Marie du jour, 12 May: St. Teresa of Avila

I remember that when my mother died I was twelve years old or a little less.

When I began to understand what I had lost, I went, afflicted, before an image of our Lady and besought her with many tears to be my mother.

It seems to me that although I did this in simplicity it helped me. For I have found favor with this sovereign Virgin in everything I have asked of her, and in the end she has drawn me to herself. It wearies me now to see and think that I was not constant in the good desires I had in my childhood.

Saint Teresa of Avila

The Book of Her Life, chap. 1, no. 7

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Our Lady of Hope, 2018 Palm Sunday procession in Carmona, Spain. Image credit: Alem Sánchez / Pexels.com (Stock photo).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How can I entrust myself more completely to Mary, as Teresa did in her sorrow?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#death #grief #loss #MarieDuJour #motherhood #StTeresaOfAvila #VirginMary

Marie du jour, 1 May: Père Jacques

God is eternal silence; God dwells in silence.

He is eternal silence because he is the One who has totally realized his own being because he says all and possesses all. He is infinite happiness and infinite life.

All God’s works are marked by this characteristic. Contemplate the Incarnation; it was accomplished in the silence of the Virgin Mary’s chamber at a time when she was in prolonged silence, her door closed.

Our Lord’s birth came during the night, while all things were enveloped in silence. That is how the Word of God appeared on earth, and only Mary and Joseph were silently with him. They did not overwhelm him with their questions, for they were accustomed to guarding their innermost thoughts.

Servant of God Père Jacques of Jesus

Retreat for the Carmel of Pontoise, Conference Eight 
Thursday evening, 9 September 1943

Jacques, P 2005, Listen to the silence: A retreat with Père Jacques, translated from the French and edited by Murphy F, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

 Featured image: Adoration of the Shepherds, unknown French active in Rome, ca. 1660. Pinacoteca Stuard, Parma. Image credit: mazanto / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
What habits of interior silence might help me become more receptive to God’s presence?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#IncarnationOfChrist #MarieDuJour #nativity #PèreJacquesDeJésus #prayer #ServantOfGod #silence #StJoseph

Kicking off our Marie du jour feature is St. Thérèse of Lisieux, who shares a beautiful excerpt from her play, “The Mission of Joan of Arc.” Join us as we admire Joan's heartfelt tribute to the Virgin...
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