Missionary through prayer
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, was declared Patroness of the Missions in 1927 by Pope Pius XI, despite never leaving her cloister. Her intense desire for the salvation of souls, cultivated from a young age, and her contemplative life of prayer and sacrifice made her a spiritual force in missionary work. Once in Carmel, she understood her vocation as one of spiritual motherhood, supporting missionaries through prayer rather than physical presence.
She writes, “I had declared at the feet of Jesus–Victim, in the examination preceding my profession, what I had come to Carmel for: I came to save souls and especially to pray for priests. When one wishes to attain a goal, one must use the means; Jesus made me understand that it was through suffering that he wanted to give me souls, and my attraction for suffering grew in proportion to its increase.”
This understanding resonates with Jesus’ parable about a king who asked his servants to go to the street corners and invite everyone to the banquet (Matthew 22:9). Like the king’s invitation, Thérèse’s mission extended beyond physical boundaries, reaching souls through her spiritual dedication.
In her autobiography, The Story of a Soul, Thérèse expresses her understanding that prayer and contemplation are crucial for missionary work. She stated, “Here are Jesus’ words: ‘Lift your eyes and see. See how in heaven there are empty places. He asks you to fill them. You are my praying Moses on the mountain; request workers of me, and I will send them. I only wait for a prayer, a sigh of your heart! The apostolate of prayer, is it not so to say, higher than that of preaching? Our mission, as Carmelite, is one of forming evangelical workers that will save millions of souls whose mothers we will be.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux, with her co-patron of the missions St. Francis Xavier, exemplify how the missionary call can be fulfilled both through active evangelization and prayer. Both calls are to the mission… the mission of saving souls.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us as we answer Jesus’ call to mission
Reference: St. Therese of Lisieux: Patroness-of-the-missions