Of all the saints that populate the Catholic pantheon, my favorite is St. Teresa of Avila. Because she was kind of nuts and because I have always thought that had I been born in 16th century Spain with little options, I would have established a rockin' order of nuns, too. With the exception of not getting to dilly dally around with cute boys, there is a lot to recommend the life.
And I certainly understand the ecstasy that lies behind agony, as well as the devotions of silence. Which is why my church is outside, in the mountains. Can God hear me there? Probably. Although I think he's getting a little tired of me huffing and puffing his name in vain.
21 comments:
Although not Catholic, I did always enjoy the annual St Vitus Dance at the local Knights of Columbus hall.
LOVE the picture, Mountain Running Woman! Love that you have a Saint you take with you on your runs. Mine is St. Franics and I have a chair next to his statue in my SIT in solitude. But usually a dog starts barking and kinda ruins the moment. But still.
You are a warrior!!
Stones like a rosary. I'm not sure I want to know what that means. You run in some beatifully - desolate places. I hope you take your cell phone.
It's been a loooooong time since I studied the saints but is this the Teresa who penned the road to perfection through contemplation?
How perfect!
This is also your mission is it not?
Godspeed.(Er ... footspeed too)
lx: Cuz we Catholics can party, don't cha know.
Boxer: Pirate and I were about 4 hours in and 8,500 feet up and at that point were Blanche Du Boising ourselves all over the place. I should look miserable, but there's a kind of goofy mania that comes over the body and mind at a certain point. I'm sure we were making no sense to each other, either.
Buzz: It's a Joan Osborne lyric. Whenever I trail run, I think of it and count stones (boulders) like a rosary.
Fishy: Yes. That's her. She reformed the Carmelites, too. She's not as tragic/romantic as St. Joan, but she was nonetheless a force for the faith.
Teresa of Avila: An Extraordinary Life [Paperback]
http://www.amazon.com/Teresa-Avila-An-Extraordinary-Life/dp/0974240524/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1331923281&sr=8-1
Lovingly proofread by the czar, at Gethsemani, of all places. I figured that was some kind of divine approval. She was quite a piece of work, Moi. Silence is one thing; I guess your five-hour runs are the moral equivalent of starving oneself to the point of disease and hair shirts.
I've always found it helpful to count the number of yards run. But I'm not sure I can still count to 100.
Good luck in the race!
Czar: Hey, a new book for my pile! Actually, I eat quite a lot while I run. No starving allowed.
Troll: Come now, surely you can make it 101?
Not racing this weekend, still only in training. So come back here April 6 and wish me luck again.
theres lots of lady saints to love. Avila is a good one. I really like Faustina. Im partial to Luke, and petition Blessed Francis each and everyday for his protective shield - "keep them safe from all harm, especially predators from above".
the physical exhaustion mania is a wonderful state of being. I dont know if that was what I had the night I got lost in the Cohuttas or terror. EIther way - i was very alert and awake.
Proud of you training and working so hard towards your goal. You have a great saturday with the pirate, okay? xo
Chickory: Terror and adrenaline. It's a powerful cocktail :o) For that reason, I like St. Christopher, too.
Mea culpa.
I did proof the book on Teresa of Avila, but not in the time frame presented. When I was w/ the Trappists, I proofed a book on Catherine of Siena. She was a piece of work.
I have no real idea what the concept of saints means to Catholics. I don't have saints, and I believe God and heaven is in us. Prayer is just God talking to himself. I don't do religion any more but spiritual works for me. I often hear God better when I'm alone outside. Not that he's not there all the time.
Czar: :o)
Curm: Yes, there's an ocean's difference between religion and faith/spirituality, and religion sure does cause a lot of trouble in the world. God doesn't play for any one team. But having grown up Catholic, I retain a love of the ritual and the idea of the saints as touchstones for our hopes and our better selves.
@lx: Sorry to have neglected to say your comment is hilarious. I suggest you also look into celebrating the Day of St. Anthony's Fire.
Nature is my church.
I totally get the stones like a rosary.
Of course, I haven't done an ACTUAL rosary or stations of the cross in a few decades now.
(i'm a recovering Catholic .. lol)
Happy St. Patricks Day!
Heh.
Moi...reackon ya' din't mean it so but this is a sneaky way to tease me out of silence. But, St. Teresa of Avila will secure mah dispensation, I reckon, since the topic be fittin' fer Lent.
Besides, the Irish did secure, in this country, a day of dispensation from Lenten sacrifice in honor of St. Patrick, whose feast day is today--green beer an' all that. Thus, Aunty can wax on an' on an' ON, 'bout saints today.
Rosary stones is a grand image--luv that.
Mayhap the reason y'all hang wif' Teresa of Avila (rather than st. Therese Lisieux) is Avila said:
"Lord, iffin' this be the way ya' treat yore friends, ain't no wonder ya' have so few." This after her buggy fell into a ditch.
(what? ya never knowed St Teresa were a Cracker Lady??)
A saint ain't nuthin' more than a soul who hangs in thar' fer the loooooog haul, gettin' holier as she goes. Most began as distinctly UNholy sorts. Thar's the mystery, ya see? Most of us wanna have half-God. We wanna keep some of ourselves to ourselves. But fer some, God gits aholt of their soul an' doan let go--that blissful state offered us'uns, but too few of us is brave enough to consent.
What I luvs is how many different sorts of saints thar be--I luv her, but St. Therese Lisieux is too sweet fer me. Thar's a least one type that, however ornery ya is yoreself, ya' can git wif'--like St. Jerome who lived alone because he couldn't stand human idiocy, an' they returned the sentiment.
Or, Czar's "piece of work", Catherine of Siena. Doan it figger? Catherine told off the Pope--I'd like that job. (Movin' closer to it too, if ya count tellin' off a few timid US bishops, at their invitation.)
An ain't it great that even after Catherine told off Roger Beaufort (Pope Gregory XI) --or BECAUSE she told him to get his tush back to Rome an act like he had a spine, the Church made her not only SAINT Catherine, but a Doctor of the Church, alongside other great minds such as Augustine an' Bonaventure, Aquinas, Bernard of Clairvaux.
Oh!! This amazin', infuriatin', partying, earthy, intelligent, simple, artistic, gutsy, nurturing, sin-sick, courageous, holy and immensely HUMAN cavalcade of "saints," who, down the swath of history, have left us so much to ponder: great wisdom, enduring sacrifices, blood of martyrdom, evangelical zeal, chilling warnings, glorious art, heartwarming music, heart wrenching music,intense writings, soaring inspiration, missionary adventures, miracles, an' endearing stories of their struggle toward the only true home a human can have, Union with God.
Happy St. Paddy's day. y'all!
Blazng: Heh. Look at us. Two lapsed Catholic girls on St. Patty's day. Cheers to ya!
Aunty: Oh, I'm so glad that you peeked out from behind your Lenten curtain to weigh in on the subject. It is indeed their struggle and their journey that make the saints a fascination--and a humbling, if sometimes humorous and maddening, example.
Did you ever read a book called Pope Joan? It was my feeling that Catherine was the inspiration, even though she lived several hundred years later. Interesting book, if highly unlikely.
Happy St. Patty's back at cha and I hope you and Uncle are doing fine!
aunty said it best about what is a saint.
so lets talk a bit about WD. Rick killed Shane? WHy? and now we have the sword mistress Mishonne at last for the 3rd act. loved the zombies on a chain: arms and jaws removed. nice.
Those zombies are her ex boyfriend and his friend, who munched her kids. She uses them to disguise her own scent as she goes about killing zombies. Totally bad ass.
Rick killed Shane so that we could see Lori react the way she does and make US go . . . hmmm . . . perhaps her intent was to have Shane kill Rick? And now we have El Ricktator! You wait and see, I predict he loses it in spectacular ways . . .
Darryl's my new television boyfriend. Neck and neck with Raylan . . .
Have you been by TLo? Good wrap up and priceless comments.
No! thank you for reminding me. darryl - you mean the redneck chopper guy? I havent watched WD all season and stumbled on it sunday night for the finale.
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