Real saints are full of heroism!

I've always been offended by the unrealistic and sugary-sweet manner in which some artists portray Saint Therese of the Infant Jesus and Holy Face.

                        

In real life, she had none of that false piety.   Much to the contrary; she was true hero, with lofty and great desires.

In her own words:

“But what I want above all, O my Beloved Savior, is to shed my blood for Thee to the last drop. Martyrdom. Behold the dream of my youth, that dream which grew with me in the cloisters of Carmel.

"But even in this I sense that my dream is an extravagant
one, for I would not know how to limit myself to a single form of martyrdom. All forms would be necessary to satisfy me.

"As Thou wert, my Adorable Spouse, I should want to be scourged and crucified, to die flayed alive like Saint Bartholomew, to be lowered into boiling oil like Saint John; I should want to suffer all the tortures inflicted upon the martyrs.

Saint Therese dressed as Saint Joan of Arc.

"Along with Saint Agnes and Saint Cecilia, I should want to bare my neck to the sword, and like my favorite, Saint Joan of Arc, I should want in the midst of the fire to call out Thy name, O Jesus.

"Reflecting upon the torments that will be the lot of the Christians
in the time of the Antichrist, I desire that these torments be reserved for me. Jesus, Jesus, were I to want to write down all of my desires, it would be necessary for me to copy Thy ‘Book of Life,’ in which are told all the deeds of all the saints; I should want
to have done all these acts for Thee.”