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Praying for others, and the way of love.
DISCIPLESHIP:
BASICS THREE:
The Little Way
Jesus shares his mission with us. At the start of his ministry, Jesus takes Isaiah’s words and makes them his own. We too, should make them our own.
"The Spirit of the Lord is on me, because he has anointed me to preach good news to the poor. He has sent me to proclaim freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed, to proclaim the year of the Lord's favor." (Luke 4:18-19)
Through prayer we grow in God’s spirit. We can learn much from St. Teresa of Lisieux, one of our saints for this term, and how she has fulfilled the above scripture.
The Life of St Thérèse de Lisieux – Part 1
St Thérèse de Lisieux was born in France. Both her parents were very religious. Thérèse was their youngest child of four other sisters. Her mother died of breast cancer in 1877, when Thérèse was only four years old. When Thérèse was nine years old, she wanted to join her sister Pauline, who entered the Carmelite order of nuns. At 15, after her sister Marie also entered the same Carmelite convent, Thérèse renewed her attempts to join the order, but the bishop of Bayeux would not allow this on account of her youth.
It was at this time that Teresa wanted to make a difference. She wanted to help Jesus save souls. She decided to go after the worst person she heard about, Prazini.
Teresa became aware of murder called Pranzini, who was a famous thief and ruffian. He was caught and sentenced to death. Teresa wanted to help even the worst person, so she decided to pray for Pranzini. St. Teresa prayed this prayer, "I felt certain within myself that I should be heard, but to get courage to go on with my attempted conquest of souls I made this prayer: 'O my God, I am sure you will forgive this unhappy Pranzini, and I have such trust in your infinite mercy that I shall still be sure even if he does not ask for a priest or show any sign of repentance. But this is my first sinner, and because of that I ask you for a sign of his salvation to encourage me!"' On the day after the execution she opened the newspaper, hoping to find in it the sign she had asked. She read that at the very moment when Prazini was led beneath the guillotine, he had pushed the executioners aside, seized the crucifix from the chaplain's hands, and kissed the sacred wounds several times. Teresa slipped away to hide her tears. Prazini is counted as the first of many souls she was able to convert.
This is the way Teresa would bring “freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed”.
Prayer is not just about receiving strength to live the Christian life, but also to be transformed by God and to transform the world through prayer. Prayer is powerful and it is the primary source of life in the Christian life. It is the source of our relationship with Jesus, but it is also the place where we share our life with him, including our desires. Teresa desired something that God also wanted. Teresa gained what she wanted. She never met Prazini, but through the power of prayer, she was able to change Prazini’s heart. We too share that some power with Teresa. Jesus listens just as much to us as he does Teresa. So through prayer if we ask for those things which God most desires, we will help God, and we will bring “freedom for the prisoners and recovery of sight for the blind, to release the oppressed”.
Remember prayer is the first step, then action. If we pray for others and do all in prayer, then when we act God will help us and purify our desires to help others. So when we actually go out to help others we will be more effective.
What do you think you should pray for?
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We continue the story of St Teresa
The Life of St Thérèse de Lisieux – Part 2
Her father took Thérèse on a pilgrimage to Rome. During a general audience with Pope Leo XIII, she asked him to allow her to enter the Carmelite order, but the Pope stood by the decision of the bishop. Shortly thereafter, the bishop reversed his decision, and in April of 1889 she became a Carmelite nun.
In the convent, Thérèse realized that she would not be able to achieve "great deeds" as saints often did, and so must find another way to express her love of God. She wrote, "Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love."
St. Teresa’s ‘little way’ is very famous. It teaches us that the most powerful actions are the little actions of love. The helping hand, the welcome the smile – all become part of God’s grand plan through Jesus.
This "Little Way" also appeared in her approach to spirituality: "Sometimes, when I read spiritual treatises, in which perfection is shown with a thousand obstacles in the way and a host of illusions round about it, my poor little mind soon grows weary, I close the learned book, which leaves my head splitting and my heart parched, and I take the Holy Scriptures. Then all seems luminous, a single word opens up infinite horizons to my soul, perfection seems easy; I see that it is enough to realize one's nothingness, and give oneself wholly, like a child, into the arms of the good God. Leaving to great souls, great minds, the fine books I cannot understand, I rejoice to be little because 'only children, and those who are like them, will be admitted to the heavenly banquet'."
Have you had any special moments when you have read the scriptures? What was it like?
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From Teresa we here again, the invite to give ourselves totally to God and to trust him. She reminds us of how special the scriptures are. I now invite you to make (if you haven’t already) the scriptures a part of your daily prayer. Focus on the gospels, they are the words of Jesus written for you and me and they can ‘open up infinite horizons to our souls’.
This week in our prayer we should decide to pray for someone. Who will you pray for?
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This week we should be praying for 15 minutes a day and using the gospels as part of prayer.
St. Teresa of Lisieux and St. Francis of Assisi, pray for us.
BTW, St.
Teresa is one of 33 doctors of the Church. A Doctor of the Church is a theologian
from whose teachings the whole Christian church is held to have derived great
advantage and to whom eminent learning and great sanctity have been attributed
by a proclamation of the Pope or of an ecumenical council. So while Teresa did
not find weighty tomes beneficial, her simple writings are recognised as just
as important and useful. (BTW stands for 'by the way')
