goodness

The story of St Thérése Couderc which the Cenacle sisters know by heart is a revenge in the end of God’s infinite goodness. She went through so many humiliations in life often caused by ecclesiastical authorities and her companions in the congregation – people who invoke the name of Jesus!  After a rather rosy start of her religious life, one thing led to another: the death of Fr Terme, her co-founder of the congregation; the split between the Sisters of Saint Regis and the Religious of the Cenacle; the financial woes following the failed promise of a lady to cover the built chapel after her family opposed the donation; then a law suit ensued but the sisters lost the case, and Thérèse as the Superior General was blamed by her companions for all the mess. The tragedies did not end here.  A string of bad calls followed.  The Bishop appointed a novice who was a wealthy widow to replace her.  This was a disaster, and thank God, it was short-lived, and the new superior had to be replaced.  It is said the Jesuit advisers replaced her “with a succession of wealthy women.” A Jesuit provincial was involved in the appointment of Mother Contenet as Superior General.  She made bad decisions like sending away experienced sisters from the community for unknown reasons so that only Thérèse and another older nun were left in the convent.  She was restricted from giving retreats, a ministry she so loved doing.  The novices were made to believe that Mother Contenet was the foundress of the congregation, and not Thérèse.  It all seemed like an attempt to isolate her and get rid of her influence in the congregation.  In the meantime, Thérèse continued her labors in obscurity, but at some point, she was made superior for a short time in Paris and Tournon.  It would have been tempting for her to fight back and resist the marginalization, but she took the path of Jesus to Calvary.  After the superiors who were against her had died, her true place in the congregation was restored as her life, writings and reflections showed the depth of her spirituality and holiness. In the Gospel, Jesus says: “unless the grain of wheat falls to the earth and dies, it remains alone; but if it dies, it bears much fruit.”  This is the life of Thérèse, a progressive dying to self so that others, her congregation, and those she accompanied may live.  It is a complete and prophetic participation in the paschal mystery of Christ.  In her well-known writing, she says: “To surrender oneself is to die to everything and to self, to be no longer concerned with self except to keep it continually turned towards God.” This is not just an ideal for her.  She lived it to the full. Fr Adolfo Nicolás says that classic saints have something in common, that is, they all have a capacity to give themselves totally and absolutely to God.  Saints like Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Ignatius of Loyola, Francis Xavier and so many others are so focused and centered on God and the mission entrusted to them.  Thérèse likewise belongs to the list of classic saints mentioned by Fr Nico.  She had a singleness of vision. She was completely focused on God and the mission of leading people to the goodness of Lord through spiritual accompaniment and retreat giving.  There is no trace of egoism in her even amid humiliations. The grace that sustained her is not sheer will power nor human effort.  It is the infinite goodness of God that kept her going. It is the same graciousness of God that the Lord speaks to Moses in the first reading: “I will be gracious to whom I will be gracious and will show mercy on whom I will show mercy.” Thérèse speaks of the same goodness of God: “without which there would be no goodness, neither in people nor in other creatures.”  We encounter the goodness of God in everything and in everywhere. In our world where distractions, disappointments and distressing moments abound and at times triggered by companions and well-meaning people, St Thérèse could be our inspiration and courage.  The goodness of God may seem absent or defeated, but it is there.  It surfaces and resurfaces, not always in our own terms, but in God’s. St Thérèse Couderc, pray for us. Homily of Fr. Antonio (Tony) Moreno, SJ on the Feast Day Mass of Saint Thérèse Couderc 26 September 2022 Cenacle Retreat House