By Dr. Donald DeMarco, Catholic Exchange, July 26, 2023
Dr. Donald DeMarco is Professor Emeritus, St. Jerome’s University and Adjunct Professor at Holy Apostles College. He is is the author of forty-two books and a former corresponding member of the Pontifical Academy of Life. …
We cannot go wrong by taking the advice of a Doctor of the Church. The one I have in mind is St. Thérèse of Lisieux. A strong and convincing argument for receiving a doctorate is the immense influence she has had on the approach to contemporary holiness. Perhaps more than anyone else, she taught that holiness is for everyone and that it is to be lived in the ups and downs of everyday life.
Pope John Paul II, in a pilgrimage to Lisieux, expressed his deep respect for the saint. In a homily delivered on June 2, 1980, he told his audience that “The ‘little way’ is the way of ‘holy childhood’. In this way, there is something unique, the genius of St. Thérèse of Lisieux. At the same time there is the confirmation and renewal of the most fundamental and most universal truth. What truth of the Gospel message is, in fact, more fundamental and more universal than this one: God is our Father and we are His children.” …
