Fr. Joel Guibert: St. Therese Of Lisieux’s Way of Abandonment & Peace

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By Fr. Joel Guibert, Catholic Exchange, Sept. 22, 2021

Ordained a priest in the diocese of Nantes, France, Fr. Guibert is a renowned retreat leader and author of many books on spiritual growth.

This article is from a a chapter in Fr. Guibert’s book, Abandonment to God: The Way of Peace of St. Therese of Lisieux. It is available from Sophia Institute Press.

“Providence” is a word that needs to be given a new meaning because it has been forgotten or caricatured to such an extent. For many people, providence conjures up only a “palliative” for the ends of months that are a little difficult. Just as “irrigation” minimized agricultural wastes, the abundance in our society has finally freed man from believing in God: “Come on, sir, let’s get with it. You are not really going to trust this ‘gentle dreamer’ named Jesus, who asserts that you must not worry about anything, that God takes care of it?”

To turn away from faith in providence, as soon as this word is blurted out, we hasten to caricature it, not in a mean way, but simply by regurgitating the atmosphere of the times we are living in: “Do you still believe in a God who would determine in advance everything that will happen to you, without letting your liberty have any say in it? Do you still believe in a God who seems indifferent to evil and the suffering of men?” The weight of these caricatures certainly assures them of a long career, but if we dare to allow Providence to speak for Himself, we will have some surprises, some good surprises! …

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