Reflection for Wednesday, October 1, 2003: 26th week in Ordinary Time.
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Authors
Laquer, Brigid Quinn
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2003-10-01
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Essay
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en_US
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Today is the feast of Therese of Lisieux. She died at 24 of tuberculosis, unknown to anyone but her family and her sister Carmelites. "The Little Flower" became a household name and the most popular saint of the 20th century a very short time after the publication of her autobiography, which she had written at the request of her directors. Her story exposed her extraordinary spiritual insight that she brought to a life that was by any standard ordinary. Therese of the Child Jesus offers up spiritual ideals that are realistic and attainable. Millions of people become aware of the possibility of ordinary people becoming saints. At the heart of her "little way" is the powerful metaphor that in our relationship with God, we are very small children. In fact, it is essential that we never try to be anything else. In all other aspects of our lives self-reliance, control and worthiness are hallmarks of our growth and rightly so, but not in our relationship with God. ||Therese tells us surrender not achievement is what our lives should be about. Jesus tells the would-be disciples in today's Gospel that there is a cost to discipleship. For a disciple, family, society, even their own comfort and very lives must be subordinate to God's plan. I think it is very informative to look at the similarities in the words disciple and discipline. They come from equivalent Latin roots meaning 'to learn' and 'to train' respectively. (Not punishment as we westerners are prone to think.) By disciplining our will to the will of God we become disciples. Ordinary people are called to be disciples, but we must accept with the full trust and confidence of little children that all that we need to accomplish our task will be provided for us.|Therese ardently desired to be a missionary. Though she never traveled outside of France, she was one, to the point that she could be proclaimed patroness of the missions. Jesus himself showed her how she could live this missionary vocation: by fully practicing the commandment of love. Thus she achieved what Vatican Council II emphasized in teaching that the church is missionary by nature (cf. Ad Gentes, No. 2.) Not only those who choose the missionary life, but all the baptized are in some way sent ad gentes.|St. Therese help us to hear the Word of God, to be changed by the Word of God, to be directed by the Word, empowered by the Word, making a difference in the world through the love that IS the Word. Amen.
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University Ministry, Creighton University.
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These reflections may not be sold or used commercially without permission. Personal or parish use is permitted.
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Lectionary number: 457