Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
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 today's first reading from 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 who says that God is a God of knowledge whose justice is fair. Job struggles with this argument. He has lost much, and yet has a clear conscience, and still 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 twenty-two leaves him feeling powerless.
Like Job, the psalmist in today's Psalm 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 lead us to pray… “Lord, More of You, less of me.”"
-Michael Montgomery