Translated from the original by Ana Giménez.
Among different kinds of help offered by Church, we have outlined the strong experience of contemplative monasteries, the sacraments (especially Reconciliation and the Eucharist ones) and the groups of Christians- who “back each other up” in the spiritual itinerary- who are the future of Christianity; and, above all, The Holy Spirit. Today I will talk about the two helps from Heaven: Saint Joseph and Saint Mary Magdalene.
For Teresa, it was by the intercession of St Joseph by whom she was cured of a serious disease when she was young. There were different sources that helped her to come across that appreciation, “The Golden Legend” (Latin: Legenda aurea or Legenda sanctorum) by Jacobo de la Vorágine, the Carthusians, and -in my opinion- Bernardino Laredo´s writings on his two editions of “The ascent of Mount Sion”, entitled “Josephina”. Two were the people who most hold the Son of God, Joseph and Mary. In silence. They can never let us down in our spiritual needs and she will always turn to them.
There is an underlying reason for St Joseph and Mary of Magdalene´s choice and it comes from the Old Testament. That is, God´s primacy to choose a nobody, simple, sinner, collaborator in hard times. Teresa shows the same preference for what is hidden and simple by choosing for her iconostasis simple images of her favourite saints. In the New Testament, Philippians 2, where He is made known to us. “Christ, who made himself nothing and did not consider equality with God by taking the very nature of a servant” (I was aware of that, thanks to my friend José Vidal Talens, who very well explains this idea in his books).
In Maria Magdalene´s case, to whom I have already mentioned in several occasions due to its importance, stands out because of her conversion and her condition of public sinful woman. Her influence and visualization comes to Saint Teresa through engravings and lithographs, better than paintings from schools, in which many times she played the role of a veiled eroticism. She sees herself at Christ´s (the Man) feet, risen or the way He used to walk while in the world. With preference for the places He visited, according to the received tradition, The Mount of Olives, or when tied to the column.
Much has been written about her definite conversion image and I was wrong in several occasions. I personally opt for an image of Christ tied to the column with Mary Magdalene at His feet. I haven´t found it yet.
A deeply-rooted tradition doesn´t have any doubt about Saint Joseph´s called “el Parlero” (“the Talkative”) because he used to talk to her. Some day her favourite image-in which Teresa´s adult conversion is based- of Saint Mary Magdalene keeping Jesus company, will appear.
Some Teresian texts:
“I took for my advocate and lord the glorious Saint Joseph and commended myself earnestly to him; and I found that this my father and lord delivered me both from this trouble and also from other and greater troubles concerning my honour and the loss of my soul, and that he gave me greater blessings than I could ask of him. I do not remember even now that I have ever asked anything of him which he has failed to grant. I am astonished at the great favours which God has bestowed on me through this blessed saint, and at the perils from which He has freed me, both in body and in soul. To other saints the Lord seems to have given grace to succour us in some of our necessities but of this glorious saint my experience is that he succours us in them all and that the Lord wishes to teach us that as He was Himself subject to him on earth (for, being His guardian and being called His father, he could command Him) just so in Heaven He still does all that he asks.” (Life 6.6)
” I wish I could persuade everyone to be devoted to this glorious saint, for I have great experience of the blessings which he can obtain from God. I have never known anyone to be truly devoted to him and render him particular services who did not notably advance in virtue, for he gives very real help to souls who commend themselves to him. For some years now, I think, I have made some request of him every year on his festival and I have always had it granted. If my petition is in any way ill directed, he directs it aright for my greater good” (Life 6.7)
“If I were a person writing with authority, I would gladly describe, at greater length and in the minutest detail, the favours which this glorious saint has granted to me and to others. But in order not to do more than I have been commanded I shall have to write about many things briefly, much more so than I should wish, and at unnecessarily great length about others: in short, I must act like one who has little discretion in all that is good. I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion to him. Those who practise prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Child Jesus, without giving thanks to Saint Joseph for the way he helped them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master and he will not go astray. May the Lord grant that I have not erred in venturing to speak of him; for though I make public acknowledgment of my devotion to him, in serving and imitating him I have always failed.” (Life 6.8)
I have chosen a text about Mary Magdalene to stand up the role it played in her conversion:
“If I were a person writing with authority, I would gladly describe, at greater length and in the minutest detail, the favours which this glorious saint has granted to me and to others. But in order not to do more than I have been commanded I shall have to write about many things briefly, much more so than I should wish, and at unnecessarily great length about others: in short, I must act like one who has little discretion in all that is good. I only beg, for the love of God, that anyone who does not believe me will put what I say to the test, and he will see by experience what great advantages come from his commending himself to this glorious patriarch and having devotion to him. Those who practise prayer should have a special affection for him always. I do not know how anyone can think of the Queen of the Angels, during the time that she suffered so much with the Child Jesus, without giving thanks to Saint Joseph for the way he helped them. If anyone cannot find a master to teach him how to pray, let him take this glorious saint as his master and he will not go astray. May the Lord grant that I have not erred in venturing to speak of him; for though I make public acknowledgment of my devotion to him, in serving and imitating him I have always failed.” (Life 6.8)
“ I had a great devotion to the glorious Magdalen and often thought of her conversion, especially when I communicated, for, knowing that the Lord was certainly within me then, I would place myself at His feet, thinking that my tears would not be rejected. I did not know what I was saying; but in allowing me to shed those tears He was very gracious to me, since I so soon forgot my grief; and I used to commend myself to that glorious Saint so that she might obtain pardon for me. But on this last occasion when I saw that image of which I am speaking, I think I must have made greater progress, because I had quite lost trust in myself and was placing all my confidence in God. I believe I told Him then that I would not rise from that spot until He had granted me what I was beseeching of Him. And I feel sure that this did me good, for from that time onward I began to improve.”(Life 9.2-3)
(If you want to have further information you can use “Diccionario de santa Teresa” coordinated by Tomás Álvarez and published in Monte Carmelo. Both saints are very well explained).
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