Feast of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus

Today's Mass Readings

Today’s readings for the feast of St. Therese known as the “Little Flower,” remind us that like Therese we are to follow the Lord completely. The dialogue in Job goes back and forth between understanding God’s power and then asking the question is it wise to challenge God’s wisdom. This discourse is a response to Job’s friend Bildad who says that God is a God of knowledge whose justice is fair. For Job who has lost much, and yet has a clear conscience, God’s justice feels more like divine anger. Job’s suffering feels not as a “just” reward for sin, but more as a recipient of an arbitrary allocation of God’s power. Job realizes that the person (God) to whom he wishes to complain may in fact be responsible for his pain. Job’s catch 22 leaves him feeling powerless. Like Job, the psalmist questions God as to the purpose of their long term suffering. This lament asks the Lord to hear his prayer because it seems like God is not listening. For many of us, “Little Flower” included, there are times when we feel God is not hearing our prayer. These times leave us feeling spiritually in the dark.

In today’s gospel, Jesus gives us an insight to help us to overcome spiritual darkness. We are to stay focused on being a disciple. For Little Flower, who was physically frail most of her life and suffered prolonged periods of spiritual infirmity, suffering was not something on which to dwell. For her, suffering was redemptive in nature. The suffering helped Therese grow closer to Christ.

As Jesus asks each of us to follow Him, do we say; “Lord first let me bury my dead,” or do the frustrations of our lives consume all of our energy? It is then we need to quit arguing with God and start living as a committed disciple.

Lord, today as we carry out our daily activities, help us to stop when complaints come to our lips and instead help us pray… “More of You Lord, less of me.”

Today's Psalm would be a good way to end our reflection:

Let my prayer come before you, Lord.
Daily I call upon you, O LORD;
to you I stretch out my hands.
Will you work wonders for the dead?
Will the shades arise to give you thanks?

Do they declare your mercy in the grave,
your faithfulness among those who have perished?
Are your wonders made known in the darkness,
or your justice in the land of oblivion?

But I, O LORD, cry out to you;
with my morning prayer I wait upon you.
Why, O LORD, do you reject me;
why hide from me your face?

- Mike Montgomery