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November 2009 
St. Thérèse's Little Way of Nonviolence by John Dear
Jayne
"When I sit in jail thinking of war and peace and the problem of human freedom," Dorothy Day once wrote, "of jails, drug addiction, prostitution and the apathy of great masses of people who believe that nothing can be done--when I thought of these things I was all the more confirmed in my faith in the little way of St. Thérèse. We do the things that come to hand, we pray our prayers and beg also for an increase of faith--and God will do the rest."
Dorothy Day, Thomas Merton, Edith Stein, Mother Teresa and millions of others have pondered Thérèse's life and her ordinary witness of extraordinary love. Some dismiss her as a saccharine neurotic, but anyone who tries to practice her spirituality of sacrificial love quickly realizes how hard it is, how strong she was, and how transforming her personal nonviolence can be for all of us. As we celebrate her feast on October 1st, we do well to learn again from her how to practice interpersonal nonviolence.
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What an incredible woman, Jayne. I really enjoyed reading that. Remarkable.
I really liked these bits too:
“My vocation is love!” she wrote toward the end of her life. While the Church around her was growing cold with power, rules, regulations, indulgences, punishment and domination, she was determined to be “love in the heart of the Church.” Her mission was “to make Love loved,” “to work for Your Love alone, with the one purpose of pleasing you, consoling Your Sacred Heart, and saving souls who will love You eternally.” & “After my death I will let fall a shower of roses,”
Today, Oct.2, Gandhi's birthday, is also the UN's International Nonviolence Day. Fr.John was commissioned by the Vatican to draft the Prayer for this occasion. (also availible on the ncr.org site)
The last time I saw John we were shopping the local HomeDepot. That wasn't too long before Archbishop Tutu nominated him for the Nobel Peace Prize. There's an example of The Little Way… a potential Nobel Lauriet doing his own chores, fixing the simplest of things on a budget…
Be Well All!
K
From St. Therese: Essential Writings, Orbis Press, 2003
“Until recently, few people knew much about Therese as a woman of suffering. While the basic fact of her painful death from tuberculosis at age 24 was well known, even this was often recounted in a very pious fashion that emphasizes her sanctity while downplaying the enormity of her physical agony. In fact, as we have learned as we reviewed her life story, from infancy onward Therese suffered repeated traumas through both emotional loss and physical illness. Every episode of her spiritual sojourn was, at root, a costly struggle to allow grace to transform those sufferings into occasions of love. This is another universal element to which every human being can connect: everyone suffers, and everyone struggles to find meaning, hope, and love in their suffering.
Yet once again, some critique Therese on the grounds that her spirituality is grounded in a kind of narcissistic dramatization of the most minute wounds and triumphs of the self. A classic example is the story she told of being splashed with water in the laundry and making of it an identification with Jesus' passion. Still, it is in just such small matters that most human beings must make their spiritual way day in and day out. Those who suffer, whether through the minutia of everyday affronts or in genuinely overwhelming agonies, can recognize in Therese a companion who knows intimately the path they are walking.”
Blessings and cheers,
Mary
Read her unedited letters.
Great comments all. Lisaji - I love that quote (“My vocation is love!”). I just got back from a weekend at a Teresian Carmelite retreat. Submerged in all things Carmelite - special focuses on St. Paul, St. Teresa of Avila (naturally), and Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity. My appreciation for these Saints and for Therese has expanded. I am full and will be digesting for a while! The question (for me) is how to embody this ourselves more fully…more consciously (should we be so called).
Blessings,
Jayne