Praying to the holy spouses Luis and Celia Martin protected this couple in the tribulation

Susanna Spencer, a Catholic theologian, author, wife and mother of four, told the story of how in the deepest moments of difficulty their marriage faced, prayer to the holy spouses Louis and Celia Martin helped them receive the grace of God.

Luis and Celiathe parents of Saint Therese of Lisieux, were beatified in 2008 by the then Pope Benedict XVI and canonized in 2015 by Pope Francis.

“When my husband was discerning his vocation during the semester we spent abroad taking classes in Gaming, Austria, and traveling in Europe, he prayed to St. Therese of Lisieux to be ‘offered red roses’ if he were destined to marry me,” Spencer recalled in an article published in the National Catholic Register.

One afternoon in Venice, outside St. Mark’s Basilica, a flower seller offered her red roses. “Mark did not buy them or immediately abandon his discernment, but he still attributed the Little Flower’s intercession to his feeling what I had felt all along: that we were destined to be married.”

A month after they were married, a priest invited Spencer and her husband to attend a a ninth of Masses in the Carmelite convent, which would culminate on July 16 with the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. “The series of homilies was about the beautiful marriage of Saint Teresa’s parents, who were to be beatified that year. “We heard about her great love for God, how they had both first discerned religious life, and the fateful meeting on the bridge that led to their marriage and the holy family life they had together,” Spencer said.

“We were intrigued and knew that the Church was giving us a great gift by beatifying a couple,” he added.

Luis and Celia had nine children, of which four died in infancy or childhood. The five surviving daughters joined convents, including St. Therese of Lisieux. “My husband and I have continued to be devoted to St. Louis and St. Celia throughout our marriage, looking to their model of family life as one to emulate,” she said.

In 2014, during a particularly difficult year where stress reached the extreme due to family, health, home problems, etc., Spencer began praying to Saint Louis and Saint Celia Martin for their marriage and for other marriages close to them. .

“A quick internet search led me to a beautiful novena addressed to them, and I invited family, friends, and readers of my blog to join me in praying it. It was a grace-filled novena, as I prayed with my husband for other couples, for our families, and for ourselves. “I remember so clearly the feeling of God’s movement and grace in our marriage that summer,” Spencer said.

Devotion to these saints has been a constant source of strength and comfort for Spencer. “I read a beautiful book of her letters, and reading St. Celia’s words to her sister-in-law, daughter, and husband brought me great comfort at a time when I felt overwhelmed in my vocation. She taught me to trust in God, and that even the holiest family lives don’t go smoothly. “It was helpful to see how she always kept her focus on God even while she was overwhelmed between material concerns, health difficulties, and the loss of her young children,” Spencer shared.

In 2018, Spencer and her friends found a novena to the Martins at the Basilica of Our Lady of Victories in Paris, which they have translated into English and are sharing publicly. “I am praying for marriages and families, for couples struggling with infertility, and for young people who are discerning their vocations.”

“Is God calling you to pray too?” Spencer concluded, inviting the couples to join in prayer.