The Season of Manifestation introduces Jesus to the world with a “soft approach” and with ways to start knowing Him during the liturgical season of the Epiphany. Msgr. David LeSieur and Patti Brunner discuss how the joy of Christmas is a taste of heaven, the joy of the Epiphany is a taste of salvation, the joy of the first weeks of Ordinary time is the joy of the manifestation of the power and grace and love of God manifested in the person of Jesus and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and through the establishment of trust in God the Father. Originally broadcast on KDUA Radio and Padua Media. Continue reading for script, liturgical readings and other notes. Audio Link: Season of Manifestation
LSC-Jan C Season of Manifestation Script:
Patti: Welcome to Living Seasons of Change. I’m Patti Brunner; my co-host today is Msgr. David LeSieur, a Catholic priest of the Diocese of Little Rock. Today’s program will explore the Season of Manifestation. The Church has given us a sort of treasure map in the readings for the seasons of Christmas, Epiphany and the first few weeks of Ordinary Time. So we are going to help you discover some of the clues of how God reveals himself to us this living Season of Manifestation. Welcome Monsignor, now that we have had Midnight Mass, it is officially Christmas! But if you look at the stores you would think Christmas is over instead of just beginning. At our church we put up our nativity set about the time every one else in town is taking theirs down!
Msgr. David: Instead of borrowing our ideas about Christmas from Society, we need to be teaching society about Advent and Christmas. 4 weeks to prepare then 2 weeks to celebrate it! I personally think the Christmas decorations in the store are beautiful. They get me in the mood. I just think they come up a little fast. … Don’t throw your Christmas tree out this afternoon.
Patti: Wasn’t it nice to see church so packed this Christmas! I think God’s sovereign grace draws people to him[i] at Christmas. He attracts them to the Baby Jesus.
Msgr. David: We might have been afraid of God, Jesus coming as a baby is a way we can deal with [We are not afraid of Baby Jesus.]
Patti: We are comfortable talking about God in the familiar story in Luke’s Gospel:[ii] Mary and Joseph’s trip to Bethlehem, the birth in a manger, the shepherds and the angels. We can share this Good News, especially with children. And when you think about it, we have no difficulty witnessing our belief in song and in decoration, and in Christmas cards to friends. Christmas is a very easy season to evangelize!
Patti: We think of baby Jesus in swaddling clothes and we can’t help but open our hearts to him. We bond with baby Jesus like a mother bonds with her own baby.
Msgr. David: Everyone can relate to a baby, but he soon grew up. That’s where we have the difficulty, in relating to a man who is demanding. The baby is important, and Jesus came as a baby for very important reasons. He is fully human as well as fully divine. We come about as babies.
Patti: Monsignor, we can actually use this Church season to find the basics of the Gospel.
Msgr. David: The season of the epiphany invites us into the entire gospel. It’s a doorway. I think it was Raymond Brown who called the infancy narratives the gospel in miniature. The season of the Epiphany draws us, attracts us, to this wonderful child and yet as we are drawn we are also frightened of him because he is God, because he turns into this man. He is gentle, he is rough and tough. He calls the Pharisees to task. He challenges all of us. Look at the Epiphany as drawing us into the life of Jesus.
Patti: Monsignor, I know the word “epiphany” means manifestation. In the readings this season, God presents himself to the world in visible and obvious ways. I remember, when I was a child, my parish displayed a life size nativity set at the side altar. On the Epiphany they covered the radiators and added the statues of three richly dressed wise men and their camels. This season is so visually graphic that children can really take hold of it. But adults should take hold of it too. It is like we have a treasure hunt in the infancy narratives. In Luke’s Gospel we have the shepherds visiting Jesus. They were the lowest of the low. Then in Matthew’s Gospel we have the visit by the rich Magi: Both spectrums of society. Jesus came to the rich and the poor. But even more important is the fact that these Magi were not Jews but Gentiles who came from the East.[iii] These visits make it clear that Jesus is given to the whole world. Monsignor David, what other clues to Gospel treasure can we find?
Msgr. David: The theme of the cross showing up [Matthew’s Gospel] with the Magi; themes are repeated in the Gospels. All Jerusalem are upset with Herod, esp. the chief priests. The chief priests later are the ones who put him to death. Herod is gone. It could be the same chief priests that Herod was burdened with; the unity ties the gospel together. Sometimes you can see in miniature form the Gospel like in the birth narratives what happens later to the mature man. … There is plenty in Luke in the infancy narrative that foreshadows the cross too. The sign of contradiction, the sword that will pierce Mary’s heart, there are already hints of impending doom.
Patti: If you have ever been on the back of a camel you know the journey of the Magi was not easy. Those camels spit! The Magi traveled a long way to present gifts to the newborn king. Their effort shows us the worthiness of cost and effort in seeking the Lord. There is also suggestion in church history that each of the magi brought all three gifts: gold, frankincense and myrrh[iv] and that there may have been up to12 magi visitors.
Msgr. David: We know for sure there was more than one.
Patti: One of the oldest Christian churches is in Bethlehem, over the place where Jesus was born. The current church was built in year 529! When I visited it, the Church of the Nativity, a guide explained to us that when Persian invaders came in and destroyed all the other Christian churches, a mosaic of the Magi kept them from destroying this church because it showed a reverence for their Eastern culture.[v] Today the Bethlehem area is still open to great cultural conflict. Jesus came to all the world but all the world has not accepted him. Monsignor, what meaning do the gifts of the Magi have, the gifts of gold, frankincense[vi], and myrrh[vii]?
Msgr. David: Myrrh was embalming, incense as a high priest, and gold the kingdom riches.
Note: In Church documents St. Gregory of Nazianzus and St. Augustine [viii] both point out that myrrh is the anointing oil for death, thus recognizes that his death will be for all. The gift of gold recognized the kingship of Jesus, and frankincense is used as a sacrifice to God.
Patti: So, Myrrh[ix], a gift that celebrated the birth of Jesus, is also a celebration of his death that brings life. The Gospel ties back to Isaiah, where the connection of death to life is made.[x] At Midnight Mass the readings of the OT prophet Isaiah foretells the coming of the Savior, the Messiah.[xi] On the feast of the Epiphany we hear Isaiah prophesying the arrival of the camels, [xii] and the king’s gifts of gold and frankincense.[xiii] Then, on Good Friday, we hear chapter 63 of Isaiah where the prophet reveals the suffering servant and explains how his death shall restore life to us. [xiv] So, just like in the infancy narratives, it looks like Isaiah also gives us clues to the whole manifestation of the Gospel. This is sounding more and more like a real treasure hunt! Let’s go over those clues: We have Gentile magi (symbolizing that Jesus came for the entire world), following a star (symbolizing a call from God in the heavenly realm), traveling from afar bringing rich tribute (showing us that seeking God is worth the cost and effort). And the gifts themselves are packed with information. The greater the tribute given by visitors to a king, the greater awareness of the power of the king has over the life of the visitor. The anointing oil, Myrrh, reminds that the death of Jesus will come, gold reminds us of the tremendous riches of the kingdom of God, and frankincense opens the understanding that Jesus is our High Priest who will offer the ultimate perfect sacrifice to God.
Msgr. David: We could mention following the dreams. When you look at the whole story: Herod was looking for the child, and wanted the Magi to report back to him to give him homage, of course he really wanted to kill him. So we really have a foreshadowing of the cross both in the myrrh and Herod. Theme of Epiphany is revelation /showing. The Season starts with the wise men. But the ancient church also read the Baptism of the Lord, and that’s an epiphany too. The Spirit spoke. Three main epiphany gospels: gift of the Magi, Baptism, Wedding feast of Cana. The traditional way of looking at it is more than just the kings. …In ordinary time the theme for Epiphany continues….miracles and establishing his ministry/calling of his apostles/ and his authority. The church season is a large piece of fabric, a particular Sunday might be a single thread.
Break
Patti: We know how Jesus came on the night of the nativity, the child wrapped in swaddling clothes, but how does Jesus come to us today? At my Cursillo small group we always ask: “When was I most aware of Christ’s presence and why?” Then we discuss a “Personal Epiphany”. How does Jesus come to you, Monsignor?
Msgr. David: Jesus started as a child but he grew into a man that made people have to decide. The gentle, loving, nature draws us to him. As you said, no one is afraid of a baby. We’re drawn to him but at the same time we are repelled because he demands. It is the kind of demands that bring freedom, that lead to peace. He demands that we follow him, but in following him, we find the cross, but the cross sets us free. It’s where true life is.
Patti: Since the nature of Jesus does not change, He is the same as he was Christmas morning! Jesus is gentle and loving! Jesus is forgiving and caring. We see that when we hear the story of Jesus’ first miracle at the Wedding feast of Cana.
Msgr. David: Miracle at Cana is a sign of abundance.
Patti: I think the emotions that surface during the Christmas season are a “taste” of everlasting joy, peace and love—and his desire for us! Christmas, the Epiphany, and Cana help us to remember us that our faith, which is so rich, so deep, so multifaceted, is really quite simple. Love God, love others. One of the Doctors of the Church best known for the simple way of following Jesus is St. Therese of the Child Jesus who died at age 24, about a hundred years ago. The three points of her “little way” is this: 1st your surrender does not have to be spectacular it can be small. 2nd is to maintain your relationship with God like that of a small child and 3rd is to draw close to the sufferings of Christ and to recognize his suffering in all forms of suffering.[xv] Therese of Lisieux taught us that it is ok to have a childlike relationship with Jesus. Pope John Paul II drew attention to St. Thérèse often.[xvi] You can find some references for his quotes at the website PatriarchMinistries.com. Immediately after Christmas we celebrate the Feast of the Holy Family and we hear the story of Jesus at age twelve teaching in the temple. In a sermon about St. Therese, John Paul II talked about Jesus and said, “Already as a child, as a twelve-year-old child, the Son of God declared that his vocation was to attend to the things of his Father (cf. Lk 2:49).” [xvii] How old were you when you realized your vocation to the priesthood, Monsignor?
Msgr. David: Because it’s the child, because look who he grows up to be, look who he is intended to be. Jesus is child, but he is a special child, even as a young boy, he is in the temple, speaking to the doctors and the teachers.
Patti: When I was a teenager I read a biography of St. Therese. This one story has stuck in my mind for 40 years. Therese was very young when she went to the convent and one of the older grumpy nuns was extremely hard on her. Dare I say she was mean? Therese decided to react with kindness instead of bitterness. It was a constant battle, but she kept turning the other cheek. Sometime later, the mean old cranky nun was dying and she asked for her “best friend Therese” to be at her side. Therese was amazed. This nun, who she thought hated her, considered Therese her best friend! That really affected me.
[Note: St. Therese of Lisieux is known as Therese of the Child Jesus and Therese of the Little Flower and Therese of the Little Way. She was named a “Doctor of the Church” in 1997, a prestigious title for a young nun who died at age 24 in 1897. Her simple way of living a Christian life has been praised by seven popes. John Paul II was a great fan of hers and often quoted from her writings reminding us of the essence of the Gospel message: the fact of having really received the spirit of sonship when we cry “Abba! Father!” St. Therese said that trusting God and total self-abandonment to the Lord’s grace is within everyone’s reach.[xviii]]
Patti: As Ordinary Time gets in full swing on the 3rd Sunday, the Church helps us find the focus for the rest of the year. The first reading tells us the importance of God’s word. Lost scrolls of scripture were found and Ezra read and taught it to the people all day long. The people wept in repentance. The reading shows us how important it is to hear and study the word of God. The second reading in Corinthians focuses on how we are all connected. We have to start looking at community as we start following Christ. It’s not just me. And it’s not just me & Jesus. We are all connected. Then in the Gospel, Jesus reads the passage “the Spirit is upon me”. The Holy Spirit has come upon Jesus in a powerful way at the baptism of John, and Jesus is revealing, through the words of the prophet Isaiah, that when you see these things, when you see the Spirit acting with power, you will know that the Lord is manifesting. It is an “Epiphany of the Holy Spirit!” In this Gospel, Jesus sets the example for us to take action. When He later commissions the twelve[xix] and then the 72 [xx] and sends them out to proclaim the kingdom with mighty deeds we too are sent because the Spirit is in us. We are all called to proclaim the kingdom of God.
Msgr. David: Ezra reads from the book and Jesus reads from the book. Ezra read from the law, and the people were convicted. Jesus lifts the conviction, reading from the word of God and gave freedom. He gave us hope. In Ezra’s day, they wanted to rebuild the walls/ temple.
Patti: When I was a young mother, I did puppet shows at the church picnic. It helped me become a part of the church community and I joined the ladies’ Altar Society, I substituted as a Sunday school teacher and I enrolled in a bible study class. These are all very small things, but through them God grew within me. Eventually, He led me to write. And now, here I am teaching on the radio with my pastor! We all have to learn to crawl before we can run. A child has to learn to speak before doing math problems. As we focus our attention on God while doing the small stuff we will begin to grow in our relationship with him. Just like a child, as we reach for those things not yet in our grasp, the Father will help us. When I talk to the youth at the Juvenile Detention Center, I often use the first reading from the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time, the passage from Jeremiah “before I formed you in the womb I knew you” [xxi], and Psalm 139[xxii]. These young people need to know that God has a plan for us. Even when things are not going well, trust that God loves us. The Gospel is the same message. You go with what God has called you do, even though there are obstacles. Trust God. Jesus was rejected but he kept going. Both scriptures encourage us to keep reaching for those things not yet in our grasp. The reading from 1st Corinthians tells us first things first; we have to grow. Tongues yes, but basic is love.
Msgr. David: Yes, first things first. In the first one God is telling Jeremiah: I have appointed you and I will take care of you.[xxiii] Then here is Jesus facing the exact same thing. Rejection! They want to throw him over a hill. Maybe the learning to crawl before you run is learning to trust. In Jeremiah it says, trust me and I’ll take care of you, I’ll be with you. Jesus has already heard “You are my beloved son.”[xxiv] He has already been in the desert and made it through the temptations. He has learned to trust the father. On the 4th Sunday “No prophet is accepted in his native place.” It shows us that not all epiphanies are accepted. Christ has been ‘epiphanizing’ at his Baptism. He is rejected by his townspeople. We are challenged to recognize, to notice the Epiphanies and then whether to accept them or not, once they are seen for what they are. Often epiphanies are events: babies being born, even jobs lost, a move or a change. God is trying to show you something to get your attention. So I think the 4th Sunday from Ordinary Time here is telling us that epiphanies are all around us. But they are not automatically accepted.
Patti: With Jesus, we are called to trust God, our loving perfect Father. This Christmas and Epiphany, this season of the manifestation of Jesus, also becomes for us the manifestation of our Loving Father. When Jesus was baptized by John, God the Father spoke “You are my beloved Son”.[xxv] At our baptism, He says those words to us too. God adopts us as his children. God, our father who art in heaven, bids us to relax within his arms; to rest in his embrace; to just “be” his child. The scripture on the first day of the year says it, “Abba Father”[xxvi]. That ties in to St. Therese, too, be the child, be the trusting child. If we are the child and we relate to the child Jesus, then that allows us to relate to God the Father as our “Daddy”. When the 4th Sunday of Ordinary Time tells us to “put away childish things”[xxvii] it’s not telling us to stop trusting or loving like a child, but to stop acting like a self-centered brat! Think of others and love with patience and kindness[xxviii].
Break
Patti: The new calendar year always brings our minds to thoughts of change and New Year’s resolutions. Why not resolve to change this year by spending time getting to know Jesus: a few minutes in the bible each day would do it. Or spend time in the adoration chapel. Look for adult education classes and bible studies. How about a retreat? To get to know someone, you have to spend time with them! Know that everyone is called to holiness.[xxix] Recall the advice of Therese of Lisieux, a.k.a. Therese of the Child Jesus: return to the essentials and find the secret of all life: divine Love surrounds and penetrates every human venture.[xxx] There’s another secret treasure! The secret is: God’s love surrounds us and penetrates everything we do. Even the little stuff! What else can we learn from this season? Be a king! Bring your gifts to Jesus. If we compared our lives, our treasure, with the kings or Magi who visited Jesus, we would realize that God has given us so much! One thing, we don’t have to travel by camel! God has drawn out the map for us in scripture and in the lives of those who have gone before us, preparing the way of the Lord. Now it’s our turn. How can you share your “encounter with Jesus” with others? It’s not that hard. It can happen next time you say “Merry Christmas”. What do you have that you can lay before Jesus? Hunt for the treasures that the Lord has placed in your life. Lay them before Him. This particular show, The Season of Manifestation, is to open the hearts of those who see the baby Jesus and fail to understand the importance. Yes, that God is truly human is very important, but the innocence of a child, the vulnerability of a baby, the interdependence of the family of Christ—this manifests the body of Christ. Does Jesus depend on you? God’s plan weaves the lives of all his children; all are important; all have meaning. The suffering of Christ is important yet in this season it must not overshadow the pure joy. The joy of Christmas is a taste of heaven, the joy of the Epiphany is a taste of salvation, the joy of the focus with the liturgy’s Ordinary time is the joy of the manifestation of the power and grace and love of God manifested in the person of Jesus and the inspiration of the Holy Spirit and through the establishment of trust in God the Father. Mankind had so far to go, and sometimes it seems like it still does, to return to the glory of creation. And yet—there it is: Christmas, Epiphany, the first days of Ordinary time, Man returned to the fullness of creation in the being of Jesus. It is done. I want to thank Monsignor David LeSieur for being with me today and I ask him to close with words from the Gospel of Matthew:
Msgr. David: “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And on entering the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him; and then they opened their treasures, and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”[xxxi]
Patti: Will you bless us?
Msgr. David: [Blessing]
Patti: This concludes our program. I’m Patti Brunner. This season, let’s imitate scripture. Seek Jesus, and when you find him, and you will find him, give him your treasure. Give him your time. Give him your heart!
Liturgical Readings for Season of Manifestation (Epiphany)
Mary, Mother of God, Jan 1
Numbers 6:22-27″bless the Israelites”
Galatians 4:4-7 “Abba, Father”
Luke 2:16-21 “manger” Mary pondered words of shepherds & angels; Jesus, name given by angel before he was conceived; at circumcision-8 days-name Jesus;
Epiphany (“Manifestation” rather than The Three Kings)
Isaiah 60:1-6 “Nations shall walk by your light…bearing gold and frankincense”
Ephesians 3:2-3a, 5-6 “Gentiles are coheirs”
Matthew 2: 1-12 Magi, Herod, Mary saw the 3 Kings/wise men come and give the gold, frankencense and myrr vs. the humble surroundings
Baptism of the Lord
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-11 “Make straight…valley filled in…he gathers the lambs”
or: Isaiah 42:1-4, 6-7 “a bruised reed he shall not break. Set you as a covenant…a light for the nations” to set free prisoners
or: Titus 2:11-14; 3:4-7 revelation of God’s love, rebirth and renewal
Luke 3:15-16, 21-22 Holy Spirit descended on Jesus at baptism
2nd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 62:1-5 “your builder shall marry you”
1 Corinthians 12:4-11 different “gifts but the same Spirit”
John 2:1-11 Wedding miracle at Cana
3rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Nehemiah 8:2-4a, 5-6, 8-10 Ezra “read out of the book from daybreak till midday”
1 Corinthians 12:12-30 “many parts yet one body” “if one part suffers, all” suffer
Luke 1:1-4; 4:14-21 “The Spirit of the Lord is upon me”
[i] References used in Season of Epiphany Radio Show
Catechism paragraph 1718 “The Beatitudes respond to the natural desire for happiness. This desire is of divine origin: God has placed it in the human heart in order to draw man to the One who alone can fulfill it: We all want to live happily; in the whole human race there is no one who does not assent to this proposition, even before it is fully articulated. How is it, then, that I seek you, Lord? Since in seeking you, my God, I seek a happy life, let me seek you so that my soul may live, for my body draws life from my soul and my soul draws life from you. God alone satisfies.”
Catechism paragraph 2541 The economy of law and grace turns men’s hearts away from avarice and envy. It initiates them into desire for the Sovereign Good; it instructs them in the desires of the Holy Spirit who satisfies man’s heart.
[ii] Christmas Eve Gospel Luke Chapter 2 1-14 Chapter 2: 1 In those days a decree went out from Caesar Augustus * that the whole world should be enrolled. 2 This was the first enrollment, when Quirinius was governor of Syria. 3 So all went to be enrolled, each to his own town. 4 And Joseph too went up from Galilee from the town of Nazareth to Judea, to the city of David that is called Bethlehem, because he was of the house and family of David, 5 to be enrolled with Mary, his betrothed, who was with child. 6 While they were there, the time came for her to have her child, 7 and she gave birth to her firstborn son. She wrapped him in swaddling clothes and laid him in a manger, because there was no room for them in the inn. 8 Now there were shepherds in that region living in the fields and keeping the night watch over their flock. 9 The angel of the Lord appeared to them and the glory of the Lord shone around them, and they were struck with great fear. 10 The angel said to them, “Do not be afraid; for behold, I proclaim to you good news of great joy that will be for all the people. 11 For today in the city of David a savior has been born for you who is Messiah and Lord. 12 And this will be a sign for you: you will find an infant wrapped in swaddling clothes and lying in a manger.” 13 And suddenly there was a multitude of the heavenly host with the angel, praising God and saying: 14 “Glory to God in the highest and on earth peace to those on whom his favor rests.”
[iii] Matthew 2: 1 “When Jesus was born in Bethlehem of Judea, in the days of King Herod, behold, magi from the east arrived in Jerusalem”
[iv] REMIGIUS, Presbyter and Monk of Auxerre. And it is to be known that each did not offer a different gift, hut each one the three things, each one thus proclaiming the King, the God, and the man.
[v] Page 86, The Holy Land in Color by Sam Awwad, Golden Printing Press, Jerusalem “In 614 the Persians invaded the Holy Land and destroyed all its churches and convents. The church of the nativity was the only church which evaded destruction. A mosaic scene of the Nativity representing the Wise Men in ancient Persian costumes worshipping the Child deterred them from their vandalistic purpose. During the time of the Crusaders the church was in need of repair and restoration effected most of it.”
[vi] Welcome to the Catholic Church. Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible. Frankincense. A gum resin used as incense. In the Bible, it is mentioned especially in connection with Old Testament worship. It was one of the ingredients of the incense described in Ex. 30:34. Moreover, it was to be added to various sacrifices (Lev. 2:1, 15; 6:15; 24:7). A supply of frankincense was, therefore, kept in the Temple (1 Chron. 9:29; Neh. 13:9). It is brought as a precious gift to the city of the Lord by the travelers from Saba, according to the prophecy of Isaiah (Is. 60:6). The most famous use of frankincense in Scripture is as one of the three gifts brought to the Infant Jesus by the Magi from the East (Matt. 2:11). As used as a gift for the Infant Christ, it is usually said to be a symbol of the sacrifice due to Him as God. (C)
[vii] Matthew 2:11 “Then they opened their treasures and offered him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.
[viii] GREGORY, St. of Nazianzus. GREG. “Gold, as to a King; frankincense, as sacrifice to God; myrrh, as embalming the body of the dead.” [Welcome to the Catholic Church] GREG. Something further may yet be meant here. Wisdom is typified by gold; as Solomon said in the Proverbs, A treasure to be desired is in the mouth of the wise (Prov 21:20). By frankincense, which is burnt before God, the power of prayer is intended, as in the Psalms, Let my speech come before you as incense (Ps 141:2). In myrrh is figured mortification of the flesh. To a king at his birth we offer gold; if we shine in his sight with the light of wisdom, we offer frankincense; if we have power before God by the sweet savor of our prayers, we offer myrrh, when we mortify by abstinence the lusts of the flesh.
AUGUSTINE, St. Bishop of Hippo. Gold, as paid to a mighty King; frankincense, as offered to God; myrrh, as to one who is to die for the sins of all.
[ix] Welcome to the Catholic Church, dictionary. Encyclopedic Dictionary of the Bible. Myrrh. A fragrant substance, in solid or liquid form, made from resin exuded by a balsam shrub growing in Arabia. Due to its pleasant odor, myrrh was widely used as a perfume (Est. 2:12; Ps. 45:9; Song. 1:12; 3:6), as an ingredient in the oil of priestly anointing (Ex. 30:23), and as an ingredient in embalming spices (John 19:39). Mingled with wine it was offered to Christ on Calvary as an anodyne to deaden pain (Mark 15:23).(C)
[x] [the Suffering Servant chapter 53 v. 7-8, 10-12] Isaiah 53. 1Who has believed what we have heard? And to whom has the arm of the LORD been revealed? 2 For he grew up before him like a young plant, and like a root out of dry ground; he had no form or comeliness that we should look at him, and no beauty that we should desire him. 3 He was despised and rejected by men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief; and as one from whom men hide their faces he was despised, and we esteemed him not. 4 Surely he has borne our griefs and carried our sorrows; yet we esteemed him stricken, smitten by God, and afflicted. 5 But he was wounded for our transgressions, he was bruised for our iniquities; upon him was the chastisement that made us whole, and with his stripes we are healed. 6 All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. 7 He was oppressed, and he was afflicted, yet he opened not his mouth; like a lamb that is led to the slaughter, and like a sheep that before its shearers is dumb, so he opened not his mouth. 8 By oppression and judgment he was taken away; and as for his generation, who considered that he was cut off out of the land of the living, stricken for the transgression of my people? 9 And they made his grave with the wicked and with a rich man in his death, although he had done no violence, and there was no deceit in his mouth. 10Yet it was the will of the LORD to bruise him; he has put him to grief; when he makes himself an offering for sin, he shall see his offspring, he shall prolong his days; the will of the LORD shall prosper in his hand; 11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
[xi] Isaiah 9: 6 “For to us a child is born, to us a son is given; and the government will be upon his shoulder, and his name will be called “Wonderful Counselor, Mighty God, Everlasting Father, Prince of Peace.””
[xii] Isaiah 60: 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.”
[xiii] Isaiah 60: 6 A multitude of camels shall cover you, the young camels of Midian and Ephah; all those from Sheba shall come. They shall bring gold and frankincense, and shall proclaim the praise of the LORD.”
[xiv] Isaiah 63: ; 11 he shall see the fruit of the travail of his soul and be satisfied; by his knowledge shall the righteous one, my servant, make many to be accounted righteous; and he shall bear their iniquities. 12 Therefore I will divide him a portion with the great, and he shall divide the spoil with the strong; because he poured out his soul to death, and was numbered with the transgressors; yet he bore the sin of many, and made intercession for the transgressors.”
[xv] Harmony “Welcome to the Catholic Church” LIVES OF THE SAINTS, SAINT THERESE OF LISIEUX Virgin, c.1873-1897
Her “Little Way” had three great points – so great that, in their effects, the little Carmelite becomes a giant of the spirit. The first point, though comforting, should not be misconstrued. That is, that sanctity does not have to be a spectacular surrender – spectacular as used in the way the world understands it. The second point, and perhaps the core of her plan, is to maintain a relationship with God like that of a small child. Childish? Not at all. A shrewd calculation, really. Sanctity is not something to gamble on. Therese had read the words: “Let the little children come to me, . . . for of such is the kingdom of God” (Luke 18:16). The third point of her program is one that has frequently been overlooked by many students of her life; it is her devotion to the Holy Face, the essence of which was an attempt to draw close to the suffering of her Beloved and to see in all forms of suffering His own. With serene confidence she offers her spiritual teaching to all who will listen: “Holiness is not found in such and such a practice; it consists in a disposition of heart that makes us humble and little in the arms of God, conscious of our weakness, and confident – even boldly so – of His fatherly goodness.”
[xvi] APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II , DIVINI AMORIS SCIENTIA, 10/19/1997
11. All these reasons are clear evidence of how timely is the Saint of LiSieux’s doctrine and of the particular impact her message has had on the men and women of our century. Moreover, some circumstances contribute to making her designation as a Teacher for the Church of our time even more significant.
First of all, Thérèse is a woman, who in approaching the Gospel knew how to grasp its hidden wealth with that practicality and deep resonance of life and wisdom which belong to the feminine genius. Because of her universality she stands out among the multitude of holy women who are resplendent for their Gospel wisdom.
Thérèse is also a contemplative. In the hiddenness of her Carmel she lived the great adventure of Christian experience to the point of knowing the breadth, length, height and depth of Christ’s love (cf. Eph 3:18-19). God did not want his secrets to remain hidden, but enabled Thérèse to proclaim the secrets of the King (cf. Ms C, 2v·). By her life Thérèse offers a witness and theological illustration of the beauty of the contemplative life as the total dedication to Christ, Spouse of the Church, and as an affirmation of God’s primacy over all things. Hers is a hidden life which possesses a mysterious fruitfulness for spreading the Gospel and fills the Church and the world with the sweet odour of Christ (cf. LT 169, 2v·).
Lastly, Thérèse of LiSieux is a young person. She reached the maturity of holiness in the prime of youth (cf. Ms C, 4r·). As such, she appears as a Teacher of evangelical life, particularly effective in illumining the paths of young people, who must be the leaders and witnesses of the Gospel to the new generations.
Thérèse of the Child Jesus is not only the youngest Doctor of the Church, but is also the closest to us in time, as if to emphasize the continuity with which the Spirit of the Lord sends his messengers to the Church, men and women as teachers and witnesses to the faith. In fact, whatever changes can be noted in the course of history and despite the repercussions they usually have on the life and thought of individuals in every age, we must never lose sight of the continuity which links the Doctors of the Church to each other: in every historical context they remain witnesses to the unchanging Gospel and, with the light and strength that come from the Holy Spirit, they become its messengers, returning to proclaim it in its purity to their contemporaries. Thérèse is a Teacher for our time, which thirsts for living and essential words, for heroic and credible acts of witness. For this reason she is also loved and accepted by brothers and sisters of other Christian communities and even by non-Christians.
[xvii]Pope John Paul II homily June 2, 1980. “3. To have trust in God like Thérèse of Lisieux means following the “little way” where the Spirit of God guides us: he always guides towards the greatness in which the sons and daughters of divine adoption participate. Already as a child, as a twelve-year-old child, the Son of God declared that his vocation was to attend to the things of his Father (cf. Lk 2:49). To be a child, to become like a child, means entering the very center of the greatest mission to which man was called by Christ, a mission that goes through the very heart of man. She knew it perfectly, Therese.”
[xviii] Harmony Welcome to the Catholic Church
Pope John Paul II homily 10/19/1997. 5. She counters a rational culture, so often overcome by practical materialism, with the disarming simplicity of the “little way” which, by returning to the essentials, leads to the secret of all life: the divine Love that surrounds and penetrates every human venture.
Pope John Paul II homily 10/19/1997. 6. The way she took to reach this ideal of life is not that of the great undertakings reserved for the few, but on the contrary, a way within everyone’s reach, the “little way”, a path of trust and total self – abandonment to the Lord’s grace. It is not a prosaic way, as if it were less demanding. It is in fact a demanding reality, as the Gospel always is. But it is a way in which one is imbued with a sense of trusting abandonment to divine mercy, which makes even the most rigorous spiritual commitment light.
Pope John Paul II homily June 2, 1980. 2. Of Thérèse of Lisieux, it can be said with conviction that the Spirit of God permitted her heart to reveal directly, to the men of our time, the fundamental mystery, the reality of the Gospel: the fact of having really received the spirit of sonship, when we cry, “Abba! Father!” The “little way” is the way of “holy childhood.” in this way, there is something unique, the genius of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. At the same time there is the confirmation and renewal of the most fundamental and most universal truth. What truth of the Gospel message is, in fact, more fundamental and more universal than this one: God is our Father and we are his children? (Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, vol. III/1 [1980], p. 1659).
[xix] Luke 9: 1 He summoned the Twelve and gave them power and authority over all demons and to cure diseases, 2 and he sent them to proclaim the kingdom of God and to heal (the sick).
[xx] Luke 10:1 After this the Lord appointed seventy (-two) others whom he sent ahead of him in pairs to every town and place he intended to visit. … 8 Whatever town you enter and they welcome you, eat what
is set before you, 9 cure the sick in it and say to them, ‘The kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
[xxi] Jeremiah 1:4-5, 17-19
[xxii] Psalm 139
[xxiii] Jeremiah 1:19 They will fight against you, but not prevail over you, for I am with you to deliver you, says the LORD.
[xxiv] Luke 3:21 After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
[xxv] Luke 3: 21 After all the people had been baptized and Jesus also had been baptized and was praying, heaven was opened 22 and the holy Spirit descended upon him in bodily form like a dove. And a voice came from heaven, “You are my beloved Son; with you I am well pleased.”
[xxvi] Galatians 4: 6 As proof that you are children, God sent the spirit of his Son into our hearts, crying out, “Abba, Father!”
[xxvii] 1 Corinthians 13: 11 When I was a child, I used to talk as a child, think as a child, reason as a child; when I became a man, I put aside childish things.
[xxviii] 1 Corinthians 13: 4 Love is patient, love is kind. It is not jealous, (love) is not pompous, it is not inflated,
5 it is not rude, it does not seek its own interests, it is not quick-tempered, it does not brood over injury,
[xxix] APOSTOLIC LETTER OF POPE JOHN PAUL II DIVINI AMORIS SCIENTIA 10/19/1997 6. “indicating an evangelical way, the “little way”, which everyone can take, because everyone is called to holiness.”
[xxx] Pope John Paul II homily 10/19/1997 Therese of the Child Jesus: return to the essentials and find the secret of all life: divine Love surrounds and penetrates every human venture
[xxxi] Matthew 2:10-11 “When they saw the star, they rejoiced with exceeding great joy. And on entering the house, they saw the young Child with Mary His mother, and fell down, and worshipped Him; and then they opened their treasures, and presented to Him gifts of gold, frankincense, and myrrh.”
