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At the age of 24, Saint Therese lay on her deathbed holding a crucifix.
Five of her final words were: “My God, I love you!”
That simple gesture of holding a crucifix, telling Jesus she loved him, is key to understanding her spirituality.
Therese believed that no action was extraordinary in itself; what mattered was the love behind it.
For example, the simple gesture of telling Jesus she loved him was more pleasing to God than someone writing a check to charity out of obligation.
It’s not what we do, but why we do it that matters.
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Mother Teresa later adopted this same spirituality.
She spent her life clothing and feeding the poor; caring for the sick and the dying; and washing the wounds of beggars.
Ordinary actions done with extraordinary love, because she saw Christ in every person she met.
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We can do the same.
Engage someone in conversation. Take an extra minute to listen. Pray for those you encounter. Be the first to smile. Forgive those who wrong you.
Ordinary actions that, if done with great love, become extraordinary in the eyes of God.
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Image credits: (1) Artnet (2) Courier-Journal