FEAST DAY OCTOBER 1
On September 30th, 1897, a young Carmelite nun living in France succumbed to the effects of tuberculosis, dying in obscurity, known only to her sisters in religious life.
Yet, this particular Carmelite would prove different in this respect. Within years of her death, her spiritual autobiography, Story of a Soul would captivate the Church. Miracles attributed to her intercession began to be reported.
In 1914, just seventeen years after her death, Pope Pius X signed a decree introducing her cause for beatification. She was proclaimed a Venerable Servant of God on August 14, 1921, and beatified by Pope Pius XI on April 29, 1923. On May 17, 1925, that Blessed Thérèse was canonized by Pope Pius XI, becoming Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.
At the hundred year anniversary of her death,(1997) Pope John Paul II declared this formally obscure Carmelite nun to be one of the Doctors of the Church, a title given to only a privileged few of the Church’s saints.
At the heart of Therese’s understanding of the spiritual life is the principle that holiness can be appreciated and accomplished not only in the performance of mighty deeds but in a willing surrender to the purposes of God as we engage in seemingly ordinary experiences of life.
THE LITTLE WAY OF THE LITTLE FLOWER
Thérèse didn’t want to just be good; she wanted to be a SAINT. “I have always wanted to become a saint. God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint”.
She thought there must be a way for people living hidden, little lives like hers. A turning point in her thinking came during a trip with her Father. They stayed at a hotel with an elevator/lift.
That lift persuaded her that she did not have to do all the heavy climbing to the arms of Jesus.
Therese gave us “the elevator metaphor”…God would come down to her and lift her up to Him
“for I was far too small to climb the steep stairs of perfection. So I sought in Holy Scripture some idea of what this life I wanted would be, and I read these words: “Whosoever is a little one, come to me.” It is your arms, Jesus, that are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up: I must stay little and become less and less.” Story of a Soul
Therese discovered through God’s grace that one does not have to journey to lands hostile to the Faith and suffer martyrdom to know what it means to suffer for the sake of the Gospel.
Opportunities to know and serve the Lord will find us wherever we are. When they do, will we rise to the occasion to seek to serve the Lord? Therese took every chance to sacrifice, no matter how small it would seem. She smiled at the sisters she didn’t like. She ate everything she was given without complaining…so that she was often given the worst leftovers.
At the heart of Therese’s understanding of the spiritual life is the principle that holiness can be appreciated and accomplished not only in the performance of mighty deeds but in a willing surrender to the purposes of God as we engage the seemingly ordinary experiences of life.
St. Therese said before she died at age 24, “After my death I will let fall a shower of roses. I will spend my heaven doing good upon earth. I will raise up a mighty host of little saints. My mission is to make God loved”
REFLECTION
St. Therese’s “Little Way” is an inspiration to us all. It is hard to think of ourselves, as we age, as children, especially in our senior years. But, We must be child-like (wholly trusting) in God our loving Father. “Truly, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven.” Matthew 18:3
At the heart of Therese’s understanding of the spiritual life is the principle that holiness can be appreciated and accomplished not only in the performance of mighty deeds but in a willing surrender to God’s will as we engage in ordinary experiences of life.
Do we make that surrender when our food is served cold, when we are tempted to curse the person who cuts in front of us on the highway or grocery store, can we love our neighbor and wish them no harm, when our computers go berserk, do we ask for patience, when a person insults us, do we turn the other cheek? Daily we are faced with our will vs God’s will. How are we doing?
St. Therese discovered through God’s grace that one does not have to journey to foreign lands and suffer martyrdom to know what it means to suffer for the sake of the Gospel. Opportunities to know and serve the Lord will find us wherever we are, and when they do, will we rise to the occasion to seek to serve the Lord? How about in our family?
POST SCRIPT
LOUIS AND ZELIE WITH THERESE
Louis Martin and Zelie Guerin, parents of St. Therese, married in 1858.Within the next fifteen years, Zelie bore nine children, seven girls and two boys. “We lived only for them,” Zelie wrote; “they were all our happiness.”
This happiness turned to shock and sorrow as tragedy relentlessly stalked their little ones. Within three years, Zelie’s two baby boys, a five year old girl, and a six-and-a-half week old infant girl all died. Although suffering had left its mark on mother and father, it was not the scar of bitterness.
Louis and Zelie had already found relief and support in their faith. The series of tragedies had intensified the love of Louis and Zelie Martin for each other. They poured out their affection on their five surviving daughters; Marie, 12, Pauline, 11, Leonie 9, Celine, 3, and their new-born, Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin.
Zelie and Louis Martin’s lives show us that when we live with love, we grow in holiness. Pope Benedict named them “Blessed” in 2008. Pope Francis officially Canonized them both as saints in 2015. They are the first married couple to ever be canonized together.
This Canonization of Louis and Zelie Martin is a beautiful sign of support for Christian Families especially in this secular world that mocks faith and worships idols like fame and fortune. Pray for your family and other families that they may remain faithful to the Gospel, despite the turmoil and noise of this world.