By María Rangel Cardenas

On Monday, October 13, 2025, my little family and I made a road-trip pilgrimage to visit the relics of St. Thérèse (of Lisieux, France) hosted by the Carmelite sisters at their Sacred Heart Retreat House in Alhambra, CA. (Read about what relics are here.)

We (my husband, our 4 children, and I) drove for 2 hours, stood in line for 2 more hours, and then, this beautiful saint showered us with her love. 

As I knelt, I was unexpectedly moved to tears. Words cannot express how I felt. 

It was like a great big Carmelite hug. Such a gift. 

We brought our holy items (rosaries, holy cards, etc.) to touch to the reliquary of this great saint. And we spent a couple of minutes in prayer before her. It was so beautiful.  Thank you, Carmelite Sisters!

This year, 2025, is the 100th anniversary of her canonization, and it is also the Jubilee Year of Hope.

See where St. Thérèse is heading next: https://stthereseusa2025.com

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Years ago, Saint Thérèse, in a way, chose me when I was looking for a confirmation saint. Her name just jumped off the page when I was scanning the list of suggested saints. I didn’t know much about her then, but I went ahead and picked her to be my patron saint. 

Over the years, I have gotten to know her better, even though I initially thought that I couldn’t really relate to her life of being a cloistered Carmelite nun from the 1800's in France.

In 1999, a Norbertine priest friend gave me a book that explained her spirituality—and my heart changed. The book was I Believe in Love, by Fr. Jean C. J. d Elbée. (Thank you, Father Gregory!)

My book, falling apart from lots of use.

One of my favorite quotations from the book: 

He bends over the soul who loves its littleness and nothingness, he bends over it with an unspeakable love.

—Father Jean C. J. d'Elbée, I Believe in Love: A Personal Retreat Based on the Teachings of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

This book helped me to understand St. Thérèse's "Little Way": a path to holiness through complete trust in God and acceptance of one's own littleness. 

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One of my favorite reflections from St. Thérèse:

The splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not rob the little violet of its scent nor the daisy of its simple charm. If every tiny flower wanted to be a rose, spring would lose its loveliness…So it is in the world of souls, the living garden of the Lord. It pleases Him to create great Saints, who may be compared with the lilies or the rose; but He has also created little ones, who must be content to be daisies or violets, nestling at His feet to delight His eyes when He should choose to look at them.

—St. Thérèse, Story of a Soul: The Autobiography of St. Thérèse of Liseiux, chapter 1.

If I were a flower in God’s garden, I would be a simple, wild daisy—like the ones in my painting "Seek His Face" (seen below)—blooming in a hidden place along the path to heaven. 

If you look at my painting, you can see a small daisy resting at the foot of the Monstrance. I picture myself as that daisy, reaching out to touch the hem of Jesus’ garment, praying for healing.  (Click here to read more about the symbolism in my painting.)

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One of the items I brought with me to touch St. Thérèse was a small photo of her that I keep on my art desk.

What a joy to be able to see the face of this saint as I work on my art. The art that I offer to God for His delight and to draw hearts to Him.

I am writing this blog post on the feast day of St. Luke (Oct. 18th)—St. Luke is the patron saint of artists, since tradition says that he painted the first portraits of the Virgin Mary and the Christ Child.

St. Thérèse and St. Luke, pray for us!

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See my video of our visit to see St. Thérèse here!