Today is the Feast of "big" Teresa (to distinguish her from the Little Flower, Therese of Lisieux). One of my favorite quotes from her is "May God protect me from gloomy saints." In her words I find perhaps my biggest beef with traditionalist and ultraconservative Catholics - they seem totally devoid of Joy. Touring around all their blogs and websites leaves one very depressed indeed. There is no joy, no love, no hope in what they write. And yet they consider themselves "the remnant," the "true Christians." But how can this be? Did not Jesus say He came that "My joy may be in you, and that your joy be complete" (Jn 15:11)? Of course He is referring first and foremost to our ultimate joy in Heaven. But geez! I think He also wants us to have some joy here below as well! And if we really believe the awesome Good News of our precious faith then why wouldn't our lives be overflowing with joy?
My absolute favorite story of Teresa (I'm cutting and pasting from another site rather than writing it out again myself; call me lazy!):
St. Teresa of Avila showed a like wisdom. One day at dinner she was heartily enjoying the roast partridge. Another nun, a little shocked, asked her if it wouldn't be better to be praying than to be enjoying dinner. Teresa answered, "When I pray, I pray; when I partridge, I partridge!"
Now here was a woman who knew that life was a gift from God to be enjoyed not merely suffered through! All of us who aspire to true holiness could learn a lot from here. Especially all those "gloomy saints" of the far right!
4 comments:
I love the stories that show the humor of the Saints. Seriously, though, St. Theresa's humor has always escaped me...usually I'm just terrified of her. Love her...but with great fear that she'll yell at me and just fly off the handle.
Father, there's a lot of wounded people out there who don't understand the humor or the joy. I don't think they're so much hypocrites as people who have had the smile beaten out of them.
How do we all help them to see joy again?
Excellent question! I think that if we really show the joy of Christ in our lives that will help others recover the joy. We need to show that Christianity isn't all "doom and gloom." And of course we pray for them. Nothing is more powerful than that.
I like your blog already. I love the title of your blog.
Fr. Charles Ledderer, The Dakotas, USA you are impersonating a Catholic priest. Your identity is fictitious. There are people on here that are believing you. I am asking you not to trick people anymore.
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