Episode Transcript  

One

 The Burden of Atlas

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, 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 noisy pride of boasting, 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, health, holiness, shouldering a thousand fears in silence. Our world praises strength and punishes weakness. So we carry more. We reveal less. And the weight crushes us.

Two

Our Modern Condition: Fear, Addiction, and Compulsion

Beneath the surface of modern life runs a hidden current of fear, fear of failure, fear of rejection, fear of losing our wealth or health or outliving our money, fear of being powerless, fear of losing our identity, “I used to be somebody”. 

In the face of this fear, we try to manage by our own strength. Addictions and obsessive-compulsive behaviors are two manifestations of this broken self-reliance. They may look different on the surface, alcohol, drugs, food, pornography, or rituals of checking, cleaning, controlling, exercising, but deep down, they are the same cycle: Fear or inner anxiety arises. Self-reliance tries to fix it. A behavior is chosen to manage the fear (drinking, rituals, compulsions). Temporary relief is felt, but the root fear remains. Fear, guilt, and shame return even stronger. Then the cycle repeats.

Whether a person reaches for a drink to relax or a ritual to feel safe, the pattern is the same: temporary control at the cost of deeper bondage. True freedom doesn’t come from managing life better. It comes by relinquishing the need to control altogether by learning to live in trust, not fear.

If self-reliance enslaves us through fear, what can set us free? Only surrender to God and trust in Him. And no one shows us this better than Therese the Little Flower.

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, “He 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. God alone has been carrying it all the time. You just created the illusion that you were. That is why its weight is crushing you.” 

“But if I let go…” he questions

“If you let go,” she cuts in, “You will see that God alone carries the world. And you are not God. In fact, He is carrying you. You must learn to surrender. Trust Him. Let him be God – so you can just be you.” 

Therese isn’t offering a fantasy. She is offering reality. The illusion is the weight. The reality is God’s Providence. 

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.”

This is not a metaphor of irresponsibility and laziness or passivity, it is the very structure of the Gospel. Jesus said, “Unless you become like little children, you shall not enter the Kingdom of Heaven.” (Matt 18:3) We don’t climb to God by strength. We are carried by trust.

Five

Only the Little Flower can save Atlas

Today, we face a choice: to live like Atlas, bent beneath an unbearable burden, or like Thérèse, carried in the arms of Divine Providence.

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? We live by humility.

God is God, and I am not. He knows everything that is going to happen. He is guiding all things for my greatest good, the good of my loved ones, and the good of the world. I am His son, His daughter. He wants me to have the joy of using my gifts and working with Him for the good of others.

So, begin each day by spending time with God, talking with Him, listening to Him, and just spending time with Him. Then use your intelligence, freedom, passion, and gifts to do whatever good you can. And everything beyond your control? Leave it in His hands. You don’t have to manage that. You don't have to carry the world. You just have to learn to let Him carry you.

But you’ll need to gain evidence that this is true. When the fear of what we can’t control, what we can’t change rises, say, "Jesus, I surrender this to You. You take care of it.” Then pay attention to the way He provides. You’ll discover, little by little, that God is doing His job and you don't have to. Then the fear will subside. The anxiety and pain will fade. And you will have peace, not because you conquered the world, but because you were carried by Jesus, and He already conquered the world. 

Suggested Resolutions:

Choose one resolution for today to help you grow closer to God, or create your own. Here are some ideas to inspire you.

• This week, remind yourself that you don’t have to carry the world. When stress overtakes you, take a step back and pray instead of trying harder and harder to control the situation.

• Sit with the phrase, “God is God, and I am not.” and repeat it whenever you find yourself in a difficult spot.

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