A vote for Thérèse: Weekly Message for 10-01-2024

Dear Friends in Christ,

‘Tis the season of elections here in the U.S.

In recent years it has become a season when deep divides in opinions and beliefs have bubbled to the surface and strained friendships and family ties if not whole communities.

Even in the best of times, democracy can be a messy affair in the public arena.

But now, its acidy elements have managed to seep into and corrode personal relations in a way that shows the devil is up to his tricks.

The good news is that politics need not dominate our lives. We were created for better things.

A saint who understood this truth in a tender way was St. Thérèse of Lisieux, whose feast day the Church celebrates on October 1.

Born in a country that had its own share of political strife, Thérèse didn’t find solace in public affairs but rather in her relationship with Jesus.

In a famous passage in her autobiography, she wrote:

“Jesus, my love! I’ve found my vocation, and my vocation is love. … To be nothing else than love, deep down in the heart of Mother Church; that’s to be everything at once.”

That’s a vocation we can all follow. It would certainly keep our vision lifted above the 24/7 news cycles and endless social-media scrolls that vie for our attention.

This vocation to love also reminds us of our dignity as children of God. For we weren’t created to be political gladiators but to reflect the love that the Almighty has for all of us.

To help focus on Thérèse’s wisdom, it might be helpful to pray along with our Retreat Guide on her “little way,” Love One Another: A Retreat Guide on her Little Way of Charity

It could help direct our energies in a healthy and sanctifying way. And shift our gaze away from the election cycle and toward eternity.

In Christ,

Father Edward McIlmail, LC
Ask a Priest contributor