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Winter 1999
St. Thérèse of Lisieux,
Universal Teacher of Divine Love
I. St. Thérèse: Teacher for Our Times
During his pontificate at the beginning of this century Pope Pius X declared St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus "the greatest saint of modern times." This judgment was shared by those who would succeed him on the throne of St. Peter. Pope Benedict XV, upon proclaiming her heroic virtues, praised the knowledge of divine realities which GOD granted Thérèse. On the occasion of her beatification and canonization Pope Pius XI recommended her doctrine and described her as a "teacher of life". Pope Paul VI extolled St. Thérèse's example and offered her as a teacher, calling upon teachers, educators pastors and theologians to study her doctrine. Then on October 19, 1997 Pope John Paul II declared St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus to be a Doctor of the Universal Church. At that time he stated that "a particular radiance of doctrine shrines forth from her writings which, as if by a charism of the Holy Spirit, grasp the very heart of the message of Revelation in a fresh and original vision, presenting a teaching of eminent quality." [Divini Amoris Scientia 8] He went on to say that the originality and the freshness of her teachings are especially "timely" for men and women of our century. She is a Teacher for the Universal Church of our time. [DAS 10]
In light of these statements of the Popes of this century we can see the particular urgency to study the message which St. Thérèse has to offer not only those who live the cloistered life, but all humanity. In a very special way the doctrine of the Little Flower of Lisieux offers those who wish to dedicate themselves to praying for priests valuable spiritual direction and inspiration. From among her many insights we will consider a few of her teachings on spiritual childhood, and the qualities of Divine Love.
II. Originality of Her Insight
Pope John Paul II said that Thérèse "discovered 'new lights, hidden and mysterious meanings' and received from the divine Teacher that 'Science of Love' which she then expressed with particular originality in her writings." [DAS 1] "The core of her message is actually the mystery of GOD-Love, of the Triune GOD, infinitely perfect in Himself. . . . At the root, on the subject's part, is the experience of being the FATHER's adoptive children in JESUS; this is the most authentic meaning of spiritual childhood, that is, the experience of divine filiation, under the movement of the HOLY SPIRIT. At the root again, and standing before us, is our neighbor, others, for whose salvation we must collaborate with and in JESUS, with the same merciful love as His." [DAS 8]
As our Holy Father indicates, the unique insights of St. Thérèse are founded on the deeper grasp of the "knowledge of love". Throughout her writings, St. Thérèse speaks to GOD and about GOD always working from the fundamental definition of GOD given by St. John: "GOD is Love." Every attribute and notion of GOD is ultimately reduced to this one, overriding truth. But to this St. Thérèse adds a new insight which reveals the unfathomable depth contained in the Divine Love. In the beginning of her autobiography Story of a Soul she offered a simple statement which grasps an essential quality of love:
"since the nature of love is to humble oneself . . . GOD created the child who knows only how to make his feeble cries heard; He has created the poor savage who has nothing but the natural law to guide him. It is to their hearts that GOD deigns to lower Himself. These are the wild flowers whose simplicity attracts Him. When coming down in this way, GOD manifests His infinite grandeur."1
Here St. Thérèse reveals a key principle in the love of GOD which governs all His relations with His creatures. The essential quality of Divine Love is It's desire to abase Itself, to lower Itself and empty Itself, so as to reach down to the lowest. This is the dynamic force of the Divine Heart spoken of by St. Paul: "Have this mind among yourselves, which was in CHRIST JESUS, Who, though He was in the form of GOD, did not count equality with GOD a thing to be grasped, but emptied Himself" [Phil. 2:5-6] The love of GOD abases Itself, not to be lost in the nothingness but to ransom that nothingness and divinize it.2 The quality of the Divine Love is a "full hearted love which seeks tirelessly by a persistent pursuit of even the sinner who is wallowing in the lowest reaches of moral infamy, in order that this love may lay hold of him in the midst of his wretchedness and raise him to a participation in the divine nature."3
Although this "emptying of GOD" for love of man has been taught since the beginning of Christianity, and is evident in the many mercies of GOD, particularly in the ultimate self- abasement of love in the Holy Eucharist, it is St. Thérèse who has drawn out of this truth the spirituality, the "little way", which comprises a perfect response to this quality of GOD's love. She saw that if this is the governing principle of GOD's love, then it must also become the governing principle of our love. This is the case, since as the Holy Father observed in the writings of St. Thérèse: "the most authentic meaning of spiritual childhood is the experience of divine filiation, under the movement of the HOLY SPIRIT."
To follow the "little way" of spiritual childhood involves a real incorporation of the child into the Incarnate SON through the HOLY SPIRIT. The HOLY SPIRIT makes us child of GOD with CHRIST by making us sharers in His love. The experience of divine sonship is most evident therefore in the sharing in the love of CHRIST for the lowest. This we find so beautifully expressed in the Story of a Soul:
"I felt charity enter into my soul, and the need to forget myself and to please others; since then I've been happy! One Sunday, looking at a picture of Our Lord on the Cross, I was struck by the blood flowing from one of the divine hands. I felt a great pang of sorrow when thinking this blood was falling to the ground without anyone's hastening to gather it up. I was resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the Cross and to receive the divine dew. I understood I was then to pour it out upon souls. The cry of JESUS on the Cross sounded continually in my heart: 'I thirst!' These words ignited within me an unknown and very living fire. I wanted to give my Beloved to drink and I felt myself consumed with a thirst for souls."4
To participate in spiritual childhood means to share in the thirst of CHRIST. At the same time it must also include a willingness, and indeed a desire to humble oneself, to be small enough to reach down beneath the lowest in order to lift them up to GOD. The more ardent the thirst, the greater the readiness to follow CHRIST into the depths. As St. Thérèse once wrote in a letter:
"understand that to love JESUS, to be His Victim of Love, the weaker one is, without desires, or strengths, the more apt one is for the operations of that consuming and transforming Love. . . let us love our littleness, love to feel nothing, then we shall be poor in spirit, and JESUS will come for us, far off as we are. He will transform us in love's flames."5
In this way St. Thérèse made herself a "victim of love". Her courageous life of endurance of faith and love in the midst of the most intense sufferings reveals the depths to which her heroic soul was willing to plummet with this Divine Love.
III. Contemplation and Action
The sense of true littleness and desire to stoop down beneath those in need in order to lift them up must also include the understanding that of ourselves we are too little to help anyone. This is what St. Thérèse expressed so clearly in her autobiography in describing her sense of helplessness upon receiving the task of mistress of novices:
"Lord, I am too little to foster your children; if you wish to give them, through me, what each one needs, then fill my hand, so that without leaving your arms, even without turning my face from you, I will be able to give your treasures to the soul which comes to me in search of nourishment."6
Here she sees that her active task of assisting others can best be fulfilled by her own more perfect union with the Lord. She prayed for the angelic quality of being able to work while forever beholding the face of the FATHER in heaven. Here she offers a most urgent message to men of today: the way to accomplish the most in any apostolate is through a more perfect union to God by turning to Him in prayer. The more responsibility a person has for the souls of others the more that person must recognize the impossibility of fulfilling that responsibility alone. This humble recognition throws us into the arms of our heavenly FATHER.
Dependency on GOD is more crucial for those who have the responsibility to collaborate with and in JESUS for the salvation of souls. St. Thérèse discovered that she could assist others best by improving her own proximity to GOD:
"He made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: 'Draw me, and we shall run after you in the odor of your ointments.' O JESUS, it is not even necessary to say 'When drawing me, draw the souls whom I love!' This simple statement; 'Draw me' suffices; I understand, Lord, that when a soul allows herself to be captivated by the odor of your ointments, she cannot run alone, all the souls whom she loves follow her train; this is done without constraint, without effort, it is a natural consequence of her attraction for You. Just as a torrent, throwing itself with impetuosity into the ocean drags after it everything it encounters in its passage, in the same way, O JESUS, the soul who plunges into the shoreless ocean of Your Love draws with her [all the souls it has pleased You to unite to her]."7
Those who wish to offer themselves in a special way for the sanctification of priests must be continually drawn to the Lord in prayer and conformed to Him in charity in order to be effective instruments in His hands. From these insights of St. Thérèse of Lisieux into the Science of Divine Love we must learn the way to fulfill our own mission of love in the heart of the Holy Church.
1 St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, ISC Publications, Washington, D. C., 1976, p. 14. 2Abbé André Combes, St. Thérèse and Her Mission, P. J. Kenedy and Sons, New York 1955, p. 59 3Ibid., p. 61 4Story of a Soul, p. 99 5Collected Letters of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sheed and Ward, New York, 1949, Letter 176, pp. 289-90. 6Story of a Soul, p. 238 7Ibid., p. 254
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