Quotes from Thérèse de Lisieux

Holiness consists simply in doing God's will, and being just what God wants us to be.

Let us not be justices of the peace, but angels of peace.

when something painful or disagreeable happens to me, instead of a melancholy look, I answer by a smile. At first I did not always succeed, but now it has become a habit which I am glad to have acquired.

La joie réside au plus intime de l'âme; on peut aussi bien la posséder dans une obscure prison que dans un palais.

It is consoling that he who must judge us dwell in us to save us always from all of our miseries, and to pardon us.

joy is not found in the things which surround us, but lives only in the soul.

the brilliance of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not lessen the perfume of the violet or the sweet simplicity of the daisy.

That beautiful day passed just as the saddest ones do, since the most radiant of days has a tomorrow.

By humiliation alone can Saints be made.

I prayed earnestly for this Sister who had caused me so much struggle, but this was not enough for me. I tried to do everything I possibly could for her, and when tempted to answer her sharply, I hastened to give her a friendly smile and talk about something else, for, as it says in The Imitation, "It is better to leave everyone to his own way of thinking than begin an argument." (Imit., III, xliv, 1).

I said before, that I have learnt much by guiding others. In the first place I see that all souls have more or less the same battles to fight, and on the other hand, that one soul differs widely from another, so each must be dealt with differently.

How can a heart given up to human affections be closely united to God? It seems to me that it is impossible. I have seen so many souls, allured by this false light, fly right into it like poor moths, and burn their wings, and then return, wounded, to Our Lord, the Divine fire which burns and does not consume.

My God, I choose everything, I will not be a Saint by halves, I am not afraid of suffering for Thee, I only fear one thing, and that is to do my own will. Accept the offering of my will, for I choose all that Thou willest.

I saw that every flower He has created has a beauty of its own, that the splendor of the rose and the lily's whiteness do not deprive the violet of its scent nor make less ravishing the daisy's charm. I saw that if every little flower wished to be a rose, Nature would lose her spring adornments, and the fields would be no longer enameled with their varied flowers.

I also understood that there are many degrees of holiness, that each soul is free to respond to the calls of Our Lord, to do much or little for His Love—in a word, to choose amongst the sacrifices He asks.

I prefer the monotony of obscure sacrifices to all ecstasies. To pick up a pin for love can convert a soul.

Then, beside myself with joy, I cried out: "O Jesus, my Love, at last I have found my vocation. My vocation is love! Yes, I have found my place in the bosom of the Church, and this place, O my God, Thou hast Thyself given to me: in the heart of the Church, my Mother, I will be LOVE! . . .

Thus the ordinary, uncontrolled chattering we call "prose" changes its nature, like coal becoming incandescent. Poetry resembles music.

If my little acts of virtue can be mistaken for imperfections, imperfections can just as easily be mistaken for virtue.

The good God does not need years to accomplish His work of love in a soul; one ray from His Heart can, in an instant, make His flower bloom for eternity.

Time is your boat not your home.

Qu'importe, mon Dieu, que je brûle toute l'éternité en enfer, si c'est ta volonté.

A love which does not prove itself in action is not enough, nor is our natural readiness to please a friend; that is not charity, for sinners are ready to do the same. Jesus

the thoughts of the Lord are not our thoughts, His ways are not our ways.