From the chapter on Story of a Soul by St. Thérèse of Lisieux, in Catholic Spiritual Classics by Mitch Finley (Sheed & Ward):
Thérèse's decision to think of herself as "a little flower" has been romanticized over the years to the point that her actual reason for choosing such an image is easily overlooked. Thérèse used the image of a "little flower" to convey the idea of strength in weakness, much as did St. Paul when he wrote, "I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions, and difficulties for Christ's sake. For when I am weak, then I am strong" (2 Cor. 12:10). Thérèse had nothing sentimental, romantic, or foolish in mind when she called herself "a little flower."
The final words of Story of a Soul sum up Thérèse's life and message. Writing with great effort only days before her death, in a last incomplete sentence, Thérèse says that, "I go to Him with confidence and love. . ."
This is the spirituality of St. Thérèse of Lisieux in a nutshell: to live one's ordinary life to the fullest "with confidence and love," and to face death not with fear, but "with confidence and love."
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