“Many who are first will be last, and many who are last will be first.” (Mark 9:35)

Jesus understands the disciples’ quarrels: they wanted to know whomever among them was the eldest; or who would sit on the right or left hand side of the Lord – they only wanted to become the true disciple of Jesus. However, Jesus wished to make it clear that whoever wished to follow Him must bear his own cross.

Furthermore, Jesus uses the concept of ‘first will be last’ to illustrate the attitude that the disciples should have towards others. He once said, “I came, not to be served, but to serve.”. He also said, “The student must not be greater than the Master.” Therefore we must follow Jesus’ footsteps to become a servant of mankind.

If we are a servant of mankind, then each person we meet is a target for our service. Therefore, among our friends we can no longer make a distinction between the lovable and the unlovable; between the respected or the disrespected. “Whoever in my name, attends to a child like this (a commoner), is attending to me.”

St. Teresa of Lisieux was divine by virtue of the fact that she strived to become humble like Jesus. It is what we refer to as The Way of the Divine Infant.