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St. Zelie Martin, mother of St. Therese of Lisieux, gave birth to nine children. Only five survived to adulthood, with four children who died in infancy.
After the birth of each child, St. Zelie prayed the following prayer.
Lord, grant me the grace that this child may be consecrated to You, and that nothing may tarnish the purity of its soul. If ever it would be lost, I prefer that You should take it without delay.
The last part may seem strange to modern ears, but it was Zelie's belief that the eternal salvation of her children was the most important part of parenting. She would rather have them be with Jesus now, than live a life separated from God.
