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“Refresh My Soul With
Trials”
From the Autobiography and Letters of
Venerable Mother Mary Teresa of St. Joseph, Foundress of the
Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus.
“Refresh
My Soul With Trials” are thoughts about our dear Mother
Foundress’ love for suffering that I am submitting to you. It is
fitting in Lent to ponder on Our Lord’s suffering and death and
also on His faithful followers who imitated Him with great love
and zeal. Venerable Mother Mary Teresa of St. Joseph had a deep
love for suffering so much so that she prayed for suffering so
as to be conformable to Jesus in His great love for all mankind.
Reflections on
Suffering Love from the Autobiography and Letters of Mother Mary
Teresa of St. Joseph, Foundress of the Carmelite Sisters of the
Divine Heart of Jesus.
“Refresh My Soul With Trials”
Mother Mary Teresa
of St. Joseph tapped into the source of sacrificial love and
thereby obtained the grace to endure with patience and courage,
all the sufferings that came her way. She viewed suffering in
such a spiritual light that she could say on page 284 in her
autobiography, “It is my vocation to suffer and do penance for
holy Mother the Church and for the freedom of the Church.”
Yes, she always
remained on the vine, firmly attached to the Church she loved,
and that is how she found the strength and courage to accomplish
the holy will of God. Her “faith was her greatest treasure.” (AB
22)
The Cross of Jesus
was the joy, peace and love of her life that she could not bear
to be without it. (AB 191). This is remarkable because the norm
is to fly far from any type of pain. Why did this great Servant
of God consider this her vocation and how could she press the
Cross so close to her heart?
First of all I
would like to bring your attention to the fact that if a person
speaks about a certain topic once we know it must be relevant.
If the topic is brought up repeatedly, it must be something very
significant in that person’s life. She speaks about this topic
so often in her Autobiography and Letters that one can come to
the conclusion that this is very important in her life.
At the death of
her beloved Mother Pauline in February 1874 from pleurisy she
received the great grace to recognize the blessing of suffering
so much so that she began to ask for crosses and sufferings for
her whole life as she states on pages 17 and 22. She did this
because she wanted to become nearer to God.
When one loves,
one desires to be as close as possible to the beloved; to be one
with Him. She was so grafted on the vine that she was one with
God. Her whole desire was to suffer in order to prove her love
for God. (AB 27 and 82).
She joyfully
endured all crosses on myriads of occasions. Many times priests,
bishops and even cardinals misunderstood her and even slandered
her. Her response was always one of complete humility and
obedience, always believing that these trials purified her soul
and that the Carmel of the Divine Heart of Jesus was the work of
God (AB 59 and 113). Her obedient cry was, “The voice of the
Bishop is the voice of God.” (AB 147, 278, 285). Her firm faith
and confidence that God would see His work to completion was
astounding. She stated that “God is and remains Master and Lord.
He carries out His will and designs no matter who opposes it or
works against it.” (AB 202). This was the source of her great
confidence that God’s will would be accomplished as long as she
remained His trusting and obedient instrument.
God did bless her
“unending labors and hardships, which had one purpose, to
glorify God, serve the Church, and save souls.” (AB 208) How
many thousands of people came to know and love the Divine Heart
of Jesus because of her unending zeal for saving souls? She
would follow in the footsteps of her Lord and Master and suffer
and even die for the work that God had entrusted her with. Our
Lord’s sacrificial love for souls was so great that He gave even
His life for them. Dear Mother followed faithfully in His
footsteps with every ounce of her love and strength so that our
Carmel would distribute all these graces through our prayer and
apostolate.
Her love for God
was so great that she wanted to save souls by suffering (AB 192)
Her greatest
longing was to establish a Home for poor children and the
elderly. To dry the tears of the poor was her main goal, for in
serving others, she was serving Christ Himself.
“To gain souls, many souls, for the Divine Heart
always has been and still is my one desire.” (AB 217).
That hundreds of children would come to know and love the
Divine Cross bearer, and receive the grace of baptism filled her
with delight. A rich harvest of souls for God led her to work
all the more for His glory.
[But those
souls that climb upwards, bravely and fearlessly, shunning no
sacrifice, no effort, no cost, whatever the burden, will in the
end find rest in the Lord, and like our holy Mother St. Teresa;
a thousand fold recompense for the suffering and sacrifice
during this time of pilgrimage. Let us not forget: God will not
be surpassed in generosity.”] (Letter - My Yoke is Easy)
 Dear
Mother implores us to embrace and view the value of suffering as
she did, in a spirit of love and sacrifice. Her noble ideals of
sacrificial love fills us with so much admiration that we
joyfully cry, “Mother, we thank you, Mother, we follow you.”
Legend: (AB) =
Quotations are taken from the Autobiography of Mother Mary of
Teresa of St. Joseph.
Suffering:
Romans 12:1
Endure in affliction Romans 12:12
Bless those who persecute you Romans 12:14
Put on the Lord Jesus Christ. Romans 12:
14
Affliction produces endurance – Romans 5:3
Living Sacrifice - Romans: 12: 1
John 15:16 – God chooses us |
