Readings & Reflections: Saturday of the Twenty-sixth Week in Ordinary Time & St. Theodora Guerin, October 3,2020
The disciples return full of excitement at their power over demons. But the Lord asks them to rejoice over a far more significant truth: their “names are written in heaven.” Even in the absence of sensational and charismatic gifts, we become children of a heavenly Father by our union with the Son. Like Job, we trust God in every circumstance: “I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.” And the Lord “blessed the latter days of Job more than his earlier ones.”
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Opening Prayer
“Lord, give me the child-like simplicity and purity of faith to gaze upon your face with joy and confidence in your all-merciful love. Remove every doubt, fear, and proud thought which would hinder me from receiving your word with trust and humble submission.” Amen
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October 3,2020, Toronto, Canada
October 3,2020 New York City
Reading 1
Jb 42:1-3, 5-6, 12-17
Job answered the LORD and said:
I know that you can do all things,
and that no purpose of yours can be hindered.
I have dealt with great things that I do not understand;
things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
I had heard of you by word of mouth,
but now my eye has seen you.
Therefore I disown what I have said,
and repent in dust and ashes.
Thus the LORD blessed the latter days of Job
more than his earlier ones.
For he had fourteen thousand sheep, six thousand camels,
a thousand yoke of oxen, and a thousand she-asses.
And he had seven sons and three daughters,
of whom he called the first Jemimah,
the second Keziah, and the third Kerenhappuch.
In all the land no other women were as beautiful
as the daughters of Job; and their father gave them an inheritance
along with their brothers.
After this, Job lived a hundred and forty years;
and he saw his children, his grandchildren,
and even his great-grandchildren.
Then Job died, old and full of years.
The word of the Lord.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 119:66, 71, 75, 91, 125, 130
R. (135) Lord, let your face shine on me.
Teach me wisdom and knowledge,
for in your commands I trust.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
It is good for me that I have been afflicted,
that I may learn your statutes.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I know, O LORD, that your ordinances are just,
and in your faithfulness you have afflicted me.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
According to your ordinances they still stand firm:
all things serve you.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
I am your servant; give me discernment
that I may know your decrees.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
The revelation of your words sheds light,
giving understanding to the simple.
R. Lord, let your face shine on me.
Alleluia, alleluia. Blessed are you, Father, Lord of heaven and earth;/ you have revealed to little ones the mysteries of the Kingdom. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Lk 10:17-24
The seventy-two disciples returned rejoicing and said to Jesus,
“Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.”
Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.
Behold, I have given you the power
‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions
and upon the full force of the enemy
and nothing will harm you.
Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you,
but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced in the Holy Spirit and said,
“I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth,
for although you have hidden these things
from the wise and the learned
you have revealed them to the childlike.
Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will.
All things have been handed over to me by my Father.
No one knows who the Son is except the Father,
and who the Father is except the Son
and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said,
“Blessed are the eyes that see what you see.
For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see,
but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
The Gospel of the Lord.
Reflection 1 – The return of the 72 Disciples
From what the seventy two disciples of Jesus exhibited to all of us we can surmise that despite all the teachings of Jesus and the life He shared with them, man’s number one enemy- PRIDE- was somehow still prevailing in their hearts. They could not detach themselves from the superficial sources of joy as they rejoiced on the power they now have in the Name of the Lord.
Jesus opened their minds and hearts and all those who shall believe in Him that such powers should not be a source of any rejoicing but the thought that our names are inscribed in heaven. To Him the only source of authentic joy is the thought that we are now all acceptable to the Father because of Him.
We should realize that whatever happens to us in this lifetime, no one can take away the joy of being with Jesus and being one with the Father in His Name. “Nevertheless, do not rejoice so much in the fact that the devils are subject to you as that your names are inscribed in heaven.”
Today as each one of us minister to each other and try to bring all men closer to God, the only reason we should rejoice is because all of us are one in our focus to reach our heavenly home. We should rejoice in each others’ salvation much like the way Jesus rejoiced over those to whom God revealed Himself. There should be no room for our pride to influence our work for the Lord when we shepherd souls towards the Lord’s vineyard. It might be so tempting to believe that we have IT and are more superior to our neighbor and that we are so special to the Lord, that we have been so much favored by God that we can literally trample on demons, snakes and scorpions.
If ever this thought comes to our heart and mind it might be good reason for us to take a retreat and go in deep prayer the way Jesus addressed the temptations of the evil one. “Fear not, my children; call out to God! He who brought this upon you will remember you. As your hearts have been disposed to stray from God, turn now ten times the more to seek him; For he who has brought disaster upon you will, in saving you, bring you back enduring joy.” Baruch 4:27-29
Direction
In doing God’s work never play God but always rejoice that you are now acceptable in heaven!
Prayer
Heavenly Father, always give me the grace to rejoice in the Name of Jesus despite the difficulties and the trials that come my way and my work for You. In Jesus, I pray. Amen
Reflection 2 – Justice is not partial
The symbol of “blind justice” in the United States is well-known. Based on a classical statue of Themis, the Greek goddess of law, artist during the 1500s started showing the lady blindfolded to show that justice is not partial. She can’t see anything, so she can not play favorites or take sides. “Spin” is the opposite of “blind justice” and judgment. “Spin” is turning an event from its objective reality to influence a judgment for “your side.” People stop remembering what they saw or heard, and come to believe what never was.
Jesus praises the Father today because of those with simple faith. In his ministry, there were “spinners” who interpreted Jesus for the crowd, accusing him of being everything from a crackpot miracle worker to the devil incarnate. But some were able to see through all of that. And Jesus is grateful for the vision given to them. He even tells his disciples that they are blessed to see what they see.
Second guessing what we see seems to be a way of life these days. How can we keep our “spin doctors” at bay? A pastor tries to visit certain parishioners and the spin doctors warn of his vested interests. Our son or daughter comes home honestly asking to study for religious life or priesthood, and the spin doctors say they’re too young to know. Our spouse desires to make a weekend retreat and the spin doctor questions this new “holier than thou” attitude. Will we ever again have the ability to call a spade a spade?
Advent is a time for us to sharpen our vision and to see the ways that our God has come among us. Like Jesus, we may find many reasons to “praise the Father” for the goodness that we find in the world, and the wonderful people we know who bear witness to their faith in Jesus Christ. While it’s quite the trend to prowl after good people, ready to discover the fatal flaw that will “bring them down,” perhaps we can ask to rejoice in goodness for a change, and to let goodness be what it is. (Source: John Petrikovic, OFM. Weekday Homily Helps. Ohio: St. Anthony Messenger Press, December 2, 2008).
Reflection 3 – Your names are written in heaven
Do you know and experience in your personal life the joy of the Lord? The Scriptures tell us that “the joy of the Lord is our strength” (Nehemiah 8:10). Why does Jesus tell his disciples to not take joy in their own successes, even spiritual ones? Jesus makes clear that the true source of our joy is God himself, and God alone. Regardless of the circumstances, in good times and bad times, in success or loss, God always assures us of victory in the Lord Jesus Christ.
Jesus assures his disciples that he has all power over all evil, including the power of Satan and the evil spirits (demons) – the fallen angels who rebelled against God and who hate men and women who have been created in God’s image and likeness (Genesis 1:29). Jesus told his disciples that he came into the world to overthrow the evil one (John 12:31). That is why Jesus gave his disciples power over Satan and his legion of demons (rebellious angels). We, too, as disciples of Jesus have been given spiritual authority and power for overcoming the works of darkness and evil (1 John 2:13-14).
Self-centered pride closes the mind to God’s revelation and wisdom
Jesus thanks the Father in heaven for revealing to his disciples the wisdom and knowledge of God. What does Jesus’ prayer tell us about God and about ourselves? First, it tells us that God is both Father and Lord of earth as well as heaven. He is both Creator and Author of all that he has made, the first origin of everything and transcendent authority, and at the same time, goodness and loving care for all his children. All fatherhood and motherhood is derived from him (Ephesians 3:14-15).
Jesus’ prayer also contains a warning that pride can keep us from the love and knowledge of God. What makes us ignorant and blind to the things of God? Sinful pride springs from being self-centered and holding an exaggerated view of oneself. Pride closes the mind to God’s truth and wisdom for our lives. Lucifer, who was once the prince of angels, fell into pride because he did not want to serve God but wanted to be equal with God. Through his arrogant pride he led a whole host of angels to rebel against God. That is why the rebellious angels (whom Scripture calls evil spirits, devils, and demons) were cast out of heaven and thrown down to the earth. They seek to lead us away from God through pride and rebellion.
How can we guard our hearts from sinful pride and rebellion? The virtue of humility teaches us to put our trust in God and not in ourselves. God gives strength and help to those who put their trust in him. Humility is the only true remedy against sinful pride. True humility, which is very different from the feelings of inferiority or low self-esteem, leads us to a true recognition of who we are in the sight of God and of our dependence on God.
Humility is the only soil where God’s grace and truth can take root
Jesus contrasts intellectual pride with child-like simplicity and humility. The simple of heart are like “babes” or “little children” in the sense that they see purely without pretense or falsehood and acknowledge their dependence and trust in one who is greater, wiser, and more trustworthy. They seek one thing – the “summum bonum” or “greatest good” who is God himself. Simplicity of heart is wedded with humility, the queen of virtues, because humility inclines the heart towards grace and truth.
Just as pride is the root of every sin and evil inclination, so humility is the only soil in which the grace of God can take root. It alone takes the right attitude before God and allows him as God to do all. God opposes the proud, but gives grace to the humble (Proverbs 3:34, James 4:6). The grace of Christ-like humility inclines us towards God and disposes us to receive God’s wisdom and help. Allow the Lord Jesus to heal the wounds of pride in your heart and to fill you with the joy of the Holy Spirit who transforms us into the likeness of Christ himself – who is meek and humble of heart (Matthew 11:29).
Nothing can give us greater joy than the knowledge that we are God’s beloved and that our names are written in heaven. The Lord Jesus has ransomed us from slavery to sin, Satan, and death and has adopted us as God’s beloved sons and daughters. That is why we no longer belong to ourselves – but to God alone. Do you seek to be like Jesus Christ in humility and simplicity of heart?
The Lord Jesus wants us to know him personally – experientially
Jesus makes a claim which no one would have dared to make: He is the perfect revelation of God – he and the Father are perfectly united in a bond of unbreakable love and fidelity. One of the greatest truths of the Christian faith is that we can know the living God. Our knowledge of God is not simply limited to knowing something about God, but we can know God personally. The essence of Christianity, and what makes it distinct from Judaism and other religions, is the knowledge of God as our Father. Jesus makes it possible for each of us to personally know God as our Father. Saint Augustine of Hippo wrote: “God loves each of us as if there were only one of us to love.”
Seek God with expectant faith and trust
To see Jesus is to see what God is like. In Jesus we see the perfect love of God – a God who yearns over men and women, who cares intensely for them and who shows them unceasing kindness, mercy, and forgiveness. That is why the Father sent his only begotten Son who laid down his life for us on the cross. Jesus taught his followers to confidently pray to the Father with expectant faith, “Our Father who art in heaven …give us this day our daily bread.” Do you believe in your heavenly Father’s care and love for you and do you pray with confident trust and hope that he will give you what you need to live as his son or daughter?
“Most High and glorious God, enlighten the darkness of our hearts and give us a true faith, a certain hope and a perfect love. Give us a sense of the divine and knowledge of yourself, so that we may do everything in fulfillment of your holy will; through Jesus Christ our Lord.” (Prayer of Francis of Assisi, 1182-1226) – Read the source: http://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2020/oct3.htm
Reflection 4 – Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name
The seventy[-two] returned rejoicing, and said, “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” Jesus said, “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky. Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you. Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.”
At that very moment he rejoiced [in] the holy Spirit and said, “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike. Yes, Father, such has been your gracious will. All things have been handed over to me by my Father. No one knows who the Son is except the Father, and who the Father is except the Son and anyone to whom the Son wishes to reveal him.”
Turning to the disciples in private he said, “Blessed are the eyes that see what you see. For I say to you, many prophets and kings desired to see what you see, but did not see it, and to hear what you hear, but did not hear it.”
Jesus sent His seventy-two disciples on mission to the towns where He intends to visit. In the Gospel today, we see them coming back full of joy and satisfaction. They enthusiastically reported: “Lord, even the demons are subject to us because of your name.” They discovered how powerful, indeed, is the name of Jesus.
And the Lord acknowledges this: “I have observed Satan fall like lightning from the sky.” The devil is utterly powerless before Jesus, the Incarnate Son of God. The expulsion of evil spirits is, in fact, one of the messianic signs. And the disciples have become His partners in this victorious undertaking. He, then, categorically confirms the power and protection He imparts to them: Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.”
But Jesus promptly provides them with the proper perspective: “Nevertheless, do not rejoice because the spirits are subject to you, but rejoice because your names are written in heaven.” In other words, they are blessed, not on account of the power they yield in the name of Christ, but on the assurance of their eternal reward in God’s kingdom.
This is one lesson we can reflect on today. Many of us sometimes wish to get some special gifts from God such as the power to heal and to drive away evil spirits. But what we do not realize is that these powers are not necessary for our salvation. On many occasions, in fact, those who have received such gifts have fallen into the trap of pride and vainglory, putting their own souls in serious peril. Hence, rather than be so focused on having such gifts, what we should work for instead is how to grow in Christian virtues that will help us attain eternal salvation. And this is what makes us truly happy and blessed.
Hence, Jesus immediately talks about true greatness shown by being childlike. He prayed: “I give you praise, Father, Lord of heaven and earth, for although you have hidden these things from the wise and the learned you have revealed them to the childlike.” True greatness and blessedness does not come from having power over the evil spirits or by being famous on account of some special gifts from God. Rather, these come from being simple and humble like a little child, for this is what truly pleases the heavenly Father. After all, according to St. André of Montreal, “It is with the smallest brushes that the divine artist paints the most beautiful pictures.”And in truth, this is the one route towards salvation: “Amen, I say to you, unless you turn and become like children, you will not enter the kingdom of heaven” (Mt. 18:3).
On this First Saturday of the month of October, the Month of the Holy Rosary, the Gospel today invites us to turn our thoughts once again to the Blessed Virgin Mary. She is truly great, not only because of all the unique privileges she received and her favored status before God, but most of all because she is the embodiment and exemplification of this childlike attitude that Jesus is talking about. She is humble, simple, innocent and obedient like a little child, truly pleasing to the Most Blessed Trinity.
And because of this, she yields infinite and absolute power from God. The promise of Jesus to the disciples is fulfilled first and foremost in her: “Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy.” She is actually the Woman who crushes the head of the Serpent as promised by God after the Fall: “I will put enmity between you and the woman, and between your offspring and hers. They will strike at your head, while you strike at their heel” (Gen 3:15). Hence, St. John Vianney said, “If you invoke the Blessed Virgin when you are tempted, she will come at once to your help, and Satan will leave you.”
On this Month of the Holy Rosary, let us renew our promise to pray more fervently and faithfully the Rosary every day. We can rest assured of the powerful protection of the Mother of God. Pope Pius XI urges us all: “The Rosary is a powerful weapon to put the demons to flight and to keep oneself from sin…If you desire peace in your hearts, in your homes, and in your country, assemble each evening to recite the Rosary. Let not even one day pass without saying it, no matter how burdened you may be with many cares and labors.” (Source: Fr. Mike Lagrimas, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Amsterdam St., Capitol Park Homes, Matandang Balara, Quezon City 1119).
Reflection 5 – Putting our hand to the plow and not expecting consolation
“God wants to show (me)… that it would be mistaken in looking elsewhere for a shadow of beauty which it would be taking for beauty itself!…
“How good he is to me… how divinely lovable he is when not wanting to allow me to attach myself to any created thing. He knows well that if he were to give me a shadow of happiness, I would attach myself to it with all my energy, all the strength of my heart, and this shadow he is refusing me; he prefers leaving me in darkness to giving me a false light which would not be himself!…Since I can’t find any creature that contents me, I want to give all to Jesus, and I don’t want to give to the creature even one atom of my love. My Jesus always makes me understand that he alone is perfect joy when he appears to be absent!…
“Today more than yesterday, if that were possible, I was deprived of all consolation. I thank Jesus, who finds this good for my soul, and that, perhaps if he were to console me, I would stop at this sweetness; but he wants that all be for Himself!… Well, then, all will be for him, all, even when I feel I am able to offer nothing; so, just like this evening, I will give him this nothing!
“Although Jesus is giving me no consolation, he is giving me a peace so great that it is doing me more good!…
“Joy is to be found only in suffering and in suffering without any consolation!” (St. Therese of Lisieux, +1897 A.D.).
Reflection 6 – Power to tread on the full force of the enemy
“Lord, God of hosts, in the Gospel you told us: I have not come to bring peace but the sword. Arm me for battle; I burn to fight for your glory but I beg you to strengthen my courage…. Then with Holy King David I can exclaim: You alone are my sword. You, Lord, train my hands for war….
“O my Beloved! I know what combat you have in mind for me; the contest will not be on the field of battle….
“I am a prisoner of your Love. I have freely forged the chain that binds me to you and separates me forever from that world which you have cursed…. My sword is nothing but but Love – with it I will chase the foreigner from the Kingdom. I will have you proclaimed King in the souls who refuse to submit to your divine power.
“Doubtless, Lord, you do not need such a feeble instrument as myself, but Joan, your chaste and courageous bride, said: ‘We must fight so that God may give the victory.’ O my Jesus, I will fight then, for your love, until the evening of my life. As you did not wish to rest on earth, I want to follow your example. I hope this promise that fell from your divine lips will find fulfillment in me: If anyone follow me, where I am, there also will my servant be. Whoever serves me, my Father will honor.
“To be with you, to be in you is my one desire…. This assurance that you give me of its fulfillment helps me to bear my exile while awaiting the glorious day of the eternal Face to Face!” (Source: St. Therese of Lisieux, +1897 A.D., Magnificat, Vol. 18, No. 8, October 2016, pp. 35-36).
Reflection 7 – Why we rejoice
“I prayed continuously, asking Jesus to strengthen me and to grant me the power of his Holy Spirit that I might carry out his holy will in all things, because from the beginning I have been aware of my weakness. I know very well what I am of myself, because for this purpose Jesus had opened the eyes of my soul; I am an abyss of misery, and hence I understand that whatever good there is in my soul consists solely of his holy grace. The knowledge of my own misery allows me, at the same time, to know the immensity of your mercy. In my own interior life, I am looking with one eye at the abyss of my misery and baseness, and with the other, at the abyss of your mercy, O God.
“O my Jesus, you are the life of my life. You know only too well that I long for nothing but the glory of your Name and that souls come to know your goodness. Why do souls avoid you, Jesus? – I don’t understand that. Oh, if I could only cut my heart into tiny pieces and in this way offer to you, O Jesus, each piece as a heart whole and entire, to make up in part for the hearts that do not love you! I love you, Jesus, with every drop of my blood, and I would gladly shed my blood for you to give you a proof of the sincerity of my love, O God, the more I know you the less I can comprehend you [but] it is this impossibility of comprehending you which enflames my heart anew for you, O Lord. From the moment when you let me fix the eyes of my soul on you, O Jesus, I have been at peace and desired nothing else. I found my destiny at the moment when my soul lost itself in you, the only object of my love. In comparison with you, everything is nothing. Sufferings, adversities, humiliations, failures, and suspicions that have come my way are splinters that keep alive the fire of my love for you, O Jesus….
“I want never to be rewarded for my efforts and my good actions. You yourself, Jesus, are my only reward; you are enough, O Treasure of my heart!” (Source: St. Maria Faustina Kowalska, +1938 A.D., Magnificat, Vol. 21, No. 8, October 2019, pp. 89-90).
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Reflection 8 – St. Theodora Guérin (1798-1856 A.D.)
Trust in God’s Providence enabled Mother Theodore to leave her homeland, sail halfway around the world, and found a new religious congregation.
Born in Etables, France, Anne-Thérèse Guerin’s life was shattered by her father’s murder when she was 15. For several years she cared for her mother and younger sister. She entered the Sisters of Providence in 1823, taking the name Sister St. Theodore. An illness during novitiate left her with lifelong fragile health; that did not keep her from becoming an accomplished teacher.
At the invitation of the bishop of Vincennes, she and five sisters were sent in 1840 to Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, to teach and to care for the sick poor. She was to establish a motherhouse and novitiate. Only later did she learn that her French superiors had already decided the sisters in the United States should form a new religious congregation under her leadership.
She and her community persevered despite fires, crop failures, prejudice against Catholic women religious, misunderstandings and separation from their original religious congregation. She once told her sisters, “Have confidence in the Providence that so far has never failed us. The way is not yet clear. Grope along slowly. Do not press matters; be patient, be trustful.” Another time, she asked, “With Jesus, what shall we have to fear?”
She is buried in the Church of the Immaculate Conception in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, and was beatified in 1998. Eight years later she was canonized.
Comment:
God’s work gets done by people ready to take risks and to work hard—always remembering what St. Paul told the Corinthians, “I planted, Apollos watered, but God caused the growth” (1 Corinthians 3:6). Every holy person has a strong sense of God’s Providence.
Quote:
During his homily at the beatification Mass, Pope John Paul II said that Mother Theodore “continues to teach Christians to abandon themselves to the providence of our heavenly Father and to be totally committed to doing what pleases him. The life of Blessed Theodora Guérin is a testimony that everything is possible with God and for God.”
Related St. Anthony Messenger article(s)
Mother Theodore Guerin: Indiana’s Very Own Saint, by John Fink
Read the source: http://www.americancatholic.org/features/saints/saint.aspx?id=1157
SAINT OF THE DAY
Catholic saints are holy people and human people who lived extraordinary lives. Each saint the Church honors responded to God’s invitation to use his or her unique gifts. God calls each one of us to be a saint.
| SAINT THEODORA GUERIN SP | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| RELIGION | Roman Catholic |
| ORDER | Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods |
| PERSONAL | |
| NATIONALITY |  France  United States |
| BORN | Anne-Thérèse Guérin October 2, 1798 Étables-sur-Mer, France |
| DIED | May 14, 1856 (aged 57) Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, United States |
| RESTING PLACE | Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin and Sisters of Providence Convent Cemetery, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana |
| PARENTS | Laurent Guérin, des Sieurs du Rocher and Elisabeth le Fèvre |
| SENIOR POSTING | |
| TITLE | Foundress and Superior General of theSisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods |
| PERIOD IN OFFICE | 1840 – 1856 |
| SUCCESSOR | Mother Mary Cecilia Bailly |
| RANK | Superior General |
| RELIGIOUS CAREER | |
| PROFESSION | September 8, 1825 |
| POST | Foundress and Superior General |
| SIGNATURE | SaintMotherTheodoreGuerinSignature.jpg |
Mother Théodore Guérin (1798–1856), designated by the Vaticanas Saint Theodora, was a French-American saint and is the foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, a congregation ofCatholic nuns. She was beatified by Pope John Paul II in October 1998 and canonized a saint of the Roman Catholic church on October 15, 2006, by Pope Benedict XVI. Her feast day is October 3.
Guerin is particularly known for her advancement of education in Indiana and elsewhere, founding numerous schools including Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana.
Contents
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Early life[edit]
She was born Anne-Thérèse Guérin on October 2, 1798, in the village of Étables-sur-Mer in Brittany, France. Her parents were Laurent Guérin, an officer in the French Navy under Napoleon Bonaparte, and Isabelle Guérin, née Lefèvre. Anne-Thérèse was born near the end of the French Revolution, which had torn France apart and caused a crisis within French Catholicism. Schools and churches were closed, and many Catholic priests had chosen exile over the guillotine.[1]
Laurent and Isabelle had four children, but only two — Anne-Thérèse and Marie-Jeanne — survived to adulthood. Anne-Thérèse was mostly educated at home by her mother. At the age of 10, she was allowed to take her First Communion, which was two years earlier than the custom of the time. On the day of her First Communion, she confided to the priest in Etables that she wished to enter a religious community.
When Anne-Thérèse was 15, tragedy struck the family when her father was killed by bandits as he traveled home to his family. The grief proved to be too much for her mother, who already had lost two children, and she fell into a deep and incapacitating depression. For many years, Anne-Thérèse accepted the responsibility of caring for her mother and sister, as well as the family’s home and garden. At the age of 20, Anne-Thérèse asked her mother’s blessing to join a religious order, but Isabelle — still unable to cope with her loss — refused. Five years later, Isabelle recognized the depth of Anne-Thérèse’s devotion and permitted her to leave.[1]
Entering religious life[edit]
In 1823 Anne-Thérèse entered the young congregation of the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir. She was given the religious name Sister St. Théodore. She professed first vows September 8, 1825, and perpetual vows, which at the time were optional, on September 5, 1831. Sister St. Théodore was first sent to teach atPreuilly-sur-Claise in central France. There, she became ill, most likely with smallpox, and nearly died. The illness damaged her digestive system and, for the rest of her life, she could only eat a simple, bland diet.[2]
During her career in France, Sister St. Théodore also taught at St. Aubin parish school in Rennes and taught and visited the sick and poor in Soulaines in the Diocese of Angers. During this time, she received a medal for her teaching from the inspector for the Academy of Angers.[3]
From France to Indiana[edit]
A request from Vincennes[edit]
In 1839 the Most Reverend Simon William Gabriel Bruté, the first bishop of the vast Diocese of Vincennes, Indiana, sent Célestine Guynemer de la Hailandière as a representative to their native France. Bruté was in search of a religious congregation to come to the diocese and teach, provide religious instruction, and assist the sick. With only a few priests and a great influx of Catholic immigrants of French, Irish and German descent, the diocese was in need of assistance. Bruté knew the great assistance a religious order could provide, having worked with Mother Elizabeth Ann Seton and her Sisters of Charity during the founding and early years of Mount Saint Mary’s University in Emmitsburg, Maryland.[1]
While Hailandière was in France, Bishop Bruté died in Vincennes, and Hailandière was then consecrated bishop of the diocese. One of the first acts of the newly ordained bishop was to request the Sisters of Providence of Ruillé-sur-Loir to send a group of sisters to minister in Vincennes. The superior general of the Sisters of Providence suggested Sister St. Théodore for the task. Although she was unsure of her own abilities to complete such a mission at first, after considerablediscernment, Sister St. Théodore agreed. Later she said that it was a sentence from the Rule of the Congregation, “The Congregation being obliged to work with zeal for the sanctification of souls, the sisters will be disposed to go to whatsoever part of the world obedience calls them,” that convinced her to answer the call to America.
Founding a new order in Indiana[edit]
In July 1840, Sister St. Théodore and five companions (Sister Olympiade Boyer, Sister Saint Vincent Ferrer Gagé, Sister Basilide Sénéschal, Sister Mary Xavier Lerée and Sister Mary Liguori Tiercin) departed from France to sail to America. After a treacherous journey across the Atlantic Ocean, the six women traveled by steamboat and stagecoach to the dense forest of the Indiana territory.[4]
On October 22, 1840, Sister St. Théodore and her companions stepped from a carriage into the wilds of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana, a small village in Vigo County a few miles northwest of Terre Haute. For several months, they lived packed into the small frontier farmhouse of the local Thralls family along with a fewpostulants that had been waiting for them when they arrived. With the founding of this new order separate from that in France, Guerin became known as Mother Theodore, the superior of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.[5]
Life work[edit]
One final resting place of Mother Theodore in theSisters of Providence Convent Cemetery.
Education[edit]
Despite their humble resources, in July 1841 Guerin and the sisters opened St. Mary’s Academy for Young Ladies, which later becameSaint Mary-of-the-Woods College. Guerin did have doubts concerning the success of the institution. In her journals is written, “It is astonishing that this remote solitude has been chosen for a novitiate and especially for an academy. All appearances are against it.”[6]For more than a decade, from 1841 to 1852, this Academy was the only Catholic boarding school for girls in Indiana.
In an attempt to help parishes establish schools for their children, Mother Théodore, from the time of her arrival at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods in 1840 to January 1849, established parish schools at Jasper, St. Peter’s, Vincennes, Madison, Fort Wayne and Terre Haute, all in Indiana, and at St. Francisville in Illinois. In 1853, she opened establishments in Evansville, Indiana and North Madison, Indiana; in 1854, at Lanesville, Indiana; and in 1855 at Columbus, Indiana, south of Indianapolis.
Additionally, with Bishop Jacques-Maurice de Saint-Palais, she established two orphanages in Vincennes, and free pharmacies at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods and in Vincennes.[7]
Growth of the congregation[edit]
Guerin proved to be a skilled businesswoman and leader as well as a beloved general superior. By the time of Mother Théodore’s death in 1856, the Sisters of Providence congregation had grown from six sisters and four postulants to 67 professed members, nine novices and seven postulants.
Death of Mother Theodore[edit]
After a period of sickness, Guerin died at age 57 on May 14, 1856.[7]The Catholic Telegraph and Advocate in Cincinnati, published the following notice about Mother Théodore’s death.
Died – At Saint Mary’s-of-the-Woods (sic), in the 58th year of her age, Wednesday, 14th inst., Sister St. Théodore, Superior General of the Sisters of Providence in Indiana.
This woman, distinguished by her eminent virtues, governed the community of which she was the superior from its commencement, to the time of her death, a period of nearly sixteen years. Being a perfect religious herself, and endowed with mental qualities of a high order, she was peculiarly fitted to fill the duties which Providence assigned her.
Not only her Sisters are bereaved by her death, but all those who knew her excellence and the amount of good she did, join in lamenting that she should have been removed from the sphere of her usefulness. To judge from the celestial expression of her countenance as she lay in death, there is every reason to believe that she has already taken her abode among the Saints in Heaven, enjoying the munificence of God, who rewards His servants ‘according to their works.’
| SAINT THEODORA GUERIN | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| VENERATED IN | Roman Catholic Church |
| BEATIFIED | October 1998, Vatican City byPope John Paul II |
| CANONIZED | October 15, 2006, Vatican Cityby Pope Benedict XVI |
| MAJOR SHRINE | Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin near theChurch of the Immaculate Conception, Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana |
| FEAST | October 3 |
| PATRONAGE | Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana |
Veneration[edit]
Cause for sainthood[edit]
In 1907, Bishop Francis Silas Chatard, the first bishop of the Diocese of Indianapolis, requested that the body of Mother Theodore be exhumed and examined. Chatard, a medical doctor before becoming a priest, was hearing much about her heroic life and service to the people of the area. When the body was exhumed the brain was found to be perfectly intact after 51 years in the grave. This phenomenon encouraged Chatard to introduce the Cause for Canonization, the long and thorough process of declaring saints in the Roman Catholic Church.[8]
The Cause for the beatification and canonization of Mother Théodore Guérin was opened in 1909.[9] In October 1998,Pope John Paul II bestowed the title “Blessed” on Mother Théodore to signify that the Catholic Church recognizes her as a holy woman, through whose intercession a miracle occurred, worthy of honor and veneration. Pope Benedict XVI later signed a document recognizing a second miracle attributed to her, and her canonization ceremony was held on October 15, 2006.
Miracles attributed to Guerin[edit]
The first miracle attributed to Guérin is said to have occurred in 1908. Before going to bed, Sister of Providence Mary Theodosia Mug prayed at Guérin’s tomb to be healed of her damaged nerves, poor eyesight, breast cancer and an abdominal tumor. When she awoke the next day, Sister Mary Theodosia was healed.[10]
The second of the miracles attributed to her involves Phil McCord of Terre Haute, Indiana, and occurred in January 2001.[11] McCord, who had worked in facilities management for the Sisters of Providence, stopped by the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the grounds and was drawn in by music from the pipe organ there. While in the church he felt compelled to pray to Guérin, asking for strength to undergo a medical operation for his failing eyesight, as his eyes had deteriorated to legally blind status: 20-800 in one eye and 20-1000 in the other. After praying, he went home. When he awoke the next morning, his vision had returned to 20-20, and his eye now needed only laser treatment to remove old tissue.[11]
Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin[edit]
Guerin’s shrine, called “Journey with a Saint: The Shrine of Saint Mother Theodore Guerin,” is located below the Blessed Sacrament Chapel near the Church of the Immaculate Conception on the motherhouse grounds in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. The shrine includes a small, simple chapel where Guerin’s remains rest in a coffin made of walnut wood from the Sisters of Providence grounds.[12][13] There are also several rooms in the shrine with historical artifacts, relics, photos and information about Guerin’s life and the early days of the Sisters of Providence.[14]
Legacy[edit]
Congregation[edit]
More than 5,200 women have entered the Sisters of Providence since 1840. As of 2010, there are nearly 400 sisters in the order, roughly 300 of whom live and minister from the motherhouse grounds in Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Other sisters minister in 19 U.S. states and Asia. (Currently, foreign missions are in Taiwanand China.)
The Sisters of Providence maintain various relics of Guerin’s life in their congregation archives as well as in a Heritage Museum in Providence Center on the grounds.
Schools[edit]
- Saint Mary-of-the-Woods College
- Guerin College Preparatory High School
- St. Theodore Guerin High School – Though it’s named after St. Mother Theodore Guerin, this school is run by the Diocese of Lafayette-in-Indiana, not the Sisters of Providence of St. Mary-of-the-Woods.
- Providence Cristo Rey High School
Patronage[edit]
Saint Mother Theodore has been named patron of:
- Roman Catholic Diocese of Lafayette in Indiana
- The Knights of Columbus of Indianapolis, Indiana
- the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis, Indiana
Recognition[edit]
A statue of Guerin, created by artist Teresa Clark, is placed in Mary’s Garden at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Memorial Highway[edit]
On October 10, 2006, Mitch Daniels, governor of Indiana, unveiled four highway markers in a ceremony at the Church of the Immaculate Conception at Saint Mary-of-the-Woods. These markers read “Saint Mother Theodore Guerin Memorial Highway” and were placed in four locations along U.S. Route 150, the highway near Saint Mary-of-the-Woods.
Hoosier Pioneer[edit]
On November 3, 2007, Guerin was given the title “Hoosier Pioneer” by the Indiana Historical Society. This honor is given only to persons whose contributions to the development of the state of Indiana were made by 1840, the year that Guerin began her missionary activities with five other sisters in the area of education and care of the sick.
See also[edit]
- Roman Catholicism in the United States#American Catholic Servants of God, Venerables, Beatified, and Saints
- Saint Mother Théodore Guérin sculpture at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception in Washington, D.C.
References[edit]
- ^ Jump up to:a b c Brown, Mary Borromeo (1949). History of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods: Volume I. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Benziger Brothers Inc.
- Jump up^ Vatican News Service (October 15, 2006). “Théodore Guérin (1798-1856)”. Rome. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
- Jump up^ Mug, Mary Theodosia (1904). Life and Life-Work of Mother Theodore Guerin. New York: Benzinger Bros.
- Jump up^ Mitchell, Penny Blaker (1998). Mother Théodore Guérin: A Woman for Our Time. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Sisters of Providence.
- Jump up^ Burton, Catherine; Doyle, Mary K. (2006). The Eighth American Saint: The Life of Saint Mother Théodore Guérin, Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Skokie, Illinois: ACTA Publications.
- Jump up^ Guérin, Théodore (1937). Mary Theodosia Mug, ed. Journals and Letters of Mother Théodore Guérin, Foundress of the Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Saint Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana: Sisters of Providence.
- ^ Jump up to:a b “About Saint Mother Theodore Guerin”, Sisters of Providence of Saint Mary-of-the-Woods
- Jump up^ Briggs, Bill (2010). The Third Miracle. New York: Broadway Books. pp. 24–30.ISBN 978-0-7679-3269-1.
- Jump up^ Ryan, Joseph Eleanor (1987). Positio Super Virtutibus for the Beatification and Canonization of Mother Théodore Guérin. Rome.
- Jump up^ Letter to Mother Mary Cleophas located in the Archives, St. Mary of the Woods, dated, November 21, 1908. Quoted in Madden 1991, pp. 411-413
- ^ Jump up to:a b Carroll, Jason (December 22, 2006). “Miracle of ‘blind’ man who can see”.CNN. St. Mary-of-the-Woods, Indiana. Retrieved October 29, 2009.
- Jump up^ “Sisters of Providence transfer saint’s remains” (Press release). 3 October 2014. Retrieved 22 October 2014.
- Jump up^