Celebrating Married Couples – The Feast Day of Zelie and Louis Martin

Today is the feast day for Zelie Martin and her husband Louis. They were a 19th-century married French couple, known for their piety and devotion to God. They raised a Godly family. Five of their daughters became nuns, the most famous of which is St. Therese, the Little Flower.

Zelie was remarkable in her own right. She gave birth to nine children but went through the heartbreak of losing four. When Baby Therese was born, Zelie was afraid that she did not have enough milk to nurse her. Fearing that the baby might die too, she sent her off to live with another woman who agreed to nurse the baby until she could be weaned.

Zelie also realized that she would leave her family as she slowly died from breast cancer. You can read her own words in this book.

But I think what I most admire about the Martins is that they were a simple couple, who endeavored to serve God with their lives on a daily basis. And because of those simple things, their marriage mattered greatly. I think all marriages matter greatly if they just follow that same recipe!