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Today is the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), a Jewish Catholic martyr of the 2oth century.  I am currently reading a book called Edith Stein and Companions on the Way to Auschwitz. I have hardly gotten past the first few pages, actually the first few paragraphs of the Foreward by Fr. Ralph McInerny who died this past January.  I will simply quote them for you to ponder:

Once, in monasteries, religious houses, and seminaries, the Roman Martyrology was read in the refectory before meals.  Each day some of those who had given their lives in witness to the faith were commemorated by name, and often the tortures they underwent were described.  Each day’s entry ended with a sentence beginning “et alibi aliorum plurimorum sanctorum . . . .” And elsewhere many other saints . . . . This tradition continues in some monasteries.

We may feel sad for all the anonymous martyrs gathered into that commodious final sentence, but that would be a mistake.  They are all entered into the Book of Life, and the names of each are known to God.  For all that, it is important for us, not them, that the names and sufferings of some be explicitly known by us.  The saints are put before us as models of the Christian life, and martyrs are the ultimate models.  We need to know more about some of them.

“For all that, it is important for us, not them, that the names and sufferings of some be explicitly known by us.”  A good friend of mine recently came over to our house to borrow some books on martyrs, so that she and her husband could read aloud from them once a week to their children.  She perceives–as did Fr. McInerny–the importance of familiarizing ourselves with those, not much different from us, who have gone before us, braving death for the sake of Christ. Reading their lives can give us courage as well.  One finds that they are pretty much ordinary folks like the rest of us who were simply willing to rely on Christ for what is humanly impossible.  One of my favorite stories is of one of the Ugandan martyrs,I believe.  He was too afraid to face death, but another held out his hand to him and said something to the effect that he would hold his hand and help him.  That scene is, for me, such a visible playing out of the desire of the Holy Spirit, our Helper, who holds out His hand to each of us.  “Be not afraid.”

I have a good friend who said to me years ago when I was going through a rough time: “Gold is gold before it goes into the fire.”  That gave me a lot of hope, because I sure didn’t feel like gold at the moment!

This selection from Amy Carmichael’s Thou Givest . . . They Gather makes a similar point:

Num 31.23 Everything that can stand the fire, you shall pass through the fire, and it shall be clean.

Is it not a tremendous comfort that a test of any sort proves that our God knows the soul can stand the test?  Things that could not stand the fire were to be put into water–a much less fierce test of the stuff of which the thing was made.  Our God is as tender with souls as with things.  He will not put us through the fire unless He knows that we can “stand the fire.”

I’ve never forgotten a saying that hung above our kitchen sink growing up: “I had no shoes and complained . . . until I met a man who had no feet.”  (Hey, moms, those sayings make a difference!)

Any memorable sayings from your family?

If you haven’t had a chance yet to listen to Fr. Ken McKenna’s homily on faith, hope, and love, I’d encourage you to take a few minutes to do so.  You can either find it (and other homilies by him) under “Other Talks” at the “Talks” tab above or just click here.  Then let me know what you think of it.

If you need a smile this Monday morning, pop over to another blog I manage: Catholic Kids Say the Dearest Things. A number of our Sisters are teachers, and they bring home a lot of material for me to post.

You can subscribe to that blog–as well as this one–if you would like upcoming posts to be automatically sent to your e-mail address. Just click on “E-mail Subscription” in the sidebar and fill out the information.

Have a blessed day!

Today’s Sunday-poem by Luci Shaw is a reminder that we can be drawn to God through everything–even unlikely places.  The poem ends with something very though provoking.

Omnipresence

Reminders flicker at us from
odd angles, nor will He be ignored
We sight Him in unlikely places
oaths and dates and empty tombs
God.  His print is everywhere
stamped on the macro and the microcosm
feathers, shells, berries, birds’ bright eyes
Stars, cells speak his diversity
The multiplicity of leaf and light
says God.  Wind sensed
but unseen breathes the old
metaphor again.  Seasons are his
signature.  The double helix
spells his spiral name
Faith summons Him, and doubt
blows only the sheerest skein
of mist across His face.

~Luci Shaw

I will be away from May 8 until May 16.  Dip into some old posts, and I’ll look forward to re-connecting when I return.  God bless!

Sometimes things become clearer about the spiritual life through what children say.  They can help us to both take life less seriously and more seriously.  I’m resurrecting another blog, Catholic Kids Say the Dearest Things, since I recently came across some more material to post.  Check it out if you want to smile.  🙂  (You can also access it from the blogroll in the column to the right.)

A quote for our Lady’s day, today, Saturday:

If you are in danger, she will hasten to free you.  If you are troubled, she will console you.  If you are sick, she will bring you relief.  If you are in need, she will help you.  She does not look to see what kind of person you have been.  She simply comes to a heart that wants to love her.

~Gabriel Possenti