A Note from Fr. Dale

 “The best rule is that we should follow what love inspires us to do from moment to moment, with the sole desire of pleasing the good Lord in everything He asks of us.”  ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux

Saints and scholars have written about the spiritual life for centuries. All focus on God, the human person, and the process by which we can grow in relationship with God. Some of these spiritualties seem mystical or obscure, only accessed through years of prayer and God’s grace. For many these seem unattainable and reserved for select, holy people. There is a spiritual way that is simple and accessible to all. It really reflects what is most essential in the spiritual life. That approach was articulated by a saint whose feast day is next Saturday, Oct. 1 -- St. Thérèse of Lisieux or
officially known as, St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus or St. Thérèse of the Little Flower. Her approach is called the “Little Way.”

St. Thérèse was a French Carmelite nun who only lived to age 24. She entered the convent at age 15 (only with permission from the pope) and lived her short life in the Carmelite monastery at Lisieux. She suffered from various illnesses and died of tuberculosis on Sept. 30, 1897.

In her youth, St. Thérèse had the desire to be a martyr.  She also imagined being a missionary to foreign lands so as to share the love of Jesus. Even after she entered the Carmelite monastery, she struggled to understand how someone “so powerless and weak” as herself could fulfill her vocation. She longed to do great things for Christ.

It was only after God spoke to her through St. Paul’s letter to the Corinthians that she realized her vocation was love, or simple charity, in all  situations. She wrote: “Then, in the excess of my delirious joy, I cried out: O Jesus, my Love…. My vocation, at last I found it… MY VOCATION IS LOVE!”

For St. Therese the “Little Way,” is walking each day as a spiritual child with trust and absolute surrender to God. This means acceptance of the trials and crosses of life and responding with charity. She found that in all the circumstances of life, in all the encounters with others, there is the opportunity to love and offer that love as a gift to God. In this simple approach everything became a prayer for her because she saw it as flowers, the flowers of sacrifice offered to Jesus.

She was able to do this through trust in God and constant prayer. In describing how she prayed, St. Therese wrote,
For someone who died so young, St. Thérèse left many written works. Her most famous is her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. It was written in the last years of her life under holy obedience (she was reluctant but her religious superior made her write it). It is classic and recommended reading for everyone on the spiritual journey. It is easy to read and practical with a depth that goes beyond the simple description of her prayer
and spiritual journey. I recommend it to everyone as a solid foundation for spiritual growth.

If you have not had the chance to learn about life of  St. Thérèse, or her “Little Way,” I encourage you take time and either read about her or watch one of the many videos about her on FORMED.org. On October 19, 1997, Pope John Paul II proclaimed her a Doctor of the Church. The title, Doctor of the Church, is recognition that a saints writing and teaching advances the mission of Christ and guides us in our journey to live as Christians.

We can all struggle in prayer and living our faith. There is a temptation to think it is beyond us or we are incapable. St. Thérèse is a model and inspiration reminding us to keep it simple. Living our faith comes down to loving God and loving others for the sake of God, even in the smallest ways each and every day.

St. Thérèse, pray for us!

“Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven.” ~ Matthew 18:3

In Christ,

Fr. Dale