The relics of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are currently touring Lebanon. Despite certain excesses—such as the brevity of some “visits” and the hurried processions past her reliquary—this form of popular devotion remains deeply rooted in Church tradition. The veneration of relics—and belief in their power—dates back centuries. As Scripture recounts:
“Once while some Israelites were burying a man, suddenly they saw a raiding party; so they threw the man’s body into Elisha’s tomb. When the body touched Elisha’s bones, the man came to life and stood up on his feet.”
(2 Kings 13:21)
A Tradition Grounded in Faith
The veneration of relics is closely linked to the Church’s belief in the communion of saints. Through these relics, we honor holy men and women who, by their love for Christ, have shaped the history of the Church and the world. We believe that we remain in communion with them, and that they dwell in the place where Christ, through His Resurrection, has gone before us.
This devotion is based on the belief that their bodies were temples of the Holy Spirit, sanctified by His presence, and that these remains—through faith—can work miracles, heal the sick, move mountains, suspend the laws of nature, and transform the course of history.
Above All, a Spiritual Encounter
To ensure that visiting these relics is more than a museum-like experience—or that touching the glass does not become a superstitious gesture—it is essential to create the conditions for a personal encounter with the saint, and above all, with Christ, whom they loved.
As Lazarist priest Ramzi Jreige explains: “Catechesis must accompany the relics’ journey so they can inspire the faithful to pursue the same path to holiness.”
Why Is Thérèse So Beloved?
What accounts for the extraordinary popularity of Thérèse of Lisieux? What earned her the title “Doctor of the Church”? Thérèse never pursued higher studies. The “doctrine” behind this title is not found in any systematic treatise. What we have are her memoirs, written at her sister’s request (her sister was also her superior at the Carmel of Lisieux), along with letters, poems, short plays for her Carmelite sisters, and reflections gathered in the final months of her life. None of this fits the traditional mold of a Doctor of the Church.
Thomas Aquinas, with his Summa Theologica, and Saint Augustine, with his Confessions and City of God, are classic Doctors. But Thérèse of Lisieux?
The “Little Way”: Holiness Within Reach
It was the authenticity of her life and the radical simplicity of her “Little Way” that earned Thérèse this extraordinary distinction. What is this way? It is the path of ordinary holiness—accessible to anyone. In her relationship with God, Thérèse managed to achieve much through very little. By imbuing the smallest acts with great love, she achieved a kind of spiritual “return on investment.”
She often admitted falling asleep during prayer and struggling to recite the rosary—yet every gesture was marked by love, self-forgetfulness, and sincere devotion to God. That is the Little Way.
Thérèse is a Doctor of the Church not only because of her life, but because of her death. She faced her final days with heroic faith.
Even after her death, Thérèse has remained vividly present to the world. This, too, is one of her greatest legacies. She expressed her desire to “spend her heaven doing good on earth,” and she has indeed become one of the most beloved saints of the modern Church. The “good” she offers is, above all, the desire to share in the love of God she knew so intimately. Her enduring presence is not sustained by reputation alone, but by the power of her intercession. If her help were not real, time and forgetfulness would long ago have erased her name.
Thérèse died of tuberculosis at age 24 in a remote corner of France, yet today she enjoys worldwide renown. Though she never left her cloister, she is—alongside Joan of Arc—a secondary patroness of France, the patron saint of missions, and a Doctor of the Church.
To these honors, we might add another, no less significant. In the final months of her life, bedridden and in great suffering, Thérèse overcame the terrible temptation to end her own life. She confided this struggle to her superior, warning that dangerous medications should never be left within reach of the gravely ill.
For those who have lost a loved one to despair, or who themselves feel tempted to leave life before their time, the compassion and intercession of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux are a source of profound hope.
Her writings are well worth reading. The Complete Works are available in bookstores. Her masterpiece, Story of a Soul (officially titled Autobiographical Manuscripts), is available in paperback and is surprisingly moving. Also worth exploring are the excellent biographies by Bishop Guy Gaucher, Bishop of Lisieux.
The pilgrimage of her relics in Lebanon will conclude on July 20.
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