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Collected Works of Edith Stein #1
Self-Portrait in Letters 1916-1942
English (translation)Original German
357 pages, Paperback
First published January 1, 1993
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147 people want to read
About the author
Edith Stein
263 books215 followersEdith Stein, also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD, (German: Teresia Benedicta vom Kreuz, Latin: Teresia Benedicta a Cruce) (12 October 1891 – 9 August 1942), was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to the Roman Catholic Church and became a Discalced Carmelite nun. She is a martyr and saint of the Catholic Church.
She was born into an observant Jewish family, but was an atheist by her teenage years. Moved by the tragedies of World War I, in 1915 she took lessons to become a nursing assistant and worked in a hospital for the prevention of disease outbreaks. After completing her doctoral thesis in 1916 from the University of Göttingen, she obtained an assistantship at the University of Freiburg.
From reading the works of the reformer of the Carmelite Order, St. Teresa of Jesus, OCD, she was drawn to the Catholic Faith. She was baptized on 1 January 1922 into the Roman Catholic Church. At that point she wanted to become a Discalced Carmelite nun, but was dissuaded by her spiritual mentors. She then taught at a Catholic school of education in Speyer. As a result of the requirement of an "Aryan certificate" for civil servants promulgated by the Nazi government in April 1933 as part of its Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, she had to quit her teaching position. She was admitted to the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Cologne the following October. She received the religious habit of the Order as a novice in April 1934, taking the religious name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ("Teresa blessed by the Cross"). In 1938 she and her sister Rosa, by then also a convert and an extern Sister of the monastery, were sent to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands for their safety. Despite the Nazi invasion of that state in 1940, they remained undisturbed until they were arrested by the Nazis on 2 August 1942 and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they died in the gas chamber on 9 August 1942.
She was born into an observant Jewish family, but was an atheist by her teenage years. Moved by the tragedies of World War I, in 1915 she took lessons to become a nursing assistant and worked in a hospital for the prevention of disease outbreaks. After completing her doctoral thesis in 1916 from the University of Göttingen, she obtained an assistantship at the University of Freiburg.
From reading the works of the reformer of the Carmelite Order, St. Teresa of Jesus, OCD, she was drawn to the Catholic Faith. She was baptized on 1 January 1922 into the Roman Catholic Church. At that point she wanted to become a Discalced Carmelite nun, but was dissuaded by her spiritual mentors. She then taught at a Catholic school of education in Speyer. As a result of the requirement of an "Aryan certificate" for civil servants promulgated by the Nazi government in April 1933 as part of its Law for the Restoration of the Professional Civil Service, she had to quit her teaching position. She was admitted to the Discalced Carmelite monastery in Cologne the following October. She received the religious habit of the Order as a novice in April 1934, taking the religious name Teresa Benedicta of the Cross ("Teresa blessed by the Cross"). In 1938 she and her sister Rosa, by then also a convert and an extern Sister of the monastery, were sent to the Carmelite monastery in Echt, Netherlands for their safety. Despite the Nazi invasion of that state in 1940, they remained undisturbed until they were arrested by the Nazis on 2 August 1942 and sent to the Auschwitz concentration camp, where they died in the gas chamber on 9 August 1942.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
March 15, 2020
To be able to pray with this great Saint and to read about her slow but gradual transformation in grace was itself very rewarding. There is no huge climax of sorts, but the ongoing journey of a holy life - much like the spiritual life.
June 21, 2015
St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross' warmth, care, humility, and unwavering trust in God filters through this collection of 342 letters in abundance. These epistolary historical documents -- the saint's own writings -- are a testament to the Carmelite spirit, lived out by St Teresa Benedicta.
Although the world around her was crumbling (after all, she was of Jewish origin living in 1920s and 1930s Germany) and she and those whom she loved on both sides of the "grate" were undergoing great trials and suffering, St Teresa Benedicta joyfully embraced her cross and, with great trust and confidence, surrendered everything to God.
The letters, insofar as they serve as historical documents, also provide a glimpse of academic and Catholic life in Germany in the interwar years.
Much of what St Teresa wrote in her letters is still relevant for our present time of turmoil and suffering.
-----
Some memorable quotes:
"I believe we need not really worry about her so much. She bears a cross like everyone else, but it has borne fruit for her, and she knows that and so would not wish to give it up. We too, dear Sister, have to learn to see that others have a cross to carry and to realize we cannot take it from them. It is harder than carrying one's own, but it cannot be avoided." (Letter 44)
"I am only a tool of the Lord. I would like to lead to him anyone who comes to me. And when I notice that this is not the case, but that the interest is invested in my person, then I cannot serve as a tool and must beg the Lord to help in other ways. After all, he is never dependent on only one individual." (L76)
"God knows what he has in store for me. I do not need to concern myself about it." (L87)
"We can do very little ourselves, compared to what is done to us. But that little bit we must do. Primarily, this consists before all else of persevering in prayer to find the right way, and of following without resistance the attraction of grace when we feel it. Whoever acts in this way and perseveres patiently will not be able to say that his efforts were in vain. But one may not set a deadline for the Lord." (L102)
"There is a vocation to suffer with Christ and thereby to cooperate with him in his work of salvation. When we are united with the Lord, we are members of the mystical body of Christ: Christ lives on in his members and continues to suffer in them. And the suffering borne in union with the Lord is his suffering, incorporated in the great work of salvation and fruitful therein. That is a fundamental premise of all religious life, above all of the life of Carmel, to stand proxy for sinners through voluntary and joyous suffering, and to cooperate in the salvation of humankind." (L129)
"we can calmly take for granted that heaven will give me back, with interest, whatever I have given to you and others." (L146-b)
"the way of suffering is the surest road to union with the Lord. The saving power of joyfully borne suffering is particularly necessary in our time." (L148)
"it is quite natural that you think with longing of the deep peace that is given us here. But then one has to have a calling for it. And for those who have their place outside, there is also a way outside." (L160)
"Consider Holy Mass in the morning, with its beautiful Lenten liturgy, as the highlight of the day, and the rest of it as a daily small sacrifice of thanksgiving. Then the time will pass well and quickly." (L217)
"God calls no one for one's own sake alone." (L262)
"By the cross I understood the destiny of God's people which, even at that time, began to announce itself. I thought that those who recognized it as the cross of Christ had to take it upon themselves in the name of all. Certainly, today I know more of what it means to be wedded to the Lord in the sign of the Cross. Of course, one can never comprehend it, for it is a mystery." (L287)
"If we have this basic attitude -- to seek everywhere for ways to please Jesus -- then we will also discover in which cases it is permitted, indeed commanded, to dispense oneself from a rule or prescription, etc." (L306)
"I have a great desire to see all this sometime in the light of eternity. For one realizes ever more clearly how blind we are toward everything. One marvels at how mistakenly one viewed a lot of things before, and yet the very next moment one commits the blunder again of forming an opinion without having the necessary basis for it." (L307)
"First Bolshevism had come from the east to fight against God, then National Socialism [Nazis] came with the fight against the Church. But neither would be victorious, because in the end Christ would conquer. All of us would at some time have to get on our knees. But first there would be a relentless battle between these philosophies of life. He continued: we had nothing against the people as individuals. But we have to be steadfast in our principles and may not surrender on any point." (L314)
"what we believe we understand about our own soul is, after all, only a fleeting reflection of what will remain God's secret until the day all will be made manifest. My great joy consists in the hope of that future clarity. Faith in the secret history must always strengthen us when what we actually perceive (about ourselves or about others) might discourage us." (L320)
"We are travelling east."
Although the world around her was crumbling (after all, she was of Jewish origin living in 1920s and 1930s Germany) and she and those whom she loved on both sides of the "grate" were undergoing great trials and suffering, St Teresa Benedicta joyfully embraced her cross and, with great trust and confidence, surrendered everything to God.
The letters, insofar as they serve as historical documents, also provide a glimpse of academic and Catholic life in Germany in the interwar years.
Much of what St Teresa wrote in her letters is still relevant for our present time of turmoil and suffering.
-----
Some memorable quotes:
"I believe we need not really worry about her so much. She bears a cross like everyone else, but it has borne fruit for her, and she knows that and so would not wish to give it up. We too, dear Sister, have to learn to see that others have a cross to carry and to realize we cannot take it from them. It is harder than carrying one's own, but it cannot be avoided." (Letter 44)
"I am only a tool of the Lord. I would like to lead to him anyone who comes to me. And when I notice that this is not the case, but that the interest is invested in my person, then I cannot serve as a tool and must beg the Lord to help in other ways. After all, he is never dependent on only one individual." (L76)
"God knows what he has in store for me. I do not need to concern myself about it." (L87)
"We can do very little ourselves, compared to what is done to us. But that little bit we must do. Primarily, this consists before all else of persevering in prayer to find the right way, and of following without resistance the attraction of grace when we feel it. Whoever acts in this way and perseveres patiently will not be able to say that his efforts were in vain. But one may not set a deadline for the Lord." (L102)
"There is a vocation to suffer with Christ and thereby to cooperate with him in his work of salvation. When we are united with the Lord, we are members of the mystical body of Christ: Christ lives on in his members and continues to suffer in them. And the suffering borne in union with the Lord is his suffering, incorporated in the great work of salvation and fruitful therein. That is a fundamental premise of all religious life, above all of the life of Carmel, to stand proxy for sinners through voluntary and joyous suffering, and to cooperate in the salvation of humankind." (L129)
"we can calmly take for granted that heaven will give me back, with interest, whatever I have given to you and others." (L146-b)
"the way of suffering is the surest road to union with the Lord. The saving power of joyfully borne suffering is particularly necessary in our time." (L148)
"it is quite natural that you think with longing of the deep peace that is given us here. But then one has to have a calling for it. And for those who have their place outside, there is also a way outside." (L160)
"Consider Holy Mass in the morning, with its beautiful Lenten liturgy, as the highlight of the day, and the rest of it as a daily small sacrifice of thanksgiving. Then the time will pass well and quickly." (L217)
"God calls no one for one's own sake alone." (L262)
"By the cross I understood the destiny of God's people which, even at that time, began to announce itself. I thought that those who recognized it as the cross of Christ had to take it upon themselves in the name of all. Certainly, today I know more of what it means to be wedded to the Lord in the sign of the Cross. Of course, one can never comprehend it, for it is a mystery." (L287)
"If we have this basic attitude -- to seek everywhere for ways to please Jesus -- then we will also discover in which cases it is permitted, indeed commanded, to dispense oneself from a rule or prescription, etc." (L306)
"I have a great desire to see all this sometime in the light of eternity. For one realizes ever more clearly how blind we are toward everything. One marvels at how mistakenly one viewed a lot of things before, and yet the very next moment one commits the blunder again of forming an opinion without having the necessary basis for it." (L307)
"First Bolshevism had come from the east to fight against God, then National Socialism [Nazis] came with the fight against the Church. But neither would be victorious, because in the end Christ would conquer. All of us would at some time have to get on our knees. But first there would be a relentless battle between these philosophies of life. He continued: we had nothing against the people as individuals. But we have to be steadfast in our principles and may not surrender on any point." (L314)
"what we believe we understand about our own soul is, after all, only a fleeting reflection of what will remain God's secret until the day all will be made manifest. My great joy consists in the hope of that future clarity. Faith in the secret history must always strengthen us when what we actually perceive (about ourselves or about others) might discourage us." (L320)
"We are travelling east."
January 10, 2008
Wonderful follow up to her autobiography "Life in a Jewish Family."
October 1, 2008
This book was the inspiration for James Caroll's "Constantine's Sword". Why is there a cross at Auschwitz? No one has been able to answer that question.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews