Saints & Biographies

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ST. THERESE OF LISIEUX: A Triduum

Bishop Patrick V. Ahern

A spirituality that is practical, tender, courageous, and profound can be obtained through following the path of St. Therese of Lisieux. Bishop Ahern outlines the life, struggles, frustrations and triumphs of the 'Little Flower' in such a way as to inspire as well as inform. Therese's spirituality has captivated great theologians like von Balthasar but more importantly it has moved countless laity of every culture to love the Lord more fully and to show care for others in everyday, simple gestures.

"...refreshing in this age which so often discounts the importance of saints in our everyday lives."-- Emmanuel Magazine

FitzGerald looks at interpretation using hermeneutics, exegesis, eisegesis, along with personal and communal interpretation. She outlines our role as potential interpreters, how we use the interpretive process to dialogue between the text and our life experience concluding in an overview of specific issues.

St. Teresa of Avila experienced a wide range of relationships. Her courageous search for spiritual freedom and the fullness of human integrity is the focus of this stimulating talk. Through a series of vibrant Teresian images of Christ, Sr. Constance highlights the prolonged struggle of a 16th century woman for liberation from potentially destructive images of God and self into transformed, full human consciousness. Because of her experience of Christ, Teresa moved from confusion and fear to connectedness, mutuality and equality. The teachings of St. John of the Cross in regard to the nature of love and equality reflect his relationship with St. Teresa. In striking parallels of the images of the soul and Christ given by the two saints, Sr. Constance demonstrates the depth and extent of their respect and friendship, and their mutuality in divine and human understanding and experience of love.

Teresa and Her Censors

Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD

St. Teresa of Avila lived in the shadow of the Spanish Inquisition at a time when mental prayer, mystical experience and women were all suspect. Her Life and the Way of Perfection both had problems with censors and editors trying to suppress or overhaul the insights of this great mystic. How Teresa regarded all this is the subject of this talk which combines scholarship with touches of Teresian humor and common sense. Fr. Kavanaugh is a translator and well-known Teresian scholar.

This workshop develops Teresa's growth in prayer and consciousness as connected to incarnation, cross and resurrection. Teresa's life is seen as lived Christology. In her book, The Life, the process unfolds as parallel to that of the sacred humanity of Christ who mirrors Teresa's true self. We see the debilitating, honor-bound consciousness of 16th-Century Old Castile that was Teresa's values, against authentic humanity mirrored in Christ and gospel values. We see her journey through the pain of misunderstanding and self-doubt reach a transcendent perspective as she surrenders to the God who trans-values what Teresa holds dear. In this presentation, the flow of Teresa's prayer and consciousness will be interpreted for its meaning in our lives today.

In a world where our human fragility can seem overwhelmed, St. Therese of Lisieux shows how the experience of weakness is a claim on divine power to take over and direct our lives - even to the heights of sanctity. In telling the story of her life, she illuminates the dimension of the Gospel that reveals God as Merciful Love. Therese is the apostle of hope and confidence. She reveals to each of us the opportunities for holiness in the particular fabric of our everyday lives. These tapes explore the spiritual doctrine of the Little Way, emphasizing its affinity to the teaching of John of the Cross. "If Therese, the 'Little Flower' as she is often nicknamed, conjures up images of a superficial spirituality for you, these cassettes will take you beyond that image and introduce you to a saint and a pioneering woman who explored the boundaries of ego in submission to the will of God and brought back a treasure of transforming divine love and acceptance." - Spiritual Life, Winter, 1990.

Bishop Morneau examines the autobiographies of Augustine, Thomas Merton, John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, C.S. Lewis, Simone Weil, Etty Hillesum, and John Henry Newman in order to show how the grace of God consistently has transformed lives throughout the centuries and affects each of us today. Divine love moved these giants of intellect and determination to pursue and live truth no matter what the cost. Morneau's presentation makes it clear how our own lives can be peaceful in the face of conflict, and hopeful in the face of personal tragedy. By reflecting on these tremendous self-revelations, we are able to know the working of God more clearly in our own lives, our own tendencies towards complacency and despair are swept aside. In reflecting on these giants of God, we are reassured of our own importance and potential in God's Kingdom.

Bishop Ahern's spiritual reflections on Therese of Lisieux will impress you with her originality and congeniality. Therese will speak to your deepest self and convince you of your value in spite of your sinfulness and limitations. You will come away from these talks with the realization that you can please God, are called to holiness, and should not be afraid. In hearing about Therese and reflecting on her thoughts, you will get the distinct feeling that she is reading your soul and understands you like no one else. In reflecting on her, you will travel with Therese and find her to be an intimate companion on your life's journey. More that anything else, you will find hope, courage, and faith in this saint who overcame temptations to despair and suicide, and discovered an unshakable joy and zest for life which we all need so desperately.

St. John of the Cross continues, year after year, to attract new hearts and minds - and especially perhaps in this end of the century when many who have "had it all" realize with dismay that they have had nothing. Now may be the time for some of them to turn to St. John - who also speaks of nothing - 'nada' - as a key element in the search for God.

What effect does St. John produce when he is heard rather that read? This cassette, spoken with feeling and a profound sense of what the text means, conveys a new and moving vision of St. John's tremendous experience. Combined with a god commentary, it can soothe minds and hearts tired of the emptiness of life and reaching out for the life that known no end.

Teresa offers a vision of life beyond today's prevalent self-centered individualism. Her Way of Perfection champions contemplative prayer. It also fosters contemplative living within a context of human connectedness. This tape series describes the inner process of contemplation. It sets forth attitudes and ways of being which foster a contemplative stance in daily living. Listeners are helped to realize the significance of their lives within the global community.

These talks will study the various modes of presence in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux: self-presence, presence with family life, presence in the community of Carmel, presence to God in Jesus Christ. Her Story of a Soul, General Correspondence, her plays, and some poems will guide the reflection process. Cultural, historical, and theological considerations will provide a hermeneutical context for engaging the world of Therese.

St. Therese considered it her prime task to make Jesus known and loved on earth. While she lived, she endeavored to do so in her hidden life in Carmel. Her extraordinary spirituality has made her renowned throughout the world, for her story is known literally in hundreds of languages, countries, and cultures both within and outside the Christian faith. St. Therese promised that she would continue her intercessory work even after her death.

To celebrate the Centennial of St. Therese's death, this audio-cassette program of readings from Therese's prose, poetry, and correspondence, has been recorded through the voices of Carmelite nuns gathered from around the country. An excellent introduction to the spirituality of St. Therese, yet still rewarding for those familiar with the works of the Little Flower, this audio-cassette program will be a means of continuing that work already begun by St. Therese.

Of all the contemporary saints, none is invoked, read, and studied as intensely as St. Therese of Lisieux. Her writings remain a legacy to a sanctified life, and her life itself has been the subject of countless books and devotions. In certain cases these volumes have taken an overly florid, idealistic approach to a quite realistic woman. In this earthy, unaffected audio-cassette presentation, we see painted before us a picture of the saint in human, realistic terms that reflect the age in which she lived. Not content with our contemporary approach to historical interpretation with its deconstructionist demands, Fr. Groeschel embraces Therese within the light of her epoch. We see a sister of intelligence, devotion, and piety who was affected by bad weather, long fasts, and lack of sleep. A woman who suffered, loved and hoped. And a saint in whom we may find some measure of strength for our own spiritual journey.

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