Discovering our own ‘little way of love’

Oct 12, 2024

By Francis Ong
The Parish of St Theresa celebrated the Feast of its patron, St Therese of Lisieux, with a novena followed by a Triduum. The Novena, which began on September 17, drew parishioners to the skyroof beside the Church, where a beautifully adorned statue of St Theresa stood. For an hour each night, the faithful engaged in prayer through listening to Scripture, watching 10-minute segments of a video on St Therese’s life, participating in Taizé chants, silent reflections, the Litany to St Theresa, and offering personal intentions.

Prayers were conducted in both Mandarin and English, with different chapels and ministries leading each night. The video, titled TERESA, was in English with Chinese subtitles. It was truly a grace-filled experience for all involved.

The theme for this year’s Feast Day celebration was The Teachings of St Therese — The Science of Love. Fr Chin Sin Wee, OCD, was the preacher for the Triduum, and the Mass was celebrated in both Chinese and English. Fr Chin emphasised that love is the greatest knowledge of all, noting that St Therese, a Doctor of the Church, expressed this in her only book, The Story of a Soul, where she “majored in love.”

Fr. Chin broke down St Therese’s spiritual teachings into four key lessons for us to follow:

1. The mercy of God
Fr Chin explained that mercy is love, and knowing that God is merciful helps us turn to Him when we make mistakes. St Therese learned early from her father that when we do something wrong, we should say “sorry” and trust that God will forgive us. Fr Chin observed that nowadays, many children hesitate to apologise, and parents often rush to judge or scold without teaching the value of mercy. He reminded everyone. “God is mercy — why aren’t you embracing Him?”


2. God reveals Himself to little children
Fr Chin emphasised that children often have a sincere and pure understanding of God’s love, which adults may overlook. St Therese’s deep faith and closeness to Jesus began in childhood. Parents should not delay teaching their children about faith, as young hearts have a natural openness to God.

3. My vocation is love
Our calling is to return God’s love by loving others. Every day, we owe God love, and we should repay it through our actions. Some may serve the Church but neglect their families and neighbours. Fr Chin stressed that our true vocation is love, both within and outside our homes.

4. The little way — A path to holiness
St Therese taught that God does not ask more of us than we are capable of. If you can love one per cent today, love one per cent. If tomorrow you can love two per cent, then love two per cent. This “Little Way” encourages us to love as much as we can, in small, manageable ways. Fr Chin concluded by highlighting the importance of family life — working together, praying together, and spending time together — so that each of us can discover our own “Little Way of Love.”

This feast day reminded all who attended of the simplicity and power of love, as taught by St Therese.