"St. Therese"

"St. Therese"

Saint Therese of Lisieux, toward the end of her life, had a beautiful image of salvation. It’s not in her autobiography so many have not heard of it. She describes salvation thus: All of her life she is a little girl. She is proud and happy to be a little girl. Her heavenly Father is standing at the top of the great staircase, always beckoning her, “Come Therese! Come! I ask more of you!” She lifts her little foot again and again by all the actions of her Catholic faith and religious life, trying to please God. She is trying to climb up to God.

God watches Therese and sees her desire to come. Then in one moment that we call grace, God rushes down the staircase, picks her up and takes her. She knows afterward by hindsight that God has done it, from beginning to end. But it was important for her to keep lifting up her little foot. Our struggle, our desire, our yes is significant and necessary. But in the end it is always grace that carries us up the staircase.

from The Great Themes of Scripture