Let the little children come to me.

Tonight I watched the film St. Therese, directed by Leonardo Defillippis. This movie did a magnificent job in capturing the mysticism, suffering and love that made up the life of Therese. I watched the film with my family and I had my youngest sister (four years old) on my lap for the entire movie. She became completely mesmerized by the film and its portrayal of the saint she loves so dearly. The movie ends with a powerful yet beautiful scene of Therese's last moments on earth. After the movie my little sister was stunned. We asked her what she thought of the movie and her only response was to curl up in my lap and begin to cry softly...

As I carried this sweet child to bed I noticed the tear stains on my shirt and suddenly had to fight the tears myself. How beautiful is the innocence of a child! How amazing it is that a four year old could be so moved. This is the childlike faith that we all must return to. St. Therese often spoke of being like a little child so that she might run into the arms of Christ. We need that. So often we get caught up in our "grown up world" with all of our "grown up problems". Why is it so hard to surrender to the love of the Father? Why is it so difficult to reach out our arms so that we may be swept up into the arms of the Lord? It doesn't need to be difficult. So often I think that I can do everything on my own. I don't need help from anyone but yet I find myself overwhelmed by life and I need someone to rescue me. Just like a child who sometimes needs a little help after they have fallen, so do I need help. I need the loving hand of the Father to reach down and pull me to his light which warms my heart and gives me new strength...

I realized tonight that I must be more like my younger sister... More like St. Therese.  When I am feeling lost and hurt, it is the arms of Christ I must run to, even if it is to curl up in a ball and cry. We all must live in this little way and do "small things with great love" (Therese).

Feast of St. Therese the little flower

I thought it would be appropriate to create my first post on the feast day of a saint who lived her life with love. St. Therese showed us that even the small things in life need to be done with great amounts of love. It is in that idea that we shall find eternal life in heaven with our Loving Creator. You may say that it's easy to do things with love when you live apart from the world in a monastery like St. Therese did. On the contrary, she would probably tell us it is easier to do things with love because we have a greater amount of opportunities to do so! St. Therese changed the world by living a life of love from the inside the walls of a monastery. Just imagine how we could change lives around us by doing simple things with love everyday. To love is to be like Christ, for His love is the greatest of loves. St. Therese knew this, and by the life she lived, shared this love with all she encountered.

So on this her feast day remember to love! Tell your family and friends how much they are loved. Let everything you do today be for love of God.

"The only thing I wish for... is to love until I die of love." -St. Therese
"I will spend my heaven doing good on earth." -St. Therese