Advent: A joyful parousia

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today is the First day of Advent and it is the day to recognise and accept that love, joy and peace will triumph in this materialistic world. Christ comes to meet us in our usual routine life, such as, our families, work places and church communities. Let us welcome Christ, our eternal guest.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. First Monday of the Advent is the day to pray for others with joy. As the official at the Capernaum seeks Jesus’ help to heal his servant because he recognised and waited for the eternal physician. Pray for the people who you work with for the joyful healing.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today is the day to work our ego and embrace humility. Christ has revealed Himself to us even though we are unworthy. If Christ, the Son of God, has become a man, why not we too embrace humility and do away with our egoist attitude. Let us ask Lord to give us humility from Christ, who is the epitome of humility.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Christ meets us right where we are now. You might be cooking, working, making children ready for school etc. Christ is right there. Where? Just look at the other person who you are with. Christ met St. Andrew at the shore of Sea of Galilee whilst fishing. We pray for that sense of seeing Christ in each other.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. It is the day to eliminate stupidity and embrace wisdom from the Word of God. There are millions of voices in our world today, many of the lead us astray from the Word of God, and to stupidity. But Word of God will make us wise, hence, we can build our lives on Solid foundation, that is Christ Jesus.

Welcome to Joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. This is the day to eradicate our blindness and follow Christ, our eternal light. What is that blinds us from seeing God, Vengeance, and hatred, past life, ego, attitudes, injustice and so on. Let us ask Lord to heal our blindness so we can see God clearly in our lives.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. On the feast of St. Francis Xavier, we are to focus on our own slackness in life. At times, we are lost sheep and we did not listen to the call of our loving shepherd, Christ. Humans have a tendency to depend on themselves, hence, God is not really in the picture. We ask Christ, our Shepherd to call us in louder voice because the voices in the world overshadow Christ’s own voice.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Second Sunday in Advent must remind us to not only repent but repentance must yield fruits in our lives. One cannot be merely saying, ‘I forgive you’ or ‘do penance’ for the wrong one did, rather and more importantly, one has to show fruits of forgiveness and penance, such as, caring for the forgiven or doing charitable works of mercy. We ask Christ, the eternal lamb may help us to bear fruits from repentance.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today is the day to think about our own lives and see whether we have victimised or labelled someone or vice versa. Labelling someone as good for nothing, or your worth only so much or how this happen and so on. It hurts and corrupts our relationship with God and the person who is labelled or who is labelling. We ask Christ the healer to help us to take out that label and put on Christ in us.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today has brought us the message that we are always in the hands of God whether we straying or with God. God will come after us when we stray and bring us back with joy. Our God is good shepherd who wants his sheep to flourish in the green pastures. We pray that we may always stay on the green pastures and not stray to the rugged dry pastures.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today we seek to lighten our burdens. We need someone to hold our hands and lead us on especially when we frailty of life strike us; frailty of joblessness, frailty of broken families, frailty of illness, frailty of betrayal, frailty of poverty and so on. Jesus tells us today, come to me all who labour and I will give you rest.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today we ask our God help us in when we are afraid. Mother Mary was afraid when God brought message to her through the angel. But she got her courage back through the Holy Spirit. What is the fear that is keeping you back; fear of future, fear of grades in school, fear of losing someone, fear of violence, fear of crime and so on. It is the time now to hold on to Christ to cast away our fears and put a new spirit in us.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today is the day to evaluate our own life and mission. Whether I have done my part? Or have I given into temptation of discouragement. Jesus and John the Baptist did their part in the mission and many did not follow their teachings but there were not discouraged rather continued with more zeal. We ask our Lord to give us strength when someone is not listening us or not obeying to us.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Today is to reflect on truth. Truth brings liberation to most and brings hatred to a few. Either way, we, as Christians are expected to speak truth and stand for truth. Jesus paid on the cross for speaking the truth. Christians must follow our Christ’s example and not allow temptations of indifference. We pray that God may give us strength when we are faced with reality of untruthfulness.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. On this 3^rd Sunday of Advent, it is time for us to believe and not doubt. John the Baptist wanted to clarify whether it is the Christ? But then Jesus clarifies his doubt. Doubts come in our lives especially when we are faced with harshness of life such as illness, betrayal, poverty, failure etc. Let us seek to clarify from our Lord when we are faced with difficult situations. Let Christ be our doubt clarifier.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today is the feast of our Lady of Guadalupe and it is fitting that we celebrate the role of Mother Mary as God bearer, theotokos. Mary bore Jesus in her with joy. This is the day for us to remember that we are also called to be God bearers in our lives especially in a Godless world, in world of secularism, in a world of consumerism. We ask the grace from the Lord to be God bearers in our lives, in other words let us show God in our lives.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. This is the day to remember we are fragile just like to earthen vessels but God will uphold us and make us strong. Despite our fragility and sinfulness, we are helped by God to do his will. As the psalm proclaims, this poor man called and the Lord hear him. Let us not condemn the sinner but sin because in the eyes of God every one is sinner and we have no right to judge others, only God is the judge. We ask Lord to help us when we fall because of our mistakes in life and we also seek God’s assistance when we are tempted to condemn others who make mistakes.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today is the day to accept and believe that Christ is the expected One, Lamb of God, and Saviour of the universe. Let us not ask, are you the one or we have wait for someone else? We have experience of Christ in our day today affairs especially in most simple and subtle affairs. If you have an experience of Christ, doubt not but believe in Him. We see Christ in each other because we are made in the image and likeness of God. We ask God to give us faith to see Christ in our daily routine especially if our routine is boring.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Christ assures each one of us today that everyone of us is called to be His messengers. By baptism, we are given that duty to be His messengers. Whether we are in fine clothes and luxurious living or rugged and bruised, we are expected to be Christ’s messengers as St. John the Baptist was. By being His messenger, we prepare a way for the Lord, in other words we establish God’s kingdom and not human kingdom. We ask Lord to give us courage and hope when we find ourselves messengers in a society marred by human power, wealth and authority.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Jesus invites us today to give testimony to the truth because truth will ultimately prevail. Our human nature supposed to be truthful, and this must be innate to us humans but we have good and bad in us. Hence, we give testimony to truth when it is convenient to us otherwise we try to evade truth and be mediocre in our dealings with each other. Being truthful brings challenges and even death as Christ died on the Cross for speaking truth. We Lord to give us the grace to give testimony to truth at all times even if the temptation to speak against truth.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. It is the time today to think about our own families especially our elders who have shared their faith and put values in our lives. As we read in our scripture about the genealogy of Jesus, we are reminded that Jesus had a wonderful ancestry and a Holy Family. Today, we see families are broken and division seems to be inevitable in some families. This happens because of various reasons such as pride, hopelessness, poverty, qualifications, profession, misunderstanding and so on. We pray for our own families and we pray for those families which live in hatred, fear and violence.  

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today is the last Sunday in advent and we are reminded about our own commitment to our families especially commitment towards spouses and children. In our scripture today, the Holy Family is in confusion, Joseph wants to divorce his wife Mary, and Mary would have been confused about pregnancy out of a wedlock. But God was ever present to help them by those beautiful words, Don’t be afraid. Do you have the same situation, situation of confusion, situation of regrets after marriage, situation of infidelity and so on, this is the time to ask Lord to give you strength and be not afraid.

Welcome to Joyful Parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. It is the day to remember that there is nothing impossible to God. It is only we think that something is impossible but for God everything is possible. In the scripture today we hear, Zachariah and Elizabeth, an old couple going to have a child. In the eyes of humans it is impossible but for God it is possible. We pray for those couples who live expecting that God will work a miracle and give them a child. There are couples who might not have children and look forward to God’s intervention in their lives. We pray for those couples that God may grant them the gift of children and double their joy by being co-creators with God.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today is the time to focus on ourselves and how blessed we are in the eyes of God. Mother Mary is given the message that she is highly favoured and blessed among women. It is time for us to be grateful for the person we are rather than what we are not, what we have rather than we have not. It is our human tendency to compare ourselves with other, such as she is beautiful or he has so much riches. This will make us more worried and anxious to be like someone else, we might forget the moon whilst counting stars. We pause and thank God for the what we are and what we have and ask Lord to give us positive outlook about ourselves.

Welcome to Joyful Parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Advent is the time to share joy with others, not to keep our joy for ourselves for when we share our joy it is doubled. Mother Mary went as quickly as possible to share in the joy of Elizabeth and in turn Elizabeth proclaims that Mary is blessed among women. This is what happens when we share in joys of others. It is a time to keep our jealousy and pride away and go as quickly as possible to join the happiness of others. We ask Lord to give us that sense of joy and sharing.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today is the day to rejoice in the greatness of God in our lives and in this world. Mary’s magnificat is the reminder to us to be grateful for the Lord has done marvels in our lives. It important that we look back and count our blessings and how many instances where God has come to our refuge and rescue. God’s presence is forever and ever, hence, He will continue to grant the graces to us. But God expects us to rejoice in the graces, be it be small or big. We ask Lord to give us the sense of satisfaction in life and rejoice.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri. Let us focus our attention to our own families especially children and young of our families. People wondered in our scripture today, what will John Baptist turn out to be when he grows up? Some of you may be anxious and worried about your children, what will they grow up to be. You do every effort to make your children grow in good faith and good life. Despite that some children turn out to be bad but be satisfied for you tried your best and did your duty as parents. The only way now is to pray that God may make your child good again. We also ask Lord to take away our anxieties and worries about our family.

Welcome to joyful Parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Today through prophecy of Zachariah, we are reminded the Christ will come to fulfil God’s work of building His kingdom. As we celebrate Christmas tonight, we truly rejoice and glory in the Lord for a Christ is born to be the saviour of you and me. Each one of us so special and unique, hence, we live that uniqueness in our lives. We ask Lord to fulfil His prophecy about us especially to do his will.

Welcome to joyful parousia with Fr. Jerri Dias. Merry Christmas to all of you, may infant Jesus bring light in darkness and peace in the world. Today is the time for us to celebrate with joy because Word has become flesh. Word of God becomes man, a mystery of incarnation. Christ is born in our world. He is born to cast out darkness and bring true light. Christ has come to dwell among us. We accept and believe that Christ is truly born to each one of us and offer our darkness and fears to the Lord, let Him bring true light in our lives, in our families and in our world.

Prayer is a way of life

“Therefore I tell you, whatever you ask for in prayer, believe that you have received it, and it will be yours.” Mark 11:24

Christianity is a way of life and prayer is its fuel. To be a Christian is to pray or be a prayerful person. Christ prayed at all times and he taught His disciples to pray. We pray for each other especially in times of illness or suffering. Most often, we limit prayer only to petition, which is only one way of praying. So what is prayer? Why do we pray?

St. Therese gave herself to a life of prayer and self-emptying love in the Carmel of Lisieux in Normandy. The interesting question centres on how she prayed. She had learned the importance of prayer as a child from the example of her own parents and used to spend some time in the quiet of her room reflecting on the life of Jesus.

In her Story of a Soul, St. Therese reports that she was faithful to community prayer as a nun but often experienced certain dryness in prayer. She was faithful to community prayer such as recitation of the breviary, a daily Eucharist and vocal prayer. She was spent time in personal or private prayer as well. Prayer is the identity of the Carmel sisters.

Prayer, for St. Therese, was a way of walking with God. Whether it was a period of meditative prayer, communal prayer in the chapel with other nuns in the community or the aspirative prayer of lifting her heart to God in short prayers of intercession or praise, she realized that God was with her.

In order to pray, we have to acknowledge an omnipotent God in the reality of human beings, in other words, someone higher being than human being. Human beings become humble before God who is Alpha and Omega. A total dependency is the key to prayer. But sometimes, our prayer might be routine exercise of consoling whilst the need for prayer arises, such as the following,

Ø  An Aspirin Prayer: An aspirin pill is helpful when we are suffering from aches and pains in the hope to alleviating the pain. Likewise, some of us would pray when the need arises, such as, suffering, difficulties, loneliness, sickness etc. There is an element high dependency on prayer only to a particular need.

Ø  A Police Prayer: Prayer becomes a police who is watching and waiting to punish us when we err. If we don’t pray, we will be punished. Hence, we pray in order not to be punished, to remain in good books of God. This indeed limits my freedom to experience prayer as non-punisher.

Ø  A shopkeeper Prayer: Some of us relate to prayer as we relate to a shopkeeper, as you give me this and I pay you this much. Likewise, God you do this favour for me and I will offer prayers, money, service, worship etc. We limit prayer in order fulfil some desires through barter.

Ø  A puppeteer Prayer: We are puppets in the hands of God so we pray. God is there a master who pulls the strings so that we have the movements. An unmoved mover. He moves us in this world. Hence, an element of final judgement, final goal, final end, predestination sets into our lives. Here we limit God to a merely super power who controls us according to His whims. Therefore, we have to please this God in order that he will control our movements properly. This kind of prayer does not allow us to grow in freedom; rather it shrinks our growth because of the fear of God.

Ø  A Laundry Prayer: We see prayer as cleanser, which cleanses us from our sins and wrongdoings as we take our filthy clothes to laundry. We limit prayer to merely satisfy our immediate need. This form of prayer will not help us in the long run because of the negativity of life.  

Ø  Trying my luck prayer: We are not sure, we will get it, and anyway we try our luck. This way of life makes us live a lethargic life because there is not strong believe in one’s own abilities. Sometimes, our prayer could be, I will pray, not sure it will happen. This prayer has kept important component of belief away, hence, our prayer becomes insignificant.

Hence, the important question we need to ask is, ‘who is God for me?’ Only you can ask this question and only you can answer this question based on your experience of God. If we have arrived at an answer to this question, we will also be able to answer the question ‘why do I need to pray?’

God is the unconditional Father of the universe who the integral part of human beings because He has created us in His own image and likeness. We cannot separate God from us. “My Father, who has given them to me, is greater than all; no one can snatch them out of my Father’s hand. I and the Father are one” John 10:28-30. If we try to separate God from human being, human being lose their identity; lose the divine image in us, but God does not lose His image because God is omnipotent and omnipresent in the universe. Therefore, we are the losers if we separate ourselves from God. Anytime we are clear about this reality, we become the humble creature whose dependency leads to prayer because prayer builds relationship with God. Hence, in prayer creature and Creator are in dialogue with each other in an intense and intimate way. Prayer helps us to keep this relationship cemented to the end of time. This way prayer becomes ‘A Way of Life’ for us.

The Church of the People

As I re-emphasise the role and duty of lay people in the Catholic Church, I would like to encourage you to pay a keen attention to my write-up. I also would like to hear from you, what you think about the laity in our Church in these modern times.

The theme that I chose for this is, “The Church of the People.” This theme is relevant to our times but has its root in Greek word laikos, which means ‘of the people’.

Never before in the history of the Church has the absolutely essential role of the layperson been so dramatically emphasised as it is now. Particularly since Vatican II, the Church has called for a renewal in the life and role of the laity. Yet among the faithful, there remains fundamental lack of understanding of the lay vocation and its role in the Church’s mission. For many, there is a notion that the only real vocation in the Church is the ordained or vowed priesthood and religious. They believe “the Church” is the ordained office and only people in habits or collars are called to serve. This is why, many think that since, there is lack of priests in our parishes, laity should take care of the parish. Many think that the role of the laity is to help out around the parish and that they are not called to play an integral part in the mission of the Church.

Lay vocation is not a substitute to vocation to the priesthood: It is obvious from the Catholic Teaching that God calls lay people not because there is lack of priests in the diocese but it is the duty and privilege as the member of the Church to mind the business of the Church. 

“The faithful, who by Baptism are incorporated into Christ and integrated into the People of God, are made sharers in their particular way in the priestly, prophetic, and kingly office of Christ, and have their own part to play in the mission of the whole Christian people in the Church and in the world.”

It is not wise to think that lay people have to take care and mind the Church because there are not priests but laypersons must execute their rights and privileges offered to them by baptism. If laypersons do not be integral part of the parish, which means, one is not living the promise of the baptism.

Lay vocation is very real: Lay people have a distinct and very real role in the spreading of the Gospel, which the Church desperately needs them to carry out with the authority, creativity and power that the Holy Spirit has given them in Baptism. This way the role of the laity is essential in accomplishing the mission of the Church. Church must be everyone’s business not only a select few. Lay people are called to engage in the affairs of the world and direct them according to God’s will. This is the real way the lay people live their baptismal commitments of priests, prophets and kings. So let us not merely sit back rather let us rise to our vocation as Christians to help the Church.

Being Church not merely belonging to the Church: Lay people bring Christ’s divine message of salvation to every aspect of life. Lay people take Christ’s message from the Eucharist to their families, work places and hitherto, become witness to the Gospel. This is called being the Church not merely belonging to the Church. Lay people discern every day in their lives, i.e. marital life, student life, professional life etc.

Laity in the mystical body: Bishops, priests and lay people make the mystical body of Christ, the Church who ministry is to teach, sanctify and govern. Precisely, the laity are the majority in the mystical body of Christ and certainly, can do the work of evangelizing, sanctifying and renewing the rest of the world beyond the sanctuary and the Church yard. Lay people need to permeate social, political and economic realities because they have the experience of living those realities. This makes lay people to be on the front line of the Church’s life, and by doing so, laity bring Christ’s message to the whole world in a substantial way.

Discerning laity: In order to fulfil one’s mission as a layperson, discernment is the single greatest discipline or skill necessary. That is, they must ‘read signs of the times’ in order to pay attention to what the Holy Spirit is calling them to do. Pope St John Paul II tells us, “to be able to discover the actual will of the Lord in our lives always involves the following: a receptive listening to the Word of God and the Church, fervent and constant prayer, recourse to a wise and loving spiritual guide, and a faithful discernment of the gifts and talents given by God, as well as the diverse social and historic situations in which one lives.” (Christifideles Iaici, 28).

I would like to conclude with Fr. Karl Rahner laymen’s duty; the lay man still has the duty – an old duty, but always needing to be re-emphasised – to educate himself in religious and theological matters up to a decent level, corresponding to his intellectual level in other fields. He must have a deep-rooted knowledge of where the fixed boundaries of his faith lie. Me must know something about Church history, so that he is not always ready to accept the latest thing, his own period’s ‘dernier cri,’ as the end of all wisdom. He must have a really clear understanding of the Church’s official teaching about all those matters, which, because of his position in life and his personal relationships with others, concern him most intimately. Catholics who want to take a real share in the development of a public opinion within the Church must live like true Christians and make the Church’s Mysteries the basis of their personal life. The lay people must do all they can to make their own personal contribution to the development of a public opinion within the Church, and its dissemination outside Her. 

St.Therese of Lixieux: Champion of life

It was in 2009, I witnessed a sea of people at the Westminster Cathedral in London. I was pleasantly surprised to witness so many people storming the church. It was the day when the relic of St. Therese of Lisieux was brought to the Cathedral. I had not known much about this saint. Hence, my curiosity grew after I witnessed the families at the Cathedral. I asked a priest to help me in this curiosity. He recommended that I read “The story of a soul: The Autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux.” This was the beginning of an important phase in my Jesuit life. I ventured on reading and researching on the little flower of Jesus. This autobiography has been of great interest after, “The diary of a young girl” by Anne Frank and “My experiments with Truth” by M.K. Gandhi. I was touched by the humility in the title of the Autobiography as St. Therese named, “The story of the Springtime of a Little White Flower.”

I was deeply moved by this little flower and a little saint of Christ. It was indeed a profound experience after I read the diary of a child saint; profound, not in any theological or deeply mystical way, but profound in a realistic way. St. Therese must have inspired millions of people, including St. Mother Teresa of Calcutta who names herself after St. Therese of Lisieux, but every time I think about this saint, I am inspired profoundly as if I am experiencing for the first time. Every time, I come across her quote, I am thrilled and moved to be strong and at time even tears. Her dedication in struggles, her hope in frustrations, her integrity in confusion and endurance in pain is spellbinding.

St. Therese has some realistic lessons to teach us from her own real and honest life. Each of us can learn from her life and from her experience. Her lessons of life is for everyone across the board. If you are depressed in life, just know St. Therese’s life. If you are easily offended, then know that St. Therese had it all. There are many more lessons for our day-to-day life. I would like to reflect and share with you a few of them.

Total surrender to God’s love and confidence: St. Therese knew that God is in charge of her life. Even though she had her few hiccups in her faith, she knew to depend on God’s love which made her confident in her faith. Most often, we struggle in our faith because, either we dwell on our shortcomings and the past life or someone letting us down by judging us. In both these cases, we shy away from God’s mercy and love.

If you are in this situation of being constantly reminded that your no good because of your past or shortcomings, St. Therese is the model and example for you. She had her struggles till her last breath but she knew how to surrender herself to God’s mercy and love. God understands our failings and shortcomings.

Offer with simplicity: When St. Therese was about to give up on her vocation just before her final profession, her superior tells her, “the more come closer to God, the more simpler you will be.” Is this not true in our lives too, when we realise that God is the ultimate unmoved mover, we become simpler. We give up on our own ego and strengths and depend on God’s strengths.

St. Therese was a simple little girl who offered roses (flowers) to Christ. She served the Lord by offering flowers, this made her humble person who has nothing than a bunch of flowers from the nature. Don’t be afraid to be simple and humble before God. What have you to offer to Christ?

Praying in our own way: This is an amusing but profound real story of St. Therese prayer life. She found herself sleeping during prayers and after communion. She writes, “I should be distressed that I drop off to sleep during my prayers and during my thanksgiving after Holy Communion. But I don’t feel at all distressed. I know that children are just a dear to their parents whether they are asleep or awake and I know that doctors put their patients to sleep before they operate. So I think that God, “knows our frame; he remembers that we are dust.”

St. Therese knew that she failed but she kept trying. She wanted to be perfect but she failed again and again until she realised that failures in prayer or anything must be the reference point for the future.

Sense of Humour: St. Therese pictures show us her hidden cheeky smile and sense of fun in her eyes. Some might relate her as serious, suffering and sad person. But reading the “Story of a Soul,” would show us a flowery language with utmost realness of life. She makes sisters happy in her convent by her enormous sense of humour. In her “Story of a Soul,” she writes to her sister after her famous meeting with Pope Leo XIII, whom she begged to let her become a nun ages 15, she described “The good Pope is so old, one would think he is dead”, although he outlived her, so may be he got the last laugh.

Don’t let your sense of humour be hidden: If you are a humours person, show it and make others happy. Church is not only for serious and traditional prayers with grim faces but a place to be happy.

Bring family together: St. Therese is the perfect intercessor and model for our families. Her large family knew the pains of illness and death. She lost her mother and also her older sister, these deaths would have brought enormous sadness to her father St. Louis Martin and to her entire household. But, they never gave up on prayer and family meal. This kept the family together.

In our families too, let us appreciate each other and learn from the family of St. Therese to be faithful to prayer and to each other. Ultimately, we need our family to help us keep up with life.

Crisis management: St. Therese managed her crisis in life so well. She was an easily offended child while she was growing up. Her schoolmates bullied her and this made her to be sensitive and even depressed as a young teenager. St Therese knew and learnt in her life that no matter what shock happened or how much change she had to endure; the foundation of her life is the unchanging love of Christ.

Hence, when you are in crisis, a prayer to her will help us to hold fast and carry on.

St. Therese in depression: St. Therese was not free of scruples. She feared that her sins had offended God or that she had committed a mortal sin plagued her at different times in her life. Her childhood brought sorrow to her family with the death of her mother and loss of her sister, her ‘second mother’ Pauline. Harsh bullying at school and extremely sensitive nature made her scrupulous and depressed at the young age. Her extreme physical suffering

of tuberculosis at the end of her life also caused her to be extremely vulnerable to depression. But she constantly turned back to Christ, and kept firmly in the right way.

We know people who go into depression and mental illness; we can reach out to them reminding them of the need to turn back to Christ who is our refuge and comforter. St. Therese, through her own life has taught us to depend on God at all times, especially in times depression and illness. 

Conclusion: St. Therese has left a legacy for all of us through her own life experience, which are real and honest. Let us learn from the saint to be honest in our lives because honesty will generate truth and truth will generate love. I would like to refer to St. Therese as a saint for everything that we experience in life. Her simplicity and littleness must inspire us to be courageous when life does not give us what we longed. St. Therese pray for us.