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the way of a child who sleeps, afraid of nothing, in its father’s arms.” The Story of a Soul, XI, 252. This simple realization is what draws people to Therese, to learn about how she lived out her “little way,” and how through our lives we can fulfill the common Christian call to holiness. Brother Daryl further develops this point. ”Her way, her little way, is very different. It is grounded in life experience and meets the needs of daily living. It is appealing to anyone endeavoring to discover a spirituality that goes to the core of life, to one’s relationship with God, in Jesus Christ through the Holy Spirit. And she makes it simple, yet profound, by saying: We must strive to do what little we can with what little we have in the place we are now with the greatest love possible…. Her spirituality is an invitation to become aware of one’s total dependence on the goodness, limitless love and action of God.” To the people who visit the Shrine everyday— indeed, to anyone who thinks holiness is beyond their reach—the “little way” of Saint Therese provides an encouraging and accessible way that they can apply to their everyday life. Brother Daryl’s talk was followed by a holy hour before the Blessed Sacrament and Benediction conducted by Father John. The Shrine remained opened throughout the afternoon. The day ended with Mass at Our Lady of Mount Carmel church next door to the Shrine, which was presided by Very Reverend John Welch, O.Carm., Prior Provincial. During his homily, Father Welch echoed and further expanded on the day’s theme. He noted how Therese, following the practice of her fellow Discalced Carmelite nuns, offered her life to God, but not to His justice. She made it a point to make an offering of herself, her life, to God’s merciful love, because as Father Welch stated, “she believed that in God’s justice, God knows how poor we are.” In fact, he said, “it was her littleness that gave her access to God; her inability to be large, to be heroic, to be virtuous.” This point hits home to so many people who might think that their lives are not really the stuff of holiness. Father John pointed out what Therese might say to us then: “Right there in the messiness [of life] is your poverty, there is your littleness, there is your spirituality.” A welcoming and heartening message for everyone indeed. The evening Mass ended with the veneration of the relics of Saint Therese, a further expression of the connection people feel with the Little Flower. It’s almost as if they are meeting someone just like them, who lived an ordinary everyday life, and by doing so in an extraordinary way, reached sanctity. She shows us that it is possible for everyday people to live a truly holy life just by doing what they do every day in an extraordinary way. This is the bond people experience with Saint Therese. It is because of the relevance of her message for us today that she continues to be “the greatest saint of modern times,” and, as more recently proclaimed , a Doctor of the Church. Her message—simple as it is—is beneficial and relevant to Christians in any age. It is simply timeless.
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There is 1 comment
Visitor: Kaiden
May 07, 2011 - 05:27
And I thought I was the sesnblie one. Thanks for setting me straight.
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