GRACE OVERCOMING SIN WITHIN US


SAINT THERESE OF THE CHILD JESUS, VIRGIN, DOCTOR

Baruch 1:15-22; Ps 79:1-5,8-9; Lk 10:13-16

 The Miracles God works in Us

The Catholic Church in Nigeria celebrates the memorial of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus today, which the universal Church celebrates on October 1, due to the national celebration of Our Lady, Queen and Patroness of Nigeria. The readings today lead us to consider the miracles of God within a soul that bring it to the state of perfection. The scripture attests to the deep mystery of the corruption of our hearts. It is such that only God knows the true and sinful state of man. The evil condition of the human heart corresponds to the fact that God made us for himself. Hence, only God can completely illuminate the human heart and fill every aspect of man. Thus, each of us is sick and a sinner to the extent he has not God in his members. Therefore, our conversion is never a one-time event, but a continuous process that involves our yielding more and more grounds to God’s Spirit within us. Each moment in our conversion process involves hearing the word of God afresh with our minds, hearts, and wills. Each conversion experience involves understanding the word of God expressing his will for us, faithfully and lovingly embracing the divine will, and acting in harmony with God.

The story of God’s dealings with Israel, the chosen people of God, is replete with examples of this process of human conversion to God. Prophet Baruch’s words resonate with the inherent weakness of the people of God, causing them to be unfaithful to God’s vocation and gift of his word to them. “Integrity belongs to the Lord our God; to us the look of shame we wear today, to us, the people of Judah and the citizens of Jerusalem, to our kings and princes, our priests, our prophets, as to our ancestors, because we have sinned in the sight of the Lord, have disobeyed him, and have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God telling us to follow the commandments which the Lord had ordained for us.” These statements describe our human condition, individually and collectively. Because our nature was corrupted at the origin, none escapes the sinful condition and experience of lack of attention to God’s word; this is original, within, and operative in each of us. Only the Woman and her Son are exempt from this internal sinful condition by God’s merciful and loving ordination. Original sin is not a myth, for it lives and operates in each of us. The prophet’s words were inclusive: “Despite all the words of those prophets whom he sent us, we have not listened to the voice of the Lord our God, but, each following the dictates of his evil heart, we have taken to serving alien gods, and doing what is displeasing to the Lord our God.” Our allegiance and worship of other gods is caused by our attention to the dictates of our hearts and not to God.

God delivers us through his word by revealing the evil and sinfulness of the dictates of our hearts. He makes our selfish devices fail woefully so that we may reconsider our motivations and decisions. Next, He makes us hear his word, which offers us an alternative route to happiness. Finally, He delivers us from evil allegiance and bondage, so that we may be in communion with him in obedience to his will. Our Lord rebuked the obstinacy of the people of Chorazin and Bethsaida in the Gospel passage. “Alas for you, Chorazin! Alas for you, Bethsaida! For if the miracles done in you had been done in Tyre and Sidon, they would have repented long ago, sitting in sackcloth and ashes.” It is the will of God to reclaim us for himself; for this reason, he sends his word to us. We must renounce our own wills to embrace God’s will for us. Saint Therese of the Child Jesus became a doctor of the Church through teaching us her little way of saying yes to God’s loving invitations to communion with him daily. She was born in Alencon, France, on January 2nd, 1873. Her mother died of breast cancer when she was four, which made the family move to Lisieux. She became a Carmelite nun there at the age of 15. She died of tuberculosis at the age of 24. Her autobiography, written under obedience to her superior, revealed the miracles of grace God worked in her soul through her life of loving obedience to the Lord’s will for her. These came to light after her death when her writings were published, and the storm of glory swept through the world. The process of her beatification started 13 years after her death. She was canonized in 1925, with the Pope suspending the requirement of 50 years after death for canonization of a saint. May her prayers aid us to listen, love, and follow God faithfully and lovingly every day in little things.

Let us pray: O God, who open your Kingdom to those who are humble and to little ones, lead us to follow trustingly in the little way of Saint Therese, so that through her intercession we may see your eternal glory revealed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.  

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