One of my favourite saints is St. Therese of Lisieux. As a teenager, I was introduced to her by members of The Society of the Little Flower. Due to her young age (24 at her death) and relatively recent earthly life (I mean, there are actual photographs of St. Therese!), I identified with her.
As I have prayed to her and read more about her story over the years, I have come to have a profound respect and appreciation for her “little way.” She strove to do seemingly simple things, as ways of growing in her own faith and consequently bringing the love of Jesus into the world.
In the Pray More Healing Retreat this past August, Catholic author and speaker Dominick Albano made me think of St. Therese’s way of evangelizing in his two-part talk entitled “The Good News-ization.” He discussed the fact that people often feel they cannot evangelize without a theological background or a talent for public speaking. He encouraged listeners to think otherwise, stressing that these are not essential skills for evangelization at all.
Albano stressed that delivering the Gospel message – good news – does not depend on one’s education and does not require any kind of dramatic presentation. In fact, he stated that very few conversions come about suddenly as the result of an amazing speech, a single conversation, or a breath-taking moment. These instances are not unheard of, but in most cases good news is spread in the little things people do, and most importantly, in the spirit with which they do them.
Albano shared a personal story about a time of loss in his family. Following the sudden and tragic death of Albano’s uncle, a teenaged neighbour who was saddened by the news and unsure of what to say to the family showed up one day and started to mow his aunt’s lawn. The widow proclaimed that the moment she heard the lawnmower outside, she knew that God would look after her. The goodness of others spoke to her in her time of greatest pain.
Albano suggested that the key to evangelizing is asking the question, “Where does it hurt?” He encouraged listeners to identify the pains, losses, and worries in the lives of those around us. We need to meet people where they are, rather than where we are, to bring God into their hearts.
He outlined a hypothetical story of a young couple with a newborn baby. Inviting that couple to attend an upcoming retreat that we’re excited about would probably not feel like “good news” to them, Albano said. Empathizing with their exhaustion and bringing them a meal would help to ease their transition. Assistance and genuine concern are “good news” to that couple, in that circumstance. I like to think of it as simply putting ourselves in another’s shoes and offering whatever we can.
In Albano’s words, when people look at you and see a person of joy, generosity or peace, “they're going to say, ‘I don't know what that person’s got, but I know that I want some of it.”
When we simply the idea of sharing the good news, “we realize that it's not something that requires advanced degrees, it's not something that requires … deep knowledge; it just requires you living the faith authentically.”
St. Therese, whose feast we celebrate Oct. 1, lived her faith authentically. She wanted to grow closer to Jesus and knew that simple gestures in everyday moments were ways to achieve this. In her autobiography, Story of a Soul, she stated, “Remember that nothing is small in the eyes of God. Do all that you do with love.”
St. Therese was less than half my age. She did not have a theology degree or give glorious speeches, yet her “little way” continues to inspire and support people today, long after her death in 1897.
Dominick Albano reminded me that evangelizing doesn’t need to be formal or elaborate. It can be achieved by simply “living the faith authentically.” St. Therese intercedes so I can strive to do just that, “with love.”