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Today is the Feast day of Saint Therese of Lisieux, a 19 th  century Carmelite nun, and Doctor of the Church. Saint Therese comes from a very devout Catholic family, where her parents, Marie-Azelle Guerin and Louis Martin, are also canonized saints of the Church. She was one of nine children, of which four died in childhood. Her remaining siblings were four sisters, who also became nuns. Saint Therese and Her “Little Way” Saint Therese is known for her “Little Way” – a way of simplicity and humility in serving Our Lord in the most mundane ways. For example, Saint Therese found value in doing the dishes without complaint. Although a Doctor of the Church, Therese was not a scholar of theology. Having lived only to the age of twenty-four, her education was not that extensive. Therefore, her “Little Way” is more of an example for all of us; educated and uneducated. Therese shows us how to ... Read more...

Monument to St. John of the Cross in Frontiveros, Spain. You can’t read the Carmelite saints for long without encountering the idea of detachment. We find it in the writings of John of the Cross, of Teresa of Avila, and even of St. Therese. Detachment for Catholics is not the same as mere  penance. Detachment, like the entire spiritual life, begins and ends with love. St. John of the Cross is the master teacher about detachment. Here is his famous passage on detachment from The Ascent of Mount Carmel: Endeavor to be inclined always: not to the easiest, but to the most difficult; not to the most delightful, but to the most distasteful; not to the most gratifying, but to the least pleasant; not to what means rest for you, but to hard work; not to the consoling, but to the unconsoling; not to the most, but to the least; not to the highest and most precious, but to the lowest and most despised; not to wanting something, but to wanting nothing. Do I detect a few sighs?

There seems to be a dilemma in the spiritual life. We want to do great things for God, but we are caught up in the little tasks of everyday life. We think holiness must wait until some future time: when the kids are grown up, when the job is less demanding, when we retire, when we can go on retreat. But if, as Vatican II taught, holiness is meant for everyone, shouldn’t it be accessible in every circumstance? How can we become holy now? Although some saints have been martyrs, missionaries, or miracle workers, others have been parents, kings and queens, businessmen, and even children. How did they become great? Through “abandonment to divine providence” as Fr. Jeanne-Pierre de Caussade called it. Don’t let the big words confuse you. This is simply the “Little Way” of St. Therese of Lisieux, who said that even when she picked an object off the floor, she did it out of love for God. Likewise, Blessed Teresa of Calcutta said, “We must do little things with great love.” T