St. Therese, the Little Flower, grew in holiness in the convent through little acts of self-conquest. Due to the decision of the Ecclesiastical Superior, Therese had to wait for eight more months before religious profession.

At first Therese found it very difficult to be resigned to such a sacrifice, but one day during prayer, she realized that her too eager desire to take vows was mingled with much self-love.

She prayed to Christ: “I do not ask you to hasten the day of my profession, I will wait as long as you please, only I cannot bear that through any fault of mine my union with you should be delayed; I will set to work and carefully prepare a wedding-dress enriched with diamonds and precious stones, and, when you find it sufficiently rich, I am sure that nothing will keep you from accepting me as your spouse.” The wedding dress of Therese was holiness of life decorated with virtues.

Therese grew in her love for the virtue of poverty. One evening after Compline (Night Prayer), she couldn’t find the lamp and realized that another nun had taken it by mistake. Due to the lack of light, Therese couldn’t work and had to spent the hour in darkness. However, she felt happy instead of aggrieved, for it dawned on her that poverty consists in being deprived not only of what is convenient, but of what is necessary.

Therese recalled: “At this time I was seized with a craving for whatever was ugly and inconvenient; and was thus quite pleased when a pretty little jug was taken from our cell and a large chipped one put in its place.”

Another way of self-conquest for Therese was doing her best not to make excuses. One day, a small jar, left behind a window, was found broken. A superior was displeased and told Therese that she was very untidy and must be more careful in the future. Though innocent, Therese kissed the ground and promised to be more observant. She had to console herself with the thought that at the day of judgment all would be known.

Therese worked diligently preparing herself for religious profession. Eventually her profession was fixed for Sept. 8, 1890. Before profession, Therese experienced spiritual dryness and she often fell asleep during prayer. However, she was not discouraged; she wrote, “I reflect that little children are equally dear to their parents whether they are asleep or awake; that, in order to perform operations, doctors put their patients to sleep … I simply believe that it is Jesus himself hidden in my poor heart, who is secretly at work, inspiring me with what he wishes me to do as each occasion arises.”

On the eve of religious profession, Therese experienced sudden darkness. Her vocation seemed to her as unreal as a dream, and that she was wholly unsuited for life in the Carmel.

During her darkness, Therese decided to tell her Novice Mistress of the temptation without delay. She confessed the state of her soul, and the Novice Mistress reassured her completely by laughing frankly at her story. The temptation vanished through this act of humble confession.

On the morning of Sept. 8, Therese pronounced her religious vows with great peace. She prayed a great deal for others, asking the Lord to convert sinners and to free the souls of purgatory.

Therese wrote, “It was the Nativity of Mary. What a beautiful feast on which to become the Spouse of Jesus! It was the little new-born Holy Virgin who presented her little Flower to the little Jesus.”

                                                    小德蘭發聖願

小德蘭渡修院生活時，藉自我克制增長聖德。修會的教區長上決定小德蘭要多等八個月後才能發聖願，她認為等待時間太長了，當初感到失望。一天，在祈禱時，小德蘭意識到，自己渴望盡早發聖願，其實是混雜了自我追求的私念在愛主的情懷中；於是，她向基督祈禱說：「我不求祢加快我發願的日子，祢喜愛我等多久就多久；我只不能忍受因我的過錯而延遲了我與祢結合。我將要努力工作，並小心地預備配以鑽石和寶石的婚紗，當祢認為它預備足夠時，我肯定沒有任何事能阻止祢接納我成為的淨配。」小德蘭的婚紗，就是配以德行的神修生活。

小德蘭對神貧越來越喜愛。一次在夜禱完結後，油燈被一位修女錯誤地拿走了，小德蘭不能在一片漆黑中工作；不過，這沒有使她憤慨，而她卻更深領略到，神貧可守之處，不止在生活自然順續的事情，而亦包括得不到所需。

小德蘭對此追憶道：「這時，我渴望醜陋和不便的東西；我喜歡別人取去我一個美麗的小壇子，換來一個大而破爛的。」

小德蘭的自我克制，亦在她不自辯中表現出來。有一天，一個玻璃罐子被人遺棄在窗台被打破了的，長上責怪小德蘭不收拾地方，吩咐她以後更要小心。雖然胡亂擺放東西的不是她，小德蘭對長上的責難和吩咐，唯唯是諾。她安慰自己事情在公審判時會真相大白。

為了善備發聖願，小德蘭用心工作；終於那大日子定在1890年9月8日。不過，發願前，小德蘭經歷神枯，祈禱時常常入睡；她並不因此感到氣餒。她寫道：「孩子醒著或睡著，對父母來說，仍是同樣可愛。看，醫生做手術前，不是要把病人弄去熟睡嗎？…..我相信耶穌會在我貧乏的心內，靜靜地工作，啟迪我如何按祂的旨意把每件遇到的事情做好。」

發聖願前夕，小德蘭突然感到靈性上一片漆黑：她的聖召看似一場夢境，並非真實，而加耳默羅修會的生活不會適合她。小德蘭決定把這靈蔽盡快如實告知初學師。初學師姆姆笑了，並肯定她是善備發聖願了。小德蘭謙虛的剖白，把靈蔽的誘惑，一掃而空。

1890年9月8日，小德蘭在極大的平安中發了聖願，也不斷為其他人禱告，為罪人皈化及煉靈祈禱。

小德蘭筆錄著：「那日是紀念聖母誕辰。在這美麗的慶日，我成為耶穌的淨配。是新生小童貞聖母，把她的小花朵送給小耶穌。」