Feast of St. Therese of Liseux
by Frank Savadera, SJ
There's a lot that we can pick up from the image of Jesus taking a child and placing it by
his side and saying: “Whoever
receives this child in my name ... receives me.” Of course, we know how fragile a child or a
baby is like. I’ve always been afraid
carrying or cuddling a baby (I might drop or hurt it). But there is something about a child that is
totally reliant on the protection and providence of its parent or
caregiver.
I
think this is what we can glean from the life and example of St. Therese of
Lisieux (the Little Flower of Jesus).
Compared to the other women doctors of the Church (Catherine of Sienna
and Teresa of Avila), Therese lived a somewhat “uneventful” and quiet life. She entered the monastery at age 15 years and
in 9 years (she was 24 years old) she was already dead. But then we can learn a lot from her being
very childlike. From her autobiography
... THE STORY OF MY SOUL, Therese mentions:
I PREFER THE MONOTONY OF OBSCURE SACRIFICE TO ALL ECSTASIES. TO PICK UP A PIN FOR LOVE CAN CONVERT A SOUL.
In
another instance: I WANT TO SPEND MY
HEAVEN doing good on earth.”
Pertaining
to her relationship with her spiritual director, she says: "Directors make people advance
in perfection by performing a great number of acts of virtue, and they are
right. But my Director, who is Jesus Himself, teaches me to do everything
through love."
And
lastly and more concretely referring to wish to be childlike, she says: "You make me think of a
little child that is learning to stand but does not yet know how to walk. In
his desire to reach the top of the stairs to find his mother, he lifts his
little foot to climb the first stair. It is all in vain, and at each renewed
effort he falls. Well, be this little child: through the practice of all the
virtues, always lift your little foot to mount the staircase of holiness, but
do not imagine that you will be able to go up even the first step! No, but the
good God does not demand more from you than good will. From the top of the
stairs, He looks at you with love. Soon, won over by your useless efforts, He
will come down Himself and, taking you in His arms, He will carry you up ...”
Lord, allow us the grace to be child-like, to recognize how much we can depend on you; how much we can live our lives fully with child-like joy ... as you had gifted your servant, St. Therese of Lisieux.
