Jesus, the Son of God, kept things simple by explaining complex spiritual truths in parables and stories which even illiterate fishermen and children could understand. The Almighty spoke and interacted with people on their level. People with a worldly mindset often thought Jesus spoke in riddles but those whose hearts and spirits were open understood the gist.
In her short life – she was only twenty-four when she died – St. Thérèse of Lisieux discovered profound truths, truths that I have stumbled on as well. St. Thérèse’s entire name as a Carmelite nun was “Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.” Her quiet, hidden life of devotion to the spirit of childlike trust in God and her love for Christ as suffering servant of God have revitalized the life of the faithful. Her teaching of the “little way” of offering to God is simple and powerful.
“I say nothing to him; I love him”
“Everything is a grace.”
Everything is the direct effect of our Father’s love – difficulties, contradictions, humiliations, all the soul’s miseries, her burdens, her needs – everything. Because through them she learns humility, realizes her weakness. Everything is a grace because everything is God’s gift.
The truth is the mysteries of our faith are exactly that- mysteries, especially to modern, educated, sophisticated people. Just try to explain the concept of infinity, the Trinity, or the idea of God in us, as we are in God. Yes, Catholics need theologians, Doctors of the Church, and our popes to articulate our faith just as it is helpful to read and study theology but sometimes in the face of the Almighty, I find it is better to simply throw up my hands, trust in the wisdom of the Church Fathers and accept the unfathomable with the faith and trust of a child.
I like to say that a child, frog, and tree are holy because they are who they called to be without a mask or false persona or large ego.
While St. Thérèse said the same thing but in different words,
“Holiness consists simply in doing God’s will, and being just what God wants us to be.”
I pray now by simply resting in Him, looking into the light and His eyes and He looks at me. I smile. He smiles and immediately fills me with a surge of joy
St. Thérèse said,
“For me, prayer is a surge of the heart, it is a simple look towards Heaven, it is a cry of recognition and of love, embracing both trial and joy.”
The key to living the mysterious, almost unimaginable Christian life in with and through God is simple faith and trust in God to reveal His mysteries to us when and if He sees fit. Yes, we can read and study but true revelation can only come through the Holy Spirit to humble people of prayer. Meanwhile, we walk joyfully by faith and not by sight, journeying ever closer to the heart of the Father.
connecting with theology is a verb
joy of nine9 