Virtue: Humility
Resolution: I choose to honor others above self.

Human Story: St. Therese of Lisieux (1873 - 1897)

Marie-Francoise-Therese Martin was born in France on January 2, 1873 to Louis and Zelie Martin. From an early age, it was obvious that Therese was intelligent, cunning, stubborn, and full of life. She began her education under her older sisters, but her father officially enrolled her in Lisieux’s Benedictine Abbey school of Notre-Dame du Pre in October of 1881. Therese’s five years at this school were miserable. She loved catechism, history, and science, but struggled in other areas. Her level of intelligence was so advanced that classmates became envious and did not treat her kindly. At only 9 years old, Therese attempted to join Lisieux’s Carmelite Convent, but she was turned away because of her young age. During this time, Therese suffered a severe illness; as a result of her time in pain, Therese concluded at the age of 10: “I was born for glory.” She perceived her life’s mission as one of salvation for all people. She wanted to become a saint. She understood that her glory would be hidden from the eyes of others until God wished to reveal it.

As a teenager, Therese attempted to enter the Carmelite Convent once again. She, along with her supportive father, confronted both the Bishop and the Pope, pleading them to let her enter. Finally, when she was 15 years and 3 months old, she was admitted into the convent. It was here that Therese developed her “Little Way” of living as she recognized her spiritual “littleness.” She said, "It is impossible for me to grow up, so I must bear with myself such as I am with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that is very straight, very short and totally new." Therese went on to describe the elevator in the home of a rich person. She concluded, "I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. I searched then in the Scriptures for some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires and I read these words coming from the mouth of Eternal Wisdom: 'Whoever is a little one let him come to me.' [Prov. 9:4]. The elevator which must raise me to heaven is your arms, O Jesus, and for this I have no need to grow up, but rather I have to remain little and become this more and more." And so she abandoned herself to Jesus and her life became a continual acceptance of the will of the Lord; she performed the smallest of tasks with humility and patience that had not characterized her up to this point.

After living a simple and quite ordinary life in the convent, Therese died on September 30, 1897 at the age of 24 due to tuberculosis. Although her life may not look extraordinary in many ways, her development of the “Little Way” holds significant spiritual value and can teach us much about performing all the small tasks in our lives with great love and intentional humility.

Lesson: Colossians 3:12 (NIV)

Therefore, as God’s chosen people, holy and dearly loved, clothe yourselves with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience.

The "Little Way" that St. Thérèse developed consists of simplicity in life, prayer from the heart to Jesus, total trust in God as our Loving Father (not a stern judge), being a true child of God our Father rather than doing our own thing, seeking God's will in our everyday activities, doing everything for the love of Jesus with humility, being kind to people we can't stand, and a sincere desire to be with Jesus forever rather than to be in this world.1

The world does not live the Little Way. If we were truly living the Little Way:

•      we would be delighted to take the last place in line
•      we would recoil from flattery
•      we would rejoice in the success of our neighbors
•      we would make no excuses for our sins
•      we would be quick to admit our weaknesses
•      we would prefer hiddenness to acclaim
•      we would be grateful when others criticized us and pointed out our shortcomings
•      we would not be undone by the injury and injustice we suffer
•      we would be unmoved by worldly status, fame, and prestige
•      we would experience peace in the midst of the world’s conflict, turmoil, and strife.

If you were to clothe yourself with compassion, kindness, humility, gentleness and patience as Paul urges, do you think you would be characterized in a similar vein as the ‘Little Way?’

References:
St. Therese’s Little Way, catholicbible101.com/stthereseslittleway.htm, accessed October 20, 2019.
Cameron, Father Peter John O.P. First Steps on the Little Way of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. https://www.kofc.org/un/en/resources/cis/cis307.pdf, accessed October 19, 2019.

Remembrance

Sometimes, when I read spiritual treatises in which perfection is shown with a thousand obstacles, surrounded by a crowd of illusions, my poor little mind quickly tires. I close the learned book which is breaking my head and drying up my heart, and I take up Holy Scripture. Then all seems luminous to me; a single word uncovers for my soul infinite horizons; perfection seems simple; I see that it is enough to recognize one's nothingness and to abandon oneself, like a child, into God's arms. Leaving to great souls, to great minds, the beautiful books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet. – St. Thérèse

Challenge

To the right and to the left, I throw to my little birds the good grain that God places in my hands. And then I let things take their course! I busy myself with it no more. Sometimes, it's just as though I had thrown nothing; at other times, it does some good. But God tells me: 'Give, give always, without being concerned with the results'. – St. Thérèse

This week, how can you give, give always, without being concerned with the results? Make a plan and then do it.

Reflection

St. Thérèse saw the limitations of all her efforts. She remained small and very far off from the unfailing love that she would wish to practice. She is said to have understood then that it was from insignificance that she had to learn to ask God's help.

Further Growth

2021: No 5th Sunday

2020: No 5th Sunday