His Victim of Love

     “In order to love Jesus, to be His victim of love, the more weak and miserable we are, the more fitting are we for the operations of this consuming and transforming Love”                                               St. Therese of Lisieux


     We often fail in our efforts to love God as He so deserves and lament in our poor attempts to do so. We want so very much to do all for love of God and feel frustrated when we fail.


     Recognizing our littleness and helplessness before Almighty God is something we often see as a fault or weakness. Saint Therese saw our helplessness as an asset because it presented an opportunity for God to pour His love into our hearts. The very impossibility of our loving God as He so deserves was the basis of Therese’s hope and confidence in what God would do.

     Jesus tells us in Holy Scripture, “Unless you become a little child, you cannot enter the Kingdom of God.” Our God is depending on us becoming little and realizing how very much we depend upon Him – even for the grace to be able to love Him.

     Becoming a little child does not mean acting childishly, having tempter tantrums when things do not go as we expect, sulking, defiance, or destroying things.

     “Therese’s child” can accept disappointments, failures, unmet expectations, and unkind treatment from others. Although her child feels sad when these events occur, because they have been transformed by God’s consuming love, they run tearfully into His open arms. After sharing their hurts and feelings with our dear sweet Jesus, contentment fills their hearts. They realize the love that God has for them, despite the pain they are experiencing and are able to accept, the love God has to offer.

     When we become a victim of His love, and allow this operation to consume and transform us, we will begin to move in the freedom of accepting God’s will in our lives.  As a “Therese child,” recognizing our helplessness and dependence on God’s grace, we come to know the peace that only Jesus can give.

     Perhaps we should ask Saint Therese, whose feast we celebrate tomorrow, October 1, to intercede for us as we struggle to become His victim of love.