Collect of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus: A Prayer for the Little Way
Updated: Oct 3
St. Thérèse of Lisieux (1873-1897) entered the Carmelite convent at fifteen and died of tuberculosis at twenty-four, unknown to the world. Yet her "little way" of spiritual childhood, doing small things with great love and trusting God like a child trusts a father, spread across the globe after her death. Pius XI canonized her in 1925 and named her patroness of the missions, and St. John Paul II declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997.
When her feast was added to the Roman calendar in 1927, the Church gave it a collect built on the words of Jesus that sum up her whole spirituality: "Unless you become as little children." Below is that collect, with the Gospel verse it quotes. Pray it today, on her feast of October 1, and whenever you want to begin again with a humble, simple heart.
The Prayer
Amen I say to you, unless you be converted, and become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven. Whosoever therefore shall humble himself as this little child, he is the greater in the kingdom of heaven. (Matthew 18:3-4) Let us pray. O Lord, who hast said: Unless you become as little children, you shall not enter into the kingdom of heaven: grant us, we beseech Thee, so to follow in humility and simplicity of heart the footsteps of the holy virgin Thérèse, that we may attain to everlasting rewards. Who livest and reignest, world without end. Amen.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
For a traditional prayer asking her intercession, see our Prayer to St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus.
Sources: Collect of the feast of St. Teresa of the Child Jesus (Missale Romanum, office granted 1927), Latin public domain, English rendering prepared for Daily Catholic Prayers; Matthew 18:3-4, Douay-Rheims Bible (Challoner revision), public domain.
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