Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today Happy feast day to all Deacons, Seminarians, Priests, Cardinals, Bishops, Monks, Nuns, Religious Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus. Happy feast day to all named Teresa and parents of all named Teresa Happy feast day to all named Benedicta and parents of all named Benedicta Happy feast day to all named Edith and parents of all named Edith Happy feast day to all Virgins and Parents of all Virgins Happy feast day to all who search for the TRUTH and are privileged to find it in the Roman Catholic Church regardless of the challenges the Church faces in our world today. Happy feast day to all converts to the Catholic Faith and all who accept the Catholic doctrines and Her teachings Happy feast day to all clerics of the Carmelite Order popularly known as Carmelites Happy feast day to all devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and all who are privileged to wear Her Holy Scapular most worthily. Happy feast day to all Children of Mary and all who recite Her Holy Rosary in Her honour with true devotion Happy feast day to all martyrs Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today (9th of August) marks the Feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross She is also known as Saint Edith Stein She is often referred to as : The woman who defeated Hitler! Catholic History tells us that she was a German Catholic philosopher and nun She is regarded as a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church She was born October 12, 1891, at Breslaw, Germany (now Wroclaw, Poland) Her name at birth was Edith Stein History confirms that she was born into an observant Jewish family Edith Stein was the Youngest of seven children She later became an atheist by her teenage years She did not believe that there was life after death neither did she believe that there is a God She lost interest and faith in Judaism by age 13. From her earliest years, Edith Stein showed a great aptitude for learning, and by the time of the outbreak of World War I, she had studied philology and philosophy at the universities of Breslau and Goettingen. She was a brilliant student and philosopher with an interest in phenomenology After the war, she resumed her higher studies at the University of Freiburg and earned her doctorate in philosophy in 1916 at age 25. Edith later became the assistant and collaborator of Professor Husserl, the famous founder of phenomenology, who greatly appreciated her brilliant mind. In the midst of all her studies, Edith Stein was searching not only for the truth, but for Truth itself and she found both in the Catholic Church! Edith witnessed the strength of the faith of her Catholic friends and this led her to an interest in Catholicism, which led to studying a catechism on her own, which led to reading herself into the Faith. While Edith Stein had earlier contacts with Catholicism, it was her reading of the autobiography of the mystic Saint Teresa of Ávila on a holiday in Göttingen in 1921 that caused her conversion. Edith converted to Catholicism in Cologne, Germany She was baptized into the Catholic Church in the cathedral church on New Year’s Day, 1st of January 1922. After her conversion, Edith spent her days teaching, lecturing, writing and translating, and she soon became known as a celebrated philosopher and author, but her own great longing was for the solitude and contemplation of Carmel (Our Lady of the Scapular), in which she could offer herself to God for her people. Saint Edith was received into the Discalced Carmelite Order as a postulant at the monastery of Saint Maria vom Frieden (Our Lady of Peace) at Cologne in 1934 The following April, Edith received the Habit of Carmel and the religious name of Teresia Benedicta ac Cruce, (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) On Easter Sunday, 21 April 1935, she made her Profession of Vows. She was a teacher in the Dominican school in Speyer, and lecturer at the Educational Institute in Munich. However, anti-Jewish pressure from the Nazis forced her to resign both positions. Edith now known as Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was a profound spiritual writer. She translated Saint Thomas Aquinas De Veritate (On Truth) into German and familiarized herself with Catholic philosophy in general On the night of 31 December 1938 she was smuggled out of Germany and secretly crossed the border into Holland where she was warmly received in the Carmel of Echt. There she wrote her last work, The Science of the Cross. Her testament of June 6, 1939 states, I beg the Lord to take my life and my death … for all concerns of the sacred hearts of Jesus and Mary and the holy church, especially for the preservation of our holy order, in particular the Carmelite monasteries of Cologne and Echt, as atonement for the unbelief of the Jewish People and that the Lord will be received by his own people and his kingdom shall come in glory, for the salvation of Germany and the peace of the world, at last for my loved ones, living or dead, and for all God gave to me: that none of them shall go astray. --------------------------------------------------------------- Catholic History confirms to us that when the Nazis invaded Holland, she and her sister Rose who was also a convert to Catholicism, were captured and taken from the Echt Carmel on 2 August 1942, and transported by cattle train to the death camp of Auschwitz, the conditions in the box cars being so inhuman that many died or went insane on the four day trip They were both martyred and died in the ovens of the Auschwitz concentration camp like so many others. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was gassed and martyred in the gas chamber on the 9th of August 1942, in the ovens of the Auschwitz concentration camp Catholic History confirms that she died at the age of 50. We no longer seek her on earth, but with God Who accepted her sacrifice and will give its fruit to the people for whom she prayed, suffered, and died. In her own words, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross tells us: Once can only learn the science of the Cross by feeling the Cross in one’s own person. We can say that in the fullest sense of the word, Sister Teresa was Benedicta a Cruce meaning “blessed by the Cross”. The miracle which was the basis for her canonization was the cure of Teresa Benedicta McCarthy, a little girl who had swallowed a large amount of paracetamol (acetaminophen), which causes hepatic necrosis. Her father immediately rounded up relatives and prayed for Saint Edith Steins intercession. Shortly thereafter the nurses in the intensive care unit saw her sit up completely healthy. Dr. Ronald Kleinman, a pediatric specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston who treated little Teresa Benedicta, testified about her recovery to Church tribunals, stating I was willing to say that it was miraculous. Little Teresa Benedicta later attended Sister Teresia Benedictas canonization ceremony in the Vatican Sister Teresia Benedicta was beatified and given the decree of heroic virtues and declared as Blessed Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, on the 1st of May 1987, in the cathedral at Cologne, Germany by Pope Blessed John Paul II (who was the 264th Bishop of Rome of the Catholic Church since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Blessed Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, was canonized and pronounced as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross on the 11thof October 1998 by Pope Blessed John Paul II (who was the 264th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) Quote of the Day (Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) tells us: God is there in these moments of rest and can give us in a single instant exactly what we need. Then the rest of the day can take its course, under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace. O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace. Learn from the little Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, to depend on God alone and serve Him with a wholly pure and detached heart. Then, like her, you will be able to say ‘I do not regret that I have given myself up to Love’. ---------------------------------------------------------------- Words of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross: Whatever did not fit in with my plan did lie within the plan of God. I have an ever deeper and firmer belief that nothing is merely an accident when seen in the light of God, that my whole life down to the smallest details has been marked out for me in the plan of Divine Providence and has a completely coherent meaning in Gods all-seeing eyes. And so I am beginning to rejoice in the light of glory wherein this meaning will be unveiled to me. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ---------------------------------------------------------------- And when night comes, and you look back over the day and see how fragmentary everything has been, and how much you planned that has gone undone, and all the reasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed: just take everything exactly as it is, put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him. Then you will be able to rest in Him -- really rest -- and start the next day as a new life. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ---------------------------------------------------------------- Learn from Saint Thérèse to depend on God alone and serve Him with a wholly pure and detached heart. Then, like her, you will be able to say ‘I do not regret that I have given myself up to Love’. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ---------------------------------------------------------------- Reflection of the Day: On Love, Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as Saint Edith Stein tells us: As for what concerns our relations with our fellow men, the anguish in our neighbors soul must break all precept. All that we do is a means to an end, but love is an end in itself, because God is love. On the question of relating to our fellowman - our neighbors spiritual need transcends every commandment. Everything else we do is a means to an end. But love is an end already, since God is love. -Saint Edith Stein ---------------------------------------------------------------- On Church and prayer, she tells us: Every true prayer is a prayer of the Church; by means of that prayer the Church prays, since it is the Holy Spirit living in the Church, Who in every single soul prays in us with unspeakable groanings. –Saint Edith Stein ---------------------------------------------------------------- The limitless loving devotion to God, and the gift God makes of Himself to you, are the highest elevation of which the heart is capable; it is the highest degree of prayer. The souls that have reached this point are truly the heart of the Church. -Saint Edith Stein ---------------------------------------------------------------- On Prayer, she says: My longing for truth was a single prayer. ---------------------------------------------------------------- On Evangelization, she tells us: If anyone comes to me, I want to lead them to Him. ---------------------------------------------------------------- On Man as the image of God, she tells us that: In order to be an image of God, the spirit must turn to what is eternal, hold it in spirit, keep it in memory, and by loving it, embrace it in the will. -Saint Edith Stein ---------------------------------------------------------------- On the Dignity of a woman, she tells us that: One could say that in case of need, every normal and healthy woman is able to hold a position. And there is no profession which cannot be practiced by a woman. -Saint Edith Stein ---------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray, Oh Saint Edith Stein, holy martyr, philosopher of truth, defender of the human person against the evils of this age, please enlighten our minds, illumine our hearts, fill our lives with the passion of your love for the Cross. Amen. ---------------------------------------------------------------- A poem by Edith Stein: 1.Who are you, sweet light, that fills me And illumines the darkness of my heart? You lead me like a mothers hand, And should you let go of me, I would not know how to take another step. You are the space That embraces my being and buries it in yourself. Away from you it sinks into the abyss Of nothingness, from which you raised it to the light. You, nearer to me than I to myself And more interior than my most interior And still impalpable and intangible And beyond any name: Holy Spirit eternal love! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 2. Are you not the sweet manna That from the Sons heart Overflows into my heart, The food of angels and the blessed? He who raised himself from death to life, He has also awakened me to new life >From the sleep of death. And he gives me new life from day to day, And at some time his fullness is to stream through me, Life of your life indeed, you yourself: Holy Spirit eternal life! --------------------------------------------------------------- 3. Are you the ray That flashes down from the eternal Judges throne And breaks into the night of the soul That had never known itself? Mercifully relentlessly It penetrates hidden folds. Alarmed at seeing itself, The self makes space for holy fear, The beginning of that wisdom That comes from on high And anchors us firmly in the heights, Your action, That creates us anew: Holy Spirit ray that penetrates everything! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 4. Are you the spirits fullness and the power By which the Lamb releases the seal Of Gods eternal decree? Driven by you The messengers of judgement ride through the world And separate with a sharp sword The kingdom of light from the kingdom of night. Then heaven becomes new and new the earth, And all finds its proper place Through your breath: Holy Spirit victorious power! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 5. Are you the master who builds the eternal cathedral, Which towers from the earth through the heavens? Animated by you, the columns are raised high And stand immovably firm. Marked with the eternal name of God, They stretch up to the light, Bearing the dome, Which crowns the holy cathedral, Your work that encircles the world: Holy Spirit Gods molding hand! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 6. Are you the one who created the unclouded mirror Next to the Almightys throne, Like a crystal sea, In which Divinity lovingly looks at itself? You bend over the fairest work of your creation, And radiantly your own gaze Is illumined in return. And of all creatures the pure beauty Is joined in one in the dear form Of the Virgin, your immaculate bride: Holy Spirit Creator of all! ---------------------------------------------------------------- 7.Are you the sweet song of love And of holy awe That eternally resounds around the triune throne, That weds in itself the clear chimes of each and every being? The harmony, That joins together the members to the Head, In which each one Finds the mysterious meaning of his being blessed And joyously surges forth, Freely dissolved in your surging: Holy Spirit eternal jubilation! Let us Pray (Oremus): God our Father, You give us joy each year in honoring the memory of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. May her prayers be a source of help for us, and may her example of courage and chastity be our inspiration, we humbly ask this through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, is one of the six patron saints of Europe, together with Saint Benedict of Nursia, Saints Cyril and Methodius, Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Catherine of Siena. Let us pray Lord, God of our fathers, you brought Saint Teresa Benedicta to the fullness of the science of the cross at the hour of her martyrdom. Fill us with that same knowledge; and, through her intercession, allow us always to seek after you, the supreme truth, and to remain faithful until death to the covenant of love ratified in the blood of your Son for the salvation of all men and women. We ask this through Christ, our Lord. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------------ Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, is also the Patron Saint of all who have lost of parents She is the Patron Saint of martyrs She is also the Patron Saint of the World Youth Day. --------------------------------------------------------------- Let us pray that by the works, spiritual direction, spiritual maturity, intercession and martyrdom of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen Summary of the life history, works and martyrdom of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross can be viewed by clicking the photo of the martyr in our groups photo section Saint of the day, would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and other Saints before and after her and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your heart’s desire. Amen Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, pray for us. Amen To watch a short video on the life and martyrdom of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross Please click on the links below: youtube/watch?v=wYdFmOqO0L8 youtube/watch?v=25aP_3iihxQ&feature=player_embedded. For a Homily on Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, please click on the link below: fatherryanssundaysermons.blogspot/2011/08/st-teresa-benedicta-of-cross-woman-who.html
Posted on: Sat, 09 Aug 2014 12:21:16 +0000
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