1. Citations
  2. Auteurs
  3. Thérèse de Lisieux

Thérèse de Lisieux citations

Marie-Françoise Thérèse Martin, en religion sœur Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus et de la Sainte-Face, également connue sous les appellations sainte Thérèse de Lisieux, sainte Thérèse de l'Enfant-Jésus ou encore la petite Thérèse, est une religieuse carmélite française née à Alençon dans l'Orne en France le 2 janvier 1873 et morte à Lisieux en France le 30 septembre 1897.

Le retentissement de ses publications posthumes, dont Histoire d'une âme publiée peu de temps après sa mort et diffusée à plus de cinq cents millions d'exemplaires, en fait l'une des plus grandes saintes du XIXe siècle. La dévotion à sainte Thérèse s'est développée partout dans le monde.

Considérée par Pie XI comme l'« étoile de son pontificat », elle est béatifiée puis canonisée dès 1925. Religieuse cloîtrée, elle est paradoxalement déclarée sainte patronne des missions et, avec Jeanne d'Arc, canonisée en 1920, proclamée « Patronne Secondaire de la France ». Enfin, elle est proclamée Docteur de l'Église par Jean-Paul II en 1997 pour le centenaire de sa mort.

Dernière née d'un couple très pieux tenant commerce d'horlogerie et de dentelles d'Alençon, Louis et Zélie Martin, Thérèse perd sa mère à quatre ans et demi. Elle est élevée par ses sœurs aînées Marie et Pauline, qui, tour à tour, entrent au carmel de Lisieux, faisant revivre à l'enfant le sentiment d'abandon ressenti lors de la perte de leur mère. Cependant, elle ressent très tôt un appel à la vie religieuse. Elle fait un pèlerinage à Rome pour demander l'accord d'entrer au Carmel, alors qu'elle n'en a pas encore l'âge légal. Elle entre au Carmel de Lisieux à quinze ans. Après neuf années de vie religieuse, dont les deux dernières passées dans une « nuit de la foi », elle meurt de tuberculose le 30 septembre 1897 à l'âge de vingt-quatre ans.

La nouveauté de sa spiritualité, appelée la théologie de la « petite voie », de l'enfance spirituelle, a inspiré nombre de croyants. Elle propose de rechercher la sainteté, non dans les grandes actions, mais dans les actes du quotidien même les plus insignifiants, à condition de les accomplir pour l'amour de Dieu. En la proclamant 33e docteur de l'Église, le pape Jean-Paul II a reconnu ipso facto l'exemplarité de sa vie et de ses écrits. Elle est aujourd'hui « mondialement célèbre et vénérée ».

La basilique de Lisieux, édifiée en son honneur, reçoit plus de 600 000 visiteurs par an, la ville de Lisieux étant le second lieu de pèlerinage de France après Lourdes. Wikipedia  

✵ 2. janvier 1873 – 30. septembre 1897   •   Autres noms Sv. Terezka Ježiškova, Sv. Terézia Z Lisieux, Santa Teresa di Lisieux
Thérèse de Lisieux photo
Thérèse de Lisieux: 12   citations 1   J'aime

Thérèse de Lisieux Citations

“La charité entra dans mon cœur avec le besoin de m'oublier toujours, et depuis lors je fus heureuse.”

Thérèse de Lisieux
oubli , Cœur

Thérèse de Lisieux: Citations en anglais

“In spite of everything, I feel that I am filled with courage; I am sure that God is not going to abandon me. [-]Oh. I want to refuse Him [Jesus] nothing, and even though I feel sad and alone on this earth, He still remains with me. And has not St. Teresa said: God alone suffices.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

October 8, 1887
General Correspondence

“I do not have the courage to force myself to search out beautiful prayers in books. There are so many of them it really gives me a headache! and each prayer is more beautiful than the others. I cannot recite them all and not knowing which to choose, I do like children who do not know how to read, I say very simply to God what I wish to say, without composing beautiful sentences, and He always understands me. For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

The words in italics were underlined by Thérèse.
Source: Story of a Soul (1897), Ch. XI: Those Whom You Have Given Me, 1896–1897 As translated by Fr. John Clarke http://www.ewtn.com/therese/readings/readng6.htm (1976), p. 242.

“Even if I had all the crimes possible on my conscience, I am sure I should lose none of my confidence. Heartbroken with repentance, I would simply throw myself into my Saviour's arms, for I know how much He loves the prodigal son. I have heard what He said to Mary Magdalene, to the woman taken in adultery, and the Samaritan woman. No one can make me frightened any more, because I know what to believe about His mercy and His love; I know that in the twinkling of an eye all those thousands of sins would be consumed as a drop of water cast into a blazing fire.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

<!-- translator/edition? -->
Story of a Soul (1897)

“I thank Our Lord that He let me find nothing but bitterness in human affections. I should have been caught easily, and had my wings clipped…Our Lord knew that I was far too weak to face temptation; He knew that I would certainly have burnt myself in the bewildering light of earthly things, and so He did not let it shine in my eyes. Where stronger souls find joy but remain detached because they are faithful, I found only misery.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Quoted in The Hidden Face, Ida Gorres , p. 91
Story of a Soul (1897)

“It seems to me that if a little flower could speak, it would tell simply what God has done for it without trying to hide its blessings. It would not say, under the pretext of a false humility, it is not beautiful and without perfume, that the sun has taken away its splendor and the storm has broken its stem when it knows that all this is untrue. The flower about to tell her story rejoices at having to publish the totally gratuitous gifts of Jesus. She knows that nothing in herself was capable of attracting the divine glances, and His mercy alone brought about everything that is good in her.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Source: Story of a Soul (1897), Ch. I: Alençon, 1873–1877. As translated by Fr. John Clarke (Washington, D.C.: ICS Publications, 1976), p. 15.

“M. Révérony said immediately: "Most Holy Father, this is a child who wants to enter Carmel at fifteen, but the superiors are considering the matter at this moment." (The good pope is so old that one would say he is dead; I would never have pictured him like this.) The Holy Father said simply:"If God wills it, you will enter." [-]I was crying a lot when writing this letter; my heart is heavy. However, God cannot give me trials that are above my strength. He has given me the courage to bear this trial. I am the Child Jesus' little ball; if He wishes to break His toy, He is free. Yes, I will all that He wills.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Thérèse's account of the papal audience, November 20,1887
General Correspondence

“One day she was playing on the swing when her father passed and called to her, "Come and give me a kiss, my little queen." Dérange-toi, Papa! Thérèse replied pertly — an untranslatable compound of "Come for it yourself" and "If you want it, you'll have to go the trouble of getting it", with perhaps even, "Don't be so lazy." Her father went by with a grave expression, but without a word, while Marie said: "You naughty little thing, how can you be so rude to your father?" I got off the swing at once; I had really learned my lesson, and the whole house echoed with my cries of contrition.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Quoted in The Hidden Face, by Ida Gorres, p. 52

“Since the age of three I have refused God nothing.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Conseils et Souvenirs, 266 speaking on her deathbed.

“I find that trials help very much in detaching us from this earth. They make us look higher than this world. Here below, nothing can satisfy us. We cannot enjoy a little rest except in being ready to do God's will. [-] Truly, life isn't cheerful. It is very difficult to be attached to it. Au revoir, dear Pauline, my Confidante.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

March 18(?), 1888
General Correspondence

“My happy disposition completely changed after Mamma's death. I, once so full of life, became timid and retiring, sensitive to an excessive degree. One look was enough to reduce me to tears, and the only way I was content was to be left completely alone. I could not bear the company of strangers and found my joy only within the intimacy of the family.”

Help us translate this quote
Thérèse of Lisieux

Source: Story of a Soul (1897), Ch. II: Les Buissonnets, 1877–1881. As translated by Fr. John Clarke (1976), pp. 34–35.

Auteurs similaires

George Sand photo
George Sand 75
romancière et dramaturge française
François-René de Chateaubriand photo
François-René de Chateaubriand 36
écrivain et homme politique français, précurseur du romanti…
Jules Verne photo
Jules Verne 55
romancier français
Napoléon Bonaparte photo
Napoléon Bonaparte 31
général, premier consul et empereur des Français
Anatole France photo
Anatole France 49
écrivain, biographe, journaliste et critique littéraire fra…
Arthur Rimbaud photo
Arthur Rimbaud 64
poète français
Victor Hugo photo
Victor Hugo 322
écrivain français
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon photo
Pierre-Joseph Proudhon 10
polémiste, journaliste, économiste, philosophe et sociologu…
Guy de Maupassant photo
Guy de Maupassant 79
écrivain français
Émile Zola photo
Émile Zola 69
romancier, auteur dramatique, critique artistique et littér…