Saint Thérèse of Lisieux on Humility

In her autobiography, Thérèse of Lisieux wrote: "Many of the Sisters think that you [Mother Marie de Gonzague, Prioress] spoiled me, that since my entrance into the holy ark, I have received from you nothing but caresses and compliments.  Nevertheless, it was not so.  You will see, dear Mother, in the copybook containing my childhood memories, what I think of the strong and maternal education I received from you.  From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you for not sparing me.  Jesus knew very well that His little flower stood in need of the living waters of humiliation, for she was too weak to take root without this kind of help, and it was through you, dear Mother, that this blessing was given to me." (Emphasis original) [1]

At any time when we think we are too wise to heed the teachings of Christ through the words of another, too self-sufficient, too invincible to supplicate or too proud of our own experiences and intellect is when we become weak.  We cannot "take root" in the fertile soil of Goodness when we, as living creatures that need to feed on wholesomeness which springs forth from God's plenitude of gifts, are too proud or busy to nurture and cultivate the spiritual vastness that characterizes our souls.  Without the Food of Life, our souls wither like a flower without water, and our life is without meaning like a blossom without fragrance or color.  Without the kind of help that Thérèse received from her Prioress, we are but weaklings, vulnerable to the influences of evil.

Even Thérèse of Lisieux, as saintly as she was, was not free from the sin of pride.  The "strong and maternal education" she received from her Mother was probably kind but stern.  These lessons were for Thérèse the "living waters of humiliation," lessons that were blessings from Jesus.  These lessons she learned well and she reached a point where she no longer needed them.

"For a year and a half now, Jesus has willed to change the manner of making His little flower grow.  He has no doubt found her sufficiently watered, for now it is the sun that aids her growth.  Jesus wants to give her nothing but His smile and this He does through you, dear Mother.  This gentle sun, far from causing the little flower to wilt, makes her progress in a marvelous manner.  She preserves, in the bottom of her calyx, the precious drops of dew she had received, and these serve to remind her always how little and weak she is."  (Emphasis original) [2].

I suppose only a saint can ever reach the apex of holiness where lessons of humility are no longer necessary save a few drops of "living waters of humiliation" preserved purposefully as a reminder of how precarious the grounds of holiness are, how much care needs to be exercised to avoid misstepping, for it is easy to misstep and be once again engulfed by the quicksand of evil.  For most of the rest of us, we need to be taught lessons of humility, over and over, so that we, too, can be strong and stand firm like Thérèse on the grounds of holiness and not fall into the putrid sinkholes of pride that trap us without warning, requiring much effort from those trying to extricate us and our willingness to be extricated and washed clean by the "living waters of humiliation."

The day we are able to emerge under the soft embracing rays of the warm sun smelling fresh like an unfolding blossom nurtured by the "living waters of humiliation," we must be vigilant, especially while others are looking at us, wherever we go, at how beautiful we are, as Thérèse was vigilant after she attained her state of saintliness: "All creatures can bow toward her, admire her, and shower their praises upon her.  I don't know why this is, but none of this could add one single drop of false joy she experiences in her heart.  Here she sees herself as she really is in God's eyes:  a poor little thing, nothing at all." [3], [4].

In true humility, we are nothing at all, for all the good and beauty that we have come from God.  Without God, we are but shades without light, where fulfillment of the spirit does not exist, giving way to the emptiness of attention and vapidity of earthly honors, the kinds of nourishment that do not feed but rather starve the prideful soul, that it sadly, but insatiably, craves.



[1] Thérèse, de Lisieux, Saint.  Story of a Soul The Autobiography of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux . 3rd Edition. Translated by John Clarke, O.C.D.  Washington D.C.:  Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc., 1996, p.206.
[2] Ibid.
[3] Ibid.
[4] "I say I do not know why, but [is] it because she was preserved from the water of praise all the time her little calyx [was sufficiently] filled with the dew of humiliation?  Now there is no longer any danger; on the contrary, the little flower finds the dew with which she was filled so delightful that she would be very careful not to exchange it for the insipid water of praise."  Ibid.  I used brackets in the quote because I took out the double negative in the original translated sentence: "I say I do not know why, but isn't it because she was preserved from the water of praise all the time her little calyx was not sufficiently filled with the dew of humiliation?" Emphasis added.

A New Word For Me: Supplication

Many blue moons would pass before I would even think of picking up the Bible but a few nights ago I have decided to read the Book of Psalms while having dinner (not necessarily a good idea because I have gotten four food stains on two pages already).  In doing so, I saw the word supplication and had to look up its meaning.  Dictionary.com defines supplication as "humble prayer."  I would have used that word quite a bit already had I known of its existence.  Now that I know, I am going to use the verb "supplicate" in a sentence: To supplicate, one must suffocate his conceit, subdue his arrogance, show his sincerity, admit his weaknesses and infuse his deepest love into his prayer.

Letter To A Friend (Redacted )

Dear Daen,

After returning from lunch I called up ____, ____ and ____ telling them how beautiful your drawings were and how happy I was, and I am still thrilled.

You are truly a gem, like no other I've seen, and I will say that again and again and hope you won't get tired of hearing it. This is actually the first time I have experienced your genius and it is miraculous!

I described to ____ your condition (a name I cannot remember) and she wishes you well. I told her that I could not see anything externally and that you are doing extraordinarily well under the circumstances.

Your deep humility and your resolve to continue to share your gift with others and to support your staff in light of your condition have become a beacon of light and an inspiration in my life. I have happily received from you serious and challenging lessons to be learned. They are not going to be easy but I don't want to fail myself and I don't want to fail you.

Today, you have permitted me to catch a glimpse of these other-worldly places you have been. In the time to come, please remember me, look for me and bring me along. I need a lot more help than just the project at hand.

Thank you for your kindness and love, Al [1], [2]


[1] Related "tweet": Al in SF ‏ @Al_in_SF
Lunch@PiccinoCafe w/ Daen - a gem with the humility of a grain of sand, a divinely inspired genius, a suffering angel & God's special child.

[2] In the shadow of Daen I stand in reverence and in humility.

Missing From Ben Breedlove’s Final Words

My last entry this morning on Ben Breedlove was written from a positive point of view because I was mesmerized by Ben's positive and wholesome outlook on life. That was unintentional for I had wanted to point out what Ben had omitted to tell us and write from a negative point of view, but I had forgotten to do so because my thoughts went toward God’s peace and within it, there is no pettiness.

While thinking of God's peace, my wandering mind attempted to revisit the moments of divine peace that I personally experienced. As much as I wanted to relive those moments, I could only recall having the peace but could not feel it. Apparently, it is not the kind of peace that is available on demand.

Far away from God's peace, I am able to post an entry that will disappoint many and will risk being labeled as opportunistic by taking such wonderful and wholesome events in Ben Breedlove’s life and turning them into weapons of mass accusation. They would be right to criticize me and deservedly so.

Perhaps after writing this, I will learn from Ben Breedlove that I would be better off by not dwelling upon the negativity of others and but by concentrating on the gifts that I have and the gratitude that I owe.

Hopefully this will be the last time I will be negative but I am not optimistic.

Ben said that as he learned more about his heart condition, that it had scared him a lot, that he hated that feeling and that he was never allowed to play all the sports that his friends did. He said, “It kinda sucks that I missed out on that part of my life. I really just hoped that I could be the same as everyone else.” [1]

What Ben did not do was ask for a heart transplant, assuming his family could afford one, and if they could not, Ben did not write to President Obama or go on youtube to plead for donations. Ben also did not show any self-pity or disappointment that he had not received a heart transplant or any anxiety if he had to wait for one. Instead Ben was calm and at peace, and he told the world about God, the very God Who gave Ben less than He gave others, a fatal heart condition [2], but Ben accepted his humble place on earth and in return, God loved him.

God loved Ben Breedlove because Ben knew first hand and accepted the inequality that he was dealt. It sucked, but he had hope. He was scared, but he was not bitter. I surmise that Ben did not have a lover (although he had mentioned on youtube the manner in which he asked Devin to go to homecoming with him [3]), but he had God’s love when he was on earth and he is with God now.

In stark contrast to Ben Breedlove, many people who have been dealt less than what they believe they deserve are angry and embittered. They demand from those who have been given more to equalize God’s inequalities. The most arrogant and/or greedy of them have even killed in God’s name. Ironically, it is not with might but in humility is one able to discover that God’s scale of justice is tempered by love and errs on the side of forgiveness and compassion which is very different from man’s scale of justice that quantifies even the unquantifiable and errs on the side of bias and corruption.

When Ben Breedlove stood in front of God’s mirror [4], what he saw was what Francis of Assisi probably had seen, the beauty and perfection of humility internalized and God's scale of justice consumed entirely by God's love.


[1] http://www.youtube.com/user/TotalRandomness512
[2] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wozwf2i0x4Q&feature=related at approximately 1:36 – 2:27
[3] http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pxlrk7zcX2o&feature=related at approximately 3:40 – 3:56
[4] http://www.youtube.com/user/TotalRandomness512#p/a/u/0/a4LSEXsvRAI