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PREFACE TO THE ENGLISH EDITIONWhen in May, 1925, Pope Pius XI raised the holy Carmelite, St. Theresa of Lisieux, to the altars of the Church, he said: "she offers us an example of perfection that everyone can and should imitate. She desires to draw us along her `little way', she teaches us a childlike simplicity which is the reverse of childish, she preaches purity, cleanness of heart, candor of soul, and an irresistible love of goodness, truth and sincerity". The same might be said of this other Saint from another Carmel, for indeed there is much similarity between them. Theresa Margaret was not French but Italian, she lived about a hundred years before the Saint of Lisieux, but their principles and ideals were the same. Indeed, it is just this identity of essentials in so wide a difference of time, place, circumstances and character that will make this life of the Italian Carmelite of the eighteenth century so fascinating a study to all who know the French one of our own day. The Saints are not held up before us as examples for us to imitate slavishly in the details of their lives: That is generally impossible and always undesirable. What is desirable is that we should try to assimilate something of the spirit that animated them, something of their ruling principles and ideals, and endeavor to work them out in our own sphere of life. And if this is true of all the Saints, it must be especially true of one who belonged to a contemplative religious Order. That is a vocation for the few, and for a person living in the world to try to imitate the life of a Carmelite, it would obviously be absurd. At the same time it is well for all of us to try to understand the meaning of the Carmelite vocation, and it is one of the merits of this little book that it shows us so clearly what the aim of the Carmelites is, and their immense value to the world. The vocation of the Carmelite is a call from the Divine Lover, a call to the soul whom He has chosen to give herself more completely to Him, not only to be united with Him in a closer bond of love, but to work with Him in a special manner for the salvation of souls. To become an enclosed Religious is not, as many think, to selfishly escape from the world's burden. On the contrary, it is to take up the world's burden. The Carmelite retires from the world in order to work for the world more effectually. Her motive is the very opposite of selfishness, for it is self-giving love — love of her Divine Lord, and love of all the world. Her work is to cooperate with the Passion of Christ offering herself with Him and in Him for the salvation of sinners. It is "to love for those who do not know how to love, to pray for those who do not know how to pray, and to suffer for those who do not know how to suffer". Among the principles and ideals of St. Theresa Margaret those that stand out most prominently in her life are her complete abandonment of herself to God, to go in the way that He would lead her, and faithfulness in doing all her ordinary duties. "She sought nothing," we are told, "beyond the exact fulfillment of each and every one of her duties." We can all try to imitate that, and to do so perfectly would be to reach perfect holiness. And then there is the idea of the apostolate, the cooperation with our Lord's Passion, by offering all our prayers and works and sufferings to Him for the salvation of souls. That is the special work of the Carmelites, but we all can and ought to take part in it. We need not do anything extraordinary, but just say our prayers, do our ordinary duties as well as we can, accept as patiently as we can whatever suffering comes upon us, and offer all these things to our Lord in union with His Passion in reparation for the sins of the world, and to gain grace for sinners. In this way we can all be apostles. G. J. MacGillivray |
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