Day Eight
We move into the second of our four weeks of preparation today, focusing the next seven days on the “Little Way” of St. Therese of Lisieux. Few today think of this Doctor of the Church and “greatest saint of modern times” as “little” in the sense of insignificant. Her spirituality has directly influenced more people than any other saint in the modern era. Mother Teresa of Calcutta, for example, took her name from St. Therese, and based her own spirituality of “doing small things with great love” on St. Therese.
Fr. Gaitley points out, however, that growing up, Therese was a fragile and broken little girl. Scruples made her life almost unbearable, and oversensitivity to the smallest slight or sin unhinged her. She cried day and night, trembled with anxiety much of the day, was bullied at school for her extreme fear and awkwardness, not even able to comb her own hair. Desperate for love, she would have “thrown herself into the arms of the first creature who came along,” falling “as low as St. Mary Magdalene,” as Therese herself put it. How did she find love and security? We shall see as we go through the next six days.
Prayer
Come, Holy Spirit, fire of mercy. Help me to recognize my own lowliness and to rejoice in God’s mercy.
Novena Prayer to St. Joseph
O God, who in your ineffable providence, have chosen Blessed Joseph to be the spouse of your most holy Mother and father to your Only Begotten Son. We beg that under his patronage our parish and school may flourish, teaching us to pray and leading us to heaven. To the glory of God the Father, through the grace of Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit. Amen.