Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Pray for Us

Readings: 1^st: Job 19:21-27; Ps: 27; Gos: Lk 10:1-12

This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico, the island of enchantment. He is the Chancellor of the Dioceses of Fajardo-Humacao, Puerto Rico; the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canovanas and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and Dominican Republic. For more details and comments contact him at:  canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com.

Today the Thursday of the twenty-sixth week of ordinary time, the Church honors a great saint, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church.

Thérèse, popularly known as “the Little Flower,” was born in France on January 2, 1873. She was brought up in a model Christian home. At the age of fifteen, she obtained permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux.

She lived a very ordinary and simple religious life. Hence, she attained a very high degree of holiness by carrying out her daily duties with perfect fidelity. Thérèse had childlike confidence in God’s providence and merciful love and was always at the service of others at all times.

Thérèse had a great love for the Church and zeal for the conversion of souls and prayed much. Especially for priests. She died of tuberculosis on September 30, 1897, at the age of 24, and was canonized in 1925.

Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus is a good example and model for all of us on how we can serve God and humanity and become saints by doing simple and ordinary things in our day to day life.

In today’s gospel, Jesus equips us with the message we must bring to our world: “Peace be with this house.” It is a gift we must offer to our world. Jesus knows very well that this is what our world needs most.

He is ready to let us have it. With the peace that Christ offers us, we must be prepared to transform our world from a culture of war and hatred to a culture of peace.

He invites us to be instruments of his peace. So, what we must bring to our world is the good news of the peace of our Lord Jesus Christ. Peace is precious and golden. Like joy, it is contagious. If we have peace, it must affect others positively.

So, with Saint Francis of Assisi, let us pray: “Lord, make me an instrument of your peace, where there is hatred, let me sow love; where there is injury, pardon; where there is doubt, faith; where there is despair, hope; where there is darkness, light; and where there is sadness, joy.”

Peace be with you all.

Maranatha!