The morning star and Catholic messenger., 1877-12-16

and meditation OF q true Carmelitef Perhaps
the heavenly raptuTes, the beRti6c ecstsoies,
with which Jesus Christ was pleased to crafty
the great reformer of Carmeli No, this is not,
for the daughter of st. Teresa, the essence of
prayer and the benefit of meditation. What
she ought to seek in it, and what, in tfsct she
does seek in it, is her closer upiou with Jesus
Christ croci6ed; and what is u closer union
WITH Jesus Christ cruci6ed, if not an increase
| of csuci6xionf
But now you her more reoollected and
more humbly PROSTATE on the pavement of the
temple. She 10 assisting at Mass-that 10 to
say, at the sacrifice of her 6 od offered by Him.
self for the salvation of the world. What
does hhe say to Hin, then, in those silent dia-
lognes in which she reveals to Jesus the secrets
of her sonl7 She says to Him :" . God OF
Calvary, grant that with Tnee 1 may ascend
and die on the Cross Do you see her still
more recolected and more deeply hnmbled
She has iust comm nioated she has carried
away, under her humble habit. her God en-
closed within her breast. Oa! it is then that
che says TO him again and again: 20 victim
God, let me be victim with Thee" She re-
members that to consummate in herself the
whole Eucharistic mystery is to communicate
at the same time with God present in His
Sacrament and with God inundated in This
sacrifice; she kpo VS. that to com munieate is to
sacrifice.
After prayer, meditation aud conan uuion,
labor awaits her; and, for her, is not labor
sacrifcef Z For the religious of Carmel, labor
has all it's transcendant aud truly Christian
significance; labor is reparation, labor is
modification, labor is pain, labor is o sacri-
hco anu JAo SaIIuellC6 IaOOES, IN OrGer LO
sacrihce always; yes, slwayss at every mo-
ment when not called to the sacr fee of prayer,
| she immolates idleness on the altar of labor.
What do Say even the hour of her re-
past is not free from sacrifice. When she ad-
vahces to receive from the haud of Provi-
dence like the little birds of the air, the nec-
essaries of life, she comes to sacrifice ain.
Brought up in the deicacy and re Fl 1ement of
an age of Indulgence, she comes, after q long
fast, to show how little is required to nourish
human life which Graves not for superhuity.
Ar,A tIat tnhtn Co., 49, n
table, where nothing is for taste or pleasure
is also an altar where immoation awaits
her, and where her love sits down to receive
it and even while nourishing her body with
material bread, she finds the secret of fortfy:
ing her soul by sacrifce-that bread of strong
hearts and heroic souls.
Finally, when that voice, which summoned
her to labor, to prayer, and to all the SC blime
duties of the day, calls her to repose at night,
hes repose also is for her form of fimmolatIon.
That short sleep on q hard bed 10 taken with
attentions for her cruoified Spouse, that the
humble couch itself becomes q figure of the
GROSS. Even in sleep her love watches with
! its need of Suffering; and this repose, foil of
immolstion. makes reparation for the pagan
efeminacy of the world, and for the mighty
excesses which make the angels of heavea
weep, and call down vengeance on the crimes
of the earth.
You see. then, that in the whole life of the
Carmelite, and in all its details, everything is
ordained for sacrifice and is summed up in sac
point, SO also is it the end and entire aim of
her life. Means, whatever they may lie, have
no value bat In reference to their end. Now
he end-you comprehend it without my tell
ing you--the end of the life of Carmel, az of
all religious life, is Christian perfection and,
for daughter of Carmel, what is perfection
but the fullest possible realization, by COM
plete self fsacri6ce, of that ideal which she
had beheld at tie age of twenty years in u
dream of argelic lovel This. for the
daughter of st. Teresa, is the whole of life,
- q MI md hat
is to keep her eyes fixed ou her ideal; to pIr-
sue her ideal; to approach nearer and nearer
to her ideal; ia fine, to embrace her ideal, aud
by force of ON bracing to become it's image. o
holy spouse of Jesus Christ crucifed! why
have you comet I'D quid renisi3 "Ah,'' che
will always reply. ~ have come to seek, to
lind, to embrace the Cruc fi9d in the full con.
summation of His suffering aud His sacrifice.
This was my first ambition, it shall also be my
last. lt was my dream at twenty years; it
y i'll be the rea i;y of my whole life. To look
upon the CROSS, 10 ascend the cross to attach
myself to it, in order to be able to say with
St Paul: Cum Christie contirus SUM cruel : with
Christ, Christ behold m me crGoitied; with my Master,
victim God, behold me immolated-immI-
lated like Him, with the triple sword
of His triple snff, ring; with the sword which
soul, the sword which wounds my heart; tt
sword which wounds my body by physic,
pain the sword which wounds my soul by IL
pain of voluntary humiliation; the sao
which wounds my heart by the anguish of my
most heart-rendiog serarat oas, and by tt Q
sacrifice of my dearest affections Yes, this is
all my ambition; this is my sovereign lsu
this is the supreme aim Of my life."
Thus Carmel, seen under all its grand as
pects, appears as the highest expression of
Christian sacrifice, And this is why l have
dared TO say that the Order of Mount Carmel
is the most salutary thing in society. 1t is
because sacrifice is the rampant Of Christian
society; It's frmest aud most invinoble de-
fence. Yes. 1 declare it aloud, l would pre-
fer for cur real protection and safety, an hum
bic ABODE OF CnrmelItes, Offering TO heaven
their Csiy prayers ard sntferings, to forts
armed with cannon, to battalions armed with
bay onets, and TO a million of soldiers armed
with patriotic courage. One dsy bayonets are
broken by other bayonets, cannon by other
cannon, soldiers are val quished by other sol
diers. There is one thing over which triumph
is never gained, one thing which in it's appa.
rent defeats remains stronger than all else
this is q voluntary sacrifice offered to God in
order to save you-this is drop of blood
given By victim matter how humble ana
unknown This drop of blood, mingled with
the blood of Jesus Christ, draws from it
power to save that know no limits.
Behold Carmel placed in face of humanity
the highest expression of Christian aacri6ce,
that is to say, of o reparatiVe and liberatCry