Memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Doctor of the Church

Today is the Memorial of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower, who, along with holy men and women like Sts. Augustine, Thomas Aquinas, the Cappdocian fathers (i.e., Basil, Gregory of Nyssa, Gregory of Nazianus), Hilary of Poitiers, St. Teresa of Avila, etc., is a doctor of the Church. Here is today's challenge: to set aside all of our big thoughts about God and just trust in our loving Father with the child-like trust of the Little Flower and to perform small acts of love, especially for those people that we have to struggle to be kind to.

After all, as we see in today's Gospel, to follow Thérèse's little way is nothing less than to follow the way of the Lord Jesus:

"An argument arose among the disciples
about which of them was the greatest.
Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child
and placed it by his side and said to them,
'Whoever receives this child in my name receives me,
and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
For the one who is least among all of you
is the one who is the greatest'" (Luke 9,46-48)

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Little Flower, pray for us now and always.