STS. LOUIS AND ZELIE MARTIN -12th July

Sts. Louis & Zélie Martin

Modern examples of a holy, happy marriage (parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux). They lived a life of deep faith, daily prayer, and mutual support, and are patrons/models for married couples and parents.

The feast day for Saints Louis and Zélie Martin, parents of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, is celebrated on July 12, commemorating their wedding anniversary in 1858, and it recognizes them as the first married couple canonized together for their holy family life, showing that sainthood is attainable in ordinary daily duties.

Key Facts About Their Feast Day

Date: July 12.
Significance: This date marks the anniversary of their marriage, symbolizing their commitment to God and each other.
Patronage: Marriage, parenting, and illness.
Why They Are Honored: They exemplify holiness within family life, raising five daughters who became nuns (including St. Thérèse) amidst joys and sorrows, demonstrating deep faith and trust in God’s plan.

Who Were They?

Louis Martin: A watchmaker who desired religious life but married Zélie.
Zélie Guérin: A lace-maker who also felt called to religious life but was turned away, later marrying Louis.
Their Family: They had nine children, with five daughters surviving to enter religious orders, a testament to the holy environment they fostered.

Their lives show that holiness isn’t just for clergy but can be lived fully in the sacrament of marriage and the daily tasks of family life, inspiring couples and parents worldwide

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PRAYERS

Prayer to Saint Louis Martin and Saint Célie Guérin

God, our Father, we thank you for giving us Louis Martin and Célie Guérin. In the unity and fidelity of their marriage, they offered us the testimony of an exemplary Christian life, fulfilling their daily tasks according to the spirit of the Gospel. Raising a large family, through trials, deaths, and suffering, they manifested their trust in you and generously accepted your will.

Lord, make known to us your plans for them and grant me the grace I ask of you, in the hope that the father and mother of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus may one day be held up by the Church as an example to the families of our time.

Amen.

Prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie

Saints Louis and Zelie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents,
gave witness to an exemplary Christian life,
putting God first,
by the exercise of your state duty
and the practice of the Gospel virtues,
we turn to you:

Help us to have unshakeable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys
but also the trials, the mourning and the suffering
with which your life has been marked.

Help us to love God with all our heart,
to persevere in our daily difficulties
and to dwell in joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.

Intercede for us
so that we obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.
Amen.

Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.

Prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin,
after having had the desire for religious life,
you heard the Lord’s call to the vocation of marriage.

You are the “parents without equal”
of whom your daughter Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus speaks;
the fortunate parents of Léonie,
the Servant of God, Sister Françoise-Thérèse;
of Marie, Pauline, and Céline,
transplanted to Mount Carmel;
and of the four children
taken from your affection in their youth:
Hélène, Joseph, Jean-Baptiste, and Mélanie-Thérèse.

You gave all glory to God
through your humble and patient work,
your commitment to the poor,
and your family life,
where reigned the happiness
of loving and being loved.

You lived your daily life concretely
through the joys and sorrows of your existence.

You love us as your own children,
with the heart of a father and the heart of a mother,
because you are the friends of God.

Listen to our prayer and our request
(state the request . . . )
and intercede for us with God the Father,
through Jesus Christ our Lord,
in the grace of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Prayer to Saints Louis and Zélie Martin

(for families and married couples)

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin,
you lived your marriage and family life
with deep faith, trust in God, and generous love.
In joys and trials, you placed everything
into the hands of Divine Providence.

Obtain for our families the grace
to love one another faithfully,
to pray together with perseverance,
and to grow in holiness through daily sacrifices.

Help married couples to remain united,
open to life, and anchored in Christ.
Intercede for parents, that they may guide their children
with patience, wisdom, and tenderness.

Saints Louis and Zélie Martin,
teach us to seek God in ordinary life
and to trust Him in all things.
Amen.

Prayer for Marriage and Family Life

(through the intercession of Saints Louis and Zélie Martin)

O God,
You gave Saints Louis and Zélie Martin
the grace to sanctify themselves through marriage,
work, and the raising of their children.

Through their intercession,
grant that our homes may be places of faith,
charity, and peace.
May husbands and wives reflect Your faithful love,
and may children grow in virtue and trust in You.

Help us to accept our crosses with hope
and to offer our daily lives for Your glory.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen.

NOVENA TO STS.LOUIS AND ZELIE

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 1

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of openness to Your will, that we might be as ready to follow Your call as they were.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you both desired to give yourself entirely to God in a religious vocation. You loved Him so dearly that you wanted to devote your life to Him in a special way.

But God showed you both that His plan for you was different. When you saw that He was calling to you a different vocation than you had planned, you readily gave yourselves to Him in a different way.

Pray for me, that I may be as open to God’s will as you were. Help me to be ready to do even the unexpected when God asks me to.

Please also pray for (mention your intentions here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 2

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of holy and joyful family life, and to spread that spirit of joy and holiness throughout the world.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew how important family life is in the lives of children and in our world. You knew that a holy and happy life in the family would help your children to grow into holy adults. And you worked hard to ensure that your family was a place of virtue, joy and love.

Please pray for all families in our world. Intercede for us, as we struggle against the evil that is bent on destroying the family, that we may all persevere in keeping our families holy and full of joy.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 3

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue throughout the daily toils and works of life with our family members.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you were faithful and virtuous as you carried out your responsibilities as spouses to one another and parents to your children. You loved one another and your children for the love of God.

Life in your home wasn’t always easy, but you persevered in your love throughout both the joyous and the difficult moments of family life.

Please pray for me and my family members, as we carry out the obligations of our own family life. Intercede for us, that we may be as saintly in our family life as you were.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 4

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue, to imitate the holiness they lived throughout the joys and struggles of parenthood.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you brought nine children into the world. You faithfully endured the trials of pregnancy and birth. You raised five of your children to adulthood, and you created a holy, happy home for them.

Caring for children and helping them grow into holy adults is no light task, and you carried out your obligations toward your children lovingly, even in the difficult moments of parenthood.

Please pray for me, that I may be faithful even in my life’s trials. Help me to carry out my duties as faithfully as you did in the raising of your children.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 5

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to follow their example of virtue, even in the moments of loss or deep sadness, when it might feel very difficult to stay faithful.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, much of life in your family was joyful, but you also suffered deeply as parents. On four occasions, the children you had conceived and born passed from this world. You must have loved these children deeply, and you must have hoped to raise them to become holy adults.

Despite the pain and suffering you surely felt at these deep losses, you never lost your faith in God. You did not harbor resentment toward God but instead remained virtuous in spite of your sorrow.

Please pray for me, that I may be as virtuous as you amidst the deep pains and trials I might experience in my own life.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 6

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate the virtue they practiced that laid the foundation for all five of their daughters to enter religious life.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you raised five daughters to adulthood and you fostered in them a deep love for God. You so formed your daughters in the Faith that all of them desired to give themselves fully to God. You impressed upon them the value of the Faith, and your example and formation led them all to become brides of Christ in religious life.

Please pray for me, that I may love God with as deep and inspiring a love as you did. And pray for all men and women whom God is calling to serve Him in a religious vocation, that they may be as willing to answer His call as your daughters were.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 7

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate their virtue in the small, mundane moments of daily life that laid the foundation for their daughter St. Therese’s famous Little Way to holiness.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew that your daily life of work could become a means of holiness and sanctification. You yourselves practiced virtue in your daily work, and you raised your daughters to do the same.

Guided by your example and instruction, your daughter Therese would grow up to become a Doctor of the Church who has taught generations of the faithful how to sanctify the little moments of their days.

Please pray for me, that I may never miss the opportunity to practice virtue in the small, mundane moments of my daily life.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 8

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate this holiness in our family lives in such a way that we help others around us to see how holy and important marriages and family are.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, you knew that marriage and family are great gifts from God, for the individual and for society. You treated your spousal and familial responsibilities with seriousness, knowing that God had entrusted you with much in your family life. Because of your care and virtue, you were able to make your family a domestic church, as God intends.

Please pray for us, that we may always treat marriage and family with the respect it deserves, and that our practice of virtue in family life will help spread reverence for it throughout society.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Saints Louis and Zelie Martin Novena – Day 9

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.

Dear Lord, You have given us Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin as examples of holiness and fidelity in family life. Help us to imitate their virtue in the face of trials and heavy burdens, even when we feel as if those trials are too difficult to bear.

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, after you had already suffered much from the loss of four of your children, you suffered still more when Zelie developed breast cancer. Zelie endured much physical pain, and you both suffered in the knowledge that you would soon be separated from one another in her death. But you did not despair or harbor resentment toward God. Instead, you remained strong in your faith and continued in the path of virtue as spouses and parents.

Please pray for me, that I may remain faithful throughout the deep trials and heavy burdens of my life.

Please also pray for (mention your intention here).

Sts. Louis and Zelie Martin, pray for us!

In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.

Amen.