Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 27, 2026
Although we Franciscans celebrate the feast of our Father Saint Francis this week, there is another saint’s feast day this week which is important to me. On October 1, the Church remembers Saint Therese of Lisieux (1873-1897), a French cloistered Carmelite nun who died at the age of 24. During her life she achieved no fame, but she wrote her spiritual autobiography, The Story of a Soul, which was published after her death and became a publishing sensation. To date, 500 million copies of her book have been published. I read her book when I was in elementary school and I have read it several times since.
Therese was declared a Doctor of the Church by Saint Pope John Paul II, indicating that her teaching is both reliable and innovative. She called her spiritual approach “the Little Way.” Essentially she taught that youdon’t have to accomplish extraordinary things to become holy.
Thérèse's insight is essentially:
Do small things with great love, and trust God rather than trying to make yourself spiritually impressive.
She realized that she wasn't going to become a missionary, a great theologian, or perform heroic deeds. Instead, she could offer ordinary things to God with extraordinary love.
For example:
- Doing an unpleasant chore without complaining.
- Being patient with someone who irritates you.
- Helping someone when nobody notices.
- Accepting an inconvenience without resentment.
- Saying a simple prayer when you don't feel particularly religious.
- Doing your everyday responsibilities faithfully.
- Treating another person with kindness when you would rather not.
To Thérèse, these tiny acts could be spiritually enormous if they were done out of love.
Thérèse also didn't believe holiness meant becoming a person who never failed, never got angry, never became discouraged, and never struggled.
Instead, she emphasized trusting God's mercy precisely because you're small and imperfect. She compared herself to a little child who can't climb a great staircase. Rather than desperately trying to become capable of climbing it, she trusted that God would carry her.
Thérèse thought there was a temptation to believe that holiness required extraordinary achievements. Her answer was almost the opposite: You can become holy right where you are. You don't need a dramatic life. You don't need to do something historically important. You don't even need to feel particularly holy. The person washing dishes, caring for a sick spouse, going to work, putting up with a difficult coworker, or quietly helping a neighbor has plenty of opportunities to practice the Little Way.
Thérèse also tried to love people she didn't naturally like. She wrote about a fellow nun whose manner irritated her. Rather than waiting until she genuinely felt affection for the woman, Thérèse deliberately treated her with kindness. That's an important distinction: Love isn't necessarily a feeling. It's something you can choose to do. So the Little Way can be practiced even when you're tired, irritated, discouraged, or spiritually dry.
I'd summarize St. Thérèse's Little Way as: “Don't worry about doing great things; love greatly in the little things God puts in front of you, and trust Him with the rest.”
Meeting Francis and Clare
The Month of Francis begins Thursday, October 1, as we prepare for the Transitus or death of Francis on October 3, commemorating his passage from earthly life to eternal life eight hundred years ago. During this first week (October 1-7), the Franciscan community invites our entire church to reflect on what led Francis and Clare of Assisi to leave comfort behind and embrace a new way of life. Francis' transformation began with a religious conversion that led him to renounce the "world" and become a "penitent of Assisi". Inspired by his teaching, Clare founded a community of women devoted to prayer, manual labor, and poverty. They owned no income-producing property, relying instead on the "table of the Lord". Clare recognized Francis' faithfulness in all he did. Whatever his work, he kept a space at the center of his heart for God-a place only God could fill. Clare found God in that same open space within her own heart. She, too, made room for God. When the Lord came to dwell there, he brought Francis with him, and Clare's spirit joined Francis in praising God. God is love, and those who love God remain united with one another in some way. Clare, Francis, and all who follow their path will remain united forever, because the center of their love is the eternal Father.
