Therese the Little Flower
One
The Burden of Atlas
Today is the feast of Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower. I have to admit, I grew up watching Schwarzenegger movies, idolizing strength, self-confidence and the ability to confront and conquer everything the world could throw at me. Honestly, I could relate to Commando and the Terminator way more than St. Therese the Little Flower, but what teenage boy wants to be a “Little Flower”? To some degree we all want to be strong, confident, successful and above all self-reliant.
In Greek mythology, the Titan Atlas was condemned to carry the weight of the world on his shoulders, muscles straining, head bowed beneath an unbearable weight. Though mythological, Atlas has become a powerful symbol of the modern person weighed down by self-reliance: responsible for everything, overwhelmed, and alone.
Atlas is the icon of pride. Not the strutting, noisy and boasting type of pride, but the silent, deeper pride that says, “It’s all up to me.” He dares not admit that it’s too much. He just tightens his grip and struggles on alone. How many of us live like Atlas? Holding up families, jobs, caregiving and holiness, shouldering a thousand fears in silence. Our world praises strength and punishes weakness. So, we carry more. We reveal less. And the weight is crushing.
Two
Our Modern Condition: Fear, Addiction, and Compulsion
Beneath modern life runs a hidden current of fear, fear of not being enough, fear of failure, fear of losing our health, wealth, power, or identity, thinking, “I used to be somebody.”
In the face of fear, we try to save ourselves. Perfectionism promises worth through achievement, “If I succeed and exceed every expectation, then I will be enough.” Addiction promises escape, “If I numb this feeling, I won’t have to face it.” Compulsion promises certainty and control, “If I perform this ritual, check one more time, or think this through completely, then I will be safe.”
But none of them can deliver what they promise. Instead, they trap us in the same cycle: Fear or anxiety arises. We try to prove ourselves, escape the discomfort, or regain control. For a moment, we feel relief or satisfaction. But it is never enough, so the cycle begins again and the weight gets heavier.
Whether we drive ourselves relentlessly to succeed, numb what we do not want to feel, or perform a ritual to make ourselves feel safe, temporary relief eventually becomes deeper bondage. We feel totally alone, but we shoulder the burden and struggle on.
Three
Therese and the Little Way
St. Therese the Little Flower is the only one who can help the tortured Atlas. I can picture this small, physically frail woman approaching the massive, straining Atlas. She looks up at him and says, “Hey big guy, you don’t have to carry that.”
He glares at her. “If I don’t the whole world will collapse.”
She just smiles, “No, it won’t.”
“You are wrong,” he insists. “I have to carry the world!”
“No,” she says. “You never were carrying the world. God has been carrying it all along. You created the illusion that everything depended on you. That is why the weight is crushing you.”
“But if I let go…” he questions
“If you let go,” she cuts in, “You will see that God carries the world. And you are not God. In fact, He will carry you if you let him.”
Four
The Elevator
Therese writes, “We are living now in an age of inventions, and we no longer have to take the trouble of climbing stairs, for, in the homes of the rich, an elevator has replaced these very successfully. I wanted to find an elevator which would raise me to Jesus, for I am too small to climb the rough stairway of perfection. I searched, then, in the Scriptures for some sign of this elevator, the object of my desires, and I read these words coming from the mouth of Eternal Wisdom: “Whoever is a LITTLE ONE, let him come to me.” And so I succeeded.”
She continues, “The elevator which must raise me to heaven is Your arms, O Jesus! And for this I had no need to grow up, but rather I had to remain little and become this more and more.”
We don’t have to carry the weight of the world. We just have to learn how to be carried by God.
Five
Resolution
Today, we face a choice: to live like Atlas, bent beneath an unbearable burden, or like Thérèse, carried in the arms of God. I don’t know about you, but I am tired of trying to be Atlas. Still, I don’t want to give up or give in. I don't want to be lazy or irresponsible. I want to do something good for the world. I want to use the gifts God has given me.
Like Atlas, you have strengths, gifts, and a mission. So how do we balance total reliance on God with the call to act boldly?
With me right now, let’s be honest, “God, I can’t do everything, manage everything, or fix anyone. I surrender everything to you. Please, Father, pick me up and carry me. Tell me what you want me to do and help me do it.”
Then every time you are overwhelmed, climb back up into the arms of your Father and say, “inspire me and carry me.” See, you don’t have to carry the world. You only have to let Him carry you.