain the upper hand. I’m with you in spirit all day, and I say to myself, “Now he must be doing such and such a thing.”
I’m longing to be near you, my dear Louis. I love you with all my heart, and I feel my affection so much more when you’re not here with me. It would be impossible for me to live apart from you.
This morning I attended three Masses. I went to the one at six o’clock, made my thanksgiving and said my prayers during the seven o’clock Mass, and returned for the high Mass.
My brother is not unhappy with his business. It’s going well enough.
Tell Léonie and Céline that I kiss them tenderly and will bring them a souvenir from Lisieux.
I’ll try to write you tomorrow, if possible, but I don’t know what time we’ll return from Trouville. I’m hurrying because they’re waiting for me to go visiting. We return Wednesday evening at seven-thirty. How long that seems to me!
I kiss you with all my love. The little girls want me to tell you that they’re very happy to have come to Lisieux and they send you big hugs.
Zélie
Family correspondence CF 108
Prayer
O St. John of the Cross
You were endowed by our Lord with the spirit of self-denial
and a love of the cross.
Obtain for us the grace to follow your example
that we may come to the eternal vision of the glory of God.O Saint of Christ’s redeeming cross
the road of life is dark and long.
Teach us always to be resigned to God’s holy will
in all the circumstances of our lives
and grant us the special favor
which we now ask of you.Mention your request
Above all, obtain for us the grace of final perseverance,
a holy and happy death and everlasting life with you
and all the saints in heaven.
Amen.Let’s continue in prayer
Day 1 — Self-trust
Saint John of the Cross
Day 2 — Self-giving
Day 3 — Cleansing
Day 4 — Walking in love
Day 5 — Trust
Day 6 — Prayer
Day 7 — Humility
Day 8 — Eternal Silence
Day 9 — Silent love
17th c. French painting
Saints Pierre et Paul des Etangs (Leucate), Diocese of Carcasonne-Narbonne
Photo credit: Ministère de la Culture (France), Médiathèque de l’architecture et du patrimoine, diffusion RMN-GPThe novena prayer was composed from approved sources by Professor Michael Ogunu, a member of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order in Nigeria.
We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Joseph.
#agape #archives #carmelDeLisieux #carmelOfLisieux #charity #diviniAmorisScientia #doctorOfTheChurch #doctrine #johnOfTheCross #letter #letters #lisieux #love #novena #sanJuanDeLaCruz #stJohnOfTheCross #stJohnPaulIi #stJohnPaulIiDocuments #stTherese #stThereseOfLisieux #stThereseOfTheChildJesus #stZelieGuerin #stZelieMartin #stsLouisMartinAndZelieGuerin
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SCRIPTURE
While he was still speaking, another came and said, “Your sons and daughters were eating and drinking wine in their eldest brother’s house, and suddenly a great wind came across the desert, struck the four corners of the house, and it fell on the young people, and they are dead; I alone have escaped to tell you.”
Then Job arose, tore his robe, shaved his head, and fell on the ground and worshiped. He said, “Naked I came from my mother’s womb, and naked shall I return there; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.”
READING
Your letter did me good. I’m truly grateful for all your concern for me, and I thank you for it. I’m resigning myself to the will of God, although it’s very hard to lose such a pretty little girl [Hélène died 22 February 1870 at the age of five years and four months, on Marie’s tenth birthday].
Saturday night she still came downstairs to be with us. We always gave her meat broth with a little vermicelli [pasta] and barley water. She was so tired of it that the maid said to me, Friday night, that it would be better to give her a light bread soup. I listened to her. The little one ate some twice on Saturday, and she liked it so much that I gave her some again on Sunday, at noon. That’s what I regret and what I will regret my entire life. However, I don’t think that was the cause of her death because she passed away from weakness.
Sunday night she had trouble breathing, and I sent for the doctor right away, He wasn’t there and didn’t come until Monday morning. He told me the child had a mucous fever [inflammation of the mucous membranes in the digestive tract and lungs] with congested lungs, that she was in very great danger and that I shouldn’t give her anything but broth. However, he gave me permission to add a little vermicelli or semolina when I told him that she didn’t want to drink clear broth.
After he left, I looked at her sadly; her eyes were dull, there wan’t any more life in them, and I began to cry. Then she put her two little arms around me and consoled me the best she could. All day she had been saying to me, “My poor little mother’s been crying!” I spent the night with her, a very difficult night. In the morning, we asked her if she wanted to take some broth. She said yes, but she couldn’t swallow it. However, she made a supreme effort, saying to me, “If I eat it, are you going to love me better?”
Then she took it all, but afterwards she suffered terribly, and I didn’t know what was happening. She looked at a bottle of medicine the doctor had prescribed and wanted to drink it, saying that when she had drank it all, she would be cured. Then, around a quarter to ten, she said to me, “Yes, in a moment, I’m going to be cured, yes, soon….” At that moment, while I was holding her, her little head fell onto my shoulder, her eyes closed; then five minutes later she didn’t exist anymore….
That made an impression on me I’ll never forget. I didn’t expect such a sudden end, nor did my husband. When he came home and saw his poor little daughter dead, he began to sob, crying, “My little Hélène! My little Hélène!” Then together we offered her to God.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 52 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore and his wife, Céline
24 February 1870PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/07/lzmnovena24-6/
#CélineGuérin #children #death #familyLife #HélèneMartin #illness #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
-
SCRIPTURE
Come now, you who say, “Today or tomorrow we will go to such and such a town and spend a year there, doing business and making money.” Yet you do not even know what tomorrow will bring. What is your life? For you are a mist that appears for a little while and then vanishes. Instead you ought to say, “If the Lord wishes, we will live and do this or that.”
READING
I feel very sorry for you, my poor friend. You’re going to enter into real life, full of misery, worries and work. You truly must have courage and patience, because you’re not finished struggling. You’ll work as much as the Trappists and the reward will be much less grand. I assure you that I was very upset all day thinking of you. I’d like to see you happy, and it seems to me that that’s not going to happen soon. If only you were lucky enough to meet a woman like the one I wish for you. She would make you happy, but they’re very rare, and I hardly know any. Only God could put her hand in yours, to give her to you.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 18 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
22 April 1866PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/06/lzmnovena24-5/
#courage #familyLife #intercession #marriedLife #misery #novena #patience #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #work #worries
-
SCRIPTURE
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.
READING
For the last two months, my little Léonie has had a kind of purulent eczema on her entire body, and the illness is getting worse every day. I’m very upset and the doctor doesn’t know how to treat it. He told me to give her some antiscorbutic syrup [anti-scurvy medicine], which I did, but the ravages of the illness didn’t lessen. It seems that these kinds of illnesses are almost incurable. Please, give me your advice and tell me what I should do. Perhaps you know some famous specialists who will be able to give you some effective remedies. You wouldn’t believe how much I suffer seeing my poor little daughter in this state. I’ve just written to our sister Élise [Sister Marie-Dosithée, V.S.M.] asking that she say a novena for her.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 12 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
5 March 1865PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/05/lzmnovena24-4/
#advice #illness #intercession #LéonieMartin #medicine #novena #prayer #SrMarieDosithée #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
-
SCRIPTURE
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.
READING
For the last two months, my little Léonie has had a kind of purulent eczema on her entire body, and the illness is getting worse every day. I’m very upset and the doctor doesn’t know how to treat it. He told me to give her some antiscorbutic syrup [anti-scurvy medicine], which I did, but the ravages of the illness didn’t lessen. It seems that these kinds of illnesses are almost incurable. Please, give me your advice and tell me what I should do. Perhaps you know some famous specialists who will be able to give you some effective remedies. You wouldn’t believe how much I suffer seeing my poor little daughter in this state. I’ve just written to our sister Élise [Sister Marie-Dosithée, V.S.M.] asking that she say a novena for her.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 12 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
5 March 1865PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/05/lzmnovena24-4/
#advice #illness #intercession #LéonieMartin #medicine #novena #prayer #SrMarieDosithée #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
-
SCRIPTURE
Now when Jesus returned, the crowd welcomed him, for they were all waiting for him. Just then there came a man named Jairus, a leader of the synagogue. He fell at Jesus’ feet and begged him to come to his house, for he had an only daughter, about twelve years old, who was dying.
READING
For the last two months, my little Léonie has had a kind of purulent eczema on her entire body, and the illness is getting worse every day. I’m very upset and the doctor doesn’t know how to treat it. He told me to give her some antiscorbutic syrup [anti-scurvy medicine], which I did, but the ravages of the illness didn’t lessen. It seems that these kinds of illnesses are almost incurable. Please, give me your advice and tell me what I should do. Perhaps you know some famous specialists who will be able to give you some effective remedies. You wouldn’t believe how much I suffer seeing my poor little daughter in this state. I’ve just written to our sister Élise [Sister Marie-Dosithée, V.S.M.] asking that she say a novena for her.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 12 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
5 March 1865PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/05/lzmnovena24-4/
#advice #illness #intercession #LéonieMartin #medicine #novena #prayer #SrMarieDosithée #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin
-
SCRIPTURE
A capable wife who can find?
She is far more precious than jewels.
The heart of her husband trusts in her,
and he will have no lack of gain.
She does him good, and not harm,
all the days of her life.READING
You know all that glitters is not gold. The main thing is to look for a good woman whose interests center on the home, who is not afraid of dirtying her hands with work, who devotes time to her appearance only as much as she has to, and who knows how to raise children to work and be holy.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 10 from Zélie Guérin to her brother Isidore
14 July 1864PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/04/lzmnovena24-3/
#children #familyLife #holiness #home #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #marriage #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #work
-
I, also, would like to be a saint, but I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much to do that I limit myself to the desire. I often say during the day, “My God, how I would like to be a saint!” Then, I don’t do the work!
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 154 to her daughter Pauline
26 February 1876Introduction
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin are exemplary models of Catholic family life and holiness. Through their unwavering faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to living out the theological virtues, they nurtured a spirit of faith and love in their family. Their commitment to God and their devotion to daily prayers, reception of the sacraments, and surrender to His will offer profound lessons for us today.
Pope Francis highlighted their sanctity during their canonization, stating:
“The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus” (Homily, Holy Mass and Canonization, 18 October 2015).
Their example is particularly relevant today, as families navigate the complexities of contemporary life. As Saint John Paul II profoundly stated, “The family is the domestic church… the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family” (Homily, Apostolic Pilgrimage to Australia, 30 November 1986). This highlights the vital role of the family as the foundation of society and the Church.
Let us ask Saints Louis and Zélie to intercede for us, helping us grow in faith, hope, and charity. May we trust in God’s providential care, persevere in our daily challenges, and abide in the joy and hope that a living faith in Christ brings. May this novena encourage us in our spiritual journeys and remind us of the sanctity and beauty of family life, providing points of reflection on the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie as we present our needs to them, begging their intercession.
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Pray each day with Saints Louis and Zélie
- Day 1
His Divine Providence - Day 2
Calm and moderation - Day 3
A good woman - Day 4
Léonie’s illness - Day 5
Real life - Day 6
The death of Hélène - Day 7
The Prussian army in Alençon - Day 8
Life is not a bed of roses - Day 9
God takes care of me
Novena Prayer
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Our novena prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie comes from the Shrine of Saints Louis and Zélie in Alençon, France (Imprimatur +Jacques Habert, Bishop of Séez, 26 May 2016).
Join us for the 2024 Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena. Reflect on their faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to family life. Seek their intercession through nine daily meditations inspired by their letters.
Music credit: Sean BeesonAll scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-intr/
#familyLife #intercession #novena #perseverance #prayer #StLouisMartin #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust #virtues
- Day 1
-
I, also, would like to be a saint, but I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much to do that I limit myself to the desire. I often say during the day, “My God, how I would like to be a saint!” Then, I don’t do the work!
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 154 to her daughter Pauline
26 February 1876Introduction
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin are exemplary models of Catholic family life and holiness. Through their unwavering faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to living out the theological virtues, they nurtured a spirit of faith and love in their family. Their commitment to God and their devotion to daily prayers, reception of the sacraments, and surrender to His will offer profound lessons for us today.
Pope Francis highlighted their sanctity during their canonization, stating:
“The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus” (Homily, Holy Mass and Canonization, 18 October 2015).
Their example is particularly relevant today, as families navigate the complexities of contemporary life. As Saint John Paul II profoundly stated, “The family is the domestic church… the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family” (Homily, Apostolic Pilgrimage to Australia, 30 November 1986). This highlights the vital role of the family as the foundation of society and the Church.
Let us ask Saints Louis and Zélie to intercede for us, helping us grow in faith, hope, and charity. May we trust in God’s providential care, persevere in our daily challenges, and abide in the joy and hope that a living faith in Christ brings. May this novena encourage us in our spiritual journeys and remind us of the sanctity and beauty of family life, providing points of reflection on the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie as we present our needs to them, begging their intercession.
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Pray each day with Saints Louis and Zélie
- Day 1
His Divine Providence - Day 2
Calm and moderation - Day 3
A good woman - Day 4
Léonie’s illness - Day 5
Real life - Day 6
The death of Hélène - Day 7
The Prussian army in Alençon - Day 8
Life is not a bed of roses - Day 9
God takes care of me
Novena Prayer
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Our novena prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie comes from the Shrine of Saints Louis and Zélie in Alençon, France (Imprimatur +Jacques Habert, Bishop of Séez, 26 May 2016).
Join us for the 2024 Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena. Reflect on their faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to family life. Seek their intercession through nine daily meditations inspired by their letters.
Music credit: Sean BeesonAll scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-intr/
#familyLife #intercession #novena #perseverance #prayer #StLouisMartin #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust #virtues
- Day 1
-
I, also, would like to be a saint, but I don’t know where to begin. There’s so much to do that I limit myself to the desire. I often say during the day, “My God, how I would like to be a saint!” Then, I don’t do the work!
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 154 to her daughter Pauline
26 February 1876Introduction
Saints Louis and Zélie Martin are exemplary models of Catholic family life and holiness. Through their unwavering faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to living out the theological virtues, they nurtured a spirit of faith and love in their family. Their commitment to God and their devotion to daily prayers, reception of the sacraments, and surrender to His will offer profound lessons for us today.
Pope Francis highlighted their sanctity during their canonization, stating:
“The holy spouses Louis Martin and Marie-Azélie Guérin practised Christian service in the family, creating day by day an environment of faith and love which nurtured the vocations of their daughters, among whom was Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus” (Homily, Holy Mass and Canonization, 18 October 2015).
Their example is particularly relevant today, as families navigate the complexities of contemporary life. As Saint John Paul II profoundly stated, “The family is the domestic church… the future of the world and of the Church passes through the family” (Homily, Apostolic Pilgrimage to Australia, 30 November 1986). This highlights the vital role of the family as the foundation of society and the Church.
Let us ask Saints Louis and Zélie to intercede for us, helping us grow in faith, hope, and charity. May we trust in God’s providential care, persevere in our daily challenges, and abide in the joy and hope that a living faith in Christ brings. May this novena encourage us in our spiritual journeys and remind us of the sanctity and beauty of family life, providing points of reflection on the lives of Saints Louis and Zélie as we present our needs to them, begging their intercession.
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Pray each day with Saints Louis and Zélie
- Day 1
His Divine Providence - Day 2
Calm and moderation - Day 3
A good woman - Day 4
Léonie’s illness - Day 5
Real life - Day 6
The death of Hélène - Day 7
The Prussian army in Alençon - Day 8
Life is not a bed of roses - Day 9
God takes care of me
Novena Prayer
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Our novena prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie comes from the Shrine of Saints Louis and Zélie in Alençon, France (Imprimatur +Jacques Habert, Bishop of Séez, 26 May 2016).
Join us for the 2024 Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin Novena. Reflect on their faith, trust in Divine Providence, and dedication to family life. Seek their intercession through nine daily meditations inspired by their letters.
Music credit: Sean BeesonAll scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-intr/
#familyLife #intercession #novena #perseverance #prayer #StLouisMartin #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust #virtues
- Day 1
-
SCRIPTURE
He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
in giving them the heritage of the nations.READING
When I think about what God has done for me and my husband, God, in whom I’ve put all my trust and in whose hands I’ve put the care of my whole life, I don’t doubt that His Divine Providence watches over His children with special care.
Saint Zélie Martin
Letter CF 1 from St. Zélie Martin to her brother Isidore Guérin
1 January 1863PRAYER
Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.Intercede for us
(Mention your intentions here)
that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.Our Father…
Glory be…
Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.
Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-1/
#DivineProvidence #familyLife #God #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #novena #prayer #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust