Who is the Theresa for which our new parish home was named in its first incarnation?
There are a few saints with this name, but this Theresa was also known as "the Little Flower" of Jesus. She stumbled upon a brand of spirituality that is absolute genius, because anyone at all can follow it.
As a young girl, Theresa dreamed of doing grand things for God. She often fantasized about becoming a missionary in a wild, dangerous place, or becoming an explorer, or some daring and courageous person who would die a dramatic death and become a martyr.
Instead, she died of tuberculosis after having lived as a cloistered Carmelite, and did not live to see her thirtieth year.
But Therese discovered a great spiritual truth more or less by accident: it was that sanctity was available to everyone, no matter what their station in life, or their occupation. It was, she realized, simply a matter of doing whatever you were doing as well as you possibly could, and dedicate it all to God. No matter where you were in life--a doctor or a dishwasher, it didn't matter--the path of holiness and sainthood was open to you.
Such a simple and obvious truth. No wonder we all missed it until Theresa pointed it out to us.
Theresa is known for her love of roses. She said, "I want to spend my heaven doing good on earth, and I will send a shower of roses so that you know I am with you."
