ELIZABETH CATEZ - (1880 -1906)

The France of Elizabeth’s youth was in the grip of a government pursuing a relentless policy of religious persecution[2] The country was still reeling from the Franco-German war of 1870 and an on-going campaign in Algeria. Elizabeth’s father had fought in both, and her mother’s father was in the army.[3] Hence Elizabeth was no stranger to army life, that is until the death of her father in 1887 (when she was 7 years old). The vast majority of French people were good Catholics and the Catez family were no exception, yet their religious freedom was at risk from an anti-Catholic government of the minority. Schools and Religious houses were being shut; and churches despoiled.[4] Against this background, Mme Catez not only brought up two young girls in the faith, the family remained devoutly Catholic.

It was shortly after the death of her father that Elizabeth told Canon Angles that she intended to become a nun. Her mother overhearing, later asked the Canon if he thought the child had a vocation - he was quite sure. Some years later when the mother saw her daughter’s face after receiving First Holy Communion, she knew that the Canon’s instinct had been good.

‘Known and predestined from eternity and called by name. . Elizabeth . . is asked to respond in time to the plan of God’s Love. (Her) vocation.. . is to be manifested in a kind of dialogue In faith, hope, and charity between herself and God one and three,. who enabled her to reach her full potential in the measure that she was faithful to the Divine promptings..’ [5]

The decisive moment for Elizabeth perhaps happened when she was 14 years old. During her thanksgiving after Holy Communion, she experienced the call of Our Lord in her soul [6]: just the word ‘Carmel’. No longer was there, no longer could there be, any doubt. Like one of her favourite saints, Mary Magdalen, when the ‘Gardener’ called her by name, her love was committed for ever. It would be foolish to think that Mme Catez was unaware of her daughter’s true feelings [7], but when these were discussed both with the daughter and with a priest, she would not give consent to a religious life.

Do not think badly of her, Elizabeth never did. Was not the mother’s heart torn asunder? She herself had had thoughts of a religious life many years earlier; and she was as aware as anyone that her daughter had been called by Our Lord. Of course she knew how unhappy the decision made her daughter, but what of the uncertainty caused by the ever increasing religious persecution? Outwardly, she let it appear that she was anxious to test Elizabeth’s vocation [8] but inwardly, she knew just how unnecessary that was. It would be foolish also to think that Elizabeth was unaware either of her mother’s anguish or the causes of it. She accepted the decision but, as with everything else, she talked it over with Our Blessed Mother, Mary, and handed the problem over to her, confident of the outcome!

Help was to come from a most unexpected quarter and it is one of those ironies that this is known about because although Elizabeth destroyed almost all her diaries before entering Carmel, she kept those pages relating to the great mission held in Lent 1899. In amongst all the detail of the talks given during the mission are two significant entries for 20th and 26th March [9]. Her quiet unassuming and gentle sister, Guite, had discussed Elizabeth’s wish to enter Carmel with her mother. At first with little success; Guite tried a second time. Mme Catez told Elizabeth that she could enter Carmel when she was 21 [10]. Elizabeth’s joy exploded in a 29 verse poem [11]; the title unusually just being the significant date: 26th March 1899.

LETTERS FROM CARMEL – 1903

General
In the run-up to Blessed Elizabeth’s Centenary, a lot can be learned about her by looking at some of her day - to - day activities exactly 100 years ago, i.e., in 1903, as recorded in her letters and poems. Do remember that many letters have been lost.

The web site: http://www.ourgardenofcarmel.org/e3tl.html gives details of the summer and winter horaria in Carmel, as well as a chronology of her life. At this time of year her daily routine would have followed the ‘winter horarium’. [This is a lovely site and well worth an extended visit: go to the address given then navigate back to the main site for Blessed Elizabeth; there, navigate to ‘On the Carmelite Vocation’ which is a collection of her thoughts neatly merged into a very readable article.] The summer horarium is from L168 which also includes information on work and ‘our cell [12]. Some important events at the end of 1903 and the beginning of 1904, both in the Church and to her, are listed.

October - December ... 1903
Anniversary of death of her Father (1887)	2	Oct
Encyc. ‘Restore all things in Christ’	4
Motherhood of Blessed Virgin Mary	11
St Teresa of Jesus, Guite’s Wedding (1902)	15
All Saints	1	Nov
All Souls	2
Dedication of the church of St John Lateran	9
Feast Day ... St Elizabeth of Hungary	19
Presentation of BVM ... Renewal of Vows	21
St John of the Cross	24
First Sunday of Advent	29
Immaculate Conception ... Clothing (1901)	8	Dec
Christmas Day	25
January - February ... 1904
Octave of the Nativity of Our Lord	1	Jan
... New Year’s Day ... Circumcision	1
... Veneration of Our Blessed Lady	1
... Good wishes, presents	1
Epiphany ... Profession (1903)	10
St Agnes ... Veiling (1903)	21
L191 ... first mention of “Laudem Gloriae”	25
St Francis of Sales, Feast Day of Framboise	29
Purification, Encyc. ‘Ad illum diem’	2	Feb
Dogma of Immaculate Conception (1854)	15
Ash Wednesday	17
First Sunday of Lent	21

Although Sr Elizabeth was professed at the beginning of the year, she would remain for 3 years in the novitiate under the guidance of Mother Germaine, who was both Prioress and Novice Mistress. Sister Elizabeth was indeed fortunate to have as Prioress, a nun who declared her aim: ‘To keep as perfectly as possible, in the wholly apostolic spirit of our Holy Mother, this Rule and these Constitutions which she has left us, after herself having observed them with such great perfection’ [I3].

Sr Elizabeth’s health was giving cause for concern, prior to her profession the trials of purgation weighed heavily on her [14]. Then, living an austere life through the severe winter with no heating in the cell only served to protract her weak state. Mme Angles remarked on the state of her health, but Sr Elizabeth made light of this, replying that she was healthy [15].

The on-going religious persecution must have adversely affected her health. For example: there could have been political difficulties at her profession over the ‘republican leanings’ of Bishop Le Nordez but these were fortuitously avoided at the last minute; and she was also aware that there was no preached retreat in 1903, because the preacher was in exile. For background reading on some of these issues, see [16].

Despite these problems, Sr Elizabeth’s sense of purpose enabled her, once professed, to continue her pursuit of religious perfection and the realization of her name Elizabeth - house of God in which the Holy Trinity dwells [17]. She was well pleased with her discovery of St Paul, and had begun reading the works of our Holy Father, St John of the Cross - mention is made of the Spiritual Canticle in L185. Her love of St Paul is evidenced by the many quotes in her letters.

1903 saw the death of Pope Leo XIII and the election in August of Pope Pius X. The first encyclical of the new Pontiff, ‘Restore all things in Christ’, made a big impression on Sr Elizabeth. The title is from (Eph. 1:10) and this may have drawn her attention to the words ‘laudem gloriae’ In (Eph. 1:6,12), which appeared in her letters for the first time in January 1904 [18].

Her letters, though from a century ago, are like a breath of fresh air; even to a casual reader, their vitality can be infectious. For 1903, there are 33 letters [L152-L185] and 2 poems [P87, P88] extant. Typically, the contents were a mix of interest in the daily happenings of her correspondents, the making of a spiritual point, gratitude for presents to Carmel, and requests to supply the needs of Carmel for forthcoming feast days. Sr Elizabeth was remarkably astute in adapting the tenor of a letter, particularly its spiritual content, both to the occasion and to the recipient She was never patronizing, and her interest in the activities of friends she knew before entry into Carmel, as well as those introduced to her by Mother Germaine, was loving, compassionate [19] and sincere. There was no place in her spirituality for solipsism. Whenever the occasion allowed, her letters were an effusion of love and joy [20].

Sr Elizabeth believed that the grille did not separate her from these friends but, in reality, brought them closer together because their souls were linked, and could communicate continuously, through the indwelling triune God. In developing this theme, she explained how essential ‘love’ was - ‘Divine Love’ being the key. ‘He (God) iss standing at the door of your heart.. He is waiting. . Open to Him’[21], and God is Love - the Love which unites souls on earth [22] ‘through Him, with Him, and in Him’. This was the message of [L179] and [L183].

Sr Elizabeth often alluded to this belief in letters to her Mother. There are 2 very special letters in 1903 in which Sr Elizabeth both: ‘remembered’ her Mother giving permission in 1899 for the daughter to enter Carmel; and unequivocally stated, that if permission had not been given, then she would have continued to live at home with her Mother [23].

Her letters do give the lie to the idea that in Carmel she was cut off, or had cut herself off, from the world. She was an example of perfect detachment: the sentiments expressed in her letters came from her heart, yet fidelity to her Rule (and implicit obedience to Mother Prioress, [24]) came before all else [25]. By chance some of her letters happen to illustrate this, with ingenuous remarks bringing the letters to an abrupt close, such as: ‘hearing the bell for Matins’ [26]; ‘having to ring the bell’ [27]; and in one letter, having written about a possible vocation, and the feast day of her Patron Saint, she abruptly changed the subject to the sale of raffle tickets [28]!

As well as writing about their own interests, some of her correspondents were curious about life in Carmel. What did she find to do there all day? Reading between the lines of her replies and remembering the social class to which many belonged, it was a perfectly natural question. Unfortunately, although Sr Elizabeth provided an ‘honest answer, this could have appeared evasive to the recipient through lack of understanding. In [L168] she wrote, ‘that a Carmelite has only one thing to do: to love and pray’ [29]. She explained the aspect of ‘love’ a little more in [L169]; while in [L181] written on the feast of the Presentation during which Elizabeth renewed her vows, and which was a holiday in Carmel, there was a slightly different picture, ‘A Carmelite’s days are so filled minute to minute by prayer and work. .’ [30]. While in [L184] she confirmed that, ‘The essence of our life in Carmel is this divine, wholly intimate union; it is what makes our solitude so precious. .‘ [31].

Examination of the spiritual content of Sr Elizabeth’s letters and notebooks, and the superlative scholarship of Fr De Meester, have enabled him to quantify the extent of her spiritual reading. There are many instances in Sr Elizabeth’s letters of where she uses a turn of phrase or a word that is characteristic of a specific spiritual writer, or of someone now a Saint in heaven. This is not to belittle in anyway the importance of her writings. As an example: a picture taken shortly after Elizabeth entered Carmel [32] shows Mother Germaine holding a copy of ‘The Story of a Soul’, and it was known to be widely read in the novitiate. It is not surprising then, that the influence of St Thérèse of Lisieux is noted in Sr Elizabeth’s letters [33]. Similarly, her letters contain words and expressions typical of Père Vallée (spiritual director), [34]; whom she much admired, ‘so deep and so luminous’ [35].

As one might expect, Sr Elizabeth’s spirituality also included the Saints both in their writings here on earth and their joy in heaven. Our Holy Father, St John of the Cross, has been mentioned previously. In letters around the time of Lent [36] Mary Magdalen is referred to. Again, near to November 19th, the feast day of her Patron Saint, mention is made [37] of St Elizabeth of Hungary. As a child Elizabeth must have read about the life of her Patron Saint, yet in [L194] she remarked that she was reading about her. Sr Elizabeth dearly loved Our Lord’s words to St Elizabeth, that “if you want to be with Me, I want to be with you” [38]. In [L184] she was writing to a kindred spirit, who enjoyed the same Patron Saint.

Any overview of Sr Elizabeth’s letters from this period would be incomplete without reference being made to a gem, which could well be called her ‘hymn of love’. This is to be found hidden in a letter to Canon Angles, the trusted friend of her childhood [39]. The original is in [S133].

I love to think that it is for Him that I have left everything; it is so good to give when one loves, and I love this God so much who is jealous to have me all for Himself! I feel so much love in my soul! He is in me, and I am in Him. I have only to love Him, to let myself be loved, all of the time: to wake in Love, to move in Love, to sleep in Love, my soul in His Soul, my heart in His Heart, so that through contact with Him, He purifies me, and delivers me from my misery. I only you knew how this engulfs me!

Undoubtedly eclipsed by her masterly ‘Prayer to the Trinity’, it is nevertheless beautiful. Comparing this outpouring of her soul with a much shorter effusion of joy [40] written shortly after her profession, gives some idea of just how much her spiritual love has deepened over the year. The hymn shows a Pauline influence, and she also uses this type of ‘repetitive emphasis’ in her Spiritual Treatise, ‘Heaven in Faith’, written towards the end of her life.

The phrase ‘c’est si bon’ (line 2) is used again by Sr Elizabeth [41] to interpret the Pauline phrase ‘surpasses all understanding’ (depasse tout sentiment); ‘it is so good’ understates a feeling Elizabeth would have experienced (say) when playing a concert score on the piano, as a teenager, from the heart to express the ineffable.

Divine Indwelling
‘In Sr Elizabeth’s visits to the parlour and In her letters, as in all contacts with her Mother, her sister, her friends, and indeed, all who came near her, she unobtrusively but persistently carried on her apostolate of the Divine Presence within the soul’ [42].

Mother Germaine observed that there was a deceptive simplicity in Sr Elizabeth’s utterances [43], and it is important to keep this in mind when reading her letters. A good illustration is in a letter to Framboise:” I will ask that He fuse our two hearts together. I believe that He did that a long time ago, but love is something infinite, and you can always go further in infinity!” (Her’!’!) [44]. Her letters do not abound with phrases such as, ‘the indwelling of the Holy Trinity’, even though this was a central plank of her Spiritual Doctrine. Instead she chose to interpret for her readers Biblical phrases appropriate to the occasion.

Sr Elizabeth’s familiarity (1903) with St John’s Gospel is evident from its easy and regular usage. She referred to the ‘death of Lazarus’ for compassionate letters [45]; to Ch. 17 of the ‘discourse at the Last Supper’ for the political troubles [46]; and to Ch. 15 of the same discourse to further her spiritual message [47]. In [L183], and [L185], her use of Ch. 4, the ‘woman at the well’, was right for each occasion.

Sr Elizabeth’s use of texts from St Paul was just beginning in 1903. Prior to this, she had referred to St Paul’s Epistles at the time of her clothing (8th December 1901), then there was a gap of a year until her profession (11/21st January 1903) before any further reference was made. This paucity was corrected with some 35 direct/indirect references (not necessarily quotes) in 1903; albeit 11 were in [L191] where she referred to St Paul’s ‘magnificent epistles’ . Although most references were to Ephesians, her favourite was from Galatians (2:20), ‘I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me’, which she had inscribed on her Crucifix in Latin [48]

The letters of this time indicate the development of her mysticism. Almost casually, she remarked [49] that it had become impossible to put her inner joy into words [50]. In another example, although she had previously asked Priests to wash her in the Blood of the Lamb as they celebrated Holy Mass, she had become more specific [51]. Again, she wrote: “He hollows out abysses in my soul, abysses He alone can fill, and to do that He leads me into deep silence that I never want to leave again.” [52]. It is of interest that [L169] and [L190] were written to the trusted friend of her childhood, Canon Angles.

Advent and Christmas Season
“The Divine little One..was going to be born no longer in the crib, but in my soul, in our souls, for He is truly Emmanuel, “God with us.””[53]

The absence of parlour visits and letters, and changes in the celebration of Holy Mass, emphasized for everyone an approaching feast day. Advent: a time of waiting, of expectation, of preparation, culminating in the final days before the Vigil with those uplifting greater ‘O’ antiphons. Something of Sr Elizabeth’s expectation and preparation is revealed in her poem for Christmas [54]. It was the custom in Carmel to write poetry in celebration of major feasts and Sr Elizabeth wrote a poem for each Christmas that she was in Carmel. Written from the heart, her poem brought together many of the ideas that she had explored in letters during the year, along with her thoughts on the Nativity. She linked her name, ‘Elizabeth’ - ‘House of God’ ,with Divine indwelling, referring to its profound mystery; attention was given to Our Blessed Mother as a ‘House of God’; and mystical ideas abounded. A dynamic translation of her poem is available [55].

Sr Elizabeth’s post-Christmas letters reveal very little about the celebration of the twin feasts of Christmas and Epiphany. She referred to the Vigil in [L187], and was more specific about her joy at the Nativity and her general love for the time of year in [L190]. Her love of participating in the ceremonial of Carmel was remarked on by Mother Germaine in Souvenirs [56]. Undoubtedly, visitors to the parlour would have been able to judge for themselves her deep, and abiding, love for everything associated with time of year. New Year’s Day was a time for exchanging gifts and Blessings and the Carmel was no exception. [L189] is a nice letter, in which Sr Elizabeth thanked her Mother for New Year’s gifts.

As noted, information on the celebration of Epiphany is sparse, and it is necessary to examine letters for 1905 to learn that it was the custom of Carmel to celebrate the feast of the Kings on 6th January and not on the Sunday. In [L221], Guite was given precise instructions on the food required for that day, and warned not to get the date wrong! [57].

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