Saint Terese of Lisieux, virgin and doctor of the Church
(Job 1:6-22; Luke 9:46-50)
Can it be only coincidence that Blessed Mother Teresa of Calcutta bears the same name of today’s patron saint? More than likely one of the saintliest women of the twentieth century took the name “Teresa” from the nineteenth century mystic. Mother Teresa is famous for saying, “We can’t do great things, but we can do little things with great love” which reflects perfectly what St. Therese of Lisieux wrote of as her “little way.”
Some may think it easy to practice love in a convent where everyone prays continually. But anyone who has lived in such close quarters knows that kindness and patience is supremely challenged when one faces the same people with their disturbing idiosyncrasies over a period of years. The grace with which Therese bore such difficulty made her a saint, and her perspicacity in relating the development of her soul made her a doctor of the Church.
No life is without irritation and frustration. All of us should ask for the grace to overcome these challenges. The Holy Spirit then fills our hearts with love so that we, like Therese, may become holy.
