05/06/2026
“We must never let kindness become weakness. When we have corrected someone with good reason, we must leave it at that, without allowing ourselves to be troubled at having caused pain or at seeing the other suffer and weep. To go back to console her would do more harm than good; we must leave her to herself so that she may turn to God, recognise her faults, and humble herself. Otherwise, if she becomes accustomed to being consoled after a deserved reprimand, she will always act in the same way, like a spoiled child, crying until her mother comes to comfort her.”
St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus
from Letters of St. Thérèse of Lisieux
Love is not always gentle in appearance. Sometimes it speaks a hard truth, and then steps back. St. Thérèse teaches that real charity does not cling to being liked or to easing every hurt feeling. Instead, it seeks the good of the other, even when that good comes through discomfort.
When correction is just, the most loving thing we can do is entrust the rest to God. Growth often begins where consolation ends. In that silence, the soul learns humility, responsibility, and deeper trust in Him.
May we have the courage to love with both tenderness and truth.
