Mary and the Carmelite Saints

Mary
And the
Carmelite Saints

First Published: 16 July 2018 (feast of OLMC)
Updated: 8 December 2018

(feast of the Immaculate Conception)
OCDS of the California – Arizona Province of St. Joseph,

Phoenix Community
Roy Curry, OCDS – President; [email protected]

J. Jakob, OCDS; [email protected]

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Table Of Contents

Introduction………………………………………..….5

St. Teresa of Jesus………………………………..…6
St. John of the Cross……………………………..18
St. Therese of Lisieux…………………………….30
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity……………………..41
St. Teresa Benedicta of the
Cross (Edith Stein)…………………………………53
St. Teresa of the Andes.…………………………66
St. Mary of Jesus Crucified.……………………76
St. Raphael Kalinowski……..……………………86
References…………………………………………….96

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Never be afraid of loving the Blessed Virgin too much.
You can never love her more than Jesus did.

–St. Maximillian Mary Kolbe

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Introduction

In this short narrative entitled “Mary and the
Carmelite Saints” we’ll look at the lives of eight
famous Carmelite saints.

We’ll learn about their experiences of Mary,
what they wrote and what they taught about
her. How Our Lady affected their lives.

We’ll come to see how Mary made a
tremendous impact on their lives, always
helping them to grow closer to Our Lord.

And in the same way too, as Carmelites we
unite ourselves to Our Blessed Mother, with
the hope of growing closer to Our Lord.

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St. Teresa of Jesus

Her Personal Experience

St. Teresa’s devotion to Our Lady began at
an early age, after the loss of her mother at
the age of 13.

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St. Teresa says:

In my affliction I went to an image of our
Lady and begged her with many tears to
be a mother to me.

It seems to me that although I did this in
simplicity, it has been of much help for
me; for I know that I have always found
favor with this sovereign Lady when I
have commended myself to her and in
the end, she has drawn me to herself.

--Life 1:7

Teresa had a special understanding of the
presence of Mary in the paschal mystery of

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her Son, on the pain of her desolation and
the joy in the Lord's resurrection. She loved
to contemplate Mary's fortitude and her
communion with Christ at the foot of the
Cross.

On various occasions it was given to her to
contemplate the glorification of the Virgin
on the feast of her Assumption. She was
aware that the Virgin accompanied the
community at prayer with her constant
intercession, as happened at St Joseph's in
Avila and at the Incarnation.

St. Teresa’s Teaching On Mary

The Holy Mother had a profound mystical
experience of Mary, and enjoyed her

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presence. Teresa also experienced the
mysteries of Mary's life. Consequently in
Teresa's doctrine there runs a deep belief
that the mysteries of the Humanity of Christ
and those of his Virgin Mother form part of
the mystical experience of those tending
toward perfection.

Of the many virtues that Saint Teresa
proposed for imitation there is one that
contains all the others:

Mary is the first Christian, the disciple of
the Lord, the follower of Christ even to
the foot of the Cross.

--Way of Perfection, 26:8

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For Teresa, Mary is the model of total
adherence to the humanity of Christ and of
communion with him in his mysteries. She
is the model of a contemplation centered
on the sacred Humanity.

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The Marian Model

Everything is Marian in the Order according
to St Teresa -- the habit, the Rule, and the
houses.

When she was appointed Prioress of the
Incarnation in 1571 she placed a statue of
Mary in the first place in the choir -- for she
knew that the devotion, love and respect of
all the religious converged on Mary.

In her writings, the name of the Order is
always linked to that of the Virgin who is
the Lady, the Patron, and the Mother of the
Order -- and of each one of its members.

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We keep the Rule of Our Lady of Carmel
... please God all will be for his glory and
praise and that of the glorious Virgin
Mary, whose habit we wear.

-- Life 36:26, 28.

In The Carmel Tradition

In narrating the progress of the Reform,
Teresa always took care to stress its
connection with the Order, the service done
for Our Lady, and the special protection
provided by Mary on all occasions.

Thus the Virgin appears actively in every
description Teresa makes in her Interior
Castle.

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It is Mary who intercedes for sinners when
they commend themselves to her. She is
the Spouse of the Songs, the model of
perfect souls. She is also Mother in that all
her graces are summed up in her union with
Christ in "much suffering” (Mansions I:
2:12)

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Her book of the Foundations also appears
to have been written with continual allusion
to the Virgin and her service.
When she looks back at the end of the book
she remarks:

We rejoice to have been able to render some
service to our Lady Mother and Patron...
Little by little things have been done for the
honor and glory of this glorious Virgin and
her Son.

-- Foundations 29:23,28.

In fact, St. Teresa sees the Carmelite
vocation as itself inspired by Mary:

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All of us who wear this holy habit of
Carmel are called to prayer and
contemplation. This call explains our
origin; we are descendants of men who
felt this call, of these holy fathers of
Mount Carmel who in such great solitude
and contempt for the world sought this
treasure, this precious pearl we are
talking about.

-- Mansions V: 1:2

Even the separation of the Calced from the
Discalced made by the Chapter of Alcala in
1581 was seen by St. Teresa as part of the
peacemaking work of the Mother of God:

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Our Lord has done an important work ...
for the honor and glory of his glorious
Mother, for she is of the Order as Our
Lady and Patron.
-- Foundations 29:31

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St. John of the
Cross

His Personal Experience

St. John of the Cross came to Carmel at the
age of twenty in the year 1563. Even at a
young age, many of John’s biographers
mention his great love and devotion to
Mary. In fact, some recount how on
multiple occasions Mary intervened in an
extraordinary way to save the saint from
almost-certain death.

After John’s ordination to the priesthood in
1567, St. John came into contact with St.
Teresa of Jesus and learned of her intent to

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reform the order. We know that John
explained to her his intent to leave Carmel
to join the Carthusians. Fortunately Teresa
urged him to reconsider…
However, it has been suggested that during
this exchange Teresa prevailed upon John’s
great love for the Mother of God -- and this
attraction to Mary helped him change his
mind...

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If this suggestion is true, we could say that
the Blessed Virgin not only brought St. John
to Carmel, but also helped keep St. John in
Carmel…

St. John’s Marian Doctrine

One might ask why St. John wrote so little
about Mary directly. In actuality, John’s
whole spiritual doctrine suggests an
underlying Mariology.

In his article “Mary and the Holy Spirit in
the writings of St. John of the Cross”, Fr.
Emmanuel J. Sullivan summarizes the
matter neatly:

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For John, it is Mary who teaches us what
constant intimate union with God means.
It is Mary who shows us how to be
responsive to the work of the Holy Spirit
molding us in the image of her Son. And it
is Mary who teaches us how to pray, and
who helps us to learn and grow spiritually
from our sufferings, so that we might
more readily respond to and ease the
sufferings of others.

-- “Mary and the Holy Spirit in the
Writings of St. John of the Cross”, by Fr.
Emmanuel J. Sullivan

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St. John’s Writings On Mary

Let us consider a few of the texts where St.
John does mention Mary.
We find this passage in the Ascent of Mount
Carmel:

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God alone moves these souls [who have
reached habitual union with God] toward
those works that are in harmony with his
will and ordinance, and they cannot be
moved toward others. Thus the works
and prayer of these souls always produce
their effect.

Such were the prayer and the works of
our Lady, the most glorious Virgin raised
from the very beginning to this high
estate, she never had the form of any
creature impressed in her soul, nor was
she moved by any, for she was always
moved by the Holy Spirit.

--Ascent, Book 3, 2:10

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This text shows us immediately that the
Blessed Virgin was raised to perfect union
from the first moment of her birth, and
provides a clear basis for the Immaculate
Conception.

As the perfect, glorious one, it shows the
value of the prayers and intercessions of
Mary. It also brings into focus her openness
to the workings of the Holy Spirit – which is
essential.

Another reference to Mary occurs in the
Living Flame of Love. It describes the
Blessed Virgin’s intimate union with the
Holy Spirit:

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When a person is covered by a shadow, it
is a sign that someone else is nearby to
protect and favor.
As a result the Angel Gabriel called the
conception of the Son of God, that favor
granted to the Virgin Mary, an
overshadowing of the Holy Spirit: The
Holy Spirit will come upon you and the
power of the most High will overshadow
you.
--Living Flame of Love -- 3, 12.

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The fact that John describes Mary as being
“overshadowed” by the Holy Spirit makes it
clear that Mary is near to the Holy Spirit.
She is so near in fact, that she is more

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closely united to the Spirit than any other
creature.

Summary

In an article entitled “The Marian Gospel of
Saint John of the Cross”, Father Jose
Vincente Rodriguez studies the dozen or so
passages of St. John where there is an
explicit or implicit reference to Mary. After
completing his work, Father Jose offers us
this useful analysis and summary:

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For Saint John of the Cross, Mary is
encountered not as a theological problem
but as a real person clearly present in the
history of salvation.
He notes that John always sees Mary in
relation to Christ and in relation to his
Mystical Body.
-- “The Marian Gospel of St. John of the
Cross” by Fr. Jose Vincente Rodriguez

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St. Therese of the
Child Jesus

Her Personal Experience

At age five when Therese's mother died, the
void left in her heart drew her instinctively
towards her heavenly mother. When she
made her first confession at an early age,
her confessor urged her toward a childlike
love of Mary:

I remember the exhortation with which
he then urged me above all to a devotion
to the Blessed Virgin; and I promised to
redouble my affection towards her who

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now held such an important place in my
heart.
Then I handed him my rosary to bless,
and left the confessional so free and
happy that I can say I had never before in
my life experienced such joy.
-- Autobiography, #35

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On the day of her first communion she
again recalls consecrating herself with all
the affection of her heart to the Blessed
Virgin.

And then of course Therese was cured from
a mysterious attack of nerves on May 13,
1883 while she and her family prayed

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before a statue of the “Virgin of the Smile”.
It was Pentecost Sunday.
She describes the experience:

All of a sudden the Blessed Virgin
appeared beautiful to me, so beautiful
that never had I seen anything so
attractive; her face was suffused with an
ineffable benevolence and tenderness,
but what penetrated to the very depths
of my soul was the ravishing smile of the
Blessed Virgin.

-- Autobiography, #51

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The bedroom in Les Buissonnets where Therese
was cured by the Blessed Virgin’s intercession

St. Therese’s Teaching on
Mary

St. Thérèse once remarked "I never make any
observation without first invoking the Blessed
Virgin.”

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One day she was heard to say: “How I love
the Blessed Virgin! If I had been a priest, how
I should have spoken of her.”
She lived in the presence of her Blessed
Mother when fulfilling the most important act
of the day --receiving Holy Communion. This
was her method for preparing:

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I picture to myself my soul as an open
field from which I ask the Blessed Virgin
to remove the obstacles which are my
imperfections. At the moment of
Communion, I sometimes imagine my
soul is a child of three or four years, who
has just come from play, hair disheveled,
and clothes disorderly and soiled. These
are the injuries that I meet in combating
with souls. . .

Then comes the Blessed Virgin and in a
moment makes me respectable looking
and fit to assist at the Banquet of the
Angels without shame.

-- Autobiography, #254

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Her Meditation

St. Thérèse lived a life of union with Our Lady.

To a significant degree, this relationship was
encouraged by the book “On the True
Devotion of Blessed Virgin Mary,” by St. Louis

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de Montfort, which St. Thérèse read
frequently and meditated upon.

Her Dying Wish

Towards three o’clock in the afternoon on
September 30, 1897, seized with a convulsion
that shook her whole body, Thérèse opened
her arms in the form of a cross. The Superior
placed an image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel on
her knees.

Our saint looked at it for a moment and
said, “Mother, recommend me quickly to
the Blessed Virgin. Prepare me for a happy
death.” Three hours later, as the monastery
bell was ringing out the Angelus, with her
eyes fixed on Our Lady’s statue, she passed
into eternity.

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Here are some verses from St. Therese’s
poem, “Why I Love You, O Mary”:

Soon I’ll hear that sweet harmony... Soon
I’ll go to beautiful Heaven to see you. You
who came to smile at me in the morning
of my life. Come smile at me again
Mother.

It’s evening now! I no longer fear the
splendor of your majesty. For I have
suffered much with you and now hear my
heart’s deep cry!

Oh, let me tell you face-to-face dear
Virgin how I love you. And say to thee
forever that I am your little child!

-- St. Therese, “Why I Love You, O Mary”

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St. Elizabeth of
the Trinity

Her Personal Experience

In her youth, St. Elizabeth first turned to
Mary for help for her vocation in entering
Carmel. As her own mother gradually
began to accept her vocation, she
exclaimed, "It is wonderful. It is a miracle
obtained by Mary." (Praise of Glory #28)

When offering herself as a victim to her
Lord, she prays, “Mary, my dear Mother,
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, offer me to
Jesus; give me to Him.” Then she adds:

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“Mary, my beloved Mother, help me to
become a saint." (Mission of 1899, #33)

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St. Elizabeth’s Teaching on
Mary

During her time in Carmel, Elizabeth strove
to confirm her call and election by total
dependence on her heavenly Mother.

It seems she would like us to follow this
example also – for in a letter to her sister
Guite she writes:

Today I gave you . . . to the Blessed
Virgin. Oh never have I loved her so
much! I weep for joy when I think that
this wholly serene, wholly luminous
Creature is my Mother, and I delight in
her beauty like a child who loves its
mother: I feel strongly drawn to her.

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I've made her Queen and Guardian of my
heaven, and of yours, for I do everything
for both of us.

-- Close to the Sanctuary #75

Interestingly, she describes the Mother of
God as one who is well-acquainted with the
demands and drudgeries of daily life:

In what peace, in what recollection Mary
lent herself to everything she did! How
even the most trivial things were
divinized by her!

-- Heaven in Faith #40

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Her Meditations

Although the mystery of the Trinity was her
constant meditation, during the silence of a
sleepless night, St. Elizabeth heard within
her soul a sweet reproach of the Virgin --
that she was forgetting to think of her…
Elizabeth recognized this correction as an
accurate one -- saying humbly “it is true”.

From this time on, and during her last
illness, the saint often referred to Mary as
“Janua Coeli” (Gate of Heaven), and she
was seen often in the presence of the
statue of the Virgin of Lourdes.
Elizabeth thereafter carried this statue with
her almost continuously – even when she
was absent from the infirmary.

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St. Elizabeth and the Statue of “Janua Coeli”

Here are some of Elizabeth’s meditations on
the Mother of God:

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No one has penetrated the mystery of
Christ in all its depths except the Blessed
Virgin. Compared with the light given to
Our Lady, the saints remain in shadow.
The secret which she kept and pondered
in her heart, no tongue can tell, no pen
record.

This Mother is going to form my soul so
that her little child may be a living,
striking image of her “First-born”, the
Eternal Son, the one who was the perfect
praise of His Father’s glory.

--Last Retreat #229

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When I read in the Gospel that Mary
went with haste into the hill country of
Judah to fulfill her duty of charity to her
cousin Elizabeth, I see her pass on her
way, so beautiful, so calm and majestic,
so recollected in the presence of God
within her!

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Her prayer, like His, was always “Ecce!”
Here I am!” Who? “The handmaid of the
Lord,” the least of His creatures, she, His
Mother!
-- The Praise of Glory #116, #256

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She was truly humble because she was
always oblivious of self, unconscious of
self, freed from self! She is also the
Queen of Martyrs, but again it was her
soul that was “pierced by the sword” for
with her everything takes place within…
How beautiful she is to contemplate… so
enveloped in a majesty which breathes
forth strength and gentleness…
--The Praise of Glory #256

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