Moving to college, no matter if it’s your first or your last year, can be lonely. Friends are in our life for certain seasons, sometimes, but there are some friends who are always there: the saints.

Saints have always been a part of my life; they have provided much comfort to me, specifically one “Little Flower.”  

St. Thérèse of Lisieux came into my life just like the Little Flower she is, unnoticed at first but then prompting me to be completely taken by her sweetness. It was such a beautiful blessing (and “God wink”) to know and grow in friendship with her just as I discerned and became a missionary with Fellowship of Catholic University Students (FOCUS) after graduating from the University of Iowa.  

St. Thérèse, being the patron saint of missionaries as well as the patron saint of FOCUS, reminded me of how saints intercede for us throughout our lives.  

The lessons St. Thérèse taught me are ones I still hold close.  

 

There is no need for comparison; we were all made uniquely.  

One thing they never tell you during orientation or any speech to prepare you for college is how hard it is not to compare yourself to others. High school was a fishbowl, and college is an arena where it can be so easy to scrutinize yourself for not having the trendiest outfit, for not getting the grade that set the curve, for not having a friend group to sit with in the dining hall, etc. Whatever it may be, it can be so easy to fall into the “comparison trap.”  

Yet St. Thérèse has a beautiful quote in her autobiography to remind us that we are all unique, and we are all meant to be unique: “how the splendor of the rose and the whiteness of the lily do not take away the perfume of the little violet or the delightful simplicity of the daisy. I understood that if all flowers wanted to be roses, nature would lose her springtime beauty.”  

This quote is a beautiful reminder that in those moments when you feel inadequate or as though you “don’t fit in,” you can cast those lies aside because you are indeed a unique gift. God created St. Thérèse, me and you in his image and likeness.

 

Small sacrifices are worth it.

College is not for the faint of heart and comes with many sacrifices. We’ve all experienced late nights filled with work, not hanging out with friends because of the need to study, and getting through a challenging class — or two! Whatever weird, crazy, hard scenario you have experienced, it has been a sacrifice.  

St. Thérèse spent her life offering up little sacrifices for others, and that is one of the many reasons why she is a saint. She called these mundane sacrifices “treasures,” explaining that they help us to grow. It is hard to see these moments as treasures instead of inconveniences, but these treasures can draw us closer to the heart of Jesus.  

In the busyness of college, it is easy to forget how to find holiness in the ordinary; these “treasures” are the perfect examples of how we don’t have to be doing something big to strive for holiness. It can be as easy as offering up the discomfort of sitting in your soppy, wet shoes during class after being caught in a campus downpour without an umbrella.  

 

Live in the moment.  

If I had one word to describe my time in college, I would choose “whirlwind.”  

There is so much to see and do in college: “This is your moment!” “Do all the things!” And although many of these encouraging phrases sound cliché, they are in a way true. Still, it is so easy to get caught up in the whirlwind that is college for fear of missing out on the next best thing.  

St. Thérèse once said:

“If I did not simply live from one moment to another, it would be impossible for me to be patient, but I only look at the present, I forget the past, and I take good care not to forestall the future.”  

 

That includes, of course, making time for prayer, Mass and the sacraments in between class, work, extracurricular activities and socializing. 

There is no need to worry about what is to come next, but, rather, take a deep breath and enjoy exactly what you are meant to be doing where God has placed you now. Be a witness of love, as the Little Flower advises: “Miss no single opportunity of making some small sacrifice, here by a smiling look, there by a kindly word; always doing the smallest right and doing it all for love.”  

 

Doing it all for love.  

Isn’t love what makes all things worth it? Real, true, authentic love can be hard to find on campus. But you who have found real love in the cross, in a relationship with Jesus, can be a witness to that love that many are seeking.  

It is as easy as sharing a smile with those you encounter on your way to class. They will see, in your smile and in your eyes, that you are filled with the love of Christ. To be a witness of Christ’s love can be done daily in the smallest of ways, following the “Little Way” to unite others to Jesus, as well.  

St. Thérèse was and continues to be a great companion to me, and my hope is that you can let her be a companion to you. Let her Little Way be yours, too. 

 

Lucero Manzanares is a FOCUS missionary serving at Temple University. She and her FOCUS teammates work with Temple University Newman Center to host Bible studies and other activities to bring students closer to Christ.