‘We
heard in the Paul’s letter to the Ephesians these words, “we are God’s work of
art, created in Christ to do the good things God created for us to do and today
the Church celebrates one of God’s masterpieces, Blessed Maria Celeste
Crostarosa. To many however, when you
mention her name the response is not one of great joy but more one like
Who? To the small band of her followers
in this room she is model, guide and companion even centuries later.
Paul
further says we exist to display the immeasurable riches of God’s grace and
kindness in Christ and the gift of faith given to us in Christ . This is what
saints do and it was what Blessed Celeste did in her life. Like Martha in the
Gospel came to do, she was also able to come to believe that Christ was the
Messiah and Son of God who had come into the world to save us. Her world was a special world just as Martha
and Mary’s world was, she knew and believed that in Christ Jesus, “whatever you
ask of God, God will give you.”
Giulia
Crostarosa was born in Naples in 1696, the 10th of 12 children. She
was considered by some as the “darling of the family” both intelligent and high
spirited. There was much to be
discovered about her as she grew in her understanding of who she was. She invites us this day on here Feast day to
continue to grow in our understanding of who we are as a people of God.
When
you want to understand something about a founder such as Celeste you look to
her writings, Her writing was so focused on the one who was the redeemer of
humankind and thus we have a community who recall and who contemplate as only
they can, the one redeemer’s actions for us today and every day, Celeste heard
Jesus’ command when he said to her and he says to us. “Do not love any creature,
love only me. Imitate my life and unite whatever you do with the works of my
life.” Blessed Celeste went about with
eyes focus and heart dwelling in the life of Christ her teacher and redeemer.
With the support and collaboration of St. Alphonsus Liguori, who later became
her friend the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer was founded on the Feast of
Pentecost in 1731. That is the beginning of the story but it certainly doesn’t
end there. Like many founders of new communities she was misjudged, she was
called a troublemaker, delusional, and to even some she was considered a witch.
But persistent in her call she remained strong.
She
was eventually expelled from the original monastery for being one her companions
could not understand and so she turned to her Beloved Jesus, who was to show her the way. Blessed
Celeste’s heart was always focused on founding a new monastery and new way of
life and so she continued her quest in Foggia, where she became a prolific
writer and mystic.
The spiritual journey of Maria Celeste
was filled with many mystical experiences and is characterised by obedience to
conscience, by constant searching for the meaning of the gospel, and by living
simply. Here where I invite to do your home work and read more of her life or
just turn to her living followers today and let them tell you the whole of the
story. Maria Celeste died at Foggia on the 14th September 1755. At the moment
of her death, Saint Gerard Majella, her spiritual friend, declared he saw her
soul flying to heaven as a white dove.” That’s quite a story of the one who
followed the life of her redeemer. I
found that as I reflected more, it was fascinating for the situation here as
she began with Carmelite roots but also had a tie to Francis as well. In 1731, on October 3, the Vigil of the Feast of St.
Francis of Assisi, Maria Celeste has a vision of Our Lord with St. Francis and
Alphonsus Liguori. She discovers that Jesus wishes to have Alphonsus be the
first superior of a men's Institute, with the additional charge to "…Go
and preach to every creature that the kingdom of heaven is at hand."
Today we
celebrate Celeste let us reflect upon the words of their own constitution: the
Order of the Most Holy Redeemer accomplishes its mission in the Church in close
fellowship with the entire Redemptorist family. The Order is, in fact, closely
linked by its origins, name and
On this
feast day may you remember always the vision of Celeste and live the words of
St Paul in Ephesians, God has raised you up, In union with Christ to display
the riches of God’s grace and kindness in Christ. May you echo Celeste vision
in your life when he joins Paul in saying, “Life for me is Christ.
