Even though she is a Doctor of the Church, St. Th r se of Lisieux is more well-known for being the "little flower" of Jesus. Through her "little way," she has inspired many Catholics to love God simply, devoutly, and with great love. St. Th r se believed that no act of faith is too small for God. Loving God in this way wasn't always easy for St. Th r se, but even through her suffering and death at age twenty-four she tried to love God with all her heart.
In her autobiography, Story of a Soul (L'Histoire d'une me), St. Th r se shares the story of her "little way" and helps us see God in his smallest creations. John Cleary uses passages from Story of a Soul to inspire us to embrace our own smallness this Advent and Christmas and see past the glamour and hype of a material Christmas to the small miracle that comes on December 25.