The Father of the Little Flower: Louis Martin

by Céline Martin

Louis Martin was the pattern of Fatherhood on which St. Therese built her now famous "Little Way of Spiritual Childhood". Louis was declared Venerable by the Church in 1994 and Cannonized in 2015, along with his wife, Zelie, because of his "heroic virtue."

What kind of a father was he? These reminiscences byhis daugther, Celine, describe Louis Martin's marriage at age 34, his love and support for Zelie, his firm discipline yet tender affection for his children, his piety, observance of Sunday, business practices, selfless conduct, and generosity to the poor. Celine gives particular attention to the sufferings of her father's old age, foreseen in a vision by Therese, which included a period of time spent in a mental institution. She describes his beautiful death, as well as a sign received by Therese indicating that their father's soul had gone straight to Heaven.

Letters written by Louis gives additional insights into his character. 

Genres: Catholic, Biography, Faith, Religion, Nonfiction

152 pages, Paperback

First published August 1, 2005

About the author

Marie-Céline Martin was a Carmelite nun; one of the daughters of Zélie and Louis Martin, and sister of Thérèse de Lisieux.

Reviews

[Shelby Poinikiewski · Rating 3 out of 5]

I liked it! At first he seemed too holy to be real, kinda intangible. But by the end, reading his actual letters, he was so much more relatable. Definitely trying to keep his traits and mindset in mind as I live my day to day life and marriage.

[Miss K · Rating 5 out of 5]

A short, but wonderful read of St. Louis Martin! Honestly, I've only read about him in books about St. Therese so I enjoyed all the information, especially the personal quotations and letters. He truly was a saintly man, always full of virtue and kindness to his neighbors. He never showed any signs of complaint either. A saint much needed in our times, especially for families.

[Kevin W · Rating 3 out of 5]

A man of heroic virtue, but one of those reads where you’re like, “Yeah, I can’t relate to your level of holiness and probably never will.”

[Kat · Rating 5 out of 5]

I would say there's nothing especially groundbreaking in this, having read other things relating to this remarkable family. But still, it's a nice addition to the Martin repertoire.

I especially enjoyed the sections recounting his personal characteristics, and was even rather inspired by some of his penances that I never even considered (such as consciously taking economy class). Barely a penance, of course. But the money saved can be donated to charity!

[Jane · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great example of a very holy layman who loved his wife and children and his Faith.

[Elizabeth Chipolina · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heaven on Earth

Very uplifting and soul searching to become a better Christian/Catholic. May the Martin family in Heaven pray for all families on Earth.🙏🏼🙏🏼🙏🏼

[Philip · Rating 5 out of 5]

Inspiring

As a father I have a long way to go before I could fill the shoes of this saint. This man's life is one I will seek to mimic as I want to be a saint and I want my children to be saints. From this man and his wife came one one of the greatest saints and a household of Christ followers. I am happy I stumbled upon the life of this father.

[Sam · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an amazing man! Louis demonstrated how to live out the marriage vocation and showed amply that holiness is not just for religious. I enjoyed this book and it moved me to strive to be a better husband, father and Christian.

[Chris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Being a big fan of St. Thérèse for many years, I've also been a devotee of St. Louis Martin. However, I had no idea how swaintly of a life this man lived! A terrific short biography of the father of St. Thérèse of Lisieux.

[Gabrielle · Rating 5 out of 5]

I think I have read this.