Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux's "feast day in the General Roman Calendar was 3 October from 1927 until it was moved in 1969 to 1 October." [1]
The explanation for the change of feast day from 3 October to 1 October was provided by littleflower.org [2]:
The Roman Catholic Church celebrates the feast of St. Therese, the Little Flower, on October 1st each year. This date was chosen because Therese died on September 30th. Following the ancient custom of celebrating their entrance into heaven the next day, October 1st was chosen as the day to celebrate Therese's life and eternity. Some people may remember that her feast day was previously October 3rd. That date was established for several reasons, including a packed liturgical calendar. In the liturgical renewal of the 1970's, when the calendar of saints was updated and refined, St. Therese's feast was properly moved to the more appropriate October 1st date. It is interesting to note that St. Therese's home Church in France celebrates her feast day on the last Saturday of September, no matter what the date.
"[Thérèse]'s spirituality is simple and she calls it her 'little way.' She believed and taught us that life presents enough challenges and opportunities for grace. She teaches us that God is everywhere - in every situation and person - and in the ordinary, simple details of life." [3]
"Even in prayer, [Thérèse] teaches simplicity - talking to God and Jesus in direct, personal and heartfelt ways. She did not like long prayers. She fell asleep during community prayer. She disliked the rosary. She prayed from her heart as a child speaks honestly and trustingly to a parent they love. God calls us to respond to Divine Love in a childlike relationship of love, trust and bold confidence to "Abba" (which literally means 'Dad'), and by doing the simple things for others, well and with love." [Emphasis added.] [4]
It is interesting to note that a nun falling asleep during community prayer and disliking the rosary can still be canonized a saint! According to Dynamic Catholic [5], "the full development of the Hail Mary prayer, the term “rosary” was finally given in 1597[,]" 276 years before Thérèse's birth on January 2, 1873. [6]
One of Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux's quotes [7]:
"What a comfort it is, this way of love! You may stumble on it, you may fail to correspond with grace given, but always love knows how to make the best of everything; whatever offends our Lord is burnt up in its fire, and nothing is left but a humble, absorbing peace deep down in the heart." (Story of a Soul, Ms. A., Knox translation).
Was the Lord offended by Thérèse's dislike of the rosary and her falling asleep during community prayer? According to Sainte Thérèse de Lisieux, it does not matter for "whatever offends our Lord is burnt up in its fire, and nothing is left but a humble, absorbing peace deep down in the heart." One can only hope that all the things that one thinks, says and does often and repeatedly throughout life that displeases God will be incinerated in the Lord's fire, leaving in one's heart a humble and absorbing peace that will last through eternity.
"[Thérèse] believed and taught that 'everything is grace' – God’s face and presence could be experienced in every person and situation of our lives, if we just attend with love and expectancy." [8]
[4] Ibid.
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