Life of the Congregation (2)

The life of Mariam Baouardy is an unusual story : orphaned at 3, homeless at 13 because she refused to renounce her faith, she worked as a servant wherever Providence led her : Alexandria, Jerusalem, Beirut, before landing up in Marseilles. And that was only the start! But what emerged from her story was a woman whose character became strong and whose rare determination was put in the service of obedience and humility.

The Betharram Congregation has an important place in Mariam’s letters. In her letter of 30th June 1878, writing from Bethlehem Carmel to Father Etchecopar she said: “In all the holy places where we prayed, I prayed for Betharram, for you dear Father, and for our dear brothers. Everywhere I asked for the grace that they all become saints.”

We are amazed to see the links existing between Betharram and St Mariam of Jesus Crucified. Our past history is rich of such links. The best informed biographers are the Religious of Betharram who are still a reference: Fathers Estrate, Buzy and Brunot who spent so many years in the Holy Land and who handed on to the congregation a special affection for Mariam. The new generations are happy to receive her witness; a church has been dedicated to her in Brazil; the community chapel at the formation centre in Adiapodoume built in 1995; the scholasticate in Mangalore is still full of her passage in India. Obviously, the community in Pau has, since 1970, been the watchful guardian of devotion to her, since our congregation accepted to be responsible for the former Carmel where Mariam spent nearly six of the ten years of her life as a Carmelite. Having had the grace of celebrating Mass in the chapel at Adiapodoume and in the Carmel in Bethlehem and to live here in her house in Pau, I am amazed when I reflect on the Gospel message which she sends us. Her canonisation in this year of consecrated life challenges me to deepen her message.

It is an invitation to consecrate myself totally to the Lord and take my eyes off myself as is recommended in the spirituality of Carmel. In order to accomplish this I must put the Lord at the centre of my life, not be satisfied with assiduity in prayer times, wanting to advance in “a heart to heart” with the Lord. Every day I must absorb a bit better the feelings of the heart of Jesus which are the reason why we are religious of Betharram. I admire Mariam’s total confidence in God and what progress I have still to make on this chapter!

Humility was the fundamental quality flowing from her trust in God. I know that it is also what is being asked of me in my following of Jesus “meek and humble of heart”. But I am bound to admit that there is resistance in becoming this “little nothing”, and there is in me a thirst for appreciation and recognition. The passage of time helps in the progress. But where I find it difficult is accepting humiliations. Mariam accepted humiliations, the refusal of the Sisters of St Joseph of the Apparition in Marseilles, or her exclusion from the Carmel in Mangalore! For her it was an invitation to become more and more a disciple of Jesus, “humble and obedient” which I long for but which I find difficult to attain. I also admire her obedience and familiarity with the Holy Spirit at a time when there was little reference to the Holy Spirit. I have always been impressed by her prayer intentions: “Lord, save me from all illusions!” Sometimes some “apparent good” can be withdrawing me from the Gospel. The only thing which can help me to rediscover the way of the disciple is discernment under the guidance of the Holy Spirit; my generosity and devotion need to be reviewed in the light of the Gospel. Being present at Mariam’s canonisation in Rome and the celebration of the piercing of her heart here in Pau is a pressing call to the conversion which is expected of me.

What amazes me with Mariam is her openness to the world; her cloistered existence didn’t shut her in on herself. Her heart was open to worldwide questions. Set out for the foundation of a Carmel in India with all the unknowns of the trip, face the foundation of the Carmels in Bethlehem and Nazareth, take great interest in the future of Betharram, have contact with the Bishops and the Pope himself despite her poor education, feel for the persecuted Christians in China and the famine in India are all proof. It is similar to the story of another Carmelite, St Therese de l’Enfant-Jesus, a few years later. It is fortunate that this canonisation has helped us to lend an ear to the sufferings from the Middle East which during the Mass in Arab expressed its hope in the Basilica of Saint Mary Major. In Pau, the persecuted Christians from Iraq explained their sufferings to us with a video and during the Mass on 23rd May.

Saint Mariam of Jesus Crucified didn’t seek canonisation as a reward; she was surely both surprised and astonished! It is we ourselves who need to be reminded to the reality of the Gospel message. Our congregation is really happy with this proclamation from a saint “who really loved our family”. (Rule of Life 92). The praise which she bestowed on the Betharram religious when speaking to the Patriarch of Jerusalem, challenges us: “They are not like others; they are full of simplicity and charity” (Letter to Father Etchecopar 171; 18th November 1877.)

Laurent Bacho, scj