The Little Things Make Life Wonderful!
Late last year I had the pleasure and the honour to be a steward during the visit of the relics of St Therese of Lisieux to England. The event was widely reported in the news but let me tell you a little about it and how it could have a positive impact on all of our lives, whether we ourselves are religious or not.
St Therese was a young Carmelite nun who lived in France in the 19th Century. Although she lived a cloistered life her fame spread rapidly after her death due to the posthumous publication of her autobiography ’The Story Of A Soul’. People have been inspired by her words and actions, and there are many claims of miraculous healings associated with her, until now she is arguably the most loved saint in Christendom.
The relics of St Therese (fragments of bone in a beautifully ornate casket) are occasionally taken to countries around the world to allow her fans to pay respect. As such I found myself stewarding the crowds and traffic one day outside a remote convent in the middle of the Yorkshire hills, and I was blown away by the beauty of the day. There was no public transport to the location but the queues were forming early. Pilgrims were waiting hours with no refreshments other than those that they brought themselves but nobody grumbled and there was the constant sound of laughter and joyful singing which was replaced by silent reverence as they approached the chapel where the casket was on view.
Early in the day local schoolchildren had scattered rose petals over the glass container around the casket and hundreds of visitors brought their own roses to place there as well (St Therese had said ’after my death I will let a shower of roses fall’ and many claim that they have suddenly seen or smelt roses at times when Therese has helped them). People had brought crosses and prayer cards just to touch the glass around the relics with, many from people who had been too ill to travel themselves. Especially moving where the many handicapped and disabled people who had made arduous journeys to see St Therese and their beaming faces and complete faith and joy in live moved me profoundly. Many people were weeping tears of joy as they kissed the glass and said silent prayers of thanksgiving to Therese, ’The Little Flower’ and the people’s saint.
Many people came who were not Catholics, not religious at all, but had heard her story on the news or read it in papers and everybody seemed to go away happy. I believe that Therese has a very useful message for us all today: take pleasure in the little things of life and do everything as well as you can.
Therese, although now considered a great saint, did not carry out any remarkable miracles in her lifetime but she did try to live every day as well as she could: this came to be known as ’The Little Way’.
Her message was to never complain anything but to take pleasure out of doing things that you would otherwise find a chore. She purposely spent time with people that did not initially like her and whose company she did not like so that she could conquer any negativity that she might have in her life. She loved everybody she said, and was always willing to serve anybody. She sacrificed her own will completely and obeyed the wishes of others without hesitation, but through this sacrifice she found complete peace and harmony. Although suffering greatly at the end of her life she never complained to the point where some Sisters believed that she was not even ill. ’I will become love’ she stated and her one aim above all else in life was to encourage love wherever she went.
I am not perfect, and I’m sure that you also are not perfect, but I try everyday to follow the example of St Therese: when I am about to complain about something I hold my breath and think again; when somebody has wronged me I forgive them instead of harbouring a grudge that will only make me more miserable; I try to think of how people would like to be helped and do it before they ask, the smiles on their face make any sacrifice worthwhile. So yes, I am not perfect and my good intentions slip from time to time but just by trying to follow ’The Little Way’ I feel enriched and I feel energised.
I am loving 2010 and I know that my life is going to get better and better!
One last thing, I have been put forward to set up the stand for my company at the business convention next week. Any suggestions on where I can get some good exhibition stands at short notice?