TODAY IS THE FEAST day of two of my new favorite saints: Louis and Zélie Martin. You may not have heard of them, but you’ve definitely heard of their youngest daughter, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. Sts. Louis and Zélie were the first married couple to be canonized together on the same day. In addition to St. Thérèse, their middle child, Léonie, is currently a Servant of God, and the other three Martin sisters were all nuns. A whole family of saints!
The Martins lived an incredible life, remaining faithful through four infant and early childhood losses in their family. They were also a two-income family in an era (the late 19th century) when that was not common. They struggled to provide for a child with learning disabilities. Zélie suffered from the breast cancer that left Louis a single father to five daughters. I know many of us can relate to some or all of these struggles. As we strive to live a faithful Catholic family life today, we have these two wonderful role models to look up to and pray to while we raise our own children to be saints.
So how did they do it? And what can we learn from the Martin family about raising faithful Catholics today? First, Louis and Zélie lived their own personal faith vibrantly and boldly. Before they found each other, the two had each been turned away from religious vocations. They never let their personal love for God take a back seat to their work or family life. Instead, it informed every choice they made. They taught the faith to their children, delegating and accepting help with humility when necessary. The oldest two Martin sisters attended school at their aunt’s convent, while the youngest two learned at home. Léonie, whose learning disabilities were a constant source of struggle for her mother, received tutoring when it was available. Zélie did whatever it took to see her children learn their faith and receive their sacraments. Louis and Zélie prayed constantly
for their children. They trusted in God’s will and never stopped interceding for their daughters’ health, sanctity, education and struggles. This habit of consistent prayer was passed on to their children.
They were living witnesses to the Resurrection. They tragically lost three babies and one young child to illness, but never lost their faith. Instead, they turned to their little saints in prayer for the rest of the family, and longed for the day their family would be reunited again in heaven.
This faith, passed on to the girls, served them well when Zélie lost her battle with breast cancer, leaving Louis alone to guide them in their faith journey towards their eventual vocations. While “Catholic culture” was more is in 21st century America, the faith was still under attack from a wave of anticlericalism sweeping France at that time. The Martins stayed faithful despite this hostility around them. Louis made frequent pilgrimages to intercede for his family. Zélie sacrificed work on Sundays that could have provided for her family in favor of rest on the Sabbath.
Following the lives of Sts. Louis and Zélie, we can see that sanctity is found in the little things. Just like St. Thérèse elaborated in her “Little Way,” her parents lived their simple faith with great love and devotion. That kind of faith— that can be felt in the way you live your life —cannot help but rub off on the people around you. If we are to instill a saintly faith in our own children, the most important thing we can do is to become saints ourselves.
Sts. Louis and Zélie, pray for us!