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I give praise to you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to little ones.” Mt 11:25
In the Gospel of Matthew, which we hear in the scripture readings for Sunday July 5th, Jesus continues to turn the world’s logic upside down, telling us that true wisdom is hidden from the wise but revealed to the littlest souls. This passage makes me think of my college philosophy classes. We studied the teachings of renowned philosophers: Nietzsche, Sartre, Hume, etc. These brilliant men presented elaborate systems of belief that, in the end, only succeeded in leading their disciples further from God.
At the same time, I was reading the works of the Carmelite saints on my own, including St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s “The Story of a Soul.” Little Therese outdid the celebrated philosophers with her “Little Way” of spiritual childhood. She wrote:
“…I have always wanted to become a saint. Unfortunately… there is the same difference between the saints and me as there is between a mountain whose summit is lost in the clouds and a humble grain of sand... Instead of being discouraged, I told myself: God would not make me wish for something impossible and so… I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new. We live in an age of inventions… in well-to-do houses there are lifts (elevators). And I was determined to find a lift to carry me to Jesus, for I was far too small to climb the steep stairs of perfection. So I sought in Holy Scripture… and I read… “Whosoever is a little one, let him come to me.” I drew nearer to God, fully realizing that… It is your arms, Jesus, which are the lift to carry me to heaven. And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less.”
We should also seek to become smaller and lighter, depending not on our own power but trusting fully in Jesus to lift us up and bring us ever closer to Him. When we surrender to Jesus and take up His yoke, our burdens truly are lifted and we find rest for our souls.
Link to the Complete Readings for Sunday, July 5th, 2020
Born and raised in a faithful Catholic family, I wandered far from my faith for nearly two decades. Through the infinite mercy of Christ and His Church, I found my way back home to the Catholic Church in the early 90s, and began a path of rediscovery of the beauty and truth of the Catholic faith, eventually earning a Bachelor's degree in Christian Tradition. A stay-at-home Mom for many years, my Church ministries grew to include teaching Catechism and First Eucharist classes, writing and facilitating retreats for healing after abortion, and becoming active in pro-life work with our local 40 Days for Life campaign in the Tri-Cities, Washington as an organizer, participant, speaker, and writer. My desire to share the greatest gift of my life, Jesus Christ in the Eucharist and His Divine Mercy, has found expression in my writing. My articles have been published locally in the Tri-City Herald's Spiritual Life and editorial columns; in the Carmelite Digest; Celebrate Life magazine; and recently in the National Catholic Register.
Links to these articles and more can be found on my blog at http://www.catholicethics.blogspot.com/. My Catholic Ethics page is on Facebook at:https://www.facebook.com/CatholicEthics.
