St. Thérèse’s Path to Holiness – Feb 25 – Homily – Fr Terrance

 

Fr Terrance gives the homily at Bloomington, IN, on Feb 25, 2026, exploring self-mastery and discipline in Catholic spirituality, using St. Thérèse of Lisieux's life as an example of overcoming emotional sensitivity through divine grace to foster greater love for God and others.

Father continues his series on healthy and holy spirituality by focusing on discipline as essential for Christ's disciples, emphasizing self-mastery through sacrifice, akin to athletes or military personnel. As Catholics, this discipline serves charity, enhancing love for God and others. He illustrates with St. Thérèse of Lisieux, a model of such spirituality. From age three, she eagerly made little sacrifices, using beads to count acts of self-denial, as noted in her mother's 1876 letter. Her mother's death when Thérèse was four and a half brought trauma, leading to extreme sensitivity where she cried easily and over her tears. In her autobiography, Thérèse described her ardent desire for virtue spoiled by imperfections, unable to correct her sensitiveness despite efforts. At nearly 14, during Christmas 1886, after midnight Mass, her father's sharp remark hurt her, but grace enabled her to joyfully open her gifts, regaining lost strength of mind. She wrote, "On this night of grace, the third period of my life began, the most beautiful of all." Post-conversion, virtue became sweet: "The practice of virtue gradually became sweet and natural to me... Our Lord has said, ‘To him who has will more be given, and he will have an abundance’" (Matthew 25:29). Jesus gifted her self-mastery over emotional impulsivity, which she cooperated with. Father notes Our Lord gives such graces, especially on His birthday, urging prayers for help in struggles to live disciplined, grace-guided lives. Examples from Thérèse's convent life include holding her tongue, forgoing preferences at meals, eating undesirable foods, and kindly responding to an irritating sister who unknowingly served as her "hair shirt." She yielded to interruptions without annoyance, took least desirable tasks, remained faithful to Carmelite prayer amid dryness, endured discomforts serenely during dark nights and suffering. As a self-disciplined expert, Thérèse overflowed with God's love, becoming a popular saint.

For Further Reading:
Matthew 25:29 - Parable of talents abundance - https://bible.usccb.org/bible/matthew/25?29
CCC 1430 - Conversion through self-denial - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p2s2c2a4.htm#iv
CCC 2015 - Growth in virtues discipline - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s1c3a2.htm#iv
CCC 2544 - Blessedness through detachment - http://www.scborromeo.org/ccc/p3s2c2a0.htm#iii

Ave Maria!

Mass: Wednesday 1st Week of Lent - Wkdy
Readings:  - http://usccb.org/bible/readings/022526.cfm
1st: Jonah 3:1-10
Resp: Psalms 51:3-4, 12-13, 18-19
Gsp: Luke 11:29-32

More on the Readings: https://airmaria.com/r?m=1742

Also on YouTube: https://youtu.be/BMaDho2cLd8