Homily (Reflection) for the Memorial
of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus, V., (03rd October, 2017) on the
Gospel and the Memorial
(Tuesday of the Twenty-Sixth Week in
Ordinary Time (I))
Zech 8:20-23;
Ps 86. (R. Zech 8:23);
Lk 9:51-56.
Note that the church in Nigeria celebrates the memorial
of Saint Therese of the Child Jesus on 3rd October because of the Solemnity
of Our Lady Queen and Patroness of Nigeria we celebrate on 1st October.
Therese Martin (2nd January, 1873 – 30th
September, 1897) was the last of the children born to Louis and Zelie Martin.
Following her mother’s death when she was 4, her father and sisters babied
young Therese. She had a conversion on Christmas Eve in 1886. Therese entered
the Carmelite convent in Lisieux at the age of 15 and took the name Therese of
the Child Jesus and the Holy Face. She lived a hidden, simple life of prayer,
and she was gifted with great intimacy with God. Therese lived each day with an
unshakable confidence in God's love. She wrote, “What matters in life is not
great deeds, but great love.” Her spirituality is of doing the ordinary, with
extraordinary love. Through sickness and dark nights of doubt and fear, she
remained faithful to God, rooted in His merciful love. She died after a long
struggle with tuberculosis. Her last words were: “My God, I love You!” She was
canonized by Pope Pius XI on 17th May, 1925. Pope Saint John Paul II
declared her a Doctor of the Church in 1997.[1]
Topic: Not fire for fire.
An unnamed Samaritan town refused to receive Jesus in today’s
gospel because He was going to Jerusalem. James and John wanted to call down
fire from heaven to consume them but Jesus rebuked them. They instead went on
to another village.
The sons of thunder, (cf. Mk 3:17) wanted to match the people power for power. However, it
negates the will of the Master. His command is clear, “...whoever wishes to be
great among you must be your servant, and whoever wishes to be first among you
must be your slave” (Matt 20:26-27; cf.
Mk 10:43-44). Hence, He did not approve of their proposal.
Jesus never promised us a world where people will be praising
His disciples, “In the world you have tribulation; but be of good cheer, I have
overcome the world” (Jn 16:33). Again,
“...they will deliver you up to tribulation, and put you to death; and you will
be hated by all nations for my name's sake” (Matt 24:9; Matt 10:18, 22).
Yet we are required to be wise as serpents and innocent as doves, and to shine
as lights in the world, cf. Matt 10:16;
Phil 2:15.
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus we celebrate today followed
the example of Jesus. Hence, she rightly wrote, “What matters in life is not
great deeds, but great love.”
Bible Reading: Matt 20:20-28.
Thought for today: Do not fight.
Let us pray: Lord, grant us a heart that can
endure every kind of hardship – Amen.
Saint Therese of the Child Jesus –
Pray for us.
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