Mother General's 60th Birthday Celebration
Wednesday, 30 November 2011
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Saturday, 18 June 2011
Mother Eliswa – Personification of Teresian Way
(Dr.) Sr. Sucy, St.Joseph Vidyabhavan
1 Introduction
Carmelites scattered throughout the world are united in Mary with a commitment to serve Christ and his Church. Thus they imitate the Virgin Handmaid of the Lord, who silently walked in the footsteps of her Son and cooperated with him for the salvation of the world, by prayer and a life surrendered to the mystery of salvation. Servant of God Mother Eliswa Vakayil, from her childhood to the end of her age, offered herself at the feet of our Lady and adorned her with white flowers as a symbol of her offering. She was a person who immersed in contemplation for many years and offered fully to the Lord as victim of the divine flame of love. The Lord taught her what is truth and what is eternal. She opted for eternal and sought means to possess the eternal. In the tutelage of the Holy Spirit, she practised detachment, humility and poverty and she became more docile to the Spirit. She was a true visionary of Teresian way. Without a human instructor, she grasped the essentials of Carmelite Way of Life.
2 Mother Eliswa and Prophetic Similarity
The patristic tradition presents Prophet Elijah as the model of monastic religious life. He lived in God’s presence and contemplated His passing by in silence. He interceded for the people and boldly announced God’s will. He defended God’s sovereignty and came to the defence of the poor against the powerful of the world (1Kings 18: 19).
Like the Prophet Elijah, Mother Eliswa contemplated the presence of God and recognized His mysterious plans in her life. She experienced the presence of Our Lady which refreshed her life like a rainfall. Her prayer and contemplative life was a rain of grace for the women of Kerala. Like Prophet Elijah, she went ahead even in emptiness and darkness by experiencing the providence of God. Her painful experiences strengthened her like the cake baked on hot stones which was provided by God to the Prophet Elijah, who went in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights to Horeb, the Mount of God. Mother Eliswa never turned back or was discouraged in the path through which God led her as the pioneer of Consecrated life for women in Kerala. The perseverance of Mother Eliswa amidst the conflicts is an important aspect of her personality. She grasped the meaning of the admonition of Jesus, “No one who puts a hand to the plough and looks back is fit for the kingdom of God”(Lk: 9, 62). Besides the similarity of her name with Prophets Elijah and Elisha, her courageousness and total dedication also was similar to that of Prophets Elijah and Elisha.
Prophet Elijah replied to God, “I have been very zealous for the Lord, the God of hosts” (1 Kings 19: 10). In the stillness of her heart, Mother Eliswa also felt such a divine restlessness and she said to her own brother Fr. Louis TOCD that she was experiencing an internal stirring of heart in which she felt that something was being asked of her.
3 TOCD for Women and St. Teresa of Avila
The TOCD Congregation for women is a tributary of the reformed Order of St. Teresa of Avila. The connection between St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila Koonammau Church
The first convent of the TOCD Congregation was named St. Teresa’s Convent. On June 13, When Fr. Leopold laid the foundation stone, he kept some medals of St. Teresa, Blessed Virgin Mary and St. Joseph and a piece of paper on which he wrote that this convent was dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila. This convent was built by Fr. Leopold Beccaro OCD, according to the design of St. Teresa of Avila Avila Avila to the convent and entrusted it to Mother Eliswa and he exclaimed that he got such a great relic and he affirmed that it is the symbol of the special love of St. Teresa of Avila towards her dear daughters. So, this first convent of the TOCD Congregation is very much related to St. Teresa of Avila
In 1890, like refugees, Mother Eliswa and sisters went to Ernakulam and stayed in the outhouse of CSST. On October 28, the Secretary of the Delegate Apostolic of India visited the sisters with Fr. Camillus OCD and Fr. Candidus OCD. He discussed the affairs of the Latin Rite sisters with Fr. Candidus and Fr. Camillus, and understood the humble state of the sisters, and he said:
“The Lord loves you much and His immense graces are upon you. He will bring greater joy for these present sufferings. Sometimes, the just also have to suffer, but those sufferings are very fruitful for souls. St. Teresa of Avila
This is a proof that the contemporary ecclesiastical authorities also admitted the truth that Mother Eliswa was a true follower of St. Teresa and received the charism and courage to found the TOCD Congregation for women. Thus, she represents a new stream flowing from the river that began to flow from Mount Carmel . The relationship with TOCD Congregation for women and St. Teresa of Avila
4 God Alone Suffices
The motto of Holy Mother Teresa of Avila
“Let nothing trouble you
Let nothing scare you,
All is fleeting,
God alone is unchanging.
Patience
Everything obtains,
Who possesses God
Nothing wants.
God alone suffices”.
The whole life of Mother Eliswa was centred on this motto ‘God alone suffices’. She gave priority to God and His affairs. Mother Eliswa repeated these words and she asked her sisters to repeat them, “My Lord Jesus, You alone are sufficient to me, nothing other”. Mother Elliswa was a person who concentrated her eyes on God and she said that the only subject of her desire is, three alphabets: ‘tha mpu ran’. When we go through the pages of her teachings we can see many ideas which are based on this central idea. She lived this motto of St. Teresa in its fullness. She gave priority to God and his affairs and submitted fully to the will of God. She says, Brides of the world seek the world, but Brides of the Lord seek God alone. So the only aim of those who live poverty and humility in the convent is God. She says, “Do everything to please God and pray before each action, “All for you O’ my God”.
5 The Admonitions of St. Teresa of Avila
Mother Eliswa was a true follower of St. Teresa of Avila
In the beginning of the Way of Perfection Mother Teresa gives us a warning about the tricks of Satan that everything can be harmful to those as weak as we women are. The wiles of the devil are many for women who live a very cloistered life. Mother Eliswa a true daughter of Holy Mother Teresa was vigilant about the tricks of Satan and she was prudent to avoid such occasions. When a snake entered in that little panambumadam, she killed it by herself and avoided the occasion of violating the law of enclosure.
St. Teresa of Avila
5.1 Fraternal Love
As we analyze the three things upheld by Holy Mother St. Teresa it is for the fraternal love that she gives the first place. It is important that we have this virtue, for there is nothing annoying for those who love each other. In the life of Mother Eliswa we can see a good model of fraternal love. Mother Eliswa was a person who lived beyond the prejudices of Rites and he received all worthy candidates irrespective of Rites. She had no worldly calculations to keep the newly founded congregation for Latin sisters only. Since 1889, she suffered much in the Koonammav Convent, but she kept no hatred or ill feeling towards the sisters who behaved differently, instead of that when she left the convent she greeted them with sisterly love and bid farewell to them. The Syrian sisters who lived with her for 21 years praised her love and addressed her, ‘vazhthappetta’. She never talked about the sufferings which she underwent in Koonammau and she also discouraged her sisters to speak those things in the community or to the outsiders. She knew the dignity of religious life and she respected the dignity of others and worked for the edification of sisters. She knew very well the special grace and special responsibility of the consecrated life and presented a model of life to her followers.
Mother Teresa of Avila says that if detachment is practised with perfection, includes everything. If we embrace the Creator and care not at all for the whole of creation, God will infuse the virtues. Mother Teresa also says about the necessity of the detachment from our relatives: “Oh, if we religious could understand the great harm that comes from having too much to do with relatives! How we could flee from them! Surely if they give the body some comfort, the spirit pays well for it”. Mother shows astonishment at the harm that is caused by dealing with relatives.
As Mother Eliswa, grew in her special charism, she abandoned the comfortable and luxurious Vakayil house and changed her residence to a neighbouring shed and then to a granary house. She was convinced of the necessity of the virtue of detachment and she practised it in a perfect way. Since 1852, her life was identification with Jesus and His self emptying. She left all her properties as the capital of the convent and never spoke about these properties and never argued for her rights. The contemporary people testified that she was a person of perfect detachment. For example, Bro. Leopold OCD addressed her ‘Prapanchaviraktha’ which shows her total detachment from all that of earth: name fame, position, possession, etc. Nothing could distract her from the path of fulfilling the will of God and she went ahead with full trust even in darkness and emptiness.
5.3 Humility
True humility and detachment always go together. They are two inseparable sisters. Mother explains these virtues as sovereign virtues, rulers over all creation, deliverers from all snares and entanglements laid by the devil and virtues so loved by our Divine Master. The characteristic mark of Mother Eliswa was humility. On the second day of the entrance to panambumadam, she said. “We are poor and beggars”. She never sought for name, fame, position or possession, but her life was a complete submission to the plan of God in humility and detachment. God is the only aim of those who live in poverty and humility. Mother says that we have to be patient in humility as the gold is tested in fire.
Mother Eliswa says, “To practise humility, love those least considered and choose for oneself the least. Be submissive even to the youngest sister. Do not say anything good or bad about oneself. Do not say any excuse when others point out your weakness or drawbacks, rather remain silent, but if it causes any offence to others reveal the reality. (No. 34)”.
An important characteristic of the teachings of both St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila Koonammau Church
Devotion to BVM
In her early childhood we see her as a pious girl who strictly and regularly practised Marian devotion. In her childhood, she collected flowers and decorated the Statue of Our Lady and she continued this practise until she was able to walk by herself. When she was not able to go to collect flowers, she expressed that it was like starving the whole day. On her death bed, we see a zealous devotee of Our Lady, she was continuously calling the name of Mary and Jesus. She used to address others ‘Hail Mary’ when they approached her. She was immersed in Marian devotion. The spiritual director, Fr. Leopold in his letter to Superior General testified that Mother Eliswa was a true daughter of Blessed Virgin Mary and in the congregation she was known as Sister Eliswa of BVM. Mother advices us, “Place all your hope in the passion of Jesus Christ, then seek the protection of our Blessed Virgin Mary and pray daily to attain faith and hope (No.22).
Conclusion
Servant of God Mother Eliswa pioneered in the Kerala Church Avila Carmel Kerala Church
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Contemplation and Action – Jewels of Teresian Way
Sr. Jamesy
Introduction
I would like to begin with the classical quote from St. Teresa: “Let nothing disturb you, let nothing frighten you; all things are passing, God alone never changes…” Today in the face of the sufferings – spiritual and physical – of untold millions of innocent victims of illness, disrupted familial relations, ethnic and religious conflicts, natural calamities, man-made sufferings and finally the wars in so many parts of our world, the words ‘let nothing disturb you” becomes a mockery. At the same time paradoxically in every human being there is a quest for contemplative experience, a spiritual thirst for loving communion with God. But in today’s context some see contemplation as the avenue to enter into God’s timeless, infinite beauty, and literally thirst for contemplation, but there are some others who find contemplation as more or less meaningless luxury in a bleeding world. The contemplative prayer is well presented in the Gita from the perspectives of action, wisdom and devotion (Karma, jnana and bhakti). Contemplation and action are not two entities rather one complement the other, only when God’s life is felt in the concrete human situation, as existence, as a moment of decision and commitment. Thus contemplatives make the world present in themselves and render themselves present in the world.
Teresa’s life experience and teaching on prayer have a relevance that transcends the centuries she speaks to our own time and to the persons in every walk of life. Four hundred years after her death Teresa remains one of the most experienced and authoritative guides for the inner journey, a doctor of the Church, and living witness that journey within is indeed the journey into reality.
This paper is divided into six main parts apart from the introduction and the conclusion: 1. A Bird’s Eye view of the Evolution of Contemplation; 2. The Essential Features of Contemplation; 3. Preparation of the Soul to enter into Contemplation; 4. Contemplation Mirrors the Action; 5. Contemplation and Natural Traits; 6. Contemplation and Action Today
1. A Bird’s Eye view of the Evolution of Contemplation
The word ‘contemplation’ is ambiguous today. In Greek Bible, the word ‘gnosis’ which implies experiential knowledge of God is used to translate ‘da’ath’ in Hebrew which implies an extremely intimate kind of knowledge involving the whole person, not just the mind. St. Paul used the word ‘gnosis’ to refer to the knowledge of God proper to those who love Him. The Greek Fathers borrows the term ‘theoria’ which originally meant the intellectual vision of the truth and added the meaning of the Hebrew ‘da’ath’, that is, the kind of experiential knowledge that comes through love. It was with this expanded understanding of the term that ‘theoria’ was translated into the Latin contemplation and handed down to us by Christian tradition. In sixth century Gregory the Great described ‘contemplation’ as knowledge of God that is impregnated with love. It is a resting in God wherein the mind and heart are not actively seeking Him, but are beginning to experience, to taste, what they have been seeking. This state is not the suspension of all actions, but a mingling of a few simple acts to sustain one’s attention to God with the loving experience of God’s presence. This aspect of contemplation has been continued until the end of the middle ages.
Lectio Divina was one of the important methods of prayers proposed for lay persons and Monastics. The reflective part, was called meditatio - meditation. The spontaneous movement of the will in response to these reflections was called oratio- or affective prayer. Movement of the will to a kind of resting in God, is called contemplatio – contemplation. During the sixteenth century, the mental prayer came to be divided into discursive meditation if thoughts predominated; affective prayer if the emphasis was on acts of the will; and contemplation if graces infused by God were predominant. Discursive meditation, affective prayer, and contemplation were no longer different acts found in a single period of prayer, but distinct forms of prayer, with its own proper aim, method, and purpose. This division led to the incorrect notion that contemplation is an extra ordinary grace reserved to the very few, and therefore it was discouraged. As a result of various historical factors, contemplation came to be looked upon with grave suspicion. One of the gravest effects was that contemplation was cut off from the vast majority of the Christian people and reserved for an elite group, and most people had never heard of contemplation even.
The excessive emphasis on private devotions, apparitions, and private revelations is also another unhealthy trend in the modern church. The popular mind continued to regard contemplatives as saints, wonder workers, or at the least extraordinary people. The true nature of contemplation remained obscure and confused with phenomena such as levitation, the stigmata, and visions. Even in the nineteenth century, contemplation was regarded as extraordinary phenomena- in other words, something miraculous to be admired from a safe distance, but left alone as dangerous, full of pitfalls and not something to which the ordinary christian, priest, or religious should aspire. But today the genuine Christian tradition teaches that the contemplation is the normal evolution of a genuine spiritual life and hence opens to all Christians. The main reason that the contemplative dimension of prayer is receiving attention in recent years is two-fold. The first is the rediscovery of the integral teaching of the great masters of the spiritual life like, St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the cross. The other is the challenge coming from the spiritual traditions of the East which possess a highly developed psychological wisdom.
As part of the rediscovery of the teaching of great masters, the richness and treasure that was hidden in the teachings and experience of St. Teresa has seen great light today. How Teresa’s encounter – communion with God utterly transformed her natural life and how she was able to communicate this transformed life of love to the world spontaneously and naturally is of great interest today.
2. The Essential Features of Contemplation
The word ‘contemplation’ in the strict sense does not appear in the scriptures, but if we understand contemplation as the search for union with God, then clearly the whole Bible is focused on this: the human and divine relationship. Contemplation is not an end in itself, but it is means to arrive at union with God. Contemplation is not the reward for great virtue or much time spent in prayer but is that which makes us capable of great love.
2. 1. Contemplation is a long loving look at the real. Each word is crucial: real……look….long….loving.
The real, is not reducible to some far-off, abstract, intangible God-in the-sky. Reality is living. What I contemplate is always what is most real: This real I look at. I do not analyze or argue it, describe or define it; I am one with it. I do not move around it; I enter into it. You can study things, but unless you enter into this intuitive communion with them, you can only know about them, you don’t know them. To take a long loving look at something –this is natural act of contemplation, of loving admiration.’ What is reality? “people, trees, lakes, mountains AIDS, abortion, apartheid, bloated bellies and staunted minds, respirators and last gasps, sin and war, poverty and race, illness and death. But even here the real I contemplate must end in compassion. To “look” wholly means that my whole person reacts. This look at the real is a long look. Not in terms of measured time, but wonderfully and gloriously unhurried. Seeing can be in three levels by our physical eye, our mental eye and spiritual eye. This long look must be a loving look.
2. 2. Contemplation is falling in love with that reality. Not simply knowing another’s height, weight, coloring, ancestry, IQ, SQ, EQ, acquired habits, rather, “the single, simple vibration that gives us such joy in the meeting of eyes or interchanging words. So I am most myself, most human, most contemplative, when my whole person responds to the real. Teresa suggests that the important thing to ascend to the dwelling places is not to think much but to love much (IC IV: 1: 7; F: 5: 2). Loving a person means looking at him/her, imitate them in living. She continually invites us to get to know Jesus, to imitate his virtues and to live by his values. It demands that real captivate me, at times delight me. Contemplation calls forth love, oneness with the other. To contemplate is to be in love. True, contemplation does not always summon up delight.
2. 3. Contemplate is to rest—to rest in the real. Not lifelessly, but my entire being is alive, incredibly responsive, vibrating to every throb of the real. From such contemplation comes communion. The discovery of the Holy in deep, thoughtful encounters—with God’s creation, with God’s people, with God’s self—where love is proven by sacrifice, the wild exchange of all for another, for the other. Thus is fashioned what the 2nd century Bishop Irenaeus called “God’s glory –humans fully alive”.
Teresa systematically describes the preparatory state and the stages of contemplation in her masterpiece, Interior Castle.
3. Preparation of the Soul to enter into Contemplation
The first stages of our spiritual life is often fraught with distractions and obstacles that seem to pull us away constantly from the ever-deepening contemplative journey towards God. As we begin to live the life of prayer in earnest, the shadow side of ourselves which have been unconscious until now, raises up fairly and quickly. Teresa symbolizes these broken parts of ourselves as the “poisonous creatures” that are outside the castle. All these neglected and undeveloped parts of the personality are to be constantly recoganised, accepted and transformed. The repressed childhood wounds that are not tended and healed feed the repressed shadow side of the personality in adulthood. In this state one is tend to repress feelings, character trait, talents, even way of thinking for fear of disapproval or rejection by a parent, teachers or any other authority figures. As a consequence, our shadow parts often carry great pain and vulnerability, suffering, sadness, deep despair, anger, alienation and resentment. Confrontation with our shadow is not so easy as we are accustomed to being preoccupied with the ‘insects and vermin’ and have become over identified and over attached to them (IC I: 1:6). Only in the light and truth of God through the prayer, shadow will begin to be reintegrated and be transformed in love.
The part of us that have been repressed and hidden now come to full consciousness for recognition, healing and transformation through acceptance and love. Acknowledging and reintegrating these rejected parts enables us to recover them much of our individual creativity and capacity to surrender resides here. This psychic part contains not only negative and destructive elements, but also tremendous potential for deeper spiritual growth and development.
There are some benefits in befriending and integrating or shadow like, creating authentic self esteem, improving interpersonal relationships, avoiding tendency for projections onto others etc. the root cause of interpersonal conflicts can be found in shadow projections. St. Teresa had great insight regarding this and she warned against it saying:
Let us look at our own faults and leave aside those of others, for it is very characteristic of persons with such well-ordered lives to be shocked by everything. Perhaps we could truly learn from the one who shocks us what is most important …nor is there any reason to desire that everyone follow at once our own path, or to set about teaching the way of the spirit to someone who perhaps doesn’t know what such a thing is (IC III: 2: 13).
She says that the primary responsibility for us to attend our own inner journey which will reveal our neglected areas, not entertaining our shadow projection onto others. The first mansions begin to be firmly tested for their endurance, perseverance, and self knowledge. It is an inner war requiring steadfast discernment and great moral courage. All our attachments which keep our hearts spiritually chained are revealed more and more to our consciousness and are purified and surrendered in the fires of our longing for God. After having prepared through the different mansions the soul reaches a state where it can only love nothing else.
Here I would like to mention the sixth mansion elaborately on which the presumed idea took place on contemplation that it is a state only few can attain.
Sixth Mansion
After having passed through the states of vocal prayer, reflective prayer, prayer of quiet, prayer of union, when the soul reaches to the sixth mansion where the soul experiences spiritual betrothel. The lord grants great favours and prepares the soul to be with him fully. At the same time they experience a mystical dark night. This stage is characterized by some extra ordinary mystical experiences:
a) Raptures
Here the persons are caught up in ecstasy and lose control of themselves. God seems to have taken possession of the entire soul and become the soul’s soul. Rapture is irresistible contemplation.
b) Locutions
Here the soul hears the voice of God. They can hear the words of Jesus like “I love you’, ‘I am with you’, ‘I want you’ etc. Depth, clarity, light, joy and peace characterize divine locutions. Demonic locutions lack the depth and the effects of divine locutions. They produce bewilderment, discontent, affliction, disquiet and aridity.
c) Visions
Teresa speaks of intellectual and imaginary visions. The intellectual visions come unexpectedly, throwing the senses and faculties into confusion and fear. during the imaginary visions, Christ’s image is engraved upon the imagination. However this vision is more than an image – Christ appears more alive here than the people we meet in daily life.
d) Levitations
It is like rapture – the soul feels light and feels as being lifted up.
e) Wounding
It is an experience of being wounded by God’s love that increases their desire for God.
Teresa cautions against leaving the soul in a vacuum in the name of advanced prayer. According to her we need some aids for meditation like Christ’s passion, the saints, Mary and so on because we are corporeal beings and perfect contemplation is transient. For the same reason, she refutes the claim of those who say that we have to forget all the created things including Christ’s humanity so that we can pray in spirit and truth. According to her neglecting Christ’s sacred humanity was the main reason why so many failed to go beyond the prayer of union.
Seventh Mansion
At this stage God desires to remove the scales from the eyes and shows Himself to the persons. The soul feel the amazing vision of the Trinity. This experience takes place in the depths of one’s being. This stage is called Spiritual marriage by St. Teresa and Transforming Union by St. John of the cross. The grace of the spiritual marriage is a grace of perfect union – a union that can never be broken. Here the soul experiences a kind of being – to – being conversation, with no intermediary and no possibility of misunderstanding the communication.
The inner journey that was described by St. Teresa of Avila in her seven mansions is compared by Erik Erickson, the father of Psychology with his last four categories of adult development. Identity is related to the III mansions; intimacy to the IV, generativity to the V and VI and integrity to the VII. This correlation allows us to apply the insights of Erikson to the movement from imperfect to spiritual love in the Interior Castle.
The cost of intimacy is high, since it involves the removal of the persona and masks of the ‘III mansions’ to allow meeting on a deeper level. The love here is moving in the direction of gift-love, which is spiritual. Intimacy in this sense opens the way to a generative love, i.e. the giving love that is Christian charity. Generative persons are “for others” because they wish to share what they have received. This state represents psychological spiritual maturity and corresponds to V and VI mansions.
The final growth state is integrity or full self-actualization. It represents in psycho social terms the achievement of detachment. There is a whole hearted acceptance of reality, good and bad, success and failures, including the limits of life, especially one’s own death. Self acceptance has come full terms, and deep peace prevails. This is gospel poverty of spirit. In the opinion of Teresa and more explicitly of John of the Cross, there is hardly a difference between poverty of spirit and contemplation. The fullness of both the qualities graces the “VII mansions” and is the final outcome from the turn to the center in one’s life.
Teresa equated love for God not with consolations in prayer, but with service, especially being compassionate and truly sensitive to the other’s needs. It is impossible to be a contemplative without having great love. The deeper the prayer, the greater will be the compassion and sensitivity.
4. Contemplation Mirrors the Action
Teresa’s unusual gifts of nature and grace were enhanced by a distinct personality which drew the great and the lowly to her as to a magnet of inescapable attraction spiritually and intellectually. Her magnificent mystical graces were secreted in a heart which a seraph’s dart had pierced and she appeared to people as a wonder of unlimited goodness. Samaritan woman and the Samaritan man is the combined image for contemplation and action is described in the scripture.
When Teresa realized her worldly spirit filled way of life and turned away from it, God began to pour out His mystical graces on her. Therefore all the events of her daily life became the witnesses to the realities of the interior life and transforming power. With all these highest forms of spiritual experiences her life was mirrored humility and obedience which was reflected in the internal as well as external suffering, the task of writing that she undertook only out of obedience, and moreover the reformation and the foundations.
4. 1. Contemplation Activates Courage to Transcend
Teresa meek and assertive, submissive and strong, simple but by nature intellectual, struggled through a life time of contradictions. As a nun subject to the hierarchical authority in her Order and in the church, she managed to remain stringently obedient without violating her inner integrity of mind and spirit. Her writing though it was an act of obedience, also a means of handling the turbulence of her existence. Even facing the inquisition, accused by a rival, she held her ground to satisfy both the tribunal and herself. Inspite of her humility she had such a courage that she defended to the last gasp what she considered right. Teresa stood up to high auhtories, ecclesiastical and civil, and would not bow her head under the blows of the world. Even her physical courage was proverbial. She had enough courage and determination to walk through the snow, to cross the flooded waters and to travel by rough cart over 70 miles on bad roads at the age of 52 to found new convent. Heroic in courage and singleness of heart, Teresa wanted her nuns too to be strong and acquit themselves like good and faithful soldiers.
4. 2. Fearless Response to Ecclesial and Societal Challenges
Teresa’s mystical experience does not alienate her but permits her to be more practical. She fearlessly responded to the needs of the Church. She considered the ‘holy catholic faith’ (L 10: 8; ST 58: 10) as an organic whole so that one could not reject a part of it without distorting it and losing it altogether. Through the political situation of Teresa’s time and the Protestant Reformation it would seem that Teresa became conscious of the concrete reality of the church, not only as a very much graded hierarchical institution, but also as a truly living body formed of Christians who had become members of the church through Baptism (L 32: 6). Once she had to spend the whole night as a guard beside the Blessed Sacrament for she feared that the Lutheran merchants might come and profane it (F 3: 9: 12; WP 33: 3 & 4). The apostolic ideal that Teresa proposed for her Reform was not a programme that had been worked out in a cold blood, as a kind of theory. It was the result of the conjunction of three factors: personal experience of a spiritual and mystical order, an ecclesial historical circumstance, and doctrinal convictions or principles which served as foundation to her apostolic project.
4. 3. A Mystic is Transformed into a Missionary
Teresa traced with a master hand the features of every true Carmelite, placing her in the heart of the Church as contemplative and missionary. By putting apostolic zeal to the forefront of the carmelites’ ideal, it was Teresa’s great merit to make the apostolic mission of the Order explicit in a formal way and to bring out the missionary dimension of all contemplative life. She did not hesitate to say that the Lord had confided a more important mission to contemplative than to actives and compare with them the familiar image of the standard-bearer in the army (WP 18:15). This means that in the heart of the church and the world, contemplatives fulfill a role like that of Moses who prayed in the mountain with his arms raised up to God while the Israelites were fighting on the plain (Ex 17: 9-13). Teresa was convinced that apostolic zeal is an effect of the love of God and in the degree of which she speaks of it, literally gushes forth from the superabundance of love with which the soul is overwhelmed (ST 59: 10).
4. 3. 1. Universal apostolic activity through Prayer and Example
She asserted that prayer had certain superiority over apostolic actions. She realized that every apostle, however zealous and capable, was limited by place and culture, by his physical, psychological and intellectual possibilities which prevented him from answering all the needs of souls and reaching them all. Summing up Teresa’s thought concisely, it could be said that the zeal for souls tended her towards the highest perfection and this in its turn obtained the salvation of a greater number of souls. It was Teresa’s deepest joy to exercise prayer as the most efficacious and the only means o attain this universal apostolic activity. Prayer transcends space and time, sickness and health, night and day when one can always give oneself to it. it reaches both the living and the dead as it has influence on past, present time and future.
The nature of the apostolic ideal and practical zeal for souls urged her to foster is the apostolate of good example (IC VII: 4: 14; WP: 7: 8). She exclaimed: “it is the true preaching by ‘our deeds’ which elevates a soul more than ten sermons” (WP 15: 6). In order to correct other imperfect souls one need to practice virtue than to teach well and soundly because an ‘example of virtue’ is like a living lesson which penetrates both mind and heart at the same time (WP 7: 7).
4. 3. 2. Universal Apostolic Activity through Service
The practical result of the outpouring of contemplative life is the fruitfulness of Teresa’s life of service. In spite of the narrow limitations of their enclosure, Teresa saw quite well that Carmelites could exercise their apostolic zeal, not only by acts of virtue and good example, but also by works that belong to the apostolic works of active vocation (IC V: 3). It was in the form of Carmel that she had discovered the universal dimensions of the church. She sought the good of the church at the same time as that of her Order, convinced that she was working for both the one and the other at the same time(L 40: 15). There was a conviction that the more Reformed Carmelites are, the more service of the church would be assured. In a word she wanted to be at the very heart of the church’s life, in order to ‘be of use’, according to her lovely expression, to the greatest number of souls. In fact, consecrating her whole life to pray for ‘preachers and theologians’ was and always will be, rendering ‘a greater service’ to the church (WP 3: 6).
By spending herself to found single-handed fifteen monasteries in less than twenty years, by laboring to develop and to defend her Reform, to sustain her daughters to encourage her collaborators, and finally to carry out untiringly her ministry as Mater Spiritualium, did she not show that she was eminently suited to take on apostolic work properly so called? Women of her epoch were not allowed to take up a direct apostolate or even any public service, whether they were nuns or not. Reflecting upon the most radical obstacle, that prevented from exercising the apostolate, she boldly complained: “it is not enough, Lord, that people should keep us shut up …that we can do nothing for You public nor dare proclaim certain truths and that we are only allowed to weep in secret.” It is clear that the arguments against women’s engage in the active apostolate in St. Teresa’s time were no longer current today. Changing customs and a better understanding of the role of women in society and in the church have rectified these prejudices.
5. Contemplation and Natural Traits
God’s grace was able to build upon the ordinary material and details of her life in an extra-ordinary manner. Teresa was practical, sensible and down to earth.
Relationship with others
Teresa of Avila was never one to stand alone. Theresa’s story is the story of relationships. No one would see her finding herself apart from the other people. In these relationships and friendships Teresa showed a freedom and creativity within her own historical context. Teresa desired and experienced this mutuality and friendship in four fold relationships: with God and with Christ, with her companions in Carmel, with others outside the Carmel, with sinners. Teresa lived this life of relationship by showing an example of her life that rue Christian mysticism Is not an escape from the world, rather it is being in the world with the utmost awareness and appreciation of God’s creation, of His love, both cosmic and personal and deep sensitivity and a deep sensitivity and compassion in relation to the human condition in the world.
Being Supremely Human
A few instances from Teresa’s life show how supremely human she was even after attaining here below the highest possible mystical union with God. Participation in her niece Teresita’s profession ceremony took precedence than going to Salamanca. So she wrote: “it was impossible for me to go to Salamanca on account of Teresita’s profession”. Another example, her excitement over her brother returning from Indies was great that she wrote to her sister Juana: “they will be here in three days. How astonishing are the works of God – those who were so far from me are now so near.” It is marvelous how the saint could go about her duties and contacts with people in an outwardly normal fashion while living in a high state of union with God. Teresa who had to battle for five years to found the convent in absolute poverty defended Teresita’s right to get the money for the convent.
Contemplation and Ordinariness
Too often Teresa is pictured as the great mystic and reformer, and her human dimension, the simplicity and love that marked her as a woman is missed. The very feminine grace and qualities of her personality and her deep knowledge of feminine psychology, her remarks on women’s natural disposition to serve the Lord than men (Cf L 40: 8) were sufficient proofs to understand that she was happy to be a woman. Teresa was a woman endowed with outstanding gifts of mind and heart. Teresa liked music, song and dance, poetry and stories. From time to time she mentioned her desire or expressed appreciation for sweets of pink sugar or orange flower water and oil. She loved to get little gifts, and even asked simply for them, and loved equally to give them away. She maintained strong family attachments and loyalties. Her keen sense of humour, sustained her through all the trials she had to undergo from opposition and calumnies as well as ill-health. Her cheerful conversation gave fresh life and spirit to all in the arduous task of the foundation. She told amusing tales, made puns and jokes, for she had learned the art and used to make verses when any event on the journey suggested them.
6. Contemplation and Action Today
Action and contemplation is well blended in the Gospel narrative of Samaritan woman and Samaritan man. The Episode of Samaritan woman has greatly influenced St. Teresa of Avila. Teresian way is a combination of Mary and Martha, Samaritan woman and Samaritan man. Like Samaritan woman her thirst for the living water was genuine and like Samaritan man her compassion for the needy was outstanding. It is this combined figure that has made her relevant in our times.
Today in a pluralistic society of multiple cultures, religion, media, materialistic globalised systems of life style, and a confused world, priestly and religious life is a radical choice. It is an embracing a call to be the sign of contradiction. To the young man who asked Jesus, what must be done more to inherit eternal life? he replied, “Go, sell what you have and give to the poor and come and follow me.” But today the question is what is price we pay to be someone different or to do something different in this love-less, value faded and death cultured society. Yet at times we find ourselves at the cross roads without a sign post. We need to embrace and live out our vocation more authentic, more credible, and more readable. We need to cultivate a renewed spirituality which is lived out with freedom and responsibility. We need to rediscover Christ as our centre and have an exposure to down to earth realities leaving our comfort zones to the shore. Hence we become effective and powerful consecrated men and women living our charism in today’s world. An authentic religious need to create a Samaritan communication net work, as we link together the spirituality of the Samaritan woman and the Samaritan man and challenge ourselves by ‘her thirst and desire for living waters, and his compassion for the wounded on life’s journey.’ Yes we are called to move from the well- to the road- to the Inn. Like the Samaritan woman we may also carry a history of wounded relationships in our hearts which is the shadow of our psychic. Once we accept, renew and rebuild in view of unconditional relationships with God, self, the other, and with cosmos. There one will be able to allow God to take hold of my life, profound experience of his love, courage to accept acceptance i.e. God loves me now, in all of who I am with my inconsistency, brokenness, unfaithfulness.
She abandons her empty but heavy pot, and received the life giving water of transformation, and healed of her womanly fractures, frustration and brokenness. He restores her passion for him. We need to find out the well in our life where master is waiting for us. He regains our lost identity and low self image and allows us to experience a radical transformation at the well of our lives.
We are also called to live out this transformative life in day to day realities of life. Today we live in a time of chaos, needs and emptiness. This parable of Samaritan man is a response of Jesus to the question “who is my neighbor? For Jesus neighbor means anyone who crosses our path, independent of race, class or religion. The one who encountered Jesus in his/her prayer, must be able to encounter the wounded, broken, deprived neighbor. The love of God and love of neighbor is the hallmark of a true contemplative. To be a contemplative in action we must change our own plans, moved to compassion, attend to the wounded man. A contemplative must be able to kneel before a wounded and violated humanity. From the periphery of our brokenness to the core where my king dwells and from the core to the periphery where my neighbor experiences the woundedness just like me. You and me are called to be the healed healers using the oil of contemplation and the wine of solidarity. Our apostolic life will have no sense if they do not stimulate us with greater passion to Promote life, protect life, and to preserve life just as Jesus who said “I have come that they may have life, life in all its fullness.
Conclusion
“If you cannot find God on earth, you are unlikely to find Him in Heaven.” The same way, if one cannot find God in the mystical encounters of everyday life on earth, he/she is unlikely to find him anywhere else. Very often people feel words of ‘mysticism’ and ‘every day’ do not belong together. Teresa tells us that God is interested in the love with which our works are done beginning with the service those who are nearest us. It means stilling the fretful Martha in us; in order that the Mary in us may have permission to contemplate her Lord. Then indeed Mary and Martha will be living in true harmony within us, for contemplation and action will have become a unity. Teresa’s spiritual value is superiorly contemplative, but she was able at the same time to combine Mary’s duties with those of Martha in her life. The goal is to be understood in terms of loving communion with God and of good works done in his service, love of God flowing into love of neighbor. It is not works of great magnitude that God wants, though he may call some to extraordinary service. Her spiritual experience was not a search for refuge from a hostile world, but a conscious offering of herself as a martyr. She entered the contemplative life to become more effective in her apostolic life. Yes contemplation and action are the jewels of Teresian way. The vocation to be a CTC is an invitation to imbibe this Tersian way, and to witness the GLORY OF GOD - HUMANS FULLY ALIVE.
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