and the Gospel of Matthew . Through the pages of her diaries , she not only describes a deepening relationship with God , but she also chronicles the horror she and her fellow Jews experienced at the hands of the Nazis . She states : “ The threat grows ever greater and terror increases from day to day . I draw prayer round me like a protective wall , withdraw within it and then step outside again , calmer and stronger and more collected again .”
On September 7 , 1943 , Etty and her family were placed on a transport train to Auschwitz . A letter from Etty to a friend , smuggled out of the camp , reflects a woman determined to affirm the beauty and goodness of existence . I am here in Poland , every day on the battlefields , if that ’ s what one can call them . I often see visions of poisonous green smoke ; I am with the hungry , with the ill-treated , and the dying , every day , but I also am with the jasmine and with that piece of the sky beyond my window . I sometimes bow my head under the great burden that weighs on me , but even as I bow my head I also feel the need , almost mechanically , to fold my hands . And so I can sit for hours and know everything and bear everything and grow stronger in the bearing of it . And at the same time feel sure that life is beautiful and worth living and meaningful . Despite everything .
Etty died in Auschwitz on November 30 . She was 29 .
What does Etty witness for us ? Her faith in God led her to affirm that during the worst of times , life is beautiful , worth living , and meaningful . We witness this affirmation every day as we read about the frontline workers who risk their lives to attend to those ill and suffering . In our own moments of fear and anxiety during this pandemic , we can pray with Etty , “ God take me by your hand ; I shall follow you faithfully ... I shall try to face it all as best I can ... I shall try to spread some of my warmth , my genuine love for others , wherever I go .”
Thérèse of Lisieux
Thérèse ’ s dark night of faith began the winter of 1896 when she woke one morning to find her handkerchief covered with blood . When she informed Mother Marie de Gonzague of her illness she asked for no special treatment and she received none . In her biography of Thérèse , Monica Furlong describes Thérèse ’ s acute suffering in body and spirit as she battled tuberculosis . The physical exhaustion that accompanies bleeding , the loneliness of facing death without the sympathy of others , the hurt of Mother Marie ’ s cruelty , all filled her with despair . Yet , she clung to her conviction that God was , and would be present in her suffering .
Thérèse states , “ Ah , may Jesus pardon me if I have caused Him pain , but He knows very well that while I do not have the joy of faith I am trying to carry out its works at least . I believe I have made more acts of faith in the past year than all through my whole life .”
Thérèse ’ s constant companions at this time of her life were the Scriptures and the works of John of the Cross . She drew strength from his teaching on the dark night as she struggled with temptations against belief in God and the reality of heaven . Facing her death , she writes , “ But death makes nonsense of your hopes ; it will only mean a darker night than ever ; a night of mere nonexistence .”
In the end Thérèse ’ s faith held strong . As she lay sick in bed , one of the sisters asked her , “ What are you doing ?” Thérèse responded , “ I am praying .” “ And what are you saying ?” the sister asked .
“ I am saying nothing . I am loving him .” Thérèse died of tuberculosis September 30 , 1897 , at the age of 24 .
What does Thérèse model for us ? Her “ Little Way ” expresses her conviction that faith involves performing all one ’ s daily actions in the presence and love of Jesus . By this means one could turn any situation into a profound arena for holiness , a potential step along the path of sanctity . “ My path ,” Thérèse stated , “ is one of complete trust and love .”
Father Yves Congar
The Second Vatican Council will be remembered by many for its rediscovery of the role of the Holy Spirit for the life of individuals and of the Church , and the recognition that there is no hierarchy of holiness but all are called to transformation into Christ through the power of the Holy Spirit .
Those accomplishments would not have taken place without the influence and guidance of Father Ives Congar , O . P . Yet they were not made without many hardships and suffering . Father Congar was an early advocate of a theology that returned to the sources of Scripture and the Patristic tradition rather than relying on the dry neo-scholasticism of the day . After the publication of Divided Christendom , he was called to Paris and informed of serious difficulties with this and other publications . He was removed from his teaching position and forbidden to set foot in any of the study houses of the Dominican Order . From then on , he was in constant trouble with members of the Roman Curia . He states , “ From the beginning of 1947 to the end of 1956 , I knew nothing from that quarter but an uninterrupted series of denunciations , warnings , restrictive or discriminatory measures , and mistrustful interventions .”
Father Congar ’ s dark night of faith culminated in his being sent to a Dominican house in Cambridge for an indefinite period of time . He described this as the unhappiest six months of his life ; yet he never gave into bitterness or resentment . He states , “ It is in suffering that we find ourselves in the presence of a profounder truth .”
Father Congar ’ s exile ended when Pope St . John XXIII , in announcing ecumenical council , invited Father
4 Sacred Heart Major Seminary | Mosaic | Fall 2020 / Winter 2021