Challenged and haunted by a verse from the Letter of Paul to the community in Thessalonica (1 Thessalonians 5:17), an anonymous pilgrim, following the advice of a wise spiritual teacher, succeeded to pray without ceasing by continually repeating a brief statement of his faith captured in a single, simple phrase along the lines of: “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, Savior, have mercy on me a sinner.” After years of non-stop repetition the pilgrim found that this prayer had taken up residence inside him and unceasingly prayed itself day and night as a reverberation of his very breathing.
Therese of Lisieux, barely more than a child, had a fiercely passionate heart for all things related to God. She dreamed of being a great missionary bringing the Good News to the farthest corners of the world. Limited by her fragile constitution, she devised a “Little Way” to transform herself and the people around her. This Little Way consisted of seemingly insignificant actions, gestures of kindness, presence to and awareness of others – putting aside her own comfort and convenience – especially when she felt least inclined to do so. Therese just tried to treat all others well.
These are only two of countless examples of how to discover and implement a spirituality within our own lives – whatever our temperament and the circumstances that make up our day to day. Be carefully attentive to God, to others, to our selves, to all creation, and act accordingly.