INTRODUCING BLESSED MARIA CELESTE CROSTAROSA PART II

Continued 

Fortunately, Celeste’s youngest sister feared something like this would happen and wrote to the family.   When Sr. Maria Celeste was expelled, her sisters Illuminata and Evangelista left with her. Opportunely, their brothers George, a Jesuit, and Michele arrived in time from Naples. Originally, they were denied access to their three sisters, but they prevailed and were finally permitted to escort them in borrowed Benedictine habits to a monastery on the Amalfi Coast where they could rest after the trauma.

          While the sisters rested for ten days, another brother, Francesco, was searching for a place for Celeste and her sisters to discern where the Lord was leading them.  He found a Dominican convent in the Pagani region eager to offer them hospitality.  What was to be a three-month retreat turned into a two-year mission.    The local bishop was so impressed by the sisters, despite Falcoia’s attempt to discredit Celeste, ordered Sr. Celeste to take over as Superior, with Illuminata as Vicar, and reform the lax Dominican convent and to run their orphanage.  They were even given permission to wear their red and blue habits as they guided the community in the way of holiness.  Because of Mother Celeste’s great prudence and gentleness, the monastery was restored to perfect observance for the glory of God; the Dominican nuns were delighted with their ‘three angels from heaven.’   

   Though this was a time of consolation for Celeste, there was the matter of coming before the Inquisition at the request of the Bishop of Scala.  Her past was still haunting her.  Celeste and her two sisters underwent an interrogation individually and in great secrecy.  In the end, no charges were brought against them.     

          Celeste now truly longed to have her own monastery where she and her sisters could live the life of the Redeemer by following His Rule.   Eventually, Sr. Celeste received many offers to make a foundation. Not knowing which to choose, she asked the Lord’s desire.  At Communion came the answer.  "Go to Foggia.  It is there that I wish you to make the foundation.” 

          Things moved rather quickly then. In a month and a half, the foundation was arranged with the help of a benefactor, Canon Tortora, a house was rented, permissions obtained, travel arranged and by God’s grace, they gathered some girls to enter the new foundation.

          The three-day journey was rain-soaked, with the carriages wheel’s getting clogged in the mud and stuck in the swollen river.  But Sr. Celeste was senseless to all this.  The Lord drew her into such ecstasy; she writes, “In this extraordinary recollection, God showed her an immense road, a way of thunder for humanity, on which traveled every created being.  And she herself was being carried along this Way to Heaven by the strength of the Spirit into the immensity of God’s Being.” 

          On March 9, 1738, Sr. Celeste and Illuminata, (their youngest sister decided to join a different convent), the six children, the Canon, the bishop and the whole town walked in solemn procession to the cathedral where there was a miraculous painting of Our Lady, so that they might offer themselves to God and place themselves under her special protection. Then they processed to their new home. 

When everyone had left, Celeste, Illuminata, the 4 aspirants and two little girls looked around and saw only a table and a few benches, one pot to cook in and…. nothing else.   So, they got busy unpacking.  The two little girls were students who would live with the sisters.  By the grace of God and the goodness of their neighbors, “They had enough to live on, and the Lord never allowed them to want for anything in the way of food. And by means of the children's pension, they were able to furnish the house, which was a real miracle.”

          The little community lived the Rule as best they could under the guidance of Mother Celeste.    Their only sadness was, because this was a rented house, the bishop would not allow them to have the Blessed Sacrament reserved in their tiny chapel.  This grieved Celeste and the sisters very much, “as without this sweet company they felt like bodies without the soul.”

          After a year and a half, they moved to a proper monastery with a beautiful view of the countryside and a pretty little garden, with a Church and choir and all the necessary offices and rooms.  It really seemed as if the Lord Himself had chosen this monastery.  Here, on October 4^th, 1739, they were able to reserve the Blessed Sacrament, and the foundation of the Most Holy Redeemer in Foggia truly began.

          Mother Celeste, now 43, was finally settled and could spend the rest of her life in peace.  For the most part it was a peaceful existence because she always put her trust in God during good times and difficult times.

          In the spring of the following year, there was an earthquake. Celeste ran to Chapel and begged before the Tabernacle for the earthquake to cease, for its punishment was hurting the good and the poor along with the bad.   Instantly, the ground stopped rocking.  Gratitude for this marvel turned to grief when it was discovered an uninhabited tower next door crashed into the room where two young girls were taking their siesta.  One child died, the niece of Canon Tortora.  The girl’s mother, was devasted.  Mother Celeste prayed with the woman, “For us, the Eternal Decrees of God are at once adorable and unfathomable.”  

          Other parents came wanting to take their girls home.  Mother Celeste, recognized in this the work of the devil, said to the parents, “You may take your children home as soon as you like, because the Lord has no need of people for His Glory, and will easily send souls whom He has chosen to be His Spouses.”

          That may sound a little cold to our ears, but this is an example of Celeste’s heart of hope and complete abandonment to the Will of God.  In the end, all the children remained, and even more asked to enter the monastery.      

          At times, Celeste displayed the ability to read hearts: Once, sensing disorder in the community, Mother Celeste brought in a basket of beautiful large red apples to her daily ferverino (a prayerful reflection or teaching) to the community meeting.  She explained that each apple represented a sister and when there is discord in the monastery it spreads like the plague.  Then she had the sisters come forward and look at the apples.  All had blemishes, some more than others, one was totally rotten.  Not long after, a young sister left because she had no vocation.

          Like St. Alphonsus, Bl Celeste was a prolific writer.  Yet, she had never formally learned how to write, so her spelling in her original Neapolitan dialect and lack of punctuation has challenged those translating her works.   In Foggia she wrote her Autobiography, the Grades of Prayer, her Advent meditations in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary and more.  But primary among her writings is the Intent of the Father, the Plan of Love, which is the foundation of Celeste’s life and of the Order.  Here are the opening statements of the Plan of Love.

        “With a desire have I desired to join My Spirit to the world and give it to every one of my creatures, so that I might live with them and in them until the end of the world.

         “You must change your life into My Beloved Son’s life so that there might be in the world an authentic witness to those very salvific works which the Son performed out of love for humankind.  This is really possible because Christ is still a Wayfarer (a traveler) in those who are united to Him though love, and union with God through their faith, good works, and the grace of the Holy Spirit.’ 

          Bl. Celeste’s spirituality can be summed up in two words: Viva Memoria.  As Redemptoristines we are called to be, in the Church and in the world, a Living Memory of the Redeemer.

      Bl. Celeste was graced to have another friend among the Redemptorists:  Gerard Majella.  Though half her age, and young in religious life, Gerard became Celeste’s, and the community’s, spiritual director.  How did this happen?  Her dear friend Alphonsus Liguori sent Gerard, of course.

          For his part, Gerard thought so highly of Mother Celeste and her community that he brought twelve young women to the monastery in Foggia ‘to become saints.’

Gerard Majella.  Though half her age, and young in religious life, Gerard became Celeste’s, and the community’s, spiritual director.  How did this happen?  Her dear friend Alphonsus Liguori sent Gerard, of course.

          For his part, Gerard thought so highly of Mother Celeste and her community that he brought twelve young women to the monastery in Foggia ‘to become saints.’

          As the Will of God would have it, these two soul friends would die a month apart.  On the Feast of the Exaltation of the Cross, as St. Gerard lay on his own deathbed, he stated, "I have just seen the soul of Mother Maria Celeste wing its flight to heaven like a dove, to receive there the reward she has merited through her great love for Jesus and Mary.”

          “It is finished.” John 19:30   Mother Maria Celeste took her last breath on September 14, 1755 at the end of the reading of St. John’s Passion.  How apropos for one who lived her life so closely to her Beloved, and Him crucified. 

          The next day, with all the bells ringing, her body was taken into the church for public viewing.  People came from all over to see the holy woman who had humbly lived the merciful love of the Redeemer.  Throughout her life, Celeste would often repeat what her Beloved had declared to her, “Tell them I am Pure Love.”  The townsfolk readily believed her message because of the holy Prioress’ example. They called her a saint. 

         Fast forward to June 18, 2016.  I had the privilege to be in Foggia, Italy with other Redemptoristines from around the world for the beatification of Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa.  It was a marvelous occasion. 

Among the people I met there was Sr. Maria Celeste Lagonigro, the present Prioress of Foggia, who was miraculously healed of a life-long painful ear disease on September 13, 1955, exactly 200 years after Bl. Celeste’s death.  The other person I met was Bl. Celeste’s great, great, great, (I don’t know how many greats) grandnephew Giovanni Crostarosa. 

He told me that, to this day, Mother Celeste is just as famous in the Foggia region for her sanctity and writings as is St. Alphonsus.           We celebrate Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa on her designated feast day, Sept. 11.

INTRODUCING BLESSED MARIA CELESTE CROSTAROSA ~ Part 1 of 2

         I bet many of you have never heard of Maria Celeste 

Crostarosa, the foundress of the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer.  Neither had I until I entered the Order, commonly known as the Redemptoristine Nuns, and fell in love with her and her message.  

Let me tell you why she is so special.  Maria Celeste was a mystic and contemporary of St. Alphonsus Liguori.   Both were born in Naples in 1696 though they did not meet until 33 years later. 

Born the tenth of twelve children to the Crostarosa family, Celeste was baptized Giulia.  Little Giulia, so loved spiritual things that by the age of six, sensed the presence of Jesus in her heart.    Yet, when she was nine years old, Giulia became lax in her fervor because she enjoyed the company of the servants learning their nonsense songs and worldly ways.  But the Lord pursued her to change her foolish conduct and after a few months Giulia made a good confession and resolved to do better.  

          On the day of her First Communion, when Giulia was 11, the Lord invited her into His Heart saying, "Enter into this wound; and I will purify you from all your sins."  With that, she entered into a profound recollection, and heard Jesus say, "I wish to be your Guide.   Love Me alone." 

          Giulia responded, “My Lord, You have always loved me; keep me close to You.”   And from then on, she wished to live a humble life.  The Lord was pleased and said within her heart: “You must imitate my life and unite whatever you do to My life.”  

          At 15, Giulia, still a beginner in the spiritual life, made the mistake of changing her confessor to a much younger, inexperienced priest. This led to spiritual darkness.   Gone were the consolations but not the guidance from her Lord, who said, “Look at the sun. Now behold how the warmth of the Divine Son lights up everything and makes the plants of virtues grow in your soul to produce flowers and fruits for eternal life. By My Divine Fire, I burn up all the bad weeds of your soul.  Your eyes are closed by sin.  Open your eyes to My Divine Light.” 

          This spiritual darkness lasted two years. By seventeen she had become a very subdued young woman. Young Giulia had always been the pet of the family because of her intelligence and vivaciousness.  The change in her was so remarkable that her family feared for her health and thought she was dying. 

          Now enters a wise old Dominican who understood her struggles.  He advised Giulia to break with that young confessor.  When she did, the Dominican unlocked the mysterious way Jesus was working in her heart. 

          While recovering her health, Giulia saw from her window a priest coming down the street holding a monstrance.  No, not a priest, but Jesus Himself in all His splendor.  She rushed to follow and ended up in church sobbing and confessing her sins aloud for all to hear.  Those who heard her confession were astounded by her humility and love for the Savior. Once more Giulia felt that Sweet Divine Companion enter her heart and was at peace.

          From that day on, she was determined to be the true daughter of God the Father, and pure spouse of the Son through the Holy Spirit.  Giulia wanted to become a religious.

          Her first attempt to enter religious life was when Giulia was nineteen.  She and her older sister, Ursula, tricked their mother into letting them enter a Carmelite conservatory by plotting beforehand their course of action. What was supposed to be a friendly visit to a holy nun turned out to be a formal entrance.  The two young women were so captivated by the Religious and the monastery that they begged their surprised mother to let them enter religious life right there and then. Signora Crostarosa finally gave the permission but on the condition that if Signore Crostarosa did not approve, a carriage would be sent to fetch them.   The carriage never came. 

          The Carmelites so regarded Giulia’s talents that in just a year Giulia was given a Carmelite habit, and in quick succession, was professed and named Novice Mistress!  Giulia had observed a certain laxity in the monastery and attempted to rectify that by instructing her novices with lights she received from the Lord: “The Lord has breathed into my heart all teachings regarding Pure Love, so desire Jesus alone as the only treasure of your soul.  In Christ’s Light your soul will see its darkness, and will then desire to be clothed with holy virtues.”

          After 6 years, unfortunately, the monastery was dissolved because of the interference of their main benefactor in their Carmelite life.

         In 1722, Giulia had the occasion to meet someone who would impact her life for years to come: Fr Tommaso Falcoia.  He was a member of the Pious Workers who had great organizational skills and a number of nuns as spiritual daughters.  He was very impressed with this young religious and encouraged her to take him as her spiritual father.  Eventually, she did and opened her soul to him. 

Falcoia encouraged Celeste to entered a monastery in Scala,

Italy, high above the Amalfi coast where he was the Spiritual Father.  She was 27. Sr. Maria Celeste thought she had reached heaven.  In later years she says, “My ignorance was profound because I did not see the signs that should have enlightened me.   Oh!  I was far indeed from that sublime state, being not yet purified by the fire of sufferings and tribulations.”   

What sufferings? What tribulations? 

          It all began while Celeste was still a novice in Scala. She writes, “At Communion time, the Lord made her experience a transformation of herself into Him.  The Lord spoke within the very center of her soul the words in the Creed: ‘Con-substantial with the Father.’

          On the next day, April 25, 1725, came another revelation.  Again, after Communion the Lord revealed to Celeste the ‘Intent of the Father’ to make that community a “Viva Memoria,” a ‘living memorial’ of all that it pleased the Only Begotten Son to do for their salvation.  He set a seal on her heart to be on earth a living portrait of the Beloved Son.  Florilegium   But not only on her, but on all those souls who would have life by means of her.  This new institute would have as its rule His very life.

          You can image how her soul quaked at the thought of what she must share with her Novice Mistress and Spiritual Father.  Celeste suspected Falcoia would not be thrilled over replacing his idea for a rule by a new Rule, supposedly dictated to a novice by the Lord Himself.

          The very next day the visions continued and the Lord strengthened Celeste, saying, “It is really I and not the demon.”  And in the Sacred Host she saw the Lord clothed in the habit of the Order, and understood that she must change her life into His.

         Moreover, she saw Jesus writing on her heart with His own blood the new Rule for the community.  Jesus ordered her to write down these Rules in His name every day after Communion for an hour.  The Redeemer said, “In this Order, He Himself was the cornerstone, the Gospel was the mortar; and His Father was the Builder.”

It was just as Celeste feared when she shared these visions with the Novice Mistress, who then wrote to Fr. Falcoia describing the situation and inviting him to Scala as soon as possible.  He wrote a swift reply accusing Celeste of being a “mad-woman,” a “dreamer” and a “troublemaker” and ordered that she not receive Communion as a mortification. 

Despite all this, Sr. Celeste, and her two blood sisters who had joined her in religious life, were professed.  But this tension between Sr. Celeste, Fr Falcoia and the community continued for five more years.  Things turned around when a young priest came to the monastery in Scala, at the request of Falcoia, to give a retreat to the nuns.  This priest also happened to be a spiritual son of Falcoia, and was warned of ‘a nun there filled with illusions.’  This young priest is Alphonsus Liguori. 

 Alphonsus came prepared for the worst.  With his characteristic legal thoroughness, Alphonsus interviewed each nun personally and had repeated interviews with Maria Celeste.  The crucial issue was the authenticity of the revelation and the feasibility of a new Rule.  To both questions Alfonso answered in the affirmative. Thanks to his powers of persuasion, all the nuns finally agreed to accept the new Rule.  MWR

This meeting of these two souls was the beginning of a life-long friendship.  Celeste writes to Alphonsus: “O My Father, I make my communions united to your spirit. I thirst for your companionship.  May the Lord bless this friendship of ours forever, for the glory and honor of His name.”

On the feast of Pentecost, May 13, 1730, the Order of the Most Holy Redeemer began.  And then on the feast of the Transfiguration the nuns donned the red, blue and white habit.   The Holy Redeemer had explained earlier the meaning of the colors:  Red is for ‘the robe of charity’ which the God-Man clothed himself on earth and, in turn, bestows on us by his merciful Love.  The sky-blue mantel is a sign of Christ’s humility by who’s cross earth is united to heaven.  The white shoes signify that the nuns are detached from earthly things. The Portrait of the Redeemer worn over the breast is a sign that Christ is living in their hearts. 

On October 3, 1731 Celeste had another revelation.  This time involving Alphonsus.   Duty bound to her spiritual Father Falcoia, she wrote to him about the vision.  She had seen Christ, St. Francis of Assisi and Alphonsus Liguori conversing together.  The Lord said to her, "This soul is chosen as the head of My Institute to go and preach to every creature that the Kingdom of God.  It is he who will be the first superior of the Congregation of men."    

Again, you can imagine, this did not sit well with the Spiritual Father.  His response was dismissive: “It’s all nothing.  Give no credence to it at all.”  Falcoia wrote this because he himself was interested in starting a missionary congregation.

When Alphonsus came to visit the monastery, Celeste quietly shared with him the vision.  Alphonsus was startled, humbled, and yet his heart was inflamed with love and joy, for he, too, had thought of a preaching institute. He spent many months consulting with many spiritual advisors, deliberating, praying about this new venture to preach to the poor and abandoned outside of Naples inviting them to a deeper love for God and a fuller practice of the Christian life.   Finally, on November 9, 1732, Alphonsus Liguori founded the congregation in a house which sat on the corner of the nun’s property in Scala.

The following April, Celeste abandoned Falcoia’s spiritual direction.  She writes to Alphonsus her reasons: Falcoia was unable to properly care for her soul.  Bound by obedience, she had continually revealed to the spiritual father the state of her soul, but he always seemed to misinterpret everything she said in a sinister sense.

          Letters go back and forth between Celeste and Alphonsus. 

           Alphonsus writes Celeste a long letter which only made the poor sister feel terrible because Alphonsus wrote, “My dear Celeste, my beloved sister in Jesus Christ…” then questioned her lack of total submission to the spiritual father and accused her of being obstinate in listening to Tosquez (a devout layman who would sometimes advise her). He challenged her humility with, “Where is the Celeste of former days? It breaks my heart to think of it!”  Alphonsus charged her with attachment to her own judgment, “…what a dangerous hallucination this is!”  Such were the words that pierced her heart.  After much weeping and prayer, she replied with just two lines, “Thank you for your charity towards me.  From this hour on, I renounce all these motives, all my words and judgments for the love of God.”

          Throughout all this her Beloved Spouse, the Redeemer, spoke reassuring words, “You shall live a life of constant dying to yourself in everything you do, crucifying yourself on my cross, living crucified in my holy Flesh, yet always united to the joy of my divine Spirit.”  At that moment an angel pierced her heart with an arrow dipped in the blood of the Lamb.  This mysterious wound so strengthened her that she felt able to gladly bear all contradictions, contempt and insults to come in the service of God.

          Alphonsus wrote again after receiving Celeste’s perceived cold reply. (More likely, Celeste felt the loss of all human consolation and just didn’t have the strength at that time to answer properly.)  Alphonsus restated just as firmly his points, but in a more conciliatory tone.  He ended with, “It is always profitable to humiliate a soul overwhelmed with favors from God.   It is impossible for me not to desire your perfection because I love you in Jesus Christ and if you were offended by it, you would be wronging me.  If I could, with the spiritual father’s permission, I would kiss your feet.”

          With renewed strength it was Maria Celeste’s turn to respond with a long letter delineating point by point the state of her conscience regarding Falcoia’s inability to guide her soul and his continual tinkering with the New Rule.  Celeste defended her friend Tosquez against suspicion within the community. And finally, she renounced all supernatural light and favors, in spite of the fact that the revelations she received were always founded on the light of holy faith.

          She wrote, “God has no need of me. God can do it all.” Celeste ended imploring Alphonsus to make known her imperfections, assuring him she feared nothing and was at peace following the steps of her Savior. She ends with, “Pray for me and bless me.  I, your humble servant, respectfully kiss your feet.”

          Early in May 1733, everything came to a head. The Superioress and Falcoia imprisoned Sr. Maria Celeste in a cubbyhole under the eaves in the monastery attic while she considered three conditions: 1) to accept in writing, Falcoia’s version of the Rule, 2) never to write or consult with Tosquez again and 3) that she keep Falcoia as her Spiritual Director forever.

Isolated from the community, Celeste was forbidden to talk to anyone, even her own two blood sisters. Yet the hardest of all was being deprived of Holy Communion.  After two weeks of prayer in the small attic space Sr. Maria Celeste agreed to the first two conditions but, because of ‘grave matters of conscience,’ she refused the third.  With that, she was expelled from the monastery in Scala. 

ST ALPHONSUS METHOD OF PRAYER AND T'AI CHI

 

Today, August 1, we celebrate St. Alphonsus Ligouri’s anniversary of death in 1787 at the age of 91. The Founder of the Redemptorists was born in Naples on September 27, 1696, just a month earlier than our Foundress Ven. Mother Maria Celeste Crostarosa.

      Alphonsus was an extremely intelligent man. Early in his life he once made a vow never to waste a moment of time so he wrote over 100 books, painted, played the organ and composed songs. His most famous hymn is the Italian Christmas carol, Tu Scendi Delle Stelle (From Starry Skies Descending).

A renowned preacher and confessor, he won the hearts of the simple people by teaching them to pray to God as to a dear friend. This may seem ironic because Alphonsus himself was a man plagued by scruples but he recognized the truth that God was pure love and that we may approach God without fear.

When I was a Postulant, Sr. Peg gave me a pamphlet of one of Alphonsus’ teachings that described a method of prayer which I found helpful. It had the mnemonic device of the word ACTS which stands for Adoration, Contrition, Thanksgiving, Supplication.

You may well ask what does St. Alphonsus, the great moral theologian of the eighteenth century, who wrote uncountable treatises on prayer and the founder of the Redemptorists has in common with T’ai Chi, a philosophy that has its roots in sixth century BCE (Before the Common Era) Taoism? Truthfully, not much; perhaps the only connection is that when Alphonsus was a young diocesan priest he desired to go on the missions to China.

It is only because of my temperament did I find a connection between Alphonsus’ method of meditation and T’ai Chi: movement in meditation.

I’m sure you have all seen people doing T’ai Chi on TV or maybe in the park. I’ve taken a couple of basic courses in it. The one you see people doing in the park in English is called ‘The Flowing River.’ Another form I learned once while on retreat is simple, gentle, repetitive movements that lend themselves to meditation.

            T’ai Chi has its roots in Taoism. The Chinese mystic Lao Tse, a contemporary of Confucius, and India’s Buddha, in the sixth century BCE in his book, Tao te Ching, wrote, ‘All things come from the Way: it creates without owning, gives without demanding. This is harmony.’ The Way is Chi: the energy which flows in the harmony of nature and in each of us. Lao Tse looked to nature to give examples: ‘As spring overcomes the cold and autumn overcomes the heat, so calm and quiet overcomes the world.’

Lao Tse’s contemplative eye on nature taught him that in order to be calm and quiet one needs to meditate so one may be engaged in the world in a harmonious fashion.

You may be thinking where does the movement come into meditation? Lao Tse said, ‘Be still like a mountain and flow like a great river.’ In the sixth century CE (Common Era) Bodhidharma, a Buddhist master did just that. He visited China and noticed the monks there were in terrible shape from all their sitting about and meditating. So, Bodhidarma began instructing them in exercises that flowed from his contemplation and appreciation of nature and gave the gentle exercises names like Stroke the Swallow’s Tail, White Crane Spreads Wings, Hands Passing like Clouds…

          Years ago I wedded St. Alphonsus’ ACTS with the gentle repetitive movements of T’ai Chi. Perhaps, if St. Alphonsus was alive today he would still heartily encourage this form of meditation and add, "Jesus is The Way, our Chi! (energy/lifeforce)

These prayerful movements can be done standing or sitting. All the motions and the thoughts flow from the heart and continue to do so with each letter of ACTS until you feel the natural end to each intention.

The first letter A stands for Adoration. With hands raised heart high I circle those palms up around in front of me conscious of the presence of God and adoring the Creator of all things. The second letter C stands for Contrition. My hands move out and back, pushing from the heart, all my failings that stand between me and God. The letter T is for Thanksgiving. This time my hands, palms up, come up from the side of my body to my heart in a circular motion recounting all the blessings I have received as gift in my life. The final letter is S for Supplication. Here my palms face down and circle heart high blessing and beseeching God’s mercy and love on my family, community, the world.

          St. Alphonsus used all kinds of prayer in his life. I can imagine he raised his hands and prayed from his heart as he taught the poor and abandoned to do likewise in these words, “Acquire the habit of speaking to God as if you were alone with Him, familiarly and with confidence and love, as to the dearest and most loving of friends. Speak to Him often of your business, your plans, your troubles, your fears— of everything that concerns you. Converse with Him confidently and frankly; for God is not wont to speak to a soul that does not speak to Him.”

Let us then, whether still or in motion, pray confidently to our dearest friend, Jesus, The Way.

MIRROR OF LOVE

 It all began when Ven. Maria Celeste Crostarosa received a revelation while she was still a novice to, “Stamp on your spirit the features of his life and the resemblance of him that comes from imitation.   Be on earth living and inspired images of my beloved Son.  Carry him about as the life of your heart and as the goal of your existence and as the Master of your spirit.” Intent of the Father  “This instruction was for her soul like a polished mirror into which, she remained gazing continually at the dazzling light of the sun (Son) and found herself at once drawn into the divine splendor of her Well-Beloved.” Autobiography    Celeste, and the Order which she was to found, was called from the beginning to be for the world a Mirror of God’s Love.

Likewise, we are called to fix our gaze on the Son and, as if gazing in a mirror, see not only the splendor of His Being but in our own being a living reflection of God’s eternal love.   “It is in this that the Redeemer is able today to accomplish His work of salvation in us and through us.”  Const. 5    For, “The more we strive to live the love of Christ, the more the thoughts and feelings of Christ will fill our spirit and our heart, the more we will become His faithful images.”  Const.6

Like a double exposure of a photograph, one superimposed on the other, we endeavor to be Christ the Redeemer to one another:  “To be a living copy and faithful portrait of Jesus so that he might find himself in you, and you recognize yourself in him, your God through faith.”  Florilegium 6.

Ven. Celeste had a creative spirit.  Just reading her works gives us insight into the richness of her inner life by the way she uses imagery in her writings.  She was also pliable in the hand of God by opening her heart and allowing God to shape and mold her, transform her into the image of the Son.

Everyone is called to remain moist and be shaped by God.  And by that transformation, we follow the Redeemer and make his saving action alive in our own time and place. This became clear to Bl Celeste when she marveled, “I no longer saw myself, but I saw You in my very self and myself transformed into You, my Most Pure Love.”

Jesus invited Celeste, and us, with these words, "If anyone wishes to come after me, let him deny himself, take up his cross each day and follow me." (Luke 9:23)  Celeste’s response was, “Oh with what love I embraced the cross, loved it, desired it and took pleasure in it -- all for your love.”  She continues, “Likewise those who love bind themselves to the cross…savor the true and solid sweetness of God and the true peace found therein.”  Florilegium 118.

Celeste describes Jesus the Redeemer as the mirror of the Father.   She invites us to look into this mirror of the Son, saying, “Those who are pure of heart know the Father because they look upon the Redeemer fixedly with a gaze of love.” and adds: “They are children of the light because with the vision of right intention, they gaze into the mirror of the divine perfections of their God.”   The Mystic Who Remembered’ by Joseph Opptiz, CSsR      Let us be Mirrors of Love, of the Redeemer, of our God.

Question:

How am I a ‘Mirror of Love’ witnessing to the world God’s love?

WHAT DO THEY DO ALL DAY?

 As you would suspect, our life revolves around prayer. And, that as Redemptoristines, we hold in a special place in our heart our Redemptorist Priests and Brothers and their various apostolic missions.  So, there is no mystery there.     

The mystery begins with the Title of Chapter I of our Constitution and Statutes which sets the theme for our life: We are called by the Father to be, in the Church and in the world of today, a living memorial of Christ the Redeemer. Const. 5 expands this thought of being a Living Memorial as …a constant Reminder of all that the Son accomplished for our salvation during His life on earth.  It is in this way that the Redeemer is able today to accomplish His work of salvation in us and through us.

Constitution 44 describes how: At the heart of our life is the Liturgy of the Hours and Eucharist making the day and night holy in a perfect sacrifice of love and praise. The Sisters life of prayer, praise and intercession reaches out to embrace all the needs and intentions of the entire world into the heart of Father.

The apostolate of the Redemptorists is sustained by the contemplative life of the nuns, and the Redemptorist ministry gives incentive to the life of prayer to the Nuns who are themselves fully missionary. Const 13

But what do the Sisters do all day?  Each sister brings her own unique self to our mission of prayer for the Church and the world.  In charity, each offers her gifts to use in the service for her sisters and in union with Christ the Redeemer.

We live in the shadow of Mount Beacon in New York. On June 25, we celebrate our 8^th anniversary of living with the Carmelites.  We were welcomed with open arms to the Monastery of the Incarnation after our move from the property of Mount St. Alphonsus in Esopus. With the Carmelites we share liturgy, meals, household chores and recreation. We are enriched and nourished as we join in the celebration of each other’s feasts and special occasions, and share quiet times of retreat.   The park-like setting of the monastery is perfect for contemplating the peaceful, wondrous beauty of God’s nature surrounding us.

Besides the regular household chores that everyone else in the world does, like taking out the garbage, recycling, laundry… A couple of Sisters are involved with the making of CSsR habits. Others plan liturgies for Mass and prayer throughout the day or, because of the pandemic, Morning Prayer with Communion. Sisters accompany folks on their life journey by spiritual direction and the apostolate of the pen (computer) writing letters, emails and Spreading the Good News of Salvation via our website.  There you can see pictures of the Sisters, read reflections on our Homepage and Blog (Followers of the Wayfarer), learn about our foundress Blessed Maria Celeste Crostarosa, our history and Sisters’ Stories.  You can ponder art and haiku and even do a brain teaser by solving the CryptoPrayer. You are welcome to leave a prayer request or learn how to donate to the community by your purchases on AmazonSmile. Take a look: rednunsny.org.  

Nightly, we have a ‘holy hour:’ the news and Jeopardy! Like many of you, we follow the news and discuss and pray over what we can do personally and as contemplatives to heal the divisions of our country, world and church.  

An important part of our life is to be able to relax with one another.  It is an essential part of all life, it fosters growth, and peace of mind and heart which the contemplative life needs in

order to flourish.  Many sisters have gardens and enjoy puttering among the blooms. Most enjoy walks around the property or bird/deer watching from their rooms. Scrabble, crossword and jigsaw puzzles are favorite activities, as is watching the occasional DVD.

All our life is lived with the mindfulness that we are part of something bigger than what is seen from the outside. Though hidden from sight, it is in our interaction with one another and with those we come in contact with that we witness to this new heaven and new earth by our faith, hope and charity in every aspect of our human and religious life.   In the monastery we strive to become the Redeemer’s faithful images of Him who is our Beginning and our End, our Way and our Life. Const. 6

We recently mailed out our invitation to join us in prayer, from a distance, for our Novena in honor of Our Mother of Perpetual Help. We unite ourselves in prayer with the Blessed Virgin for all the special intentions we receive through return mail. Our Const. 16 encourages us to, …Like Mary and with Mary, strive to live in constant communion with Christ, who is the light of our faith, the strength of our charity and the source of our hope.

So, you see, the mystery mission of our contemplative life is entirely centered on being a living memory of the love of the Father manifest in Christ the Redeemer to the world in union with our brother Redemptorists.   It is as simple, and profound, as that.