My Vocation is Love

Young St. Therese had a passion to return love for love. I wanted to love, to love Jesus with a passion giving him a thousand proofs of my love. Searching the scriptures both the old and the new Testaments she found her Little Way. Charity gave me the key to my vocation (1Cor. 13) ….. my Vocation is Love.

We are coming up to her feast day on Oct. 1 st . Her boundless trust in God’s Merciful love for her and for each one of us never ceases to draw me. She knew her own weakness and fragility but she knew too God’s irresistible love for the little and poor ones. Like Our Lady she let the Almighty work marvels in her and for her. 

It is recorded that during World War 1 many of the soldiers fighting in the trenches experienced Therese’s help and her consoling presence.

When the war was over many of them made their way to the Lisieux Carmel to lay messages of thanks on her grave. Right now, we need her help to bring God’s love into the terrible war in Ukraine.

But Therese would be calling on us as well – you, me, everyone and reminding us that our vocation too is Love. What is to stop us, you and me from bringing God’s merciful love to our wounded world when God’s love has been poured into our hearts by the Holy Spirit?

God lives in us – He is shining out of your eyes and mine. Many people call to our Monastery for prayers, some burdened by heavy crosses. I notice that when I tell them the love of God is shining out of their eyes I see a look of amazement coming over them as if the reality of God’s love is dawning on them for the first time. Could it be true that God is dwelling in me? That His very own love is my heart and that He is calling me to spread that love?

Close to her death young Therese said – “I will spend my heaven doing good on earth”. She’s looking out for you and me to apply God’s very own love to the wounds of our world.

Let’s get going!