Day 16 -- Marie Therese of Saint Joseph

There are many saints to choose from for today. Today the Church celebrates the lives of Saint Andrew Kim Taegŏn and his companions from Korea who lived remarkable lives of courage and faith.

But I wanted to write about Blessed Marie Therese of Saint Joseph. She was born in East Prussia (modern-day Poland) on June 19, 1855 with the name of Anna Maria Tauscher van den Bosch. She converted from the Lutheran Church to Catholicism on October 30, 1888. In 1891 she founded a home for neglected children in Berlin, Germany. The young women there then founded the Congregation of the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus. Mother Mary Teresa was known for her prayer and put her faith into action by founding nurseries, homes, and day care centers for children and the aged. She also worked with immigrants, the poor, and abandoned. The work of her Community are found in Europe, Africa, and America. There are three convents in the United States: Wisconsin, Texas, and Missouri. She died on September 20, 1938 in Limburg, Netherlands of natural causes. She was beatified by Pope Benedict XVI on May 13, 2006 in the Netherlands and is awaiting canonization.

Reading the story of Blessed Marie Therese of Saint Joseph makes me think of my work for the Diocese of Bridgeport. It has been such a joy the past six months to work with our RCIA Coordinators who work with the adults in our Diocese who have heard the Lord's call and have answered to join the Catholic Church or complete their Sacraments of Initiation. It is many times those who become Catholic as adults give back to the Church for the work. We can see this evident in the life of Blessed Marie Therese--she gave back so much to the universal Catholic Church--where today women are living the Carmel charism because of her.


QUOTES
"To be able to dry tears, to heal wounds of souls from the heights of heaven, this is my ardent wish." (said on her deathbed)

"Prayer and meditation come first; work for God, neighbor or the religious family in between is secondary."

"Let us rest in the Divine Heart like little children in the arms of their father. The greater our confidence, the more will God's goodness be seen in us."

PRAYER
O, God, Our Father, You purified Your Servant Maria Teresa of St. Joseph through suffering and afflictions. Her great faith, her firm trust and unselfish love made her, through Your grace, a pure instrument in Your hand with which You could do great things.
Encouraged by her example and her trust in Your help we ask, through her intercession (name your intention here).
May Your holy will be done Lord. Make our hearts ready to accept what You send. Then we know that we pray in the spirit of Mother Mary Teresa. This we ask through Our Lord Jesus Christ. Amen.