The Little Ways of St. Therese Through what she did and wrote, she showed how, in the daily business of life, we can make sure that we are advancing along the path of perfection. She called it, The Little Ways of Spiritual Childhood. Benedict XV said that it holds the secret of sanctity. And Pius XI declared that human society would be reformed and restored if this way of spiritual childhood were followed.
There was nothing new in her little way. It rested on the words of Jesus, Whoever therefore shall humble himself as a little child, he is greater in the kingdom of heaven. Though she never mentioned the little way in her writings, She mentioned it verbally, though only just a month or two before she died.
When she was asked for an explanation of this little way, she said, It is the way of spiritual childhood, the path of confidence and complete surrender. I wish to teach others the little means which have succeeded so perfectly with me, to tell them it is necessary to do one thing only. to cast before Jesus the flowers of little sacrifices. When she was asked what she meant when she said, we must keep like a child before God, she said, it is recognizing our own nothingness and expecting everything from the goodness of God, just as the little child looks at his father for everything. By this, she did not mean to be passive and expect all from God.
It means worrying about nothing, not even about gaining spiritual riches. Even poor people always give a little child what he needs. But as soon as he is grown up, his father no longer wants to provide for him, but tells him to work and look after himself. She never wanted to grow up, as she felt herself incapable.
of earning eternal life by herself alone. Remaining always a child does not mean being childish, but it means never attributing to ourselves the virtues we possess in the belief that we ourselves are capable of anything. We must recognize that God puts this treasure of virtue in the hand of His little child for Him to use when He needs it, but it remains God's treasure.
She writes, We must not be discouraged by our faults, for little children often tumble down, but they are too small to hurt themselves badly. She could say, I am certain that even if I had every imaginable crime on my conscience, I should lose nothing of my confidence. Rather would I hasten with a heart broken with sorrow. To throw myself into the arms of my Jesus, I remember how he cherished the prodigal son who had returned to him. It would be a mistake, however, to imagine that the little way implies that our role in achieving salvation is a passive one.
She told her novices, We must do all in our power to give without counting the cost. We must deny ourselves constantly. We must prove our love by all the good works of which we are capable, and which, after all, are of little worth. Though she did not live long enough to write a treatise on her little way, she said something nearly two months before her death, which perfectly explained her little way.
Holiness is not a matter of this or that pious practice. It consists of a disposition of arms of God, being aware of our weaknesses, yet boldly confident in the goodness of our Father. Can we also be like her? Though she wanted to be a simple, ordinary nun, she was firm on one thing. Before entering the order, she wrote to her sister Pauline, I want to be a saint.
All what she thought, said and did were directed towards the achievement of this aim. It was to achieve this end that she developed her own little way. Today, if we are ready to take up her little way, we too can march towards holiness.