Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, virgin and doctor of the Church
Today’s scriptures ask us to reflect on how small and insignificant we are in comparison to God, but also show that though we are small and insignificant, we also can do great things.
In the first lesson (Job 38:1, 12-21; 40:3-5), God is responding to Job’s complaints. Job has been inflicted with all kinds of tragedy: he’s lost his family, his job, his friends, and he is very ill, in addition. As many of us might do, Job asks God, “Why me?” Today’s scripture provides God’s answer to Job’s question, namely pointing out to Job the vast differences between them. Job finally recognizes this fact and says, “Behold, I am of little account.” Recognizing that we are not God is an important part of learning to live as holy people.
It is important, though, to read Job alongside today’s gospel (Luke 10:13-16) because in this passage we learn that being small and insignificant does not necessarily mean doing small and insignificant things. In this passage, Jesus is continuing the conversation from yesterday’s reading. At the end of yesterday’s verses, Jesus told the disciples to shake the dust from their feet if towns were unwelcoming to them and their Gospel. In today’s reading, he continues by telling his disciples that people who believe in them ultimately believe in Jesus and in the Father who sent Jesus. The disciples are small and insignificant in comparison to Jesus, and yet despite their smallness, Jesus can act through them.
How might this relate to us today? I’ve been reflecting a lot this week on last Sunday’s gospel reading (Luke 16:19-31), about Lazarus and the rich man. The scripture impels to me to “do something” – especially in the face of the Great Recession. I know so many people who are hurting and I want to give my money away in the same kind of radical way that Jesus asks of us, not just in last Sunday’s text, but in many places in the Gospel. I also greatly admire all those who have found ways to follow Jesus’ call – close friends of mine live in poverty in inner-city Durham, and I also think of the Catholic Worker Movement, and all those who have joined religious communities and given all they have away. It is so easy, in the face of all these witnesses to feel not only inadequate, but seriously delinquent in following the Gospel.
The trouble for me is, “my” money isn’t really mine, because I’m married and I have, now, two small children to consider as well. Still, I desire to follow Jesus and I especially want to form my children to know and understand the costliness of what it means to be Christian, and I especially want to form them in habits of generosity and hospitality of the kind that Jesus seeks from his disciples. Are there ways that seemingly small and supposedly insignificant acts can become great in God’s eyes?
Today, we celebrate the life and sainthood of Therese of the Child Jesus, who offers a way for those of us who are like me: wanting to do great, tremendous things and yet who feel constrained. Therese found herself wanting to do “great” things too, but eventually she comes to realize that what we see as great deeds are only built on the daily small ones. It is quite difficult, in fact, to be a person who does “great deeds” without also being a person who does the small, seemingly insignificant acts too. As she says, “Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love.”
- Jana M. Bennett