Therese of Lisieux: It’s the Little Things
What list of attributes describes your best self?
Today’s Guest Blogger is: Anna Schweers, young adult with a prayerful spirit!
I think so often we misinterpret who St. Thérèse of Lisieux is. For quite some time, I had pictured her as a young girl so simple and humble and minimal in dreams. She was a woman who was content on following the will of the Father, which means she couldn’t have been bright and bold, right?
As St. Thérèse approached death, she was pushed to write a book about her life titled, “The Story of a Soul.” In this book, she describes what it looks like to live a life following the little way. Thérèse says:
“I am not the eagle. I have but the eagle’s eyes and heart.”
St. Thérèse was a humble and simple girl, but her eyes and heart refused to be silenced. She followed the will of the Father through hearing His voice and allowing herself to dream with Him. It was unheard of to join a convent at such a young age but St. Thérèse listened and she was willing to move. In fact, she had heard the Father’s voice so clearly, that she wasn’t willing to take no for an answer. It wasn’t until Thérèse had a private audience with Pope Leo XIII that she was able to join the Carmalite sisters. This is not a young woman without drive and passion.
St. Thérèse teaches us that her Little Way is not something to disregard. In fact, the little way is big in desire, while staying small, hidden, and personal in action. We are called to dream big with the eyes of the eagle, while humbling our hearts to do the small things we are called to do with great joy and passion. In this new season, let us allow our dreams to inspire us to do small actions with abundant joy and purpose.