Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: Depending on God's tenderness

The first of October is the Feast Day ot Saint Thérèse of Lisieux. For those who may not know, the Little Flower is a Doctor of the Church. She is one of my best saintly friends.

Thérèse, known affectionately as "the Little Flower," knew despair and despondency. In her painful suffering, she even wrestled with the temptation of suicide.

Perhaps her most famous devotee is the famous French singer Edith Piaf. Known as "the Little Sparrow," Piaf, who was raised in the brothel where her grandma was the Madame, was taught by one of the women who worked there as a prostitute to seek the Little Flower's help. Throughout her life, during many travels, Piaf would often seek out a statue or a shrine to the Little Flower.

Pope Francis, who, along with Saint Joseph, has a great devotion to our Thérèse. The Holy Father urges us "not be afraid to depend solely on the tenderness of God as Saint Thérèse of Lisieux did." Of course, to depend solely on God's tenderness, is to be tenderized. Following the Little Way of the Little Flower is to walk the path of tenderness. We should have special tenderness for those who suffer.

The depth and intensity of Thérèse's experience of God is caputured brilliantly by Tomáš Halík in his book Patience with God: The Story of Zacchaeus Continuing in Us. In his writing about Thérèse, Halík relies on the work of Thomas Nevin published in The Last Years of Saint Therese: Doubt and Darkness, 1895-1897. While I am recommending reading, here is a blog post that tells about Pope Francis relationship with the Little Flower: "Pope Francis and Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: 'To depend solely on the tenderness of God.'"

As this great Doctor of the Church taught us, we need bring nothing to Jesus: "The guest of our soul knows our misery; He comes to find an empty tent within us – that is all He asks."

O Little Therese of the Child Jesus, please pick for me a rose
from the heavenly gardens and send it to me as a message of love.

O Little Flower of Jesus, ask God to grant the favors
I now place with confidence in your hands . .

(mention in silence here)

St. Therese, help me to always believe as you did in
God’s great love for me, so that I might imitate your “Little Way” each day.

Amen

Our traditio for the first Friday in October is the Little Sparrow singing what is perhaps her most internationally famous song, "Non, Je ne regrette rien:"