Online novena

What initially frightened Thérèse, like many Christians becoming aware of the universal call to holiness, was the Himalayas of impossible perfection. But here again, to resolve the tension between the superhuman goal (to be holy as God is holy) and the human means (my own weakness), Thérèse called upon her spiritual genius. First of all, she understood that if God draws us to himself, it’s not to offer us an illusion, but because his loving purpose is to communicate his life fully to us: “I know that Jesus cannot desire useless sufferings for us, and that He would not inspire the longings I feel unless He wanted to grant them.” Looking for a practical solution to put such a program into action, she falls back on realism: God is calling me to holiness, which is beyond my reach, and I’m not capable of anything so great, but since we have to embark on an adventure, I’ll do this little thing in front of me right away, which is within my grasp. In this way, the spiritual battle is put back not only on the right level, but in the right timeframe. I don’t even know if I’ll still be in this world tomorrow, so I only have today to love, as if today were my last day. As Saint John of the Cross, another great figure of Carmel, said: “What God claims is to make us gods, by participating in what he himself is by nature, just as fire converts everything into fire. On the evening of this life, you will be examined on love. So learn to love God as he wants to be loved, and let yourself be.” So, with absolute confidence in this God who loves us, we can repeat with Thérèse: “Oh! how sweet is the way of Love! How I want to apply myself to doing the will of God always with the greatest self-surrender!”