Friday of the Eighteenth Week in Ordinary Time
Today’s optional memorial for St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, also known as St. Edith Stein (her given name) is fitting especially for today’s gospel reading. A German Jewish Philosopher who converted to Catholicism and entered the Carmelite convent having been greatly influenced by the autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila (Carmelite mystic and Doctor of the Church). Pope John Paul II canonized Edith Stein in 1998 as a confessor and martyr of the church given her death in Auschwitz on August 9, 1942 as a “Jewish-Christian” in solidarity with the Jewish people. In the words of Robert Ellsberg (in his book, All Saints) the remarkable thing was her understanding of that death, “in solidarity with her people, as an act of atonement for the evil of her time, and as a conscious identification with the cross of Christ.” (p. 345)
Very much in line with today’s gospel reading from Matthew (16:24-28) which begins with Jesus’ words to his disciples, “Whoever wishes to come after me must deny himself, take up his cross, and follow me.”
In St. Edith Stein/Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’ own challenging words, “Do you want to be totally united to the Crucified? If you are serious about this, you will be present, by the power of His Cross, at every front, at every place of sorrow, bringing to those who suffer, healing and salvation.”
Whether or not we are ever faced with the possibility of martyrdom, I suspect there are plenty of opportunities for us to bring Christ’s presence and healing to places of sorrow in our lives, in our communities, in our hurting world.
Let us pray for guidance and courage to deny ourselves, take up the cross, and follow Jesus – like Edith Stein – wherever He may lead. Amen.
—Eileen Miller