AS the Church celebrates 100 years since the canonisation of St Therésè of Lisieux, better known as the Little Flower, the Carmelites remember her on her feast day of October 1.
In Brisbane, Carmelite friar Father Matthew Tonini lives and works with the Our Lady of Mount Carmel community in Coorparoo.
“Carmelites are all about making space for God and for others in their life,” he said.
“That’s the meaning of contemplation; and we do this in three ways through prayer, community and service.
“So, our life of prayer, in its many different forms: forming community, and then out of that love that we experience in prayer and community, serving others.”
St Therésè was nourished on the mystical doctrine of St John of the Cross, who was her true spiritual master, Pope John Paul II wrote in his 1997 Apostolic Letter.
Fr Tonini said he too, was inspired by St John of the Cross.
“I really value his insight and the depth that he had in looking at the human experience.”
He said he was also inspired by St Titus Brandsma, who was canonised in 2022.
“Like Titus, I am an educator as well, and I see God as central to our lives.”
Born in Alençon, France, in 1873, St Therésè entered the Carmelite Convent in Lisieux at just 15 and died of tuberculosis in 1897 at the age of 24.
Canonised by Pope Pius XI in 1925, then declared a Doctor of the Church by St John Paul II in 1997, St Therésè is one of the most beloved spiritual figures in modern Catholicism.
Pope Francis, in a 2023 letter, looked at the life and example of St Therésè and found her “little way” still relevant today.
“In an age of individualism, she makes us discover the value of a love that becomes intercession for others.
“At a time when human beings are obsessed with grandeur and new forms of power, she points out to us the little way.”
“In an age of indifference and self-absorption, Therésè inspires us to be missionary disciples, captivated by the attractiveness of Jesus and the Gospel.”
Story & video courtesy of The Catholic Leader (www.catholicleader.com.au). Used with permission
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pdf Pope Francis Apostolic Letter about St Therésè (2024)
