Saints Louis and Zelie Martin are proof that you don't have to do extraordinary things to become a saint. You don't have to be well known and famous. You don't have to be known for visions, levitation, or for performing miracles. You can become a saint by living an ordinary life doing ordinary things like raising and providing for your family. Louis and Zelie Martin became holy by doing God's will in their lives, by being parents.
Louis Martin was born on August 22, 1823. Although his father was in the military, Louis chose to be a watch maker. Louis wanted to enter the Grand Saint Bernard Monastery. Unfortunately he did not know Latin which was a requirement for entrance. Louis returned home study Latin and to finish his training as a watch maker. After an illness, Louis decided that God did not want him to become a monk. He set up a watch making and jewelry shop in Alencon.
Zelie Martin was born December 1831. Her father was in the military also. After her father's retirement from the military, his pension was small so the family had to watch their expenses. Zelie was often sick as a child and suffered from migraines. Zelie wanted to be a religious and asked permission to enter the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul. The superior decided that Zelie did not have a vocation. Zelie learned how to make Alencon lace and decided to open her own lace making business with her sister. She was only 20 years old when she began this ambitious enterprise.
Louis and Zelie met in April 1858 and quickly grew to love each other. They were married on July12, three months after they met. They had nine children, four children died at a very young age. Five daughters survived, Marie, Pauline, Leonie, Celine and Therese. Marie, Pauline, Celine and Therese enter the Carmelite monastery while Leonie entered the Visitation monastery.
Louis eventually gave up his watchmaking career to help Zelie with her lace making business which was doing very well. She had to take care of her growing family and manage the household in addition to taking care of her growing business. Their goal in life was to raise their children to be faithful Catholics. Their spirituality was based on three principles. They put God first in all they did, they had confidence in God's providence and they trusted in God's will.
They also believed that they were to help others who were not as fortunate as themselves. Examples of their generosity and care for others abound. They would find work for the unemployed, feed the hungry, and donate money to the poor. They were also concerned about the spiritual welfare of others. They prayed for others and shared their abundant faith in God whenever they could. They were true neighbors to all they met.
Zelie died at the age of 46 from breast cancer. Her youngest child, Therese, was four years old. Louis moved the family to Lisieux to be closer to his bother-in-law, Isidore Guerin. When Louis was 64 years old, he suffered the first of many health problems. His condition deteriorated and he began not only to experience physical problems but hallucinations and delusions as well. His daughters Celine and Leonine took care of him at home for as long as they could. Eventually he had to be admitted to a hospital because of the delusions. When his condition stabilized, he returned home. He died on July 27,1894.
Louis and Zelie Martin were cannoized by Pope Francis on October 18, 2015.
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