Her message and “little way” of total confidence and love is
what has attracted countless souls and helped them to trust in God’s
Providence. She was weak, and she knew
it. Rather than let this slow her down,
however, she used it as a means to abandon herself to God. She knew she couldn’t do it by herself, and
she knew perfectly well that it was all God’s grace. Anything she was able to do was really God’s
grace at work in her. And she was
perfectly content to let Him do it. She
liked to compare herself to a little bird that wasn’t strong enough to fly to
Heaven, so she would wait for the hand of the Father to come and lift her like
an elevator straight to His Heart.
It’s part of the human condition on earth to be searching
for something. God. Meaning.
Love. Reasons why. Whatever it is, the human heart is constantly
searching. St. Therese captures so many
by her intense love and trust. She says
she doesn’t need to know all the answers; that God has the strength and
answers, even when we don’t. She is
content to let Him fill what is lacking and to spend her time meditating on His
goodness. There is something so revolutionary
yet so freeing in this kind of abandonment.
It’s a recognition that without God we can do nothing. We don’t have to sustain ourselves, because
God sustains us. We don’t have to know
everything that the future holds; we don’t have to know all the answers.
St. Therese said, “everything is grace”. If we abandon ourselves to this way of total
confidence and love, then no matter what comes our way, we can be sure that
God’s hand is guiding us and that everything works for our good, even when it’s
difficult to see. May each of us find
the courage to follow Therese in her way of total confidence and love.
Written by Catherine
