A Little, A Lot

Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Readings for the Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Reading 1 Job 19:21-27

Job said:

Pity me, pity me, O you my friends,
for the hand of God has struck me!
Why do you hound me as though you were divine,
and insatiably prey upon me?

Oh, would that my words were written down!
Would that they were inscribed in a record:
That with an iron chisel and with lead
they were cut in the rock forever!
But as for me, I know that my Vindicator lives,
and that he will at last stand forth upon the dust;
Whom I myself shall see:
my own eyes, not another’s, shall behold him,
And from my flesh I shall see God;
my inmost being is consumed with longing.

Responsorial Psalm Psalm 27:7-8a, 8b-9abc, 13-14

R. (13) I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Hear, O LORD, the sound of my call;
have pity on me, and answer me.
Of you my heart speaks; you my glance seeks.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
Your presence, O LORD, I seek.
Hide not your face from me;
do not in anger repel your servant.
You are my helper: cast me not off.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.
I believe that I shall see the bounty of the LORD
in the land of the living.
Wait for the LORD with courage;
be stouthearted, and wait for the LORD.
R. I believe that I shall see the good things of the Lord in the land of the living.

Alleluia Mark 1:15

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The Kingdom of God is at hand;
repent and believe in the Gospel.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Luke 10:1-12

Jesus appointed seventy-two other disciples
whom he sent ahead of him in pairs
to every town and place he intended to visit.
He said to them,
“The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few;
so ask the master of the harvest
to send out laborers for his harvest.
Go on your way;
behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Carry no money bag, no sack, no sandals;
and greet no one along the way.
Into whatever house you enter, first say,
‘Peace to this household.’
If a peaceful person lives there,
your peace will rest on him;
but if not, it will return to you.
Stay in the same house and eat and drink what is offered to you,
for the laborer deserves his payment.
Do not move about from one house to another.
Whatever town you enter and they welcome you,
eat what is set before you,
cure the sick in it and say to them,
‘The Kingdom of God is at hand for you.’
Whatever town you enter and they do not receive you,
go out into the streets and say,
‘The dust of your town that clings to our feet,
even that we shake off against you.’
Yet know this: the Kingdom of God is at hand.
I tell you,
it will be more tolerable for Sodom on that day
than for that town.”

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Lectionary for Mass for Use in the Dioceses of the United States, second typical edition, Copyright © 2001, 1998, 1997, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine; Psalm refrain © 1968, 1981, 1997, International Committee on English in the Liturgy, Inc. All rights reserved. Neither this work nor any part of it may be reproduced, distributed, performed or displayed in any medium, including electronic or digital, without permission in writing from the copyright owner.

October 1, 2026 //Memorial of Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church

Read the Word // Open your Bible to today’s Gospel: Luke 10:1-12

Reflect on the Word //

Years ago, I had the opportunity to visit the little French town of Lisieux. My three daughters, mother, and I rented a car in Paris and made our way northwest through the countryside. Of course, it was all just as you would expect in terms of magical, sacred, and memorable. But what struck me the most was not the grandeur of the cathedral, or the misty woodlands that surely inspired much contemplation and prayer for young Thérèse. What struck me was simply how small it all was. From her childhood home, you can see the cathedral built in her honor, and directly next to the cathedral, is the Carmelite cloistered monastery she called home during her short adult life. It could all probably fit inside of a few big city blocks.

Yet, there it was, this giant of the faith, a Doctor of the Church, clearly called and clearly sent (see Luke 10:2)—to where? To her own backyard, essentially. There she was to contemplate, pray, and record her interior thoughts and longings, dying quite young, all right there, in this little town. To any unknowing eye, this all looks like . . . not much. But we now know how massive a life hers was. In her own little way, in the way God chose, she would change the world, while actually never really going anywhere.

How appropriate today’s Gospel is for her. What an example of how to respond to the call of the Lord to labor in the field, even when we don't understand why or how we could ever make an impact (see Luke 10:2-4). Saint Thérèse’s Little Way, in her little town, led to an extraordinary life because she turned it over to the Master of the Harvest to order and arrange.

Let’s contemplate our own little lives today and how ready we are to turn each moment, each encounter, every task, into a work of love for Him. He is Love. In the smallness of our own kitchens, our carpools, our cubicles—all altars to the Eternal—He can ordain infinite possibilities through our own little ways.

St. Thérèse of Lisieux, pray for us!

Relate to the Lord // Think of a seemingly small aspect of your life that can become a means of extraordinary grace for the world. Ask the Lord to bless it.

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About Blythe Fike

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Blythe Fike is the wife of Kirby and mother of twelve kids in small town SoCal. She firmly believes sanctity is found in the everyday and is trying hard to live that truth, despite her countless fumbles. She enjoys sunshine in heavy doses, good music, and babysitters. She is a contributing author to our children’s devotional prayer book, Rise Up as well as for Blessed Conversations: Gift, a Study on the Eucharist. Find out more about her here.