God would not make me wish for something impossible and so, in spite of my littleness, I can aim at being a saint. It is impossible for me to grow bigger, so I put up with myself as I am, with all my countless faults. But I will look for some means of going to heaven by a little way which is very short and very straight, a little way that is quite new… It is your arms, Jesus, which are the elevator to carry me to heaven, And so there is no need for me to grow up. In fact, just the opposite: I must stay little and become less and less.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux
St. Thérèse shows us that holiness is simple and that loving God is not complicated. Simply love in whatever you are doing. Below are some ideas of how to be holy in St. Thérèse’s “little way.”
At Home
- If you have a younger brother or sister, offer to play a game with them
- Make a thank you card for your Mom or Dad, thanking them for everything they do for you and your family
- Say ‘thank you’ to whoever makes your meals
- Pick up your bedroom without being asked and with a cheerful attitude
- Say a prayer for all the members of your family, that God will bless them and help them with whatever they need
At School
- Complete your school assignments on time with a cheerful attitude
- Make a thank you card for your teachers, thanking them for everything they do for you
- Say ‘thank you’ to whoever cleans your school
- If you can, offer to help a classmate or a younger sibling with a school assignment they don’t understand
- Say a prayer for the children in the world who cannot go to school, that they will be able to receive a good education soon
At Your Parish
- Thank your priest for celebrating Mass
- With your Mom or Dad’s permission, pick some flowers and leave them by a statue of Our Lady or another saint
- Make a thank you card for your Religious Education teachers, thanking them for teaching you the faith
- With your Mom or Dad’s permission, bring some canned food to your parish’s food pantry
- Say a prayer for all the members of you parish, that God will bless them and help them with whatever they need
With your friends
- Let one of our friends pick what game or activity you’re going to do
- If you notice that you and your friends are speaking rudely about someone else, change the subject and talk about something different immediately
- Help clean up any messes you and your friends have made after you’re done with an activity
- If you have friends over at your house, make sure to offer them drinks and snacks to make them feel welcome
- Say a prayer for your friends, that God will bless them and help them with whatever they need.
Let us love, since our heart is made for nothing else.
St. Thérèse of Lisieux