Page 28 - Michael 2024 January

u after her death, Saint Pius X, sensing her spiritual
grandeur, stated that she would become the greatest
saint of modern times. Therese was declared Vener-
able in 1921 by Pope Benedict XV, who, in praising
her virtues, saw them embodied in her “little way” of
spiritual childhood. She was beatified a century ago
and then canonized on May 17, 1925 by Pope Pius
XI, who thanked the Lord for granting that she be the
first Blessed whom he raised to the honour of the al-
tars and the first Saint whom he canonized.
In 1927, the same Pope declared her the Patroness
of the Missions. Therese was proclaimed one of the pa-
tron saints of France in 1944 by Venerable Pius XII, who
on several occasions developed the theme of spiritual
childhood. Saint Paul VI liked to recall that he was bap-
tized on September 30, 1897, the day of her death, and
on the centenary of her birth he wrote a Letter on her
teaching to the Bishop of Bayeux and Lisieux.
On June 2, 1980, during his first Apostolic Jour-
ney to France, Saint John Paul II visited the Basilica
dedicated to her, and in 1997 declared her a Doctor of
the Church. He also referred to Therese as “an expert
in the scientia amoris”. Pope Benedict XVI returned
to the subject of her “science of love” and proposed
it as “a guide for all, especially those in the people
of God who carry out their ministry as theologians”.
Finally, in 2015, I had the joy of canonizing her par-
ents, Louis and Zelie, during the Synod on the Family.
More recently, I devoted one of my weekly General Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face
Audience talks to Saint Therese, as part of a cycle of
catecheses on apostolic zeal. (See page 25.) To describe that way, she uses the image of an
In the name that Therese chose as a religious, elevator: “the elevator which must raise me to heav-
Jesus stands out as the “Child” who manifests the en is your arms, O Jesus! And for this, I had no need
to grow up, but rather I had to remain little and be-
mystery of the Incarnation, and the “Holy Face” of the come this more and more”. Little, incapable of being
one who surrendered himself completely on the Cross. confident in herself, and yet firmly secure in the lov-
She is “Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy ing power of the Lord’s arms.
Face”. The name of Jesus was constantly on her lips,
as an act of love, even to her last breath. She had also This is the “sweet way of love” that Jesus sets be-
written these words in her cell: “Jesus is my one love”. fore the little and the poor, before everyone. It is the
It was her interpretation of the supreme statement of way of true happiness. In place of a Pelagian notion of
the New Testament: “God is love” (1 Jn 4:8.16). holiness, individualistic and elitist, more ascetic than
The little way of trust and love mystical, that primarily emphasizes human effort, The-
rese always stresses the primacy of God’s work, his gift
One of the most important insights of Therese for of grace. (…) Her boundless confidence encourages
the benefit of the entire People of God is her “little all who feel frail, limited and sinful to let themselves
way”, the path of trust and love, also known as the be elevated and transformed in order to reach greater
way of spiritual childhood. Everyone can follow this heights. “If all weak and imperfect souls felt what the
way, whatever their age or state in life. It is the way least of souls feels, that is, the soul of your little The-
that the heavenly Father reveals to the little ones (cf. rese, not one would despair of reaching the summit
Mt 11:25). of the mount of love. Jesus does not demand great
In the Story of a Soul, Therese tells how she dis- actions from us, but simply surrender and gratitude”.
covered the little way: “I can, then, in spite of my This insistence of Therese on God’s initiative
littleness, aspire to holiness. It is impossible for me leads her, when speaking of the Eucharist, to put first
to grow up, and so I must bear with myself such as I not her desire to receive Jesus in Holy Communion,
am, with all my imperfections. But I want to seek out but rather the desire of Jesus to unite himself to us
a means of going to heaven by a little way, a way that and to dwell in our hearts. In her Act of Oblation to
is very straight, very short, and totally new”. Merciful Love, saddened by her inability to receive

28 MICHAEL January/February 2024 www.michaeljournal.org