St. Thérèse of Lisieux, O.C.D. "A living Witness of the Gospel"
by Fr. Dominic Borg, OCD
During his visit to the Basilica of Lisieux, on June 2, 1980, Pope John Paul II said: "Of Thérèse of Lisieux, one can say with conviction that the Spirit of God permitted her heart to reveal directly to the people of our time the fundamental mystery, the fundamental reality of the Gospel: the fact of having really received the spirit of adopted children which makes us cry "Abba Father". The Little Way is the way of holy childhood; in it, there is at one and the same time the confirmation and the renewal of the most fundamental and universal truth. What truth of the Gospel message is in fact more fundamental and more universal than this: "God is our Father and we are his children." Living as a child is truly at the heart of the life of Jesus.
It is an undeniable fact that, as Abbe Cambes says in his book "The Spirituality of St.Thérèse", the great doctors of Carmel, St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, have guided to the lofty summits of perfection chosen souls who are the joy and the glory of the Church. But where shall we find an average soul who is ready to believe that St. Teresa of Jesus, and still more St. John of the Cross, teach truths and doctrines that are within its grasp? They are eagles who rise up towards the Divine Sun those souls who have already advanced far in the way of perfection; but on the other side, they have a tendency to frighten those souls whose eyes and wings are yet weak.
When we examine the life and teachings of the humble nun of Lisieux we have to confess that her teaching is more attractive to people like myself. First she closed all her books, except the Gospel; then she gave herself in unreserved acceptance of the Cross, even unto death, following the footsteps of Jesus her master. Before beginning to speak to the world and exercise her divinely appointed mission to it, she performed an amazing number of astonishing miracles. At her intercession, the blind received their sight, the lame walked, the deaf regained their hearing, the sick were healed, and the sorrowful were comforted. The days when our Lord walked upon earth were thus recalled, and then came the last miracle, the miracle that Jesus Christ placed above the raising of the dead. To what miracle am I referring? Listen to the words of Jesus as recorded in he Gospel according to Matthew. When John (the Baptist) heard in prison what the Messiah was doing, he sent word by his disciples and said to him, "Are you the one who is to come, or are we to wait for another?" Jesus answered them, "Go and tell John what you hear and see: the blind receive their sight, the lame walk, the lepers are cleansed, the deaf hear, the dead are raised, and (listen to the greatest miracle) the poor have good news brought to them." (Mt. 11.2-5)
St.Thérèse is one of those noble instruments that God has used to clarify for us this important statement of truth in the Gospel: "the poor have good news brought to them." Notice dear brothers and sisters the beauty and exactness of the translation of the N.R.S.V. (New Revised Standard Version): "the poor have good news brought to them; "it isn't preached" but "brought", that is something which is not within reach is brought to us by grace within reach! St.Thérèse's message has come to our sick world like a breath of fresh air from the Gospel. It is true that the Bible is the medicine chest for the sickness of humanity. But where are we going to find that person who has the experience and knowledge to teach us how to apply this medicine of the Word of God? Here the Apostle from Lisieux comes to our rescue. Pope Benedict XV proclaimed that Thérèse had brought to humanity "the secret of sanctity". In his turn Pope Pius XI declared that she is a "word of God descended from heaven to reveal to us the way of spiritual childhood and she has traced for us a sure way of salvation."(2) Speaking about the "sure way" that Pope Pius XI mentioned in his homily it is useful to recall the words of Thérèse herself to her novices: "If I lead you into error with my Little Way of Love, be not afraid that I shall permit you to follow it for any length of time. I would soon re-appear after my death and tell you to take another. But if I do not return, believe me when I tell you that we never have too much confidence in the Good Lord who is so powerful and merciful. We obtain from Him as much as we hope for." (3) Needless to say that Thérèse did not return to correct her teaching; however, on the 16th of January, 1910 she did appear to the Prioress of the Carmel of Gallipoli in Italy and told her: "My way is sure and I was not misguided in following it."
