By Matthew Livingstone, OCDS | On Mission
She wanted more than anything to become a religious sister. Because she wanted to love Jesus so fervently, she wanted it as soon as possible. So determined was she that she convinced her family to make a long pilgrimage to Rome at 15 so she could personally ask the pope for special permission to enter the monastery — about five full years earlier than was normally allowed. She knelt before him, poured out her heart, and the Holy Father gently told her she should trust God and wait just a little while longer. And then, just five months later, her prayers were answered when she was received into the Carmelite monastery in Lisieux.
This bold, courageous teenager was St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897). Her life holds many lessons like this one: we can’t get ahead of Jesus by rushing what he’s calling us to do. Instead, we must wait on him, follow his will, and trust him to lead us always. St. Thérèse shows us this “little, better way,” which is why Bishop David Ricken named her one of the patron saints for the Share Jesus years.
How can a cloistered nun who never left her monastery help us evangelize today?
Through her “little way” — St. Thérèse’s simple spirituality of doing small, everyday things with great love for God. Rather than chasing big, heroic deeds, she offered ordinary acts — a smile, a kind word, a chore, or a hidden sacrifice — with deep love. She believed God is pleased not by the size of the act, but by the love behind it. This “little way” makes holiness and evangelization possible for everyone.
Why St. Thérèse Is Perfect for Share Jesus
A powerful example is how this hidden nun became co-patroness of the missions. Though she never left her monastery, St. Thérèse offered every small act and prayer for missionaries with love. After her death, her autobiography “Story of a Soul” inspired millions. She was eventually named co-patroness of the missions alongside St. Francis Xavier, showing that love offered in hiddenness can reach the whole world.
We live in an age of “influencers” and self-motivated people who want to make an impact. While that intention is good, evangelization is not ultimately about us. It is about Jesus through and through. It means listening to him, letting him lead, getting out of his way, and allowing him to shine through us.
The Wyoming Prayer and Trusting God’s Timing
Bishop Ricken’s “Wyoming Prayer” captures this spirit perfectly:
Lord, help me to do Your will,
Nothing more and nothing less.
Lord, help me to do Your will,
Not a moment sooner or a moment later,
Than You will it.
As we go deeper into the Share Jesus phase of our “Disciples on the Way” journey in Green Bay, this lesson is vital. St. Thérèse and the “Wyoming Prayer” teach us to begin with trust: let Jesus love us first, then let that love overflow naturally in ordinary moments. A kind word or quiet prayer becomes powerful when rooted in God’s will.
Why now? Because right now, the Diocese of Green Bay is in a graced moment of renewal. After years of discovering, following, and worshipping Jesus more deeply, we are being sent to share him. St. Thérèse is the perfect patroness for this season because she shows us that the most effective evangelization often looks small, hidden, and ordinary — yet when it flows from trust in God’s timing, it bears great fruit. We don’t have to be extraordinary; we only have to be faithful.
How to Live the Little Way in Everyday Life
As ordinary Catholics, we may not be eloquent or able to travel far. Yet if we pray for grace and seek his will, he can and will draw others to himself through our lives. Ask St. Thérèse to help you discover your own little way of sharing Jesus. In her gentle spirit, you will find the courage and peace to become the missionary disciple God is calling you to be — right where you are.
To help you on this journey, take time this week to read Bishop Ricken’s pastoral invitation, “Sent on Mission: A Pastoral Invitation to Share Jesus with Others.” Also, be sure to read the beautiful reflection by Fr. Michael-Joseph Paris, O.C.D., a Carmelite priest, in “Patrons of the Share Jesus Years: A Resource.” His writing offers a deep yet accessible look at St. Thérèse as co-patroness of the missions. It shows how her “little way” can become a practical path for everyday missionary discipleship in our own homes and parishes.
St. Thérèse is one of three patrons in the Diocese of Green Bay for Share Jesus, along with St. Francis Xavier and Our Lady of Champion.
St. Thérèse and her faithful prayers can help us in this. God’s timing is perfect — may we follow it with joy.
St. Thérèse, co-patroness of the missions and Share Jesus, pray for us.