St Therese

Here's what Fr. Mark on EWTN's Life on the Rock wrote about St. Therese...a quick read...isn't she the best???


The Lessons of St. Thérèse

Tuesday, October 27, 2009
By Father Mark Mary

The saints show us how to apply the Gospel to daily life. They make it real. They show us the way to a have a deeper communion with God. The ‘little way’ of St. Thérèse, a doctor of the Church, certainly has resonated with people in modern times. She, in her great childlike simplicity, speaks to a hurried and busy people.

Today, we live fast-paced lives and want things quickly. St. Thérèse shows us the daily opportunities we have to grow in holiness through everything in our lives. She writes, “Love knows how to draw profit from everything; from the good and from the bad that is found in us.” Our faith shows us that God works in everything, and that we can find and draw close to Him by seeing the ordinary things in life as a path to Him. He is all around us and is at work in our lives.

In “A Story of a Soul,” she writes, “Jesus does not demand great actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude.” She recognized that she didn’t have the strength of the martyrs or those who did great penances. But she saw that she could trust God to make her holy in the ordinary things of life if she did them with love.

God can make us holy in our present circumstances. He is sovereign and can work powerfully in our lives in any situation. We have to trust Him and see all things as a gift or opportunity to grow in our love for God and neighbor and to die to self.

St. Thérèse writes, “If we still wish to attempt doing something great even under the pretext of zeal, Good Jesus leaves us all alone…It suffices to humble oneself, to bear with one’s imperfections. That is real sanctity.”

We can have great plans for a future sanctity, but we grow when we depend on Him in our daily lives. God can make us holy in our present circumstances. He is sovereign. He can work powerfully in our life in any circumstance. We have to trust Him and see all things as a gift or opportunity to grow in love.

What I love about her teaching is its simplicity and concreteness. She speaks about how our daily life can lead us to God. It is not necessary to have extraordinary talents, gifts or events in our life to be holy. We can love God in the ordinary. We can sacrifice in the ordinary things of life and achieve great communion with God. We can be “less than average” in the eyes of the world and mount the heights of union with God.

St. Thérèse was 24 years old when she died. She reached the heights of sanctity at such a young age by offering Jesus the little sacrifices of daily life and practicing humility. She makes holiness seem possible, within our reach. Let’s not miss the opportunity to become great saints.