The Eucharist, St. Thérèse, & Sainthood: Reflections on the Feast of St. Thérèse

Dearly beloved,

This weekend we celebrate the Feast of our patroness, St. Thérèse, the Little Flower of Jesus (October 1). We thank all who joined in praying the Novena leading up to this feast day. We also were blessed with the opportunity to spend time with our Eucharistic Lord in adoration. Thanks to all who visited whether for a short time or for a long period. Like our heavenly patroness, we too are friends of Jesus. And our friendship grows every time we spend time with him. Our Lord is always present in the tabernacle, waiting for us to come be with him. Let us make out time to do so.

The final words of a dying person seem to have a special significance for their loved ones. But more so, they are often indicative of what mattered the most to the dying person. On the night before he suffered, Our Lord told his disciples, “Do this in memory of me.” Since they were first pronounced, these eternal words have shaped the Church’s Eucharistic theology and celebration for centuries. In the Eucharist, we not only remember a historical event, which is eternally made present every time we celebrate; we also anticipate the eschaton, the end of time, when Christ returns in his glory. In his account of the Institution narrative St. Paul tells the Corinthians, “For as often as you eat this bread and drink this cup, you proclaim the Lord’s death until he comes” (1 Corinthians 11:26). It is through worthy participation in this one bread and one cup that we become integrated with Christ who seeks to be one with us just as he is one with the Father.

We have a record of St. Thérèse’s last words. They are expressive of the depth of love that characterized her life. As her end in this world drew near, the saintly sister Thérèse of Jesus mouthed these words, “My God, I love you.” She died exactly the way she lived, totally given to love of God. As a child, Thérèse was endowed with a courageous faith. She loved the Lord deeply, and served him by loving people. Although she could not go to the missions, she prayed and offered her sufferings for those on the missions. Like St. Paul, she embraced the sufferings that came to her as a way to unite her more closely to Christ, who himself suffered tremendously at the hands of his own creatures. St. Thérèse is known to have said, “without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing.”

To love God is the telos for which we were created, and towards which we tend. This is sainthood! As we recite in the old catechism, “God made me to know him, to love him, to serve him, in this world, and to be happy with him forever in the next.” Therefore, everything we do in this world should lead us to that singular purpose for which we were created – to become saints. As we celebrate our big sister today, each one of us can say with her, “God would never inspire me with desires which cannot be realized; so in spite of my littleness, I can hope to be a saint.”

Happy Feast Day of St. Thérèse, the Little Flower of Jesus!