October 1 2025 (school mass) - St. Therese of Lisieux - The Little Way and the Mission of the Church

 The month of October begins with the feast day of a beloved saint of the Church, St. Therese.

Therese was born and raised in a profoundly religious home—where the Catholic faith was devoutly practiced and cherished. Therese’s parents, Louis and Zellie have also been declared saints due to the evidence of their profound holiness. All four of Therese’s older sisters became nuns. And from a young age, Therese also had a burning desire become a nun as well—to dedicate her life to prayer in the Carmelite Convent. 

And so at the age of fourteen, Therese traveled with her father to Rome to meet the Pope, to personally ask his permission for Therese to enter the Carmelite convent in the city of Lisieux. And it was granted.

The Carmelite convent that Therese entered had a very strict rule of life. The nuns lived a hidden life of prayer, silence, and sacrifice. the sisters ate simple meals, they wore a plain habit, like St. Clare is wearing in her statue. The nuns did not interact with people from the outside world, not even with members of their family, and they were not allowed to leave the convent grounds. Even their conversations were limited, because silence helped them to listen more closely to God’s voice.

Their days were carefully ordered, beginning very early in the morning with prayer, Mass, and adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. They prayed the Liturgy of the Hours together several times each day, lifting up the needs of the whole Church. When they weren’t in the chapel, they worked quietly at simple tasks like cooking, sewing, cleaning, and gardening.

But St. Thérèse didn’t see this way of life as gloomy or depressing. Therese and her sisters chose a simple, quiet life, in order to focus their minds and hearts on Jesus, and to do a very important work for the Church—praying. While we are engaged in working for Jesus and spreading the Gospel out in the world, Therese and Carmelites like her pray for us—that we can be faithful and have the strength and wisdom we need for our duties.

Therese prayed for the success of the mission of the Church—to go to all nations and make disciples of Jesus. That’s the mission of the Church. That’s why I’m here. That’s why Corpus Christi Academy exists. That why St. Clare parish exists. That’s why the diocese of Cleveland exists. We have a mission. To help people know, love, and follow Jesus Christ to the best of their ability.

This is why St. Therese took up this very strict way of life. Because she believed in the mission of the Church, and wanted to do everything she could to support it—which included praying many hours a day, fasting, doing penance, and doing small sacrificial things with great love. 

And this is another reason why St. Therese is so beloved by Catholics. She reminds us that often, the most powerful thing we can do for the mission of the Church—is to do small things with great love. Our conversations, teaching in the class room, learning in the class room, how you behave, how you treat people in the lunch room, on the playground, on the sports field, at work, the stranger, the person who annoys you, in everything we do, we are to pour into it, the love of God. May St. Therese help us to do all things with great love for the mission of the Church for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

October 1 2024 - St. Therese of the Child Jesus - Humble service, penance, mission

 In her diary, St. Therese wrote: “I ask Jesus to draw me into the flames of his love and to unite me so closely to him that he lives and acts in me.  I feel that the more the fire of love encompasses my heart, the more I shall say: "Draw me," and the more will those souls who are near to mine "run swiftly in the sweet odor of the Beloved."  

And draw her into the flames of his love, the Lord did. In the course of her short life, Therese acquired a burning love of Christ. And yet, unlike some of the other mystic saints, Therese did not experience mystical levitations or visions, that we know of. 

Rather, she was drawn into profound love through humble acts of service and the quiet, patient acceptance of suffering. 

At the age of 15, having received the blessing of faith and virtue from her parents, Therese was given permission to enter the Carmelite convent where her two older sisters had already entered.  She lived only 11 years as a Carmelite nun before dying at the young age of 26 from tuberculosis.  

And yet during that time, she developed a profound spirituality of humble service—known popularly now as “The Little Way”

In those short years in Carmel, Therese described coming to share the Lord’s deep ardor for the salvation of souls. She writes, “I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn’t experienced so intensely before.” She offered her life as a sacrifice for priests and other missionaries, offering constant penances and prayers for the sake of others. She wrote that her mission as a Carmelite, was to offer prayers and penances that would spiritually form and support  “evangelical workers who would save millions of souls”.

There are three pretty good lessons for all of us, no? To seek the sanctification of our souls through humble acts of service, patient acceptance of suffering, and doing whatever we can for the mission of the Gospel. By doing so, we, like Therese, have the opportunity to be drawn deeply in the fire of Christ’s heart, in his love, for the glory of God and the salvation of souls.

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For blessings upon the members of the Carmelite Order, and that their witness of prayer and penance may continue to draw souls closer to Christ.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession. 

That the sick and the suffering may know God’s healing and know the love of God in their trials.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

30th Week in Ordinary Time 2021 - Tuesday - Mustard Seeds of Charity

Yesterday, in the Gospel we heard of the healing of a crippled woman in a synagogue. There was a woman who had been inflicted with a crippling spirit for 18 years, and the Lord delivers her from this spirit, and she is able to stand and glorify God.

After dealing with a bit of criticism from the pharisees for performing this healing on the sabbath, the Lord immediately offers the two parables we heard today, that of the mustard seed and the yeast.

The healing miracle serves as a sort of spark for today's teaching about the kingdom of God. And it may be a bit confusing how the these two short little parables and the miraculous healing are connected. But it’s really not that hard. The kingdom of God starts out small, almost undetectable, like a mustard seed, a bit of yeast, or the healing of poor afflicted woman. 

An act of kindness, an act of goodness, an act of charity appears so small and insignificant, but it can transform the world. 

This is why Catholics must take acts of mercy, acts of charity seriously. Because this is how God wants to spread his kingdom, through small acts with great love, as st. therese the little flower would say, whom we celebrated at the beginning of the month.

We must not discount or underestimate the power, the seed, of giving a coat to a shivering stranger, a hot meal, a listening ear. This is why Pope Francis is constantly urging us to get out of our houses and out into the world to engage in the works of mercy. Couch potatoes do nothing for God. But the Christian who is quietly trying to bring relief to the suffering, the sick, and the lonely, they are transforming the world, souls are being touched, the consoling and blessing hand of God is being extended…for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That the faithful of our parish may engage ever more fervently in small acts of charity with great love for God and neighbor.

That young people will be blessed with good Christian example from their parents and fellow Christians, and that the word of God might be cherished, studied, and practiced in every Christian home. 

During and following this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession. 

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased clergy and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

First Friday Holy Hour - October 2021 - St. Therese & the Eucharist

 On this Feast of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Liseaux, as we kneel in front of the Blessed Sacrament tonight, I would like to reflect a bit upon Therese’s profound Eucharistic Devotion, 

St. Therese was born into a family with a fervent Eucharistic spirituality.  Her parents attended Mass every day, and, as soon as the children were old enough, they would attend mass as well. 

Therese and her father went for a walk almost every afternoon, and they never came home without visiting one of the town’s churches or chapels to pray before the Blessed Sacrament. This is how she first encountered the Carmelite Order, during those daily visits to the Eucharist with her Father. 

During the school day, Therese would sacrifice her 15 minutes of recreation time e to pray before the tabernacle in the chapel, this occurred even before she made her First Holy Communion.

After she entered Carmel, she was saddened to discover that the Sisters did not receive Communion daily. But daily, she would kneel before the tabernacle and express her desire to receive the Lord. 

Once, her cousin wrote to the saint about the great temptations she was experiencing in Paris, and Therese, who was just 16 wrote back:  “Oh, my darling, think, then, that Jesus is there in the Tabernacle expressly for you, for you alone, He is burning with the de­sire to enter your heart ... so don't listen to the devil, mock him, and go without any fear to receive Jesus in peace and love… receive Communion often, very often. . . . That is the only remedy if you want to be healed.”

During the pandemic of the 1890s, her community’s policy regarding frequent communion changed, and Therese writes of “the unspeakable consolation of receiving Holy Communion every day”. After receiving Communion, she would ardently plead with the Lord: “Remain within me, as You do in the Tabernacle. Do not ever withdraw Your presence from Your little host.”

Near the end of her short life, when she had become quite ill, she dragged herself with great effort to receive Communion. One morning after Holy Communion, she was in her cell exhausted. One of the sisters remarked that she should not exert herself so much. The Saint replied, “Oh, what are these sufferings to me in comparison with one daily Holy Communion?” 

As we kneel before our Eucharistic Lord tonight, let us ask the intercession of the Little Flower to love him with an ever-purer child like love, to value more deeply the gift of being able to receive Him frequently, to seek the transformation of mind and heart that he wants for us, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

October 1 2021 - St. Therese, the Little Flower - Whoever humbles himself like this child...

 The month of October begins with the celebration of the feast of the Little Flower, St. Therese of Liseaux. “Whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the Kingdom of heaven” we hear in our Gospel.

Therese is certainly one of the little ones loved by the Lord, held up for all of us to emulate.

Therese was blessed to be raised in a home where the practice of the faith was practiced and cherished. In the deeply religious atmosphere of her home, her piety developed early and intensively. All four of her elder sisters became nuns, and at the tender age of fourteen, Therese traveled to Rome with her father to request, at the knees of Leo XIII, permission to enter the Carmelite convent of LeMans.

Some might say, 14 is too young of an age to commit oneself to a life of poverty, prayer, and penance. But here is the enthusiasm of a child rushing into the arms of Jesus that we are all called to emulate.

Her life of simple holiness became known to the world, mostly due to her autobiography, "Story of the Soul" which the little, humble one wrote only out of obedience to her religious superior. But in it, we find detailed a powerful spirituality of love and service.

She writes: I ask Jesus to draw me into the flames of his love and to unite me so closely to him that he lives and acts in me.  I feel that the more the fire of love encompasses my heart, the more I shall say: "Draw me," and the more will those souls who are near to mine "run swiftly in the sweet odor of the Beloved."  Yes, they will run and we shall run together, for souls on fire cannot stay still

How does one develop this pure childlike love for the Lord and for souls? Well, like a child, we have to start small.  Therese wrote, “I applied myself above all to practice quite hidden little acts of virtue; thus I liked to fold the mantles forgotten by the Sisters, and sought a thousand opportunities of rendering them service.”

The Lord gives us many opportunities, every day, to practice this way of child-like love. May we humble ourselves like the child, Therese, in so many daily acts of love, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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For blessings upon the members of the Carmelite Order, and that their witness of prayer and penance may continue to draw souls closer to Christ.

During this month of October, dedicated to the Most Holy Rosary, Catholics may take up this devotion with renewed vigor and trust in Our Lady’s never-failing intercession. 

That the sick and the suffering may know God’s healing and know the love of God in their trials.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

October 1 2019 - St. Therese of the Child Jesus - Ardor for souls

Therese was the 9th child of very saintly parents, in fact, her parents were both beatified by Pope Benedict in 2008.  4 of their children died at a very young age and the other 5 all entered religious life: 1 to the Visitation order and the other 4 to the Carmelites. 

At the age of 15, having received the blessing of faith and virtue from her parents, Therese was given permission to enter the Carmelite convent where her two older sisters had already entered.  She lived only 11 years as a Carmelite nun before dying at the young age of 26 from tuberculosis. 

Before her death, because her holiness and humility was evident, her superior ordered Therese to write an autobiography detailing her spiritual life.  When St. Therese died there were only about 50 people in the world that knew of her.  Thanks to her autobiography, her sanctity and her spirituality are known to the entire world. 

This obscure little nun in the corner of France is now honored as a doctor of the Church and the Patron Saint of Missionary Work even though she never left the confines of the cloister.

As Doctor of the Church, she teaches us by her simple spirituality of the Little Way, that each Christian is to pour himself out in love in the little, everyday tasks of life.

In those short years in Carmel, Therese described a deepening ardor for the salvation of souls. She writes, “I experienced a great desire to work for the conversion of sinners, a desire I hadn’t experienced so intensely before.” She offered her life as a sacrifice for priests and other missionaries, offering constant penances and prayers for the sake of others. And this is why she is patron of missionaries, because of her prayers, certainly, and also her ardor and love of souls.

She wrote that her mission as a Carmelite, was to form “evangelical workers who would save millions of souls”. Well, every Christian is tasked, aren’t we, with the evangelical mission. The constant work, the daily work, of spreading the Gospel in order to save souls.

In order to be faithful to this task, we pour great love into the small tasks of life, that we may be faithful in the great tasks, of loving those who are often quite difficult to love, of seeing passed their faults, and seeing souls hungering for God, longing to know the love of God for the glory of God and salvation of souls.
 
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For the success of all missionary activity, that through prayer and penance the Gospel may penetrate the most hardened of hearts,

For Pope Francis’ prayer intention for the month of October, “that the breath of the Holy Spirit may engender a new missionary ‘spring’ in the Church.

During these 40 days for life, we pray for the safety of the unborn and for a change in laws, policies, and attitudes that discriminate against and marginalize unborn children.

That the sick and the suffering may know God’s healing and have the ability to know the love of God in their trials.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for the deceased priests and religious and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

Incline your merciful ear to our prayers, we ask, O Lord, and listen in kindness to the supplications of those who call on you. Through Christ our Lord.

3rd Sunday of Advent 2018 - Rejoice in the Lord Always. Always!

A few weeks ago, at my previous parish assignments, I was meeting with our parish youth group, a great group of kids in 8th through 12th grade. The discussion that week centered on the commandments: how the commandments of God are not always easy to follow, sometimes we are tempted to break or ignore them; how the commandments of God are often differ from the attitudes of the culture—how civil laws can even allow what the law of God forbids. The conversation then turned to examine how following the commandments and the teachings of Jesus bring us a joy that nothing else in the world can give. This led us to differentiate between happiness and joy. Our culture treats those two words virtually synonymously. The word "joy" is used modernly to mean a great quantity of happiness. I’m happy, for example when the Cleveland Browns bring home a victory, but joy is reserved for births and weddings and ordinations and pastor installations.

Christians, though use these words a bit differently. Happiness is satisfaction with temporary things. Again, I’m happy when my chicken wings are the perfect level of crispiness, I’m happy when the traffic light turns green at just the right time and I can cruise right through the intersection.

But no amount of crispy chicken wings or green lights or browns victories can bring joy…ever. Because joy comes from our relationship not from temporary earthly things, but with being in right relationship with the eternal things of God: Truth, Goodness, Beauty. Our hearts are filled not just with happiness, but joy, when we learn the Truth that comes from God, when we engage in truly good acts, caring for the poor, caring for a sick family member, feeding the hungry, forgiving those who hurt us. And we are filled with joy at the sight of beauty, true beauty, the beauty of God’s creation, beautiful and timeless Christian art and architecture, like that we are able to behold when we come to St. Ignatius of Antioch church, “The Cathedral of West Blvd.”

If you remember, a few weeks ago, the story of the rich young man. Jesus invites him to give up his possessions and to follow him, and the rich young man rejects the invitation, he goes away sad, why? Because he was unwilling to detach himself from the love of his temporary, earthly possessions. He chose happiness from passing earthly things, over the joy that comes from the truth and goodness and beauty of Jesus Christ.

I reflect this morning on joy as we celebrate Joy Sunday—Gaudete Sunday. On this 3rd Sunday of Advent we allow ourselves to revel in the joy that Christ is near. Rejoice, for the Lord is near, as St. Paul writes in our second reading. The eternal one, the eternal word made flesh, whose incarnation brings about a reconciliation between man and God, man to finally be saved from slavery to the flesh that he might live for what is eternal.

Last week, I announced an increase in the availability of the Sacrament of Confession here at St. Ignatius: a full hour on Saturday, and confession between the two Sunday morning masses. In Confession, we acknowledge the times we have lived for the earthly rather than for God: for the pleasure of the instant of lust, the pleasure of sharing that juicy piece of gossip, the dark satisfaction of stunning someone into silence through hurtful words in an argument, relying on ourselves too much and trusting in God too little, for the acts of selfishness which, yes, bring some earthly gratification, but in the end, diminish authentic joy in us.

St. Paul’s exhortation to rejoice always, is quite challenging, isn’t it? . Rejoice in the Lord always?  Really Saint Paul?  Would Paul dare to say those words if he knew the horrors of the 20th century, the godlessness taking root in so many places in our world today? Does he dare to utter those words to a parent grieving the loss of a child? To a widow? To slave? To a cripple? To the terminally ill?

Well, yes, I think he would. Because his message is timeless. Now of course he’s not saying rejoice on account of all the evil in the world. Evil is not a good thing. Tragedy is not a good thing. Nor is Paul exhorting us to pretend like the evils in the world “Aren’t that bad.”

What he’s saying is, rejoice because Jesus is real and Jesus is near to us, even in tragedy, especially in tragedy. In the aftermath of senseless tragedies many ask “where is God?”  And the Church, in all honestly and conviction, says, “here.”  God is here, with us, now, with his consolation for those who mourn, with the promise of eternal life for those who die in his friendship. 

And because God is near and because God can transform every occasion into a moment of grace, the Christian can truly rejoice always.  God can transform the most painful cross into the most redemptive sanctifying moments of our life.

Echoing the words of St. Paul, Saint Therese of Liseaux from her death bed said, “Everything is grace”.  Again, in those three words, Thérèse does not mean it makes no difference what I do, that every choice is good. I cannot choose evil and think grace is in that choice. Saint Thérèse is explaining that God is never distant. Wherever we are, in that exact place in that moment, even on your death bed, even when nailed to the cross, there is the choice, to turn to God and know his closeness.  God is with us, always, and He is wholly concerned about our eternal well-being, always.

Our Advent days are literally brimming over with opportunities to encounter the Lord, to remember the Lord’s Christmas nearness. In our daily prayer, in the sacraments, in serving our neighbor, in the little crosses God gives us to bear, doing small deeds with great love. Our successes and our failures and even tragedies can be turned into moments of grace, and increase in joy, when we realize God is near. But the choice is ours to turn from darkness and self-reliance, from the bottle and pills, from the iphone screen, from the need to control the lives of others, or to turn to light, to the eternal one, the fount of true and lasting joy.

“Rejoice in the Lord always, I say it again, Rejoice” for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

October 31 2017 - All Hallow's Eve

It is All Hallow’s Eve—the vigil of the Feast of the Hallowed Ones, the Saints—the Church’s answer to the festivals of the ancient pagans who believed that about halfway between the autumn equinox and the winter solstice, the veil between the living and the dead was thinned and the spirits could walk freely in our world.  It is not hard to understand why they thought this: with the changing of the seasons, it looks like nature is dying, and the creepy images flickering in the shadows of autumn bonfires.

The pagans would wear costumes to disguise themselves and even frighten off the spirits. But, the souls we prepare to celebrate on All Saints’ Day tomorrow, of course, are not spirits of mischief, spirits that we flee from, but rather, we flee too. We look to their example and seek their prayers.

The saints are like the mustard seeds and the leaven Jesus describes in our Gospel parables today. They are often small, ordinary people who transform a culture from the inside like yeast within dough. The tiny yeast slowly, imperceptibly, yet effectively causes a massive amount of dough to rise. Similarly, the saints. They touch lives with their goodness. They build up the Church around them. They are active agents of the grace of God.

I think particularly of the Saint whom we began the month of October celebrating: the Little Flower, St. Therese of Lisieux. She led a radically hidden, small life. This obscure little nun from the corner of France is now honored as a doctor of the Church and the Patron Saint of Missionary Work.  Her spirituality, her teaching, permeates Catholic Christianity, helping ordinary Catholics to realize that they too can grow in holiness by doing small things with great love.

Sometimes we can become discouraged by the slow progress of the kingdom of God, the slow working of grace in our world and our family. So we continue to look to the Saints, to show us how ordinary people can bring about extraordinary goodness, when surrendered to the grace of God.
Small acts of kindness and compassion do matter in the eyes of God, and do have a tremendous power to transform hearts and families and nations. As we prepare for the great Feast of the Saints, may we be aided by their examples and prayers in making God’s grace and mercy visible in the ordinary circumstances of our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the godlessness of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For the healing of all those afflicted with physical, mental, emotional illness, for those in hospitals, nursing homes, hospice care, those struggling with addictions, for those who grieve the loss of a loved one, and those who will die today.

For the repose of the souls of our beloved dead, for all of the poor souls in purgatory, for the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, for deceased clergy and religious, for those who have fought and died for our freedom, we pray to the Lord.

Heavenly Father, hear our prayers. May the grace of Christ Your Son, the Divine Physician, bring healing of our sinfulness, and make us worthy of the kingdom of heaven, through the same Christ our Lord.

Tuesday - 27th Week of OT 2017 - Anxiety keeps us from encountering Christ

October began with the feast of the Little Flower, St. Therese. St. Therese teaches us that power of doing little things with great love—doing the ordinary, day-to-day chores and responsibility mindful of God’s presence with us, embracing the little inconveniences with greater and greater patience.
In the little, ordinary events of the day, there are opportunities to grow in grace and focus on God, but that means there is also the temptation to turn away from him. If you can become a saint through these small events, why aren’t we all saints?

So often, it is our anxious thoughts and our impatience which keep us from knowing the peace of God. Like Martha in the Gospel today, who misses the whole point of Jesus’ visit, we miss out on opportunities to grow in grace because we are consumed with the spirit of busyness, worldliness. You just know that Martha was cursing Mary the whole time she was doing her chores, “why is she just sitting there, doesn’t she know how much work there is to do?”

Psalm 139 says that God searches us and knows our hearts, he tests us and knows our anxious thoughts. And Jesus shows himself to be keenly aware that Martha was not doing her work with peace in her heart. Jesus in this Gospel isn’t condemning housework, but he is certainly teaching that we must let go of our anxieties, worrying what everybody else is doing all the time, if it keeps us from being at peace.

Proverbs says, “Anxiety in a man's heart weighs him down”, it causes us to sink from grace to bitterness.

Yesterday, we heard how Jonah was anxious and worried about how he would be treated by the Ninevites, to whom God was calling him to preach repentance. His anxiety and fear had disastrous results, storms, shipwreck, lives were put in danger because he anxiously resisted God’s will.

But today, we get the second part of the story: Jonah surrenders to the plan of God in his life, he preaches repentance, and he witnesses one of the most dramatic responses to the call to repentance in the entire old testament: a city of about 120,000 people all come to repent—the nobility, the peasantry, show signs of their repentance by fasting, covering themselves with sackcloth, and sitting in ashes.

Amazing things happen when we relinquish our fears and anxieties and trust in God. Jonah was no doubt able to rejoice with the words of Psalm 94: “When anxiety was great within me, your consolation brought joy to my soul.”

May we relinquish our misguided thoughts and anxious attitudes, and surrender and trust in the Lord’s Holy Will for our lives for the glory of God and salvation of souls.

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That hearing the call to repentance preached by the Church, all men may turn away from their sins to the mercy of Christ.

That world leaders may look upon the Son of God, believe in him, and seek the peace and justice that only he can bring.

That our young people may take seriously the missionary call of Christ, that they will turn away from the evils of our culture to spread the good news of Christ’s eternal kingdom.

For all whose lives are marked by suffering, may they come to know the healing and peace of Christ.
For the deceased members of our families, friends, and parish, and all the poor souls in purgatory, for deceased clergy and religious, and for those who have fought and died for our freedom.

O God, you know that our life in this present age is subject to suffering and need, hear the prayers of those who cry to you and receive the prayers of those who believe in you. Through Christ our Lord.

26th Sunday in OT 2017 - The Little Way and Hidden Humble Acts of Love

On September 30th, 1897, a young Carmelite nun living in France succumbed to the effects of tuberculosis, dying in obscurity, known only to her religious sisters.

Upon their deaths, most people, particularly obscure Carmelite nuns, remain in obscurity, their lives fade into the hidden folds of history. Yet this particular Carmelite, Therese, has proven quite different. Within years of her death, her spiritual autobiography began to be read widely. Miracles attributed to her intercession began to be reported. In just a few decades after her death, the image of Thérèse of Lisieux would be immediately recognizable in the Catholic world. Canonization would soon follow. And at the hundred-year anniversary of her death, Pope St. John Paul II declared her to be a Doctor of the Church, a title given to only a privileged few of the Church’s saints, establishing Thérèse as one of the Church’s great authorities in regards to the meaning and purpose of the Christian spiritual life.

At the heart of Thérèse’s spirituality is the principle that holiness can be discovered not only in the performance of mighty deeds, but in a willing surrender to the purposes of God in the seemingly ordinary experiences of life. St. Therese the Little Flower taught that most of us are not called to do great things, but we can become holy by doing small things with great love.  She called this “the little way”—doing small things with great love.

In her autobiography, St. Therese wrote, “I applied myself above all to practice quiet hidden little acts of virtue; thus I liked to fold the mantles forgotten by the Sisters, and sought a thousand opportunities of rendering them service.” I think many spouses and parents already practice these thousands of hidden little acts of service for their families. These thousands of little acts are likely noticed by no one but God. But because they are noticed by God they are powerful, and infuse the world with his love.

The little way of St. Therese is the way of humility encouraged by our Lord. St. Paul speaks about the need for each of us to practice the humility of Jesus in our second reading. “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.”

Jesus’ own humility is most evidently seen in his embrace of the cross: the God of the universe becoming a slave, taking upon himself mockery, torture, humiliation, and suffering in order to restore humanity to grace.

You see why the world sees us Christians as so strange?  We hold up this image of this crucified slave and say that’s what God looks like, this is what love looks like, this is the meaning of life. And you too can become the person you are meant to be, by embracing this way of life, by taking suffering and hardship upon yourself for the sake of others, without complaint. Doing the laundry, cooking the meals, caring for a sick child or spouse, laboring diligently at one’s job: these things can be roads to spiritual growth, when we do them humbly and out of love.

In the Gospel, Jesus praises, not the son who makes empty promises to the Father, not the one who gives lip service, who claims to be the good son. Jesus praises the son, who actually goes and does the Father’s will.

The Christian faith is not a matter of lip-service, we do not get to heaven by simply telling people we are Christian, but by actually practicing this stuff, by subjugating the mind, the heart, the will, the bank-account, the leisure time to the will of God.  Real faith requires real action.

St. Therese, whose feast day is on October 1, reminds us that holiness is certainly within the reach of ordinary, simple people. God smiles upon those small acts of love, which puts the needs of other before our own, and through those acts of charity, God can enflame our hearts with a burning love and heavenly joy that nothing else in the world can provide.

This week, perform one act of charity per day, without expecting adulation or praise, a hidden act, that only God sees, or perhaps one chore per day without having to be asked.

May each of us be attentive to the little acts of service which God calls us to perform humbly, without notice, without any other reason other than it is good, a blessing for another. Through the life of charity, may God transform us into the people he made us to be, for the glory of God and salvation of souls.