Little Things with Great Love (10/01/2026)

Today is the feast of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. A French Carmelite cloistered nun who died at the age of 24. She is most famous for her “Little Way” in which she stressed the great good that flows from doing “little things with great love.”

I’ve seen it myself as I recognize the good that has come through what many may classify as “little” actions.

v A man uses his time to call on people who are homebound, visiting with them, praying with them, and bringing them communion;

v A woman volunteers two to three afternoons a week at the local resale shop that funds a community school and provides affordable options for people in need of clothing and housewares;

v A woman gives her Monday mornings to pick up food at local markets/shops and deliver it to the city’s food bank;

v A mother who gives her time to teach other people’s children about the LORD as they prepare for their First Communion;

v A man volunteers to act as a crossing guard one evening a week at his parish’s faith formation program to ensure the students safety in the heavy traffic.

These things may be deemed as “little things” by the powers that be and that dominate the global read of notable activity. But they aren’t really “little” because the “great love” with which they are done make them so much more. And that formula of “little things with great love” extends beyond our volunteer lives. In fact, they are most powerful in our homes and neighborhoods.

v A mother makes breakfast for her children daily so she can share valuable time with them in the mornings.

v A neighbor chats with another neighbor who struggles with his memory.

v A friend stops by to check on a friend who is undergoing cancer treatments.

v A father reads to his children daily and tucks them into bed.

These “little things” done for family, done for neighbors, done for friends, they make huge differences, too. It doesn’t have to be for unknown strangers for an action to be great. It can be ordinary things done with extraordinary love.

As we celebrate the feast of St. Thérèse this day, let us make a real effort to do all we do this day, regardless how inconsequential it may seem, with great love.

Until tomorrow, let us all love well.