The Story of a Soul, St. Therese of Lisieux
Comparison is the thief of joy. Judgement is the thief of love. When we see those around us, we always see the people who in our minds are more pious than us, more steadfast in their morals, those who have a greater understanding of the faith, and those who have reached a deeper level of theological understanding than we could possibly even imagine. We also see those that may struggle accepting the Church teachings, who are living a life that we would never live. However, to truly reform ourselves into the saints we were born to be, we must look at our own lives and hear what God is calling us to do.
St. Therese of Lisieux talks about this in her autobiography, The Story of a Soul. In the first chapter, she writes:
“I had wondered for a long time why God had preferences and why all souls did not receive an equal amount of grace…
…He has created the great saints who are like the lilies and the roses, but He has also created much lesser saints and they must be content to be daisies or the violets which rejoice His eyes whenever He glances down. Perfection consists in doing His will, in being that which He wants us to be.
…The sun shines equally both on the cedars and on every tiny flower. In just the same way God looks after every soul as if it had no equal. All is planned for the good of every soul, exactly as the seasons are so arranged that the humblest daisy blossoms at the appointed time.”
The Lord has created us all to be saints, and great ones! He has a distinct and individual plan for every single person. As reflected upon in a previous blog post “A Reflection on the Parable of the Prodigal’s Son”, we each have a unique and unrepeatable role in salvation. The story of salvation is very alive in our hearts and incomplete without every single beautiful soul the Lord has so gently and intentionally created. Our humanness cannot comprehend the infinite pool of God’s love. Unfortunately, human love is imperfect and at times, even conditional. The Lord, however, looks at each of His children with the deepest of loves. A love completely incomprehensible.He does not ration out His love from a finite amount. His love is unique and abundant for each of His children, specifically YOU!
St. Therese says that our souls are like flowers, they make up the garden of Jesus. Alone, our souls are beautiful. Together, our souls can be breathtaking and perfect. Each flower blooms on its own, requiring the right amount of sun and water to flourish. The Lord knows our needs and desires.
My favorite line from this passage is, “The sun shines equally both on the cedars and on every tiny flower.” This highlights Christ’s love for ALL of us. It shows the extravagance of the largest and smallest plants on Earth, and the total worth of each of them. He shines His light on us all, never forgetting any of His flowers. Our tendency towards sin can sometimes hinder that light shining on us.
It does no good to compare ourselves to those around us when trying to advance in spiritual life. We can only be the best versions of ourselves. We must first allow God to act in our lives. We must be open to transformation. We aim to have trust in the Lord that He is, in fact, sanctifying us and ultimately know that He is in control.
