Biography of the parents of Saint Thérèse of Lisiéux,. The basis of a family is the couple. This is what Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin valued. The two saw that holiness could be lived in their married life and not just by priests and religious. Their holiness wasn't with spectacular things, but of the common things of everyday life.
Birth and youth: Louis was born in 1823 in Bordeaux, France, to fervent Catholic parents. His Father recited Our Father in a way that impressed everyone. He spent a lot of time praying in church and saying, "It's because I believe." His mother said: “My soul, raised up to God, throws itself before the throne of Divinity. There, I pray with all the fervor.” They brought up the child to have a lot of faith since he was a child. As a young man, Louis became a watchmaker because of his taste for tranquility. He liked to read books, especially novels. He was passionate about contemplating the beauties of nature and even got emotional thinking about God the Creator of everything. He liked billiards and fishing. He very much wanted to enter a monastery and be religious. But an illness interrupts his preparatory studies and he sees this as a sign that God does not want him there. He goes to Paris and specializes more as a watchmaker. There, he lives amidst many big city temptations and sins. He wins everything by entrusting himself to Our Lady of Victories, his great devotion. He liked the following phrases: “God sees me. Eternity approaches and we don't think about it. Blessed are they who keep the Law of the Lord.”
The young Luis always prayed much and read the Bible and good Catholic books. His mother wanted him to get married anyway, although he still thought about being religious. When Luis was 34 years old, his mother met Zélie Guérin. She was 26-year-old. Zélie was born in Saint-Denis-sur-Sarthon in 1831. Her parents were rude and unloving to her, her sister and brother. Her childhood was so painful and hurt and Zélie said: "My childhood was sad as a mortuary sheet." They were so poor and Zélie never had a doll. Zélie was always sick from 7 to 12 years old. She had unbearable migraines during her adolescence. All of this things made Zélie a serious girl, too sensitive and without any self-esteem. But her hard life made her a strong woman in faith and constant in charity. She felt like becoming a nun, but the superior nun said she didn't believe in her vocation. After this attempt, Zélie decided to work earning income to support herself.
Marriage: In one of these courses, Zélie met the mother of Luis. She immediately loved Zélia and wanted her and Luis to meet. The two met for the first time on a bridge. Zélie hears Jesus' voice say to her: “He was who I kept for you.” They met in April 1858 and soon fell in love. They decided to get married quickly, with only 3 months of dating. They were married without a doubt on July 13, 1858. On the day of their wedding, Luis gave Zélie a medal from the biblical couple Tobias and Sara with the inscription: “Lord, it is not for pleasure that I take this sister, but with right intention. Deign to have pity on me and her and lead us to an advanced age.”
Children: They had 9 children, of which 4 died as children: Helen, Joseph, John Baptist and Thérèse. All 5 surviving daughters became religious. They were: Mary, born in 1860; Pauline, born in 1861; Leonie, born in 1863; Celine, born in 1869 and Marie Françoise Thérèse, born in 1873, who we know today as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. They said: "We lived only for our children and that was our happiness, which we found only in them." And also: "We want to educate our children for Heaven."
The love between Zélie and Louis: They were very loving for each other. Zélie said 5 years after the wedding: “I'm still very happy with him, he makes my life sweeter. What a holy man my husband is!" She always called him “my good Luis”. On the trips, they missed each other a lot. Zélie wrote in a letter: “I can't wait to be by your side again. My dear Luis, I love you with all my heart and I feel my affection bending in his absence. It's impossible for me to live without you. I kiss you the way I love you.” And Luis wrote: “I kiss you with all my heart, and I wait to join you again. Your husband and true friend, who loves you all your life!” And Zélie answers: “Today I'm so happy to think about seeing him again that I can't work. Your wife loves you more than life itself. I'm all yours.” Zélie said that she was tempted to be sad and overwhelmed by the difficulties, but she struggled against it. She always tried to be in a good mood. She was very kind to others. She worked hard to help support the household and raise so many daughters and had almost no rest. Zélie said: "The main thing is to be a good housewife who is not afraid of getting her hands dirty at work and who knows how to educate her children at work and in piety." Luis was very sweet, but firm against sins and injustices. He and Zélie knew each other so well that they used to guess each other's thoughts and wishes.
Differences like every couple: Zélie and Louis liked to read the stories of the Saints and their favorite subjects were about the things of God. But they had different activities. Luis liked to retire to solitude and prayer. Zélie enjoyed writing to the brothers and participating in prayer groups. She was part of the Third Franciscan Order. But the two also had different ideas at home and argued to resolve them. Zélie had no regrets about those moments and Luis never stepped on her with authority. He always respected her and was flexible with different ideas and requests. In the end, everything was resolved in peace between the two, as they always respected each other and never wanted to grieve each other. Zélie prepared her daughters with great zeal for their First Communion. She began to see the hand of God in everything, as her sister, who became religious, taught. And she always commended herself to her sister's prayers. Luis continued to enjoy helping those in need, and instead of social events like most people, he preferred to pray. Zélie said: "I want to be a saint." And Luis wrote, "My goal is to love God with all my heart."
Mortifications and Eucharist: Zélie and Louis went to Mass daily. His main devotion was, without a doubt, the Eucharist. And the daughters have come to like it too. But due to the hours and work they had, Zélie and Luis had to go to Mass very early or late, often tired and tired. The two also fasted often, sometimes with great and strong fasts. But always with love and intention. Luis always traveled in the third class, never in rich class, and always ate the cheapest bread.
Patience on the crosses: Zélie and Louis went through many difficulties in the work and maintenance of the house. But they saw how divine providence helped them in a wonderful way. Zélie was very meticulous and sometimes worried too much about the big problems and the little ones, but Luis calmed her down by saying: “Don't torment yourself so much! Do not be afraid. The Good Lord will help us.” Even so, Zélie knew how to laugh at the difficulties she had already gone through in life. She said: “True happiness is not of this world. It's a waste of time looking for it here. God wants it so in his infinite wisdom to remind us that the Earth is not our true homeland.” And also: “The best thing is to put everything in God's hands and wait for the events in calm and abandonment to His will. When it comes to some great suffering, I am completely resigned and confidently await God's help. I know the Good God takes care of me. He only gives us what we can bear.”
Devotion to Our Lady: Zélie and Louis always offered all the daily sufferings, small and large, for the conversion of sinners. They were great devotees of Our Lady. They always used the Scapular and encouraged their daughters to use it. They had an image of Our Lady of the Smile at home and every night they prayed in front of it with their daughters. Every May, the whole family decorated the image with many and varied flowers and ornaments. Zélie was concerned with even the smallest details to decorate the image of Our Lady.
Death of small children: Zélie suffered deeply with the death of each of the children who died as children. She got to be sick with so much sadness, such was her love for them. Each death of one of the boys or girls was a great pain for her. But she clung to God and in accordance with His will saying, “God gave us, God took away. Blessed be God! Let us accept their designs with all our strength. The Good Lord is the Master and He doesn't need to ask permission for us if he can do anything. He allows all this for our good and his help and his grace will never fail.” Louis and Zélie had a dream of having a son who would become a missionary priest, but the two boys died as children. However, Thérèse will become the Patron Saint of the missions. Zélie and Louis always asked their deceased children to intercede for them in Heaven.
Education and love for daughters: Zélie said: “I madly love my daughters. I was born for them. It is necessary to make sacrifices for the happiness of the children.” She was an owl mother and thought they were all very beautiful. She said, "It's so nice to take care of your own little kids!" She and Luis also played a lot with their daughters. They had a maid in the house, but they always treated her very well, like someone in the family. The house was always happy with the daughters running and playing everywhere. They were very loving and always told their daughters that they loved them. They too did the same. Zélie and Luis tried to spend as much time as possible with their daughters, with games, stories and conversations. However, they were energetic in correcting and educating them. Not even the slightest fault went uncorrected. They were never spoiled. Zélie and Luis always worried about their daughters' souls. Zélia liked to dress them well, but simply. She didn't like the slavery of fashion. Louis said: "We educate our daughters for Heaven. While we are here in this world, we need to serve the Good God and strive to be one day among the Saints." The girls always saw Luis praying on his knees. To encourage them to do good, instead of candy and gifts, he proposes that girls do a good deed for the conversion of a sinner, either as a comfort to Jesus or to please Jesus.
Lace work: Zélie received many orders for her lace work. She made the lace while taking care of her daughters at home. She barely had time for herself or for rest. She said she was always tired, but she put up with everything for the love of her family. And also: “I always work in hope. To love is to give everything and give yourself entirely.” Difficulties always came, but she said: “I worry less and I settle for all the unpleasant events that can come up. The Good Lord allowed it so. When the Good Lord thinks we have suffered enough, He will take away our affliction.” St. Ignatius taught: "We must act knowing that everything depends on God, but act as if everything depended on us."
Charity for the needy: Unlike others in the city, Zélie and Louis never worked on Sundays. They were extremely confident in divine providence and unattached to money. They were generous in lending money to the needy and never charged interest. Louis said: "Give, always give and make many people happy." One day, Louis found a homeless family and took them into their home. Zélie gave them food and Louis looked for a job for the father of that family. Louis knew how to swim very well and saved many who were drowning and in fires. When he was late getting home, they said: "In what dangerous adventure was he to save someone?" The other day, Louis saw a drunk on the street and took him home. Then he visited him to talk to him and convince him to kick the habit. Zélie and Louis were generous in giving alms to the poor who visited their homes. They always prayed fervently for those who recommended themselves to their prayers and especially for the sinners and the dying, as they were very concerned with the salvation of souls. They used to visit the dying at home and pray for them until their death.
Cancer of Zélie: In 1876, Zélie was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 45, with a risk of dying in a short time. The whole family was very devastated and they cried much. Luis was so sad that he didn't go out for a walk anymore or for the fishing that he liked so much. Zélie said: “I never imagined going through such an ordeal. I am calm and I am practically happy. But it costs me to leave my husband and my daughters.” She immediately resigned herself and always tried to comfort her family. She felt pain in her body, but she didn't let anyone notice. All family members began to pray for her healing. But Zélie sensed that she would not be cured. At the time, Pauline and Marie were already young and they could take care of Celine and Therese. In 1877, metastases began to appear on Zélie's body and neck. Months later, she and some of her daughters went on a pilgrimage to Lourdes to ask for healing. Zélie said: “May be what God wants. Everything is oriented towards the glory of God.” The whole family prayed much for a miracle of healing. Before leaving, Zélie said: "We must generously accept the will of God, whatever it may be, because it will always be the best for all of us." Louis stayed with other daughters at home and they prayed for healing. The trip to Lourdes was unpleasant and full of inconvenience. Zélie wasn't healed. But in Lourdes, she asked Our Lady for the sanctification of her daughters and that was later fully realized! Zélie returned happy from her pilgrimage and full of peace. She felt that Our Lady was the one who would take care of her daughters and said: “Pray in faith to the Mother of Mercy. She will come to our rescue with the kindness and sweetness of the most affectionate of mothers.”
Death of Zélie: In July 1877, unbearable pains in Zélie got worse and she had to hold on not to scream. Even in pain, she continued to go to Mass every day, being held by her husband or a daughter, as she could no longer move on her own. She was very sick but wanted the house to be always cheerful and fun for her little daughters. She even moaned and trembled with the pain of cancer, but she always prayed a lot. She called her daughters to give the last recommendations and invited them to holiness. On August 27, 1877, Zélie gently breathed out and gave her soul to God, at 46 years of age. Her confessor said, "Now there is one more Saint in Heaven."
Life goes on: Zélie had asked her husband and daughters to move from Alençon to Lisieux after her death to be closer to her other relatives. And they went. There they continued going to Mass every day and praying together daily at home. The eldest daughters, now young, took care of the younger ones. Luis was always loving and affectionate with the girls. He continued to help Vincentians and other parish activities. The maid said the house was always cheerful.
Daughters' vocation: All the daughters wanted to become religious. In 1883, Paulina entered in the Carmel of Lisieux. Then it was Maria's turn in 1886. In 1888, it was Thérèse's turn. And in 1893, Leonia enters too. Louis supported them, but not without suffering, as it was difficult for him to stay away from them. He said, "God grants me a great honor in asking for my daughters." Celina stayed at home last, by providence, to help Louis in the coming illness. After his death, she will enter in the Carmel too.
Luis' illness and death: Luis prayed: “My God, I'm so happy. It's not possible to go to Heaven in this way. I want to suffer something for You. I offer myself." In 1887, at age 63, Louis began to suffer from arteriosclerosis. This disease hindered his movements and his mind. In May 1888, Louis began to suffer from memory loss, hallucinations, and mental confusion. But he had moments of sane mind. He said, “Don't worry. I'm a friend of the Good God. May everything be for the greater glory of God.” He had to be admitted to the Psychiatric Hospital in Caen. The daughters suffered much. At the hospital, Luis continued with moments of confusion and a healthy mind where he showed that he welcomed this cross: “This is a great cross. It's not easy. I have never had any humiliation in my life. This one was missing!" There in the hospital, he was friends with all the other mentally ill and brought them the Word of God and comfort. Louis was admitted to this hospital for 3 years. In 1892 he returns home in a wheelchair as he can no longer walk and is taken care of by Celina and an employee. The other daughters remained in Carmel, always praying for him. On July 29, 1894, he received the last Sacraments and looked tenderly at Celina, who was praying beside him. And he expires in peace, at age 70, on this Sunday, the day of the Lord that he so revered and defended. Saint Zélie and Saint Louis Martin were canonized in 2015. As they were canonized together and as a couple, their feast is celebrated on July 12 of each year, the date on which they were married.
Click to read Others lifes of Saints:
