Bl. María Felicia of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament – April 28 – Carmelite Saints

Summary: Born in Florence in 1566, St. Mary Magdalen of the Incarnate Word de’ Pazzi had a religious upbringing and entered the monastery of the Carmelite nuns there. She led a hidden life of prayer and self-denial, praying particularly for the renewal of the Church and encouraging the sisters in holiness. Her life was marked by many extraordinary graces. She died in 1607. History: Caterina Lucrezia de' Pazzi was born on April 2, 1566. She was the second of four children in one of Florence's most influential families. Her parents were Camilo de’ Pazzi and Maria Buondelmonti. Caterina was named after St. Catherine of Siena. By the 15th century, the Pazzi family held significant political power. As such, Caterina was a childhood friend of Maria de’ Medici, who later became queen of France. As a child, Caterina shunned vanity. She learned to pray before she learned to speak. Raised as a Christian, she showed early spiritual maturity, devotion, and sensitivity. So much so that when her mother returned from Mass, Caterina would stay close to her, saying she “felt the taste of Jesus in her.” Mercy grew with her from birth. As a little girl, she fed the poor by giving away her own food. Later, while living in the country, she taught the basics of the faith to humble maidens. Her mother’s deep piety shaped her soul. Jesuit Fathers, invited by her parents, visited often and deeply influenced Caterina, giving her a lasting sense of the Church. As a youth, Caterina showed kindness, charity, and a strong love for prayer, penance, and the Blessed Sacrament. At eight, she was sent to study with the nuns at San Giovannini. At nine, her mother taught her mental prayer and meditation. The nuns saw her contemplative nature and prepared her for First Holy Communion. She received it at age 10, with her confessor’s consent, on March 25, 1576. On Holy Thursday that year, she dedicated herself to God with a vow of virginity. Her parents planned for her to get married, but she refused. She said she would rather die than change her vow. She learned to read and came across the Athanasian Creed, which inspired her. She also loved St. Augustine’s meditations and Loarte’s works on the Lord’s Passion, suggested by her Spiritual Director, Fr. Andrea Rossi. After returning home, Caterina deepened her prayer life with the Jesuit Fathers. Despite worldly demands around her, she was determined to become more like her crucified Spouse. At twelve, she experienced her first ecstasy while watching the sunset, which left her trembling and speechless. Two years later, she attended school at the convent of Cavalaresse, where the nuns admired her devotion and forbearance, predicting she might become a saint. While studying at Cavalaresse, she decided to serve the Lord for the rest of her life. At 17, after gaining her parents’ consent, she joined the Carmel of St. Mary of the Angels at Borgo San Frediano. On January 30, 1583, she received the Carmelite habit and took the name Sr. Mary Magdalen of the Incarnate Word. She chose this convent because it allowed for the reception of daily Communion, which was rare at the time. In 1583, she had her second mystical experience. The nuns saw her weeping before the crucifix. She cried, "O Love, you are neither known nor loved." At the end of the novitiate year, her profession was delayed so that others could make theirs at the same time. In early March 1584, she fell seriously ill. Doctors feared the worst. Although the illness was painful, Mary bore it with peace. During her suffering, she pointed to the crucifix and said, "See what the infinite love of God has suffered for my salvation—that same love sees my weakness and gives me courage. Those who call to mind the sufferings of Christ and who offer up their own to God through his passion find their pains sweet and pleasant." Because of her precarious health, the Prioress allowed her to make her profession in danger of death after one year. On May 27, the Feast of the Trinity, she was carried on her pallet into the choir to make her vows of chastity, poverty, and obedience forever. On her profession day, Mary entered ecstasy for forty days, ending on August 15, 1584. These ecstasies were recorded in the “Forty Days.” Each morning, the Lord visited her and revealed his love. The joy from God’s grace mixed with her worsening illness. In one vision, Jesus took her heart and hid it in his own, saying He "would not return it until it is wholly pure and filled with pure love." During this period, the sisters took notes on what Mary said in ecstasy and to the Prioress and Mistress. Then, on July 16, 1584, she was healed through Bl. Maria Bagnesi’s intercession. Maria, a Dominican Tertiary, had been buried at St. Mary of the Angels in 1577. After her recovery, Mary served three years as assistant mistress of novices. She later served as sacristan. The Carmelites of St. Mary of the Angels wrote five manuscripts about their young sisters’ experiences. The saint herself later revised these records. They titled them: “Forty Days,” “Colloquies,” “Revelations and Intelligences,” “Trials and Renewal of the Church,” as well as her “Sayings and Letters.” The “Forty Days” of ecstasy in 1584 were followed by “The Colloquies” in early 1585. On March 24, 1585, the eve of the Annunciation, Saint Augustine wrote in her heart: Verbum caro factum est, "The Word was made flesh." Shortly after, on April 15, she received the invisible stigmata. On April 28, the Lord gave her a wedding ring. Sr. Mary Magdalen received the highest mystical knowledge from God during "Revelations and Intelligences"—eight days of ecstasies from June 8 to 15, 1585. These spanned from the vigil of Pentecost to the Feast of the Trinity. At 19, this experience enabled her to embrace the whole mystery of salvation, from the Incarnation in Mary’s womb to the Holy Spirit’s descent at Pentecost. From July 20, 1586, to late September, she had more ecstasies focusing on the Renovation of the Church. Like St. Catherine of Siena, she felt driven to write letters of appeal to the Pope, Cardinals, her Archbishop, and others in the Church. She urged commitment to "The Renovation of the Church," as promoted by the Council of Trent. Furthermore, she insisted on the need for the Church’s renewal and to combat the “lukewarmness” of the baptized. These 12 letters were dictated in ecstasy. She emphasized she wrote "to be a bride and not a servant" of God. During these ecstasies, she sometimes spoke of mysteries of the Most Holy Trinity beyond human understanding. She endured the cruel pains of Christ’s Passion. Christ espoused her with a ring and crowned her with thorns. The Blessed Virgin covered her with a snow-white veil. These consolations prepared her for a long desolation. For five years, God seemed distant; though she saw He was not removing grace, only the sense of it. Amid dryness and abandonment, she was tormented by demons and temptations. Though she was almost without reason, she prevailed, and her victories made her stronger. As a result, she gained extraordinary command over demons, knowledge of heavenly secrets and souls in the next life, and the spirit of prophecy. For example, she foresaw Cardinal Alessandro de’ Medici becoming Pope Leo XI. She appeared to people far away and healed some who were sick. Yet, these favors never lessened her humility; she considered herself the most imperfect of all. She faced temptations to gluttony and impure thoughts. She asked heaven for help and disciplined her body and will by fasting. These struggles deepened her faith and selflessness. Despite her trials, she fulfilled all her convent duties and inspired her sisters through her resilience. At Pentecost in 1590, this difficult trial ended, and she felt God’s consolations again. Except for a few ecstasies, her later days were quiet. She focused on her duties. Because of her spiritual maturity, she was put in charge of the young sisters’ formation for six years as mistress of novices. She also guided the junior professed for a time. On March 7, 1594, she experienced spiritual matrimony. On May 1, 1595, she shared in Christ’s "naked suffering" of the Cross, uniting her completely to her Bridegroom. Her union with God was marked by love: “If it proceeds from the Father: love; if it proceeds from the Son: love; if it proceeds from the Holy Spirit: love. Your power: love; your wisdom: love; your goodness: love; your eternity: love; I will dare to say that your justice is also love.” Mary never fully recovered her physical health from her illness as a novice. Despite ongoing challenges, she continued to teach and serve as mistress to incoming and junior nuns. In 1604, she became superior. As mistress and superior, she was known for her wisdom, discipline, and generosity. She was loved by everyone who knew her. She observed her religious vows conscientiously and led a hidden life of prayer and self-denial. During her time in Carmel, she showed herself to be a model of every virtue. She was so obedient that she would not act on what God commanded her in ecstasies unless her superiors consented. She was so chaste that she not only overcame temptation to impurity, but remained unaware of it. For five years, she lived on bread and water alone, except on Sundays when she ate Lenten food. She constantly mortified her weak body with fasting, scourging, an iron belt, a crown of thorns, watches, walking barefoot in the snow, and scalding drops from a burning candle. Divine love burned so strongly within her that she would sometimes cry out, " O love! I can bear thee no longer"; and she was forced to cool her bosom with an abundance of water. She was also known for her extraordinary devotion to the Eucharist, earning her the affectionate title "The Passion Flower of the Eucharist." Mary Magdalen embraced radical self-denial, wearing a crown of thorns and a hair shirt to unite herself more closely with Christ's suffering. She endured violent temptations and great physical suffering throughout her religious life, viewing these trials as opportunities to share in Christ's redemptive work. St. Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi also had a great devotion to Our Lady, and she was a significant inspiration in the development of Carmelite Marian devotion to the "Most Pure Virgin", claiming that the beauty of Mary lay in her purity, which was what had made her one with the Word in her divine maternity. In the autumn of 1602, she became seriously ill with pulmonary tuberculosis. Her last three years of life were a true Calvary of suffering for her. Consumption began to manifest itself clearly: Sr. Mary Magdalen was obliged to withdraw little by little from community life to immerse herself ever more in "naked suffering for love of God". As her strength declined, she suffered the added pain of not being able to feel the Lord’s presence. After a long illness, throughout which she practiced the austerities which she had formerly undertaken, she fell into her agony. She passed away on May 25, 1607, at 3 p.m. An unusual joy pervaded the entire monastery, as while the convent mourned her loss, they were also filled with an indescribable joy upon her entrance into heaven. She was buried in the choir of the Monastery chapel. Her fame of sanctity, which already surrounded her in life, increased even more after her death. She was glorified by miracles before and after her death; her body, which was buried in a very damp spot, was found incorrupt after a year and remains in the same state to this day. The cell where she died has become a chapel in whose silence one can still feel her presence. In 1626, around 19 years after her death, the Florentine Pontiff, Pope Urban VIII, beatified her. Pope Clement IX canonized her on April 28, 1669, in recognition of her exemplary endurance. St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi remains an inspiration for contemplatives and all those seeking deeper intimacy with Christ through prayer and sacrifice. She has the gift of being a spiritual teacher, particularly for priests, to whom she always nourished a true passion. Prayer: Father, you love those who give themselves completely to your service, and you filled Saint Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi with heavenly gifts and the fire of your love. As we honor her today, may we follow her example of purity and charity. Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.

Summary: Barbe Avrillot, also known as Madame Acarie, was born in Paris in 1566. At the age of sixteen, she married Pierre Acarie, by whom she had seven children. In spite of her household duties and many hardships, she attained the heights of the mystical life. Under the influence of St. Teresa’s writings, and after mystical contact with the Saint herself, she spared no effort in introducing the Discalced Carmelite nuns into France. After her husband’s death, she asked to be admitted among them as a lay sister, taking the name of Mary of the Incarnation; she was professed at the Carmel of Amiens in 1615. She was esteemed by some of the greatest men of her time, including St. Francis de Sales; and she was distinguished by her spirit of prayer and her zeal for the propagation of the Catholic faith. She died at Pontoise on April 18th, 1618. History: Mary of the Incarnation, born Barbe Avrillot on February 1, 1566, in Paris, was the daughter of Nicholas Avrillot, lord of Champlâtreux and the accountant general in the Chamber of Paris, as well as chancellor of Queen Marguerite of Navarre. Her mother was Mary L'Huillier, a descendant of Etienne Marcel. Before she was born, her parents had several other children, but all died in infancy. While her mother awaited this child, she vowed her to the Blessed Virgin and Saint Claude. She promised to clothe her in white until age seven and to offer her in a church of the Blessed Virgin. She was born healthy and baptized as Barbe, the day after the Purification of Our Lady. Her parents instilled piety in her from childhood. As a young girl, she was entrusted to the care of the Little Sisters of the Humility of Our Lady at Longchamp, where she had a maternal aunt. There, she was educated. The girls were taught to read and sing and joined the nuns in the Divine Office. She advanced in virtue and developed a distaste for worldly things. She was drawn to heavenly things with great ardor. There, she formed a vocation for the cloister, which was not altered by later life in the world. At fourteen, she returned to her father's house. She expressed her wish to enter a religious Order in Paris to care for the sick, but her parents opposed this plan. Her mother told her that she would never permit her to become a nun. The young girl believed God spoke to her through her mother and chose to obey. She agreed to the marriage her father proposed because she feared opposing him might resist the divine will. In 1582, when she was 16, she obeyed her parents’ wishes and married Pierre Acarie, the Viscount of Villemoran. He was a wealthy young man of high standing, a fervent Catholic, and a Government Treasury Official. Six children were born to them. Their pious mother raised them with great care. She taught them never to complain of circumstances or persons. She inspired horror of lying in them and strove to make them recognize any sentiments of vainglory. Her three daughters became Carmelites. Her three sons entered, in turn, the magistracy, the priesthood, and the military. After her second child was born, Barbe read some words of St. Augustine that made a great impression on her: ‘He is indeed a miser to whom God is not enough.’ After this, she began to have mystical experiences. These worried her at first, but gradually she gained more control. She could be at rest in God while still caring for her family and other works. She sought only to correspond with God's graces by perfectly fulfilling her duties toward her husband, her six children, and her dependents, whose devoted affection she won. Throughout thirty years of marriage, she demonstrated how Christian spouses could achieve sanctity. She bore herself so well in married life that St. Francis de Sales testified she was a perfect example of Christian virtue. Although she longed for prayer and practices of piety, she more than fulfilled every duty as wife and mother. She respected her husband, was watchful in teaching her children, and cared for her household. She was mild in handling servants and housemaids, whom she encouraged in virtue by word and example. In 1589, after the death of Henry III, political turmoil entered France as many opposed the succession of Henry of Navarre to the French throne. Henry was baptized a Catholic but raised as a Huguenot by his mother, Queen Jeanne III of Navarre. Barbe’s husband, Pierre, was one of the staunchest members of the Catholic League, which opposed the Huguenots. He was one of the sixteen who organized the resistance in Paris, which led to a famine caused by the siege of Paris in 1590. The cruel famine gave Barbe an occasion to display her charity. She was so wise in her almsgiving that, during the famine, the wealthy who desired to help the poor entrusted their alms to her, and she was widely respected. When Henry became King in 1594, Pierre was exiled from Paris, and the Acarie estates were seized, as were those of many others in the League, even though he never joined in the violent activities of some members. Barbe had to remain behind in Paris while Pierre went to Bourgfontaine. Driven from her house and stripped of her wealth, she also had to contend with creditors and irate businessmen. Pierre’s zeal for his faith had outstripped his prudence, and he recklessly lent money to other League members. Barbe faced sudden debts and had to give up most remaining possessions to pay them off. Her once-prosperous state became so dire that she barely had enough money for bread for herself and her children. Many people began to treat her with contempt. When she went to seek help for her husband, servants sometimes refused to let her in. She sent her four oldest children away to school and the two youngest to live with relatives. Barbe herself stayed with her cousin. Barbe never criticized her husband for his reckless ways, and her love for him never faltered despite the hardship. She traveled 45 miles to Bourgfontaine to see him. There, he was captured by bandits. She raised the ransom to free him and arranged his transfer to the Chateau at Luzarches, which was closer to Paris. There, she saw him more often. On returning from one visit, her horse stumbled, and Barbe broke her hip. Medical treatment only made things worse, leaving her an invalid for the rest of her life. Nevertheless, she put all her trust in God and did not yield to despair. She worked hard to provide for her children and restore her husband’s liberty. She defended Pierre in court by drafting memoirs, writing letters, and furnishing proof of his innocence. She won, and he was acquitted and able to return after three years. The family also reclaimed part of their property and fortune. She accepted these circumstances without becoming troubled. She endured want, insults, and pain. And yet afterwards, she often said that this had been a happy time. It was sweeter to her than any other. After four years, the family reunited and regained their home and holdings. Barbe regained popular esteem, including that of the royal family. She devoted herself to expanding the worship of God and became well known in Paris for her charity to the sick and poor. She also opened a refuge for prostitutes who wanted a new start and made vestments for missionaries. By the early seventeenth century, the Acarie home became a gathering place for clergy and devout laity. Many came to ask Barbe’s advice. She accommodated clergy who wanted to stay during convalescence. Many distinguished and devout people came to her home. Her cousin, Cardinal Pierre Bérulle, was a frequent visitor. Others included Madame Jourdain, Madame de Bréauté, the Chancellor de Merillac, Père Coton, St. Vincent de Paul, and St. Francis de Sales, who was Barbara’s spiritual director for six months. It has been said that Barbe provided the first definite impulse towards the interior growth of St. Francis de Sales, making him a fit guide for the soul of St. Jane Frances de Chantal. In 1601, Abbé de Brétigny’s translation of Ribera’s life of St. Teresa was published. After Barbe began reading it, St. Teresa appeared to her and told her that God had chosen her to found Carmels in France. Barbe consulted her friends and advisers, but they felt the time was not right. They advised her to abandon the idea or put it aside. She tried to set it aside. Eight months later, St. Teresa appeared again and assured her that the difficulties would be overcome. Barbe approached the Duchess of Longueville to serve as the foundress. This meant financing the project and securing letters patent from the king. She convinced the Duchess, and Barbe persuaded her friends and advisers to support her. Barbara’s good works later won the admiration and support of King Henry, who assisted in bringing the reformed Carmelites of St Teresa to France. St. Francis de Sales wrote to Pope Clement VIII to obtain his permission to found monasteries of Discalced Carmelite nuns in France under the jurisdiction of secular clergy, as there were no Carmelite Friars in France at that time.  They all considered it essential to bring nuns from Spain who had known St. Teresa, so that the French Carmelites would be authentically Teresian. The Pope granted authorization for the new monastery in Paris, and Barbe gathered a group of future postulants. Abbé de Brétigny travelled to Spain to bring back Spanish Carmelites who had known St. Teresa, but he was initially refused, so he called on Barbe for advice. She sent her cousin, Cardinal Pierre Bérulle, to help him, and together with some ladies of the nobility, they returned with six of Teresa’s best nuns, including Bl. Anne of St. Bartholomew and Bl. Anne of Jesus. Two Spanish Carmelite friars accompanied them and gave the habit to the first French novices. The Spanish nuns all went to the newly built Paris Carmel in 1604, but more foundations followed, and Barbe was much involved in those at Pontoise in 1605, Dijon in 1605, and Amiens in 1606. By the time of her death, 12 years later, there were fourteen Carmels in France, which profoundly influenced the French religious and secular society of the day. Blessed Mary of the Incarnation also contributed to the works of the first Ursulines in Paris for the education of youth, and to the establishment of the Oratorians of Italy in France. Among the young women Barbe had gathered together to train as future Carmelites, she found that some clearly did not have a Carmelite vocation. Yet they were dedicated women sincerely seeking to serve God.  It occurred to Barbe that they would make excellent teaching sisters, so she set about founding the Ursulines in Paris, convinced that if girls were taught their faith well they could reform morality in the country, as most of these girls would go on to be mothers and would pass on the teaching to their children. She also urged Cardinal Bérulle to refuse the tutorship of Louis XIII, and on November 11, 1611, she, with St Vincent de Paul, assisted at the Mass of the installation of the Oratory of France. In 1613, her husband fell gravely ill, and she never left his bedside until, nine days later, she saw him die. The tears and the prayers of the blessed widow were comforted by the heavenly confirmation of the eternal salvation of her pious husband. Barbara settled her affairs and, now free from her duties towards her family, broke every bond with the world and decided to become a Carmelite as a lay sister. In 1614, she withdrew to the Monastery of Amiens, which she had founded. Her three daughters had preceded her into the cloister, and one of them, Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament,  was Sub-prioress at Amiens. She took the name Sr. Mary of the Incarnation and made her solemn profession on April 8, 1615, but her health had deteriorated significantly.   As a religious, Mary edified her fervent sisters by her attention to the humblest kitchen tasks, by her complete submission to all, by her practice of poverty, and by a unique finesse in charity, especially towards the sick. Although favored by God with exceptional gifts, she was extremely cautious and preferred the simple practice of the common, solid virtues. She was ever a shining example of poverty, obedience, and the practice of every rule. Her love of humility, in particular, was so great that despite being the parent and mistress of the rest, she chose the humble duties of a lay Sister. She could in no way be persuaded to accept the office of Prioress, although all of the nuns requested her to do so. She preferred to obey her own daughter, who held that place in the absence of the Superior. In 1616, at the request of her Superiors for health reasons, she went to the Carmelite Convent at Pontoise, which she had likewise founded. She spent a year there, patiently bearing a long and severe illness. Her health deteriorated further, and she received the last Sacraments and died on the Wednesday of Easter week, April 18, 1618, amid the prayers and tears of her companions. She was then fifty-three years old. She was heavily influenced by the piety exhibited in the death of St. Francis Xavier, and asserted a desire to die as he had died, namely, bereft of all physical recourse. St. Francis de Sales considered her death in spiritual poverty as laudable as that of St. Francis Xavier, who died in utter physical poverty. Mary’s prime glory is to have contributed more than all others to the introduction of the reform of St. Teresa of Jesus into France, so much so that she merits the title of mother and foundress of the Discalced Carmel in France. The process for beatification was opened in Rome in 1627. The successive decrees of Pope Urban VIII and other circumstances led to the cause's suspension, and it was not resumed until 1782. It was concluded with her beatification, proclaimed by Pope Pius VI on June 5, 1791. Her Feast Day is kept on April 18 in Paris and in the Carmelite order. Her body lies in the Chapel of the Carmelites of Pontoise. Prayer: Heavenly Father, You gave Blessed Mary of the Incarnation heroic strength in the face of the adversities she met along life’s road, and zeal for the extension of the Carmelite family. May we your children courageously endure every trial and persevere to the end in Your love. We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son, Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.