Mystic Monday: Edith Stein 1891 -1942

Today dear children I want to introduce you to a woman of knowledge. She was born Edith Stein, into a Jewish family in Germany in the late part of the 19th century. Her life was consumed with the pursuit of truth. She received a Doctorate in Philosophy with the distinction of Suma Cum Laude.

Somehow in her study of truth, she began to seek a deeper Truth which she found within the Catholic faith. She converted in the year 1922. She entered the Carmelite order of her favorite saint, Teresa of Avilla, taking the name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross and entered the cloister. During World War II she was sent to Auschwitz concentration camp because she was of Jewish heritage. She died there in the gas chamber in August of 1942. She was canonized in 1998.

Her writings are of great inspiration as one who sought the face of God and found peace in the journey.

Here is a short prayer for your collection:

O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You.
Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of
road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where
the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will open before me, and I shall
meet it with peace.

There is also a longer prayer I would like to share with you,

which can be found here:

Novena to the Holy Spirit

Pax

GO: Theology Thursday: Angelmeg is Giving You Homework . . . Get Expelled!

This weekend dear children I want, no, I command you all to make time to seek out Ben Stein's new film Expelled: no intelligence allowed (to see the trailer click on the picture to the right and click through to the getexpelled.com website).

Mr. Stein, who is my new hero by the way, takes on the Darwinist conspiracy that is attacking any person of science who dares to believe that God has anything to do with the creation of the world.

You will be tested on this information, dear children. Every time you stand up for your beliefs you will be tested in our pluralistic society where it is not just "uncool" but unthinkable to believe that there is somehow a reason for how the universe comes together at the cellular, and sub-atomic level.

My favorite story concerning a man of science and his belief in God was of Louis Pasteur, riding on a train clutching his rosary beads and fervently praying. He was accosted by another rider who asked him, "But Dr. Pasteur, knowing all you know of science, how can you believe in the hocus pocus of God?" With tears streaming down his face he responded "Knowing all I know, how could I not?"

How can anyone look into the deepest reaches of space, or the most infinitely small quarks or DNA strands and see that their origin was some random event? It makes no sense to me, and I have a rudimentary understanding of the underlying science. I look at the amazing beauty of the carefully laid out pattern of DNA strands such that we can map where each characteristic is, and it screams of some highly intelligent designer, someone who cared enough and loved enough to do such amazingly intricate work. But then that's just me.

So, dear children, Go see this movie opening weekend! Take your children. (Our eleven year old has seen the commercials on television and is already asking if she can see it.) Take your friends. Prove to Michael Moore that someone makes an intelligent documentary, we will flock to the theaters to see it.

h/t to Karen Hall at Some have Hats for the heads up.

Pax