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u At times, the only quotes we find cited from this In an age that casts aside so many of our broth-
saint are secondary to her message, or deal with ers and sisters, she teaches us the beauty of con-
things she has in common with any other saint, such cern and responsibility for one another.
as prayer, sacrifice, Eucharistic piety, and any num- At a time of great complexity, she can help us re-
ber of other beautiful testimonies. Yet in this way, discover the importance of simplicity, the absolute
we could be depriving ourselves of what is most primacy of love, trust and abandonment, and thus
specific about her gift to the Church. We forget that move beyond a legalistic or moralistic mindset that
“each saint is a mission, planned by the Father to would fill the Christian life with
reflect and embody, at a specif- rules and regulations, and cause
ic moment in history, a certain the joy of the Gospel to grow
aspect of the Gospel”. Indeed, cold.
“to recognize the word that In an age of indifference and
the Lord wishes to speak to us
through one of his saints, we do self-absorption, Therese inspires
not need to get caught up in de- us to be missionary disciples,
tails… What we need to contem- captivated by the attractiveness
plate is the totality of their life, of Jesus and the Gospel.
their entire journey of growth in A century and a half after her
holiness, the reflection of Jesus birth, Therese is more alive than
Christ that emerges when we ever in the pilgrim Church, in
grasp their overall meaning as the heart of God’s people. She
a person”. This is all the more accompanies us on our pilgrim
true in the case of Saint Therese, way, doing good on earth, as she
since we are dealing with a “Doc- had so greatly desired. The most
tor of synthesis”. lovely signs of her spiritual vitality
From heaven to earth, the timely witness of are the innumerable “roses” that Therese continues
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face to strew: the graces God grants us through her lov-
endures in all the grandeur of her little way. ing intercession in order to sustain us on our jour-
ney through life.
In an age that urges us to focus on ourselves
and our own interests, Therese shows us the beauty Dear Saint Therese,
of making our lives a gift. the Church needs to radiate the brightness,
the fragrance and the joy of the Gospel.
At a time when the most superficial needs and Send us your roses!
desires are glorified, she testifies to the radicalism Help us to be, like yourself,
of the Gospel. ever confident in God’s immense love for us,
In an age of individualism, she makes us discov- so that we may imitate each day
er the value of a love that becomes intercession for your “little way” of holiness.
others. Amen.
At a time when human beings are obsessed with Given in Rome, in the Basilica of Saint John Lateran,
grandeur and new forms of power, she points out to on 15 October, the Memorial of Saint Teresa of Avila, in
us the little way. the year 2023, the eleventh of my Pontificate. v
Pope Francis

32 MICHAEL January/February 2024 www.michaeljournal.org