Holy Simplicity: The Little Way of Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day & Therese of Lisieux

Mother Teresa, Dorothy Day, and Thérèse of Lisieux were Catholic women whose lives demonstrate the "little way" to sanctity. "Little things, even the least, hold the power of big things, for in them God reveals his presence," writes Schorn. Practices underlying the holiness of Mother Teresa, Dorothy, and Thérèse include doing small things with love; responding with love to the ordinary activities and encounters of everyday life; redefining success and failure; and coping with suffering and sacrifices in daily life. The book is divided into 12 chapters, each focusing on a particular aspect of the faith and work of all three women. The author elaborates on the saints' personal stories to help readers understand ways we might emulate their holiness. All began their ministries in "hidden places," a convent for Thérèse, slums for Mother Teresa, and inner-city store fronts for Dorothy Day. All relied on prayer for strength and inspiration. All rejected wealth, possession, and status, and all embraced suffering as they worked to alleviate it in others. Their vocations were made up of serving little ones, Schorn writes. "Doing small everyday acts of faith, hope and love over and over again; pouring love and devotion in everything they did...seeing the connection between the ordinary activities of life and the presence of God."