Blessed Marie Celine of the Presentation (1878-1897)

Recently I read a book entitled, “Blessed Marie Celine of the Presentation,” published by TAN books. After reading the phenomenal story of this Poor Clare nun who died at the age of nineteen, I could think of only one word to describe her life - “faithfulness.” Blessed Marie Celine, whose real name was Germaine Castang, was not a mystic nor someone who performed miracles, rather, she was a simple, humble girl, whose life was a litany of suffering.

From an early age, Christ asked Blessed Marie Celine to pick up her cross and follow Him. She carried five major crosses during her brief life. Her first cross came in the form of a disease she contracted at the age of four. It deformed her foot and made it both difficult and painful to walk. Her second cross came in the form of poverty when her family lost their home and possessions due to her father’s poor business dealings. The third cross was being separated from her family and placed in an orphanage. The fourth cross she had to bear was the passing of her mother and beloved brother, Louis. The fifth and final cross came when she was a novice in the Poor Clare monastery of “Ave Maria of Talence.” She contracted tuberculosis, which took her life.

From what I read, Bl. Marie Celine never uttered the words, “Why me?” or “This isn’t fair.” Nor did I come across anything that would suggest that she turned her back on Jesus or became self absorbed. Rather, when faced with these crosses, Bl. Marie Celine turned her heart and soul toward Christ and His Mother, clinging to them with all her strength.

Throughout her life, Bl. Marie Celine’s faithfulness radiated the light of Christ, while giving her the strength to carry her crosses and dispel the darkness and suffering that surrounded her. Her faithfulness never wavered even during the worst of times. Instead, it remained constant and steady.

Bl. Marie Celine’s faithfulness was not kept only within the interior of her soul, but it spilled over into her daily life. For instance, while at the orphanage she was often seen going on day pilgrimages to Marian shrines. In the Poor Clare monastery during the last months of her life fellow religious saw her carrying a small crucifix in the palm of her hand. These are just two examples, among many, which show how Bl. Marie Celine’s faithfulness manifested itself under the shadow of the cross.

The life of Bl. Marie Celine should be a constant reminder to us that we are not only called to bear our crosses, but that in bearing them, we should turn our hearts and souls outward, toward Jesus and Mary. If we do this, we will be led to greater faithfulness, which in turn will become a pipeline into the grace and mercy of God.

God bless.

Forty Years with Humane Vitae

Because the encyclical Humane Vitae will celebrate its 40th anniversary this week, I thought I should write a few words on this timeless encyclical by Pope Paul VI. It was released in 1968 during a cultural storm that swept through America, as well as other regions in the world.

In a society that has made a god out of sex, Humane Vitae has become for numerous Catholics a bitter “pill to swallow,” forgive the pun. Unfortunately, the encyclical and its message have been rejected by many within the Church and outside it. This refusal to accept Humane Vitae has had a direct impact on the most basic cell of our society, the family.

By rejecting Humane Vitae, Catholics have rejected God’s plan for marriage and family life. It is easy from what one reads, watches on television and hears over the radio, to conclude that the breakdown of marriage and family life has taken its toll on countless souls. This in fact, was predicted by Pope Paul VI in the famous paragraph #17 where he specifically mentions four “grave consequences” that will occur if contraception is widely accepted.

For some Catholics, Humane Vitae has become a litmus test to discern whether a Catholic is orthodox or not. For others, it is the dividing line, which separates the men from the boys and the women from the girls. The Church teaches that separating the unitive from the procreative dimensions of the marital act is contrary to God’s plan for marriage and is gravely immoral. This is difficult for a large majority of Catholics to accept, but so is the cross. In a society that is being devoured by comfort and materialism, it is easy forget that to being a disciple of Christ means to pick up our cross daily and follow Him.

I have to admit that it’s hard to blame Catholic couples who use contraception when many have been poorly catechized and many have been brainwashed by the contraceptive mentality that permeates our society. This is why it is imperative that Catholic couples who are faithful to the teachings of the Church, especially in regards to birth regulation, share with others the beauty and truth of Humane Vitae when the opportunity arises.

I pray that all of you, whether you adhere to the Church’s teaching by rejecting contraception or not, read Humane Vitae to come to a deeper appreciation and understanding of what God’s plan is for marriage and family life and why the Church teaches what it does.

God bless.

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