Today is the feast of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower. The heart of Thérèse’s spirituality was what she called the “little way.” As she wrote to a friend, 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.
Therese was simple and spoke of the Way of Love. She herself preferred to be faithful in “little things”-–every day opportunities for patience, humility, and kindness. In this way, she could count on Christ’s love for her to enable her to achieve holiness. At the same time, Thérèse had a great soul and was conscious of the world outside her convent. She felt a deep call to support the missionary activity of the church with her daily prayer and life of quiet fidelity.
The situation in Haiti is very difficult for our people, and yet the Word of God keeps assuring us that He is with us and shall lead and guide us. We need to put our trust in God and keep praying that the violence will stop. Yesterday, God gave us a little sign, a rainbow after a big storm. As we gathered with the teens, we recalled the scripture passages of God’s faithfulness to us and once again placed Haiti into God’s loving care.
