St. Therese of Lisieux has captured my heart by her simplicity and desire to be like a child. She might be taking over my favorite saint spot... One of my friends, Samantha, said that St. Therese does not like to share and is a "heavenly stalker". She is still like a child even in Heaven. St. Therese really is a heavenly stalker and this is how it all began...
I was at Mass last week listening to the homily and a thought popped into my head. "I desire to be little as Jesus is little in the Eucharistic Host." When the bread and wine are consecrated and becomes the the Body and Blood of Jesus Christ He humbles Himself and makes Himself vulnerable. It sounds something that St. Therese of Lisieux would have said but I cannot find it on Google at all or any other place that I have looked. My curiosity has driven me to read her autobiography to see if I could find it some where in there. I have loved reading it because it is written simply, like a child, but so theologically deep. The more I have read the more I feel connected with her in a spiritual manner. She has simply captured my heart.
St. Therese talks about "the Little Way" of living. I desire to be like a little child in the arms of Christ and His blessed mother. When one is a child there is a complete trust and a simple understanding of things around them but with a curiosity that knows no end. When I was first learning about the Catholic Church and Her beautiful teachings I was given an extraordinary grace of not questioning the teachings of the Church and just knowing that they are Truth given to us by Christ. There was a complete trust in the Church. I did not recognize this grace until I was older and have had time to reflect upon it.
Another beautiful truth that St. Therese talked about was her desire to be a saint. I desire to be a saint as well. I feel awkward saying that because when most people think of saints they think of our most famous saints, St. Francis, St. Clare, St. Augustine, St. Thomas Moore, etc. and I would never desire the popularity that comes with being a canonized saint but the real definition of being a saint is to forever be with Christ in Heaven. I want to be with Christ in Heaven forever! I want to be a saint! I know that I could never become a saint without the extraordinary graces that the Lord continues to bestow upon me each and every day. His mercy endures forever! (Psalm 136) I am so thankful that it does!
Over the past few months, my heart has been sorrowful because as I see how society is changing and how they no longer care what God wants and what His teachings are. They no longer care for each other unless it has something that goes against the Church's teachings. They care not for the homeless, the poor, the downtrodden, the widow, and the orphan. My heart feels this immense sorrow for our world. I am not perfect and in the past I have been one of them and turned my face from the poor and the homeless. I acknowledged my sin and recognized that when I turned my face from the poor I turned my face from Christ. I now make sure I pray for them and give them a smile to know that they still have dignity and that someone still cares. Therese had a love for the poor. When she was little and would go on walks with her father she would give alms to the poor that she would meet along the road. She recognized Christ in the poor just as Francis and Clare did. Lord forgive me for not recognizing You in the poor. My heart is sorrowful because of all of the sins against the unborn and women around the world, for the lack of understanding of the definition and importance of marriage, the priesthood, and religious life, and for many of the things that are happening around the world. I know I am called to pray for all of these things and to continue to educate the young people of the Church and everyone else.
St. Therese of the Child Jesus please help us to desire to be little as you were little. Please intercede for us at the Father's feet that we may someday obtain the reward of everlasting life. St. Therese you said that "I want to spend my Heaven doing good on earth" please pray that the world will see the truth. Amen
P.S. 70 more days until entrance! :)
