Feast of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Good morning. To be like a child is the ticket, to experience fear of the Lord seems to be the key. We don’t seem to hear much about the gifts of the Holy Spirit, let alone “Fear of the Lord.” This gift of the Holy Spirit seemingly is forgotten due to the bad images it projects in a liberal world of warm fuzzy Jesus. I’m guessing for the most part this particular gift of the Holy Spirit tends to be avoided (not that the others get all too much play either) because for the most part it is misunderstood. It seems to be seen as actual “fear”, as in the trepidation found in “wait til’ your Dad gets home.” But the Psalmist likens it in Psalm 34 more to doing that which is desired by God, not so much out of fear but out of a desire to please, much like that of a child with their parents. “Come, children, listen to me; I will teach you the fear of the LORD…Turn from evil and do good.” It is more of a genuine fear of disappointing that person whom we love. It is in our daily prayers and in our participation in the Eucharist where we come to nurture this fear of the Lord and maintain our certainty, as in today’s readings that He will be there for us. Our Saint for today Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein) tells of her coming to an awareness of the certainty of God’s presence in her life. She notes that it was in her own experiences and that of others where she came to know He was there. She tells of the experience of a young widow, a Frau Reinach, who rather than being discouraged by her suffering was filled with hope. She talks of witnessing an old lady going into an empty church in the middle of the day, and witnessing her kneeling in one of the pews “as if to talk with a friend.” Edith Stein goes on in her writings to discuss her coming to know God in her personal experiences, her experiences of love. “…it is only by knowing God that we know ourselves; only through Jesus that we know God; and only through the cross that we can know Jesus.” We likewise have the opportunity to grow in our relationship with God through our relationship with our spouse, for it is in this experience of love with our other where we come to know and appreciate the love God has for us. She assures us that it is in our experience of self-giving and the acceptance of the cross in our marital journey where we come to experience and know God’s love for us. Our awareness of goodness, of love is discovered in our actions and our experiences with others, with those we share our lives and daily experiences with. Experience love today! Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. "Learn from St. Thérèse to depend on God alone and serve Him with a wholly pure and detached heart. Then, like her, you will be able to say ‘I do not regret that I have given myself up to Love’." ~Edith Stein