Sister Mary of St. Teresa, Carmelite tertiary
(When I took over the editing of the Carmel magazine, this cycle of articles accidentally remained unfinished. Now, as P. Methodius has pointed this out to me, I would like to apologize to you, the readers, and publish the remaining two parts. Due to such a long delay and the fact that the introductory word for the entire cycle was published in the very second regular issue of Carmel in March 1992, we are reattaching basic information about the origin of these lines and their author. P. Gorazd, O.Carm.)
Sister Mary of St. Teresa (born Maria Petyt) lived from 1623 to 1677 in the Netherlands. On her spiritual journey, she underwent severe trials, but at the same time, the Lord abundantly showered her with special graces. Thus, she reached an extraordinary connection with the Virgin Mary in her inner life. Her spiritual guide was the provincial of the Flanders-Belgium province, P. Michael of St. Augustine, a significant figure in the reform of Carmel in Tours. He had an extraordinary gift both in terms of spiritual guidance and the ability to generalize, organize, and pass on spiritual teachings. He instructed Sister Mary to write to him regularly about her spiritual life. These reports were later translated into Latin and published in print. From them, a cycle of articles titled "Mystical Connection with Mary" was compiled, published in our magazine. It was translated from Latin by P. Methodius Minařík O.Carm.
XXVI. When I am granted to enjoy the loving presence of God in my soul, I very often experience the enjoyment of the presence of our most lovable Mother Mary. Not that I have any bodily images or an idea of her person as we see her expressed in paintings, but rather, in another way. It is something that reveals and manifests itself in the divine essence, and this brings me the most certain knowledge and perception of her presence in God.
Thus, I am drawn to gentle love, to great reverence, and to simple vision of her, yet, as I say, in a way invisible to bodily eyes, but truly visible to the eyes of the mind, in a very hidden and unknown manner. It seems to me that her presence brings a greater grandeur and glory to my soul. It seems that I am beginning to taste something of what we await after this life.
But who will believe me? Won't some think that I am lying or inventing something untrue when I say that I see the lovable Mother clearly in God, in the greatness, in the infinity of God, and that there, with all certainty, I enjoy her presence, yet I have no bodily presence? However it is, it seems to be a contradiction. Yet it is so, but I leave that to your dignity's judgment.
When since then I kneel before her image and beseech her for blessings for the protection of the heart, etc., or ask her for something for your dignity or for others, the gaze of my soul is somehow effectively drawn into the center (in fundo seu spiritu) into the All, with a certain revelation and vision of her lovable presence in God, where I hear as an address or clear witness coming from the center of the spirit (ex fundo seu spiritu): Well, where do you seek me? I am not far from you. Behold, I am here. Here it is embarrassing for me to look at her outward images. Her essence, her beauty, her presence that is seen in the center of the spirit (in fundo seu spiritu), captivates the entire attention of the soul to itself in the very first moment, without any fixation on something external.
