Of Fathers And Mothers

Last night the Holy Father completed another successful apostolic visit, this time to Mexico and Cuba.   I was watching the farewell ceremony last night on EWTN (of course!).   It was spilling rain, so the ceremony took place inside the terminal building.  No matter where he goes, Benedict charms the socks off people - not something he plans to do, they just see him as he is and realise that here we have a good and holy man, his gracious simplicity touches people's hearts. 

This is one of the reasons why he should visit Ireland - actually seeing and meeting Pope Benedict will help undermine the dreadful image the media have created in their hatred of him (I use that word intentionally).  As in every other visit to countries where the Church has been ravaged by child abuse, Benedict would meet victims, usually out of the media spotlight, and listen to their stories.   Not only does this give the Pope a good idea of the problem in a particular local church, but also gives victims an opportunity to be heard by the Pope, and to hear what he has to say.  From previous encounters victims have been touched by such meetings and found great healing. 

As for a Papal visit during the Eucharistic Congress, which is definitely ruled out at this stage, I do not believe it would be a good idea for a number of reasons, hence I did not support any petition or call for the Pope to come.

Watching the farewell ceremony and clips of other ceremonies, I see that the Pope is slowing down - but then you expect that for a man of 85.  He used a walking stick as he boarded the plane in Rome, and this has led to all sorts of speculation, and that one glaring question which excites the hearts of journalists everywhere: "Will he resign?"

I agree with William Oddie of the Catholic Herald - I do not think he will abdicate, I think the existence of two popes will lead to problems, confusion, and perhaps even crisis.   I know we have had popes abdicating in the past - the case of Pope St Celestine V is well known, so too the abdication of Pope Gregory XII as a means of ending the Great Western Schism.  But I think, given that they are exceptions, a pope should remain in office until his death.

Why?  you might ask.  There are a number of reasons, which Oddie mentions in his article, but I also believe the office of pope is different to that of other bishops: it incorporates universal fatherhood (Pope comes from papa (Latin) and pappas (Greek) a child's title for father), and as the father in the Church he embraces a call which is much deeper than a mere ecclesiastical office.   Blessed John Paul II understood that, and so said that there was no room for a pope emeritus, just as none of us will have a father emeritus.  

Perhaps that all too sentimental.  Some may say, well, what will happen, and it may happen given advances in technology, that a pope becomes incapacitated, develops Alzheimer's for example, what do we do then?  That is a difficult question, and as Oddie suggests, we should pray it never happens.  But what if it does?  Well, then there will be a serious problem, because then the pope cannot abdicate - according to canon law if a pope abdicates, it must be done freely - if he has Alzheimer's, he may not have the capacity to fulfill this requirement.  Can he then be deposed?  That will lead to more problems.

Anyway, lest we drive ourselves nuts with all this, perhaps our efforts are best employed praying for our Holy Father that God will give him the strength to fulfill his office and when the time comes, to take him home quickly to the "house of the Father".   In the meantime, we give thanks for the life, example and teaching of the gentle Pontiff, Benedict XVI: for his wise heart, fatherly love and tender concern for the flock that is in his charge.  Say whatever you like about what people perceive to be "mistakes", we should not doubt that he honestly seeks to serve God and his people faithfully even until death, and wants the best for every man and woman on this earth: life with Christ and eternal salvation. 

As for his successor; instead of speculating on who he will be, we leave it in the hands of the Holy Spirit who is already preparing him for his office.  We may just pray for him that the Lord will make his heart big enough to hold within it all the children of God.

I discovered a new Blessed a few days ago - I noticed her beatification last year, but did not research her.  A brief biography appeared in the Magnificat a few days ago: Blessed Maria Serafina of the Sacred Heart.  Dom Mark Kirby, who is staying with me, filled in the details: he was present at her beatification because it took place in his ancestral town in Italy. He has a lovely introduction to her life on his blog. 

Blessed Maria Serafina was some lady - she was trying to follow God's call for years, facing many difficulties and yet remaining faithful.  God called her to found, and eventually cleared the way for the beginning of her new congregation, the Sisters of the Angels.  I am told that these sisters are still faithful to the way of their foundress and they have that wonderful sense of motherhood which is really at the heart of consecrated sisterhood.  When nuns and religious sisters see themselves as mothers, then they are on to a winner.  A true nun or sister will be a mother to those she meets.  When growing up in Clara, we had many such sisters in the convent.  The Sisters of Mercy had a house in our town, and among them were some wonderful motherly sisters - there were others too, as you expect in a fallen world.   But I was always impressed by the motherly ones.

Anyway, back to Blessed Maria Serafina - for her struggles and endurance, and her devotion to God's will, she should really be the patron saint of those struggling to discern or fulfil their vocation (perhaps also of orthodox seminarians in liberal seminaries!).  The motherly care and intercession of Blessed Maria Serafina might help those who need some sign from God to help them presevere.

And finally, as a Carmelite I cannot ignore this article: Joseph Pearce writes about the man who save the original autograph of the writings of St John of the Cross during the Spanish Civil War.   Roy Campbell is well known for his translations of St John's poems, during the persecution of Catholics, he was entrusted with the care of the papers to save them from the Republicans.  It was the Discalced Friars of Toledo who entrusted the manuscripts to him: a number of these friars were martyred by the Republicans, and they have since been beatified - one of my favourite beati among them, Blessed Hermilo of St Eliseo - I keep his picture here beside me on my desk. 

This story is a wonderful tale of heroism, well worth reading.  It is also another reminder that the Spanish Civil War was not as simple as the leftists like to make out.  As we constantly hear only one side of the story - the Republicans, the story of the innocent Catholics - men, women and children - tens of thousands of them, were murdered by the Republicans simply because they were Catholics.  The media ignores their stories while holding up for public veneration the very men and women who slaughtered them.

Juan de la Cruz

Today the Carmelite Order celebrates the Solemnity of St John the Cross, co-reformer with St Teresa, and Doctor of the Church.  St John is famous for his Dark Night of the Soul, and this has coloured many people's view of him.  I remember talking to a religious about him but the sister was not too keen to engage: "He's very dark", she said, "All Dark Night".   I suppose I could not blame her, when a theologian is taught as if he is a one trick pony, the richness of his theological teaching is not apparent or well known.  John is much more than the Dark Night: he is also the Living Flame of Love and the beautifully amorous Spiritual Canticle.  He has not been taught well.  If we look at his biggest fan, for example - St Therese of Lisieux, we realise there is more to him than misery.

If you are looking for a good introduction to St John, to ease you into his work, go to Ralph Martin.  He is the author of that wonderful synthesis of the Mystical way, The Fulfilment of All Desire.  Ralph gets St John, and sees the magnificence of his teaching.  During my retreat this year I used a series of Ralph's CDs on St John's theology as my talks and they were a revelation.  Having read St John, Ralph brought new insights and a freshness.  His basic understanding of St John - which is on the ball, is that he plots out the various steps of the spiritual life to help those who want to begin the journey to perfection here and now.  It is a journey, Ralph explains, which we will all have to do either here on earth or, if we are lucky enough to get there - in Purgatory.   The teaching on the two nights (Dark Night) - the night of the senses and the night of the spirit, are part of the journey where God purifies human desires and the soul, and so draw the person closer to union with him. 

Of course all the talk about St John centres on his mystical theology, but what was he like?  Many see him as a remote figure, very serious and distant: a man living on another plane, unable to identify with the ordinary person and their struggles, a mystic far above the ordinariness of life.  Well, nothing could be further from the truth.  Yes, John was quiet and serious, and St Teresa of Avila, who saw his qualities, also saw his faults, the strain of remoteness in his character.  In her inimitable way she worked on him to bring out that beautiful soul. John was sensitive, he loved deeply, and so, I think, he may have taken shelter in his quiet nature.  Gifted with many insights, he took life and faith seriously, and he was hard on himself.  Teresa brought out his humanity, and she was successful.  John was one of those people whom, when you met them, touch your soul and inspire love.  His gentleness and simplicity impress.

Throughout his life, he inspired great loyalty - the sisters of the reform loved him to bits, even if they found him a hard taskmaster at times.   When he was in prison, St Teresa's heart was breaking, and her sisters were praying day and night for his release.  When he finally escaped, it was Discalced sisters who took him in, hid him and nursed him back to health.  This experience would lead to his greatest works, which have allowed us a glimpse into his beautiful soul.

Reading St John, he is very different from St Teresa whose writing reveals her distinctive and lively voice: her work is all personality.  John's is more sedate, but just as powerful.  He is a great teacher, an understanding one and as he explains the mystical way, he does so using images to help us understand, repeating himself a great deal so we get the message. He is all heart as he tries to gently lead the soul on the path of holiness to union with God.  No wonder little St Therese fell in love with him: he was, in fact, the one writer she could identify with - it was his teaching which helped her understand where she was, and proved to be a great consolation in her trial of faith.  Another great saint who found St John's writings to be a great help in life was Pope John Paul II who wrote his doctoral thesis on St John of the Cross's teaching on faith.  In these days as many struggle faith, and many are looking for God, St John points us to the path which leads into the Heart of Christ to find therein, the invitation to a union of souls.

La Madre

First of all, thank you for your prayers.  The Mass went very well last night. There was a good crowd, all gathered to honour St Therese.  The ceremonies began with the Rosary, followed by Mass, then Adoration and then blessing with the relics of St Therese and her parents, Blesseds Louis and Zelie.  As I have said before, these devotions do so much for the faith - not only of the people, but of us priests too.

The Mass celebrated was that of the great St Teresa, whose feast it is today.  For us Carmelites, today is a Solemnity, having begun at dusk yesterday evening.  I say us Carmelites because, while I am a diocesan priest, I am also a Secular Discalced Carmelite (or Third Order as it used to be known).  This means that, in reality, I am a member of the Discalced Carmelite Order by my profession, but also a priest of the diocese of Meath.  Sounds confusing - not really: diocesan priests are permitted in canon law to join Third Orders.  One of the ways I like to clarify it is by thinking: in life I am priest in Meath; when I get to heaven (that should  be an "if", a big IF), I'll be in the Carmelite crowd, all going well.  I'm hoping to elbow my way in between St Therese and Blessed Hermilo of St Eliseus (Spanish Civil War martyr) - I'm trying to bribe them to get me into heaven somehow, but their price is very high - love.  I do my best, but most of time I know I don't meet the rent!  But I'm trying.  This year is important for me because I am preparing for my final profession on the 18th December, or Definitive Profession as it is called. 

So today is a big feast.  St Teresa is one of those saints you fall in love with immediately.  Her personality shines through her work as does her holiness and love of God.  If you have never read her, make a resolution to do so.  The best book to begin with is her autobiography.  If you find it difficult, keep going, it's worth it: she'll just jump out at you. 

Teresa was not always a saint. In her childhood she showed great signs of it, but then she blew it.  She entered the convent out of fear for her soul, but then proceeded to waste twenty years, dodging prayer, for the best of intentions, or so she thought.  It took two conversions and a serious illness to call her to her senses and bring her back on track.  So Teresa can identify with all the problems we face in the spiritual life, and can guide us along the path to union with God.   Her works detail this path, but with great simplicity and lots of digressions which actually reveal her personality and help endear her to you.  She writes very differently from St John of the Cross with whom she is most often compared: same theology, same spirituality, but different way of exploring and expressing it. 

One thing I love about her is her ingenious way of getting around people - a God-given gift which, it seems, most of the founders in the Church had: Blessed Teresa of Calcutta had it.  When she was setting up the first house of the reform of Carmel, San Jose in Avila, Teresa faced many difficulties, including a superior who was caught between her and those objecting to the reform.  Teresa was obedient in all she did, but recruited others to do the work for her, so when permission was given, she was ready to fly like a dove into the new house.  Later in life she was brought back to her original convent to reform that.  The nuns in the convent rebelled, and there was ructions in the house.  Teresa arrived at the door to find it locked and the nuns barricading themselves in.  Teresa just sat quietly outside until negotiations were over and the door, reluctantly opened.  With her charm and charity, Teresa proposed a solution: sitting on a stool, she had a statue of Our Lady placed in the Prioress' chair: until peace was restored and hearts won over, Our Lady would be prioress.  Teresa won hearts, she brought St John of the Cross as confessor, and that convent became one of her great supporters and one of the flagships of the reform.

Prayer: O Holy Mother St Teresa, in these difficult times in the Church, obtain from the Lord for us those graces he granted you: love, patience, charity, tact and a thick skin.  Like you, may we sing of his mercies for all generations to hear.

St Teresa, patroness of reform and spiritual renewal, pray for us.

Happy feast day!  We're having partridge tonight!