St. Therese of Lisieux: The Little Way of Charity and Karma Yoga
You can be an everyday saint.
I am always filled with such admiration for the work that people do. And I suppose, at times, it makes me feel just a little inadequate. I run across so many inspiring people every day, confident people, driven people, accomplished people from all walks of life, in business and in church or even at the grocery store. It blows my mind how little I have done in my life, and yet how hard I have tried to live by sincere faith. Life is hard, isn’t it? And to live a true life in this material world is very hard indeed. But it is a joy. To live spiritually is a joy.
Thinking of my own limitations, it’s hard to imagine that God would have any use for me at all. And yet, I think as servants to the divine, or students of spirituality, there is a great sense of Glory within us. We want to shake the world, because our Great Mother is always kind of “shaking the world,” isn’t She?
We can talk about God’s peace, but there is another aspect of experiencing the Spirit, which is “the glory.” The fire. The passion. This desire to do great things, courageous things, impossible things, all for the glory of God. Because the Spirit of Life is not a dead, nihilistic nothingness — it is not some scientific principle or abstract concept to be studied under a microscope–but it is a Self. It is Alive far beyond our comprehension of Life, as we experience in our limited, imperfect bodies. The heart of the Universe is full of passion and vigor. It wants to create. It wants to be challenged to grow and overcome. And so as we grow in our spiritual purity, so this sense of glory rises within us. The Vedanta saint, Swami Vivekenanda, was full of this essential fire and heroism. Without this passion, serving becomes rather fruitless. But with this passion, serving becomes the whole fruit.
These souls are very inspiring, but sometimes, their greatness can seem out of reach. In some ways, as spiritual servants, especially when we’re first starting out, we can feel very inadequate. What are my gifts in comparison to these incredible servants that have come to ignite the world, who have martyred themselves in the pursuit of Justice? Souls who have inspired civilizations; brilliant minds who have written books that define our culture and spiritual life. What good can I do as a little servant, or as someone who is just starting out, who is still discovering this desire to serve?
I don’t know if you have heard of St. Therese of Lisieux, but I am a big fan. She is a relatively modern Catholic saint who died at the age of 24 on September 30th, 1897, about a hundred years ago. Her nickname is The Little Flower. She lived as a cloistered nun in a Carmelite monastery in France. Thérèse felt an early call to religious life and, after overcoming various obstacles, in 1888, at the early age of 15, she became a nun and joined two of her elder sisters in the cloistered Carmelite community of Lisieux, Normandy. Her life and spiritual wisdom is documented firsthand in her diary, which has become a popular book, The Story of a Soul. Thérèse died at the age of 24 from tuberculosis.
Now, Therese didn’t live a long life, and she wasn’t given a chance to do “great things,” as we might consider them. Yet her spiritual wisdom was very great. In her famous book, Story of a Soul, she speaks of the “little way” of Charity. Now, we are all familiar with the word, “charity.” If you’re like me, then we immediately think of donating money to a Church or an organization. But Charity is not only “giving material things away.” It is an attitude and an approach to life that is grounded in service. It is sanctifying the little things we do, by turning everything we do, every small, everyday, mundane, simple thing, into an act of love. Living by Charity is living in service to others, and perhaps most importantly, being charitable to ourselves as well. And this is a spiritual path to Enlightenment, Salvation or Union with God.
I think in today’s world of grandiose thinking, superhero movies, and this burden of immense expectation placed upon us by society, this message from God’s “Little Flower” is more important than ever. You don’t need to engage in battle or save the world with superpowers to live a meaningful life. In fact, you can be a small, everyday saint. It is a very good way to live, and very blessed path, to practice this “little way.” I consider St. Therese to be my patron saint and a great inspiration in my life. And I hope her “little way” can inspire you, too.
If we are serious about service, or Karma Yoga in hinduism, or the concept of Merit in Buddhism, the following excerpt is from St. Therese’s famous book, “The Story of a Soul.” It is a Catholic perspective on the attitude of Charity. Service is not just about doing good works, after all. That would be far too externalized. It is about softening our heart toward ourselves and others through the practice of compassion and humility. Here is St. Therese of Lisieux’s perspective, how Charity can help us find self acceptance for our own imperfections while doing spiritual work, while serving others as well:
Isn’t that cute? Hearing Therese struggle to have patience for her Sisters and perfect her spirit through selflessness, even in the smallest everyday way, is admirable. This is how we give away the ego and become less of ourselves, while God’s spirit grows in us day by day. Little Therese contented herself in this humble path of self restraint and charity, and this is the true heart of karma yoga.
As spiritual servants, we at times feel a great sense of glory and desire for God, yet due to the grandiose thinking of our culture and modern times, we forget that spiritual glory is found in the simplest things. It is found in a word of compassion to a friend. It is found in remembering someone’s birthday. It is found in having grace for a very stressful person or situation. Being kind to those who show bitterness toward us. Pausing to give a dog a bowl of water. Having a moment of gratitude. Singing a song with God in our hearts. The “little way” is pursuing God’s glory in the simple everyday things that we do for each other, and small internal acts of gentling our spirit and showing self restraint. Not everyone needs to shake the world. And in truth, it is more important that we do these small everyday things than one big exciting thing that will soon be forgotten. Our spiritual lives are really a long, slow, unacknowledged culmination of small acts of kindness, as we learn to walk with God with pure intention. But God sees. And God acknowledges.
We should be careful of our spiritual fervor. These feeling of urgency and grandiosity are often manipulated, and a good heart can be deceived and misled down a path that is ultimately self-deluded and self-serving. This is why having a healthy sense of humility is so very important to spiritual practice, especially towards the attainment of knowledge and discernment. Ground yourself in small, humble, everyday acts of service. Be content with the work that God has placed before you. This is the Little Way.
One of the richest and most rewarding ways of expressing God’s glory is giving Hope and Encouragement to one another. We think these small efforts mean less than big exciting crusades, because in this materialistic, externalized world, these small acts of big grace are not recognized. They hold no monetary value. They aren’t part of some big movement that people can profit from, and so they are dismissed. But God dwells in your heart, and God does everything with you, and knows the truest intention hidden away in the deepest chambers of your Self. Truly, it is by our intentions that God knows us. And it is by our purest intentions that we come to know God. This is why it’s so important not to be a hypocrite. So consider — one sincere act of grace has more spiritual weight and holds more value to God than a self-serving crusade in the name of righteousness. All of the small ways we follow His will, and the little things we do to encourage, inspire and serve others, culminate in a vast interconnected tapestry of Heavenly glory. If enough people can live this way, then bit by bit, society becomes brighter, gentler, kinder, and we can bring about world peace.
So don’t fear if you don’t feel called to be a warrior for righteousness, and you don’t want to fight the world. You can be an inspirer and a confidante, someone who gives hope and encouragement to your friends or family, someone who guides in a little way. No act of kindness is ever wasted. We all have a place in the Tree of Life, and by serving God in these little everyday moments, we are being a far greater service to the world than someone who blows on a horn, and yet is empty in their principles. We can manifest God’s glory before the eyes of our dearest friends, before the eyes of our closest family, before the eyes of our group or congregation. This is the best way to begin to serve. This is the path of the peacemaker. Those who serve God in this way carry the world. And as Christ says, “Those who would be first among you must come last.” So let us dismiss these grandiose thoughts of crusades and righteousness and superhero powers. Today, let us come last with sincere gratitude to God, and embrace the spirit of devotion and renunciation.
I am not saying, “Have no ambition for God.” I think spiritually, we must have great ambition for God to succeed at our goal of union or Salvation. This road is very hard, and what life demands of us is not easy. Sometimes it can feel like the world has become nothing but obstacles between us and our faith or our principles. This is by design, that the more we come to value sacred things, the less we desire to be part of the world. The steeper the path grows, until we reach that plateau at which all work is finished and we can serve in the highest way. To commit ourselves to such a daunting path, to remain true to our virtues and our principles and embrace a way of life that is righteous and pure and true, we must have great ambition for God. That alone is reason enough for our feelings of glory. But channel such ambition and glory into everyday tasks. If you wish to serve God in a bigger way, if that fire is burning up your bones, then do the small things first. Treat others the way you want to be treated. Commit yourself to a daily sadhana, worship or practice. Renounce more and more things in your life that detract from your calling. Show your commitment through your actions. Cultivate patience. Practice the Little Way.
Waiting is an art, and there is a great lesson in having to wait. Waiting teaches us to relinquish our desires and detach from our expectations. It teaches us to have obedience to Higher Will, to understand that our service is to the world, not ourselves. It is such a gentle way to teach, and such a profound teaching, to be made to wait to receive God’s will and God’s grace. The act of waiting teaches everything there is to know about spiritual service. We must become comfortable with the pace set for us in our life. We must desire very little for ourselves to have this contentment. And in truth, all of the great spiritual teachers had to wait. Jesus had to wait. Muhammad had to wait. Buddha had to wait. Krishna had to wait. They all lived full lives before they came to the altar and manifested the will that God had planted within them. And this is because waiting is a spiritual art. It shows us, with time, the true mettel of who We are. The true Spirit of sublimation. Even if we must wait a thousand lifetimes, if it is God’s will, then let His will be done.
As humble servants of God, although we are full of Hope for What might come, we cannot place our expectations in the future, but content ourselves with daily practice, worship, and sublimation to God’s will. We can only serve in the capacity that God has called us to serve, without desire for ourselves. And if we have great ambition, it can only be to the fulfillment of God’s will in our lives. This is the Little Way.
It is far more important to have peace with God, and die in a state of peace and contentment with our life of service, than to be full of a zealous fire that is unquenchable and full of delusion. It is the cultivation of inner peace and outer Harmony that is the true pinnacle of spiritual practice. This is what we should all seek to attain first. Once this inner Oasis in the heart has been gained, and that unshakable peace dwells within, only then can we truly focus our minds and commit to this Work.
Some of us are wondering “What is God’s purpose for me? What is God’s plan?” And God’s purpose is always towards Unity and the attainment of that deep oasis of indwelling peace that lives in our heart of hearts. This peace is the Kingdom of Heaven and the Garden of Truth. It is the Tree of Life, the Nirvana, the attaining of the Tao, the Liberation, and the 7th chamber of the Interior Castle. God dwells within you, and once found, this Great Spirit creates Harmony in your life. The goal of our spiritual practice is always towards the attainment of this Union by purifying the heart, that we might know God’s peace and receive His Presence. That is always God’s purpose for us. And only God can know the full spectrum, the depth and width of our heart, who we are, and where we’re at in our spiritual life. So we must trust God’s timing and where God has kept us in our lives, that we are learning and growing in His time.
If God wills it, and if God desires it, then this magnanimous Mother or Father will bring us to that place where full union and divine understanding is granted.
Our desire should be to serve for the sake of service, and not for reward. To do good for the sake of good, for goodness itself is the reward. As divine servants, it is not our place to anticipate or question, it is only our place to listen and to follow the Higher Will. The fruit of our labors belong to the One. He gifts us with the desire, the knowledge and the skills to fulfill the Work, and we gift Him with the fruit. That is the balance of spiritual life. So do not be disheartened by the small, everyday acts of sanctity and Holiness that you do. God dwells within us and does everything with us, so every good act is counted. It is by following the little way that we manifest God’s greatness within us. And that is the life of the small, everyday saint.
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