Start Date: September, 22
End Date: September, 30
Feast Day: October, 1
Patronage:
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, the Little Flower, is Patroness of the Missions, Co-Patroness of the Universal Church, and Patroness of France. She is also invoked by florists, gardeners, pilots, the sick, and orphans, guiding all with her Little Way of trust and love toward God’s merciful embrace.
In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Opening Prayer (to be said each day):
O St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, who during your short life on earth became a mirror of angelic purity, of love strong as death, and of wholehearted abandonment to God, now that you rejoice in the reward of your virtues, cast a glance of pity on us as we leave all things in your hands. Make our troubles your own, speak a word for us to Our Lady Immaculate, whose flower of special love you were — to that Queen of Heaven “who smiled on you at the dawn of life.” Beg her powerful intercession for the grace we yearn for so ardently at this moment… and that she join with it a blessing that may strengthen us during life, defend us at the hour of death, and lead us straight on to a happy eternity. Amen.
O God, who did inflame with the Spirit of Love, the soul of your servant Thérèse of the Child Jesus, grant that we also may love you and make you much loved. Amen.
Day 1: The Little Way of Trust
Scripture Reading:
“Unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” (cf. Mt 18:3)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus invites us into the simplicity of childlike trust, where greatness is measured not by achievements but by surrender. St. Thérèse discovered this in her daily life at Carmel, where she embraced hidden tasks — sweeping floors, enduring misunderstandings, and offering small sacrifices with immense love. She shows us that sanctity lies not in being noticed, but in doing the ordinary with extraordinary love. Jesus whispers to our hearts that His Kingdom is open to those who dare to depend entirely on Him. Like Thérèse, may we let go of self-reliance and choose the Little Way of trust, where every humble act becomes radiant in His merciful gaze.
Prayer:
O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, well beloved and full of charity, in union with you, we reverently adore the majesty of God, and since we rejoice with exceeding joy in the singular gifts of grace bestowed upon you during your life, and your gifts of glory after death, we give Him deepest thanks for them; we beseech you with all our heart’s devotion to be pleased to obtain for us (…mention request here). But if what we ask of you so earnestly does not tend to the glory of God and the greater good of our souls, do you, we pray, obtain for us that which is more profitable to both these ends. Amen.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 2: Patience in Suffering
Scripture Reading:
“We rejoice in our sufferings, knowing that suffering produces endurance, and endurance produces character, and character produces hope.” (cf. Rom 5:3–4)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus teaches us that suffering, when united to His Cross, becomes a hidden fountain of grace. St. Thérèse lived this truth in her final illness, when tuberculosis consumed her young body. She bore the pain without complaint, whispering that “suffering is the very best gift He gives us.” Her patience was not passive resignation but a love-filled offering, transforming her weakness into strength for souls. In her example, we see that even our smallest trials — weariness, disappointments, daily irritations — can be offered as fragrant sacrifices that bear fruit in eternity. Let us ask Jesus to grant us the courage to suffer with love, so that, like Thérèse, we may turn pain into praise and trial into trust.
Prayer:
Almighty God, giver of all good gifts, who did will that Blessed Thérèse, being watered by the heavenly dew of your guiding grace, should bloom in Carmel with the beauty of virginity and patience in suffering, grant that we, your servants, may go forward in the order of her sweetness and may be found worthy to become devoted and loyal followers of Christ. Amen. (…mention request here)
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 3: A Shower of Roses
Scripture Reading:
“Ask, and it will be given you; seek, and you will find; knock, and it will be opened to you.” (cf. Mt 7:7)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus assures us that no prayer goes unheard when lifted in trust. St. Thérèse believed this deeply, promising that she would “spend her heaven doing good on earth.” Even in her final days, when weakness made prayer difficult, she whispered small acts of love and offered them for souls. True to her word, countless faithful testify to her “shower of roses” — answered prayers, unexpected graces, and consolations that bear the fragrance of Christ’s love. Her life reminds us that intercession is not about forcing God’s hand but resting in His providence, confident that He gives what is best. Like Thérèse, let us pray with childlike confidence, trusting that every request surrendered to Him will bear fruit, whether in the way we expect or in a deeper blessing we could not foresee.
Prayer:
O Thérèse of the Child Jesus, lily of purity, ornament and glory of Carmel, we greet you, great saint, seraph of divine love. We rejoice in the favours our Lord so liberally bestowed on you. In humility and confidence we ask you to help us, for we know God has given you love and pity as well as power. Tell Him now, we beseech you, of the favour we seek in this novena…(…mention request here) Your request will crown our petition with success and bring joy to our hearts. Remember your promise to do good here on earth: “I shall spend my heaven doing good on the earth. After death I shall let fall a shower of roses.”
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 4: Purity and Surrender
Scripture Reading:
“Blessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God.” (cf. Mt 5:8)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus calls us to purity of heart, which is not simply innocence, but the freedom that comes from wholehearted surrender to Him. St. Thérèse longed for this from her earliest years; even as a child she resolved to give everything to God. At Carmel, she embraced purity not only in body but in intention — choosing always the humble path, seeking no recognition, and offering every desire to Christ. Her life teaches us that purity flows from love, and love is proven in surrender. In our world filled with noise, distraction, and false promises of happiness, she reminds us that only a heart emptied of self can be filled with God. Let us ask Jesus, through Thérèse, to make us mirrors of His purity, courageous in love, and steadfast in surrender.
Prayer:
O Little Flower of Jesus, who at an early age had your hearts set on Carmel and in your brief earthly life did become the mirror of angelic purity, of courageous love and of wholehearted surrender to Almighty God, turn your eyes of mercy upon us who trust in you. Obtain for us the favour we seek in this novena…(…mention request here) and the grace to keep our hearts and minds pure and clean. O dear saint, grant us to feel in every need the power of your intercession; help to comfort us in all the bitterness of this life and especially at its end, that we may be worthy to share eternal happiness with you in heaven. Amen.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 5: Strength in Weakness
Scripture Reading:
“My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.” (cf. 2 Cor 12:9)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus delights to reveal His power in the very places where we feel most fragile. St. Thérèse knew this well, for sickness shadowed much of her short life. From her childhood illness to the tuberculosis that claimed her at twenty-four, she endured weakness with unshakable faith, never letting pain extinguish her love of God. Instead, prayer became her breath, her strength, and her refuge. She shows us that illness, fatigue, or discouragement need not be obstacles, but can become hidden altars where Christ’s grace is most fully revealed. Through her example, we learn that true strength is not found in ourselves but in surrendering to the One who sustains us.
Prayer:
O Little Flower of Carmel, Almighty God endowed you, consumed by love for Him, with wondrous spiritual strength to follow the way of perfection during the days of your short life. Sickness touched you early but you remained firm in faith and prayer was your life. O pray for us that we may benefit by your intercession and be granted the favour we ask in this novena…(…mention request here)
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 6: Confidence in Intercession
Scripture Reading:
“This is the confidence we have in Him, that if we ask anything according to His will He hears us.” (cf. 1 Jn 5:14)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus assures us that prayer offered in faith is never wasted. St. Thérèse understood this truth with childlike simplicity. She turned to the Blessed Virgin in every trial, trusting Mary’s tender care to carry her petitions straight to the Heart of Christ. Even in her final weakness, she prayed with unshakable confidence, certain that love always reaches Heaven. Her intercession continues today, powerful yet tender, for she delights in helping souls draw closer to Jesus through Mary. From her we learn to bring our needs with trust, not demanding, but surrendering — believing that every petition is heard, and every answer wrapped in the mercy of God.
Prayer:
O Little Flower of Jesus, you have shown yourself so powerful in your intercession, so tender and compassionate toward those who honour you and invoke you in suffering and distress, that we kneel at your feet with perfect confidence and beseech you most humbly and earnestly to take us under your protection in our present necessity and obtain for us the favour we ask in this novena…(…mention request here) Vouchsafe to recommend our request to Mary, the merciful Queen of Heaven, that she may plead our cause with you before the throne of Jesus, her divine Son. Cease not to intercede for us until our request is granted.
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 7: Living and Dying in Grace
Scripture Reading:
“For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” (cf. Phil 1:21)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus calls us to live every moment in His grace, so that even death becomes an entrance into life. St. Thérèse desired nothing more than to love Him faithfully until her last breath. In her final days, though wracked by illness and even tempted by doubts, she clung to grace with heroic trust, whispering, “I am not dying, I am entering into life.” Her peaceful surrender shows us that holiness is not about being free from struggle but about choosing grace in the midst of it. Like Thérèse, we are invited to turn each day — joys, trials, and even failures — into an offering of love, so that when our last hour comes, it will simply be the completion of a life lived in Christ.
Prayer:
Thérèse of the Child Jesus, most loving Saint, in union with you we adore the divine Majesty. Our hearts are filled with joy at the remembrance of the marvellous favours with which God blessed your life on earth and of the great glory that came to you after death. In union with you, we praise God, and offer Him our humble tribute of thanksgiving. We implore you to obtain for us, through your powerful intercession, the greatest of all blessings — that of living and dying in the state of grace. We also beg of you to secure for us the special favour we seek in this novena…(…mention request here)
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 8: Prayer and Charity
Scripture Reading:
“Above all, clothe yourselves with love, which binds everything together in perfect harmony.” (cf. Col 3:14)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus shows us that holiness is never abstract but always rooted in love and prayer. St. Thérèse practiced this daily in Carmel: she offered prayers for missionaries she would never meet, endured difficulties with her sisters silently and joyfully, and turned every hidden sacrifice into an act of charity. Her sanctity flowed not from extraordinary deeds, but from her fidelity in ordinary moments, transformed by love. She teaches us that we, too, can sanctify our lives — in family duties, in work, in relationships — by letting love guide every action. True prayer flowers into charity, and true charity draws us back into prayer, a rhythm of love that made Thérèse a model for the whole Church.
Prayer:
O glorious St. Thérèse, who, burning with the desire of increasing the glory of God, invariably attended to the sanctification of your soul by the constant practice of prayer and charity so that, becoming in the Church a model of holiness, you are now in Heaven the protector of all those who have recourse to you in faith, look down upon us who invoke your powerful patronage and join your petition to ours that we be granted the favour we seek in this novena…(…mention request here)
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Day 9: A Heart Burning with Love
Scripture Reading:
“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your mind.” (cf. Mt 22:37)
Reflection:
Our Adorable Jesus calls us to let love for Him consume every part of our lives. St. Thérèse lived this with a simplicity both profound and demanding: she placed all earthly things beneath her one desire — to love Jesus and make Him loved. Even in her hidden Carmel life, she radiated a fire of love that transformed ordinary moments into offerings of eternal value. Her last words, “My God, I love You,” echo as both a final prayer and a mission for us. As we conclude this novena, Thérèse reminds us that holiness is not about great works, but about burning with love in the midst of the ordinary, and keeping our eyes fixed on the presence of God in all things.
Prayer:
O St. Thérèse, seraphic virgin, beloved spouse of our Crucified Lord, you who on earth did burn with a love so intense toward your God and our God, and now glow with a bright and purer flame in paradise, obtain for us, we beseech you, a spark of that same holy fire which shall help us to put things of the world in their proper place and live our lives always conscious of the presence of God. As we conclude our novena we also beg of you to secure for us the special favour we seek at this time…(…mention request here)
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Closing Prayer (to be said each day):
Heavenly Father, help us understand and treasure the grace of the Little Way that St. Thérèse taught us. Help us rejoice in our littleness and weakness, realizing as she did that through them Your divine strength is free to do its work of life in us. Show us that nothing is an obstacle but that everything – temperament, situations in which we find ourselves, our duties in life – are materials for the prayer and sacrifice the world desperately needs. Give us generosity and courage, O Lord, to use them as You wish. We place our own needs before You, confident that You will answer us since we pray with St. Thérèse through Your Beloved Son, Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.
Litany of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us.
Our Lady of Victory, pray for us.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse of the Holy Face, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, spouse of Jesus, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, child of Mary, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, devoted to St. Joseph, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, angel of innocence, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, model child, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, pattern of religious, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, flower of Carmel, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, zealous to save souls, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, converter of hardened hearts, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, healer of the diseased, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, filled with love for the Blessed Sacrament, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, filled with angelic fervor, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, filled with loyalty to the Holy Father, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, filled with a tender love for the Church, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, filled with extraordinary love for God and neighbor, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, wounded with a heavenly flame, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, victim of divine love, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, patient in sufferings, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, eager for humiliations, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, consumed with love of God, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, rapt in ecstasy, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, dedicated to pray for priests, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who refused God nothing, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who desired always to be as a little child, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who taught the way of spiritual childhood, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who gave perfect example of trust in God, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, whom Jesus filled with a desire for suffering, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who found perfection in little things, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who sought bitterness in this life, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who told us to call you “little Thérèse,” pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who gained countless souls for Christ, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who promised after your death a shower of roses, pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, who foretold: “I will spend my Heaven doing good upon earth,” pray for us.
Saint Thérèse, Patroness of the Missions, pray for us.
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord!
Lamb of God, Who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us, O Lord!
Pray for us, O holy Saint Thérèse, that we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray: Hear our prayer, O Lord, we beseech You, as we venerate Saint Thérèse, Your virgin and martyr of love and longing to make You loved, and grant us, through her intercession, the gift of childlike simplicity and the spirit of complete dedication to Your divine service, You who live and reign world without end. Amen.
May the Real Presence of Our Adorable Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament bless and sanctify us, filling our hearts with His love, peace, and grace, now and always. Amen.