St. Thérèse's childlike ways help us reach heaven

On Oct. 1, we celebrated St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s feast day. Her life and her “Little Way” are, perhaps, reminders that we should carry with us throughout the month of October – and, indeed, the remaining time ahead as we continue struggling with the effects of the global pandemic.

St. Therese holds particular significance in my family. She was the saint I chose as my confirmation name, and she’s the saint I pray to most frequently. It was to Thérèse that I turned to while on the job market, and it was to her that I turned throughout my struggles conceiving.

And why? Growing up, we had the “Lives of the Saints” book for children. On one page was an illustration of the saint, and on the other was a brief outline of his or her life story.

Those books were well-loved: I remember turning to them over and over to read the stories of the saints and martyrs. But it was always Thérèse and Agnes who stood out to me: the simplicity of their lives, the maintenance of innocence.

In many ways, I now realize that in those particular stories and in those saints’ lives, I saw embodied the message of Jesus: We must be childlike in our faith in order to enter the kingdom of heaven.

At its core, the Little Way is founded on simplicity and two principles – that God is merciful and forgiving, and that we, as humans, are imperfect. God is merciful love, and to receive that love and manifest it to others, we must enact it ourselves. Thérèse’s Little Way focuses on everyday tasks and everyday people, giving of ourselves to others.

The other day as my husband took over lunch duty for our boys, I saw distinctly that they were no longer babies. Toddlerhood is in full effect. Their faces are no longer babylike: the roundness and pinkness have given way to their individuality and personality. I knew this time would come; I didn’t expect it to hit quite so suddenly.

But more than simply their features tell me that they’ve reached toddlerhood. As we played with their toys, I watched as one of the boys went to grab at their stuffed moose, Mortimer. His brother watched silently with a growing look of disbelief before letting out a cry that turned into heavy sobbing. Neither had been interested in Mortimer prior to this exchange – it was a stuffed animal just lying on the floor that had suddenly grabbed one’s attention. But as usual, when one has something, the other immediately wants it.

Hearing his brother’s heaving sobs, I watched as my son looked down at Mortimer and then held it up in the air before crawling over to his brother. His brother watched, still crying and reaching out as Mortimer was placed in his lap. The tears stopped and the boys looked at one another with smiles before Mortimer was placed in yet another mouth to be gnawed upon.

Sharing and empathy. The sharing part was certainly something that we’ve taught them. But the empathy? I’m not sure it’s something that’s been explicitly taught: I think it’s part of the innocence of childhood. Seeing the hurt and suffering in another and giving of one’s self to alleviate that hurt. That’s the Little Way. That’s why we must be like children to reach heaven.

In a world that touts self-interest and competition, simplicity and merciful love are what we need. We must anticipate the needs of another and do what we can to offer aid. These are the messages of St. Thérèse.

Our national struggles and the effects of a worldwide pandemic aren’t going away anytime soon. Anticipating a new way forward, one inspired by acts of merciful love and childlike simplicity, seems a better path than returning to the brokenness of egoism.

hbozantwitcher@clarionherald.org