CSVF Blog

So many talks, so little time . . .

Yesterday I posted the announcement for next Monday’s health care lecture at St. Catherine’s.  It begins at 1:30.  

As it turns out, two other Dominican events will take place later in the day.  First, at 7:00 here at St. Vincent’s, we’ll have the second lecture of our new “Theology in the City” series.  The topic will be “The Meaning of Creation.”

And later in the evening up at Columbia University, the Columbia Catholic Ministry (run by Dominican friars from Poland) will hold its annual Merton Lecture.  This year’s speaker will be Dr. Eleonore Stump, an analytic Thomist philospher who teaches at St. Louis University.  Professor Stump will address “The Problem of Evil in the Thought of St. Thomas Aquinas.”  The lecture will begin at 8:30.

Let’s see . . . 1:30, 7:00, and 8:30.  Will anyone attend all three talks?

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Like many in the early Modern period, Teresa Sanchez Cepeda Davila y Ahumada entered religion after reading the works of the Church Fathers.  The letters of St. Jerome in particular, given to her by her uncle, prompted Teresa to choose what appeared to be the shortest and surest way to God.  She also chose what was closest, the Carmelite monastery in her hometown of Avila.  By today’s standards Teresa’s initial decision to become a nun might appear hastily made, but her subsequent cooperation with God’s grace contributed to the greatest monastic reform movement in modern times.  Teresa, with the assistance of St. John of the Cross, transformed the decadent Carmelite world of the sixteenth century into the rich treasure of contemplative prayer and spiritual teaching that still enriches the Church today.  For example, without St. Teresa, we would not enjoy the patronage of another Carmelite saint and doctor of the Church, St. Therese of Lisieux.  And as a devoté, I cannot fail to mention another modern saint of Carmel, Therese’s contemporary, Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity.

Two years ago, Teresa Polk published this excellent post on “Blog by the Sea.”  It includes a biography of St. Teresa and a short bibliography.

When reading St. Teresa’s life, we learn that she sought assistance for her reform from many religious of other orders, including the Order of Preachers.  Teresa’s familiarity with the Dominicans began early in her life.  Her father was devoted to Dominican preaching in Avila, and one of her brothers joined the Order.  As a consequence, Dominicans served as Teresa’s earliest confessors, and she continued to seek their counsel until her death.

Throughout the entire history of the Discalced Carmelites one can trace its close connection to the Order of Preachers.  For instance, in the late nineteenth century, St. Therese and Bl. Elizabeth both had Dominican instructors.  And over the centuries the influence has been mutual.  Dominican catechesis on the spiritual life has been heavily shaped by the experience of Carmel.  Notable in this regard are the spiritual works of the famous Dominican theologian Fr. Reginald Garrigou-Lagrange.  His books, especially The Three Ages of the Interior Life, describe Christian perfection from a recognizably Carmelite perspective.

Father, by your Spirit you raised up Saint Teresa of Avila to show your Church the way to perfection.  May her inspired teaching awaken in us a longing for true holiness.

Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever.  Amen.

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