Is Saint John of the Cross considered a Founder?

I thought Saint John of the Cross is considered a founder of the order along with Saint Teresa, and when I looked up the term "John of the Cross" with "Founder," I got a lot of results.
But the OCD website http://www.ocd.pcn.net/santi.htm only lists Saint Teresa as a founder. And come to think of it, the Discalced Carmelites are called Teresian Carmelites, but not Teresian-Johannine Carmelites or anything like that. Was that listing on the site just something that they overlooked, or is Saint John really not considered a founder?

Saint Teresa is considered the Foundress and Mother of the Teresian Carmels not St. John. Because of the plan St. Teresa had to extend the reform to men, she had taken a special interest in John because she was personally impressed by him both intellectually and spiritually. She made John stay in the monastery with St. Teresa to personally learn the life Teresa had envisioned. In effect, St. John was St. Teresa's novice. But even though John is not a founder in the strict sense of the word, he was very instrumental and influential in the spiritual life of the Sisters. He was also St. Teresa's spiritual director, and later on John would become the Community Confessor, Chaplain and Spiritual Director at the Incarnation Monastery when St. Teresa was sent there to become prioress. He was to become the Master of Novices in Duruelo, the first community of the Discalced Friars. Anthony Heredia was the first prior. St. John's role in the Teresian reform would be more felt in the spiritual domain, even though later on he also held administrative roles in the Discalced Order. John and Teresa traveled together many times when Teresa was making different foundations. John became the face of the Reformed Carmel among men and paid dearly for his association with Teresa. He is probably better described as the spiritual father of the Reformed Carmel.

How much does choice have to do with the type of 'work' one ends up doing?

There is an understanding in Religious life that one embraces it with an attitude of self-giving and abandonment to the Will of God as manifested in the will of one's Religious Superior. The whole purpose of embracing the life of the vows is to be stripped of one's will and preferences for the love of God (and this is an important qualifier) so that one gains the freedom of the spirit to follow wherever God's will leads us.

But having said that, I must also add that in my Community at least (I can only speak for mine), a spirit of dialogue and consultations is normal. Consideration is given to the Sister's talents and abilities and consideration also as to where she can serve God and the elderly best. Now, it will happen that the needs of the Congregation will dictate a different approach. Taking myself as an example, my Community has always used my training as a nurse in all of my assignments. But in my recent change of position, my Community is asking me to function in a role I was not trained for or had no previous experience in. This is where the Vow of Obedience comes in. In other words, yes, leadership looks at your potentials but are not always bound by them. This is where religious ministry differs from a regular job. Religious life always look out for the common good, not just oneself. We constantly remember that one does not become a Sister / Brother just to do good works. As Mother Teresa used to say," we (religious) are not called to be successful but to be faithful." The actions of a religious are not her own. By freely embracing the vows, we surrender our will to the will of another. If a Community goes by the practice of what I had just described, well and good, thanks be to God, but it doesn't have to. That's why religious life is a vocation. Not everybody can accept this attitude. God cannot use us effectively if we do not venture out to paths unknown and untried. __________________

Our Beloved Dead

 What does our Catholic faith say about spirits of our departed loved ones' ability to communicate with us?- Theresa B.

 

The Catechism of the Catholic Church has this to say pertaining to the Communion of Saints: The three states of the Church. "When the Lord comes in glory, and all his angels with him, death will be no more and all things will be subject to him. But at the present time some of his disciples are pilgrims on earth. Others have died and are being purified, while still others are in glory, contemplating 'in full light, God himself triune and one, exactly as he is."  All of us, however, in varying degrees and in different ways share in the same charity towards God and our neighbours, and we all sing the one hymn of glory to our God. All, indeed, who are of Christ and who have his Spirit form one Church and in Christ cleave together. "So it is that the union of the wayfarers with the brethren who sleep in the peace of Christ is in no way interrupted, but on the contrary, according to the constant faith of the Church, this union is reinforced by an exchange of spiritual goods." The intercession of the saints. "Being more closely united to Christ, those who dwell in heaven fix the whole Church more firmly in holiness.... They do not cease to intercede with the Father for us, as they proffer the merits which they acquired on earth through the one mediator between God and men, Christ Jesus.... So by their fraternal concern is our weakness greatly helped."

Do not weep, for I shall be more useful to you after my death and I shall help you then more effectively than during my life.⁴⁹⁴

 I want to spend my heaven in doing good on earth.⁴⁹⁵

 Communion with the saints. "It is not merely by the title of example that we cherish the memory of those in heaven; we seek, rather, that by this devotion to the exercise of fraternal charity the union of the whole Church in the Spirit may be strengthened. Exactly as Christian communion among our fellow pilgrims brings us closer to Christ, so our communion with the saints joins us to Christ, from whom as from its fountain and head issues all grace, and the life of the People of God itself"  We worship Christ as God's Son; we love the martyrs as the Lord's disciples and imitators, and rightly so because of their matchless devotion towards their king and master. May we also be their companions and fellow disciples!   Communion with the dead. "In full consciousness of this communion of the whole Mystical Body of Jesus Christ, the Church in its pilgrim members, from the very earliest days of the Christian religion, has honored with great respect the memory of the dead; and 'because it is a holy and a wholesome thought to pray for the dead that they may be loosed from their sins' she offers her suffrages for them." Our prayer for them is capable not only of helping them, but also of making their intercession for us effective.  In the one family of God. "For if we continue to love one another and to join in praising the Most Holy Trinity - all of us who are sons of God and form one family in Christ - we will be faithful to the deepest vocation of the Church." (CCC Paragraph 5, Section II, 954-959)

The Church believes  that our loved ones are able to intercede for us to obtain our spiritual good.  We are also obliged to pray for them being that they are no longer able to help themselves through their own efforts. 

I can't find an article which talks about communications from the dead in the sense of messages, signs, or other paranormal occurrences.  I have heard of many anecdotal stories from others.  I have not an experience myself.  My personal opinion would be that the realm of the spirit is an unknown world and that anything is possible.

What About Cremation?

 I had someone ask me about the Catholic Churches standing on cremation and do the ashes have to be buried or can they keep them in their homes? I know that cremation is ok now but I wasn't sure about the last part of the question so I thought I would ask you. Thank you for all that you do and especially for saying " yes" to your calling.- Theresa B.


The Catholic Church's stand on proper burial of the dead stems from our belief in the sanctity of the person, whether alive or dead.  We believe that in baptism, each of us became the temple of the Holy Trinity, and therefore sacred.  We give due respect for the body even in death because we also believe in the final Resurrection.  The Catechism of the Catholic Church says this of cremation: "The Church permits cremation, provided that it does not demonstrate a denial of faith in the resurrection of the body."  (Part 3, Life In Christ, Section II, 2301).  The Church prefers that the body be present at the funeral liturgy.  It prefers the liturgical acts of blessing, incensing, and being present in the Church, be celebrated.  The cremation is preferably done just before the burial.  The ashes should be placed in a worthy vessel and should be buried in a cemetery, crypt or mausoleum, and not scattered.  If the family prefers that the body be cremated before the funeral service, there are guidelines to be followed.  I checked this link for you so you can read it for yourself. 

Vocation Story

 Vocation Tidbits
Thank you, Sister. I think, especially nowadays, it is a great act of courage and faith to commit to religious life. So, I'm wondering how old you were when you felt the calling to become a nun, and what kinds of obstacles (personal and external) did you have to overcome to enter your vocation?
-James M.

My first awareness of Religious life was in high school.  I went through high school operated by the Pauline Sisters.  I always had a religious tendency, having spent most of my free time from school, with my grandmother when we were sent on vacation during school breaks.  She was very pious and I grew up with memories of her piety and Catholic devotions.  She loved me greatly and was very fond of me.  I thought of being a nun, playing roles of nuns with a towel wrapped around my head.  But the thought came and went, as often happens with teenagers.  I felt a strong pull every time I heard Sister on the radio (they had a radio program) reading the Psalms or other forms of prayers.  When I went to nursing school we did not have Sisters but I lived in a dormitory with the other nursing students.  We had our chapel and I would often spend my free time, mostly at night, in adoration before the Blessed Sacrament.  I wrote an essay required as a project, "Missionary Nursing" and I had in mind Sisters who were nurses.  I had my normal circle of friends but looking back at my younger days I was also very sheltered because my father was strict with socials and school.


The first turning point in my life was when our graduating class attended a Group Retreat.  One of our classmates, Tom, was a member of Opus Dei and he invited an Opus Dei priest to give the retreat.  It was a very memorable retreat and I remember experiencing God as the God of Mercy.  Father spoke about the Sacraments especially the Sacrament of Reconciliation, about how God loves us.  I realized how little I have loved God the way He loved me.  I felt that I was only Catholic because I was born Catholic, and that there was so much more that I could have given Him and have not.  It was the beginning of an intense sacramental and devotional life for me.  I was walking one day when I discovered a Carmelite Monastery not far from the Opus Dei Study Center.  I entered and met a nun who made a deep impression on me.  I felt a strong call to be a nun.  I received the brown scapular of Carmel and understood in my heart that I am to be a Carmelite.  The Blessed Virgin Mary was the one who led me to Carmel.  My parents, especially my father, were very much against it mostly because it was cloistered.  But despite his opposition and tensed family situation I entered the monastery when I was 21.  In the course of the three years stay with the nuns, my father never visited me.  My mother, when she came, was constantly crying.  I began to experience interior struggles and in the end I left the cloister.  My father came to pick me up.  During the years that followed, I was purified and my vocation was tested sorely.  But my resolve was strong and the thought of marriage never occurred to me.  I took a private vow of chastity.  I continued to discern with other communities but the thought and attraction to Carmel was very strong.  I eventually found my present Community and celebrated my 15th anniversary as a Perpetually Professed Carmelite Sister recently.  I understood that my vocation was to care for the sick and the dying as a Carmelite Religious.  It was interesting because that was exactly my former Mother Mistress said of me, "God wants you to care for people.  The Bride is not for us."   I still maintain a strong contact with my Discalced Carmelite family and I always give them the credit with my religious formation.  I have written a more extensive vocation story in this blog and so I'm just giving you the tidbits.


God draws souls to Him in mysterious ways.  I realized that when we remain faithful to whatever, and wherever, He is calling us to that He will not abandon us.  He gives the desire and He leaves it up to us to prove to Him our resolve and determination.  I also realized that God has His own time table and that we have to submit and abandon ourselves to His plan.  Mary is truly Mother.  My vocation is owed to her and she truly called me to Carmel.

"Can we talk about suffering?"

Forum Poster:  I have been given the opportunity by God to offer Him some unique sufferings at this point in my life. It's brought up many questions for me about suffering, how to offer it as a prayer, how certain saints longed for it or at least embraced it with joy, and how to direct others I encounter to focus their attention to Christ...

The theology of suffering is a purely Christian reality and doctrine. Christ came to teach us how to suffer and to give meaning to sufferings. It is something which cannot be fully understood by the intellect but can be accepted if one loves enough. Sufferings seem to be bearable when we suffer because of someone we love- be they be parents, siblings, husband, wife, or a special person. Love makes all things bearable. We do not have to love our sufferings with  sensible feelings, but we can accept and bear with them because we know in our mind that they have a reason and purpose, and because we think of the beloved.  Human nature will react in its own way to sufferings, but it means nothing. Embracing the cross for the sake of love- love for God and love for others- makes it purposeful and meaningful The cross need not be oppressive. It can be redemptive.

Forum Poster:  When I remove the bandages on my hand (to clean it or do the therapy exercises) I am repulsed by its appearance, and by the damage to it. My human response is horror and disgust. But through God's grace I can give a joyful "yes" to God for and through this suffering and the opportunity to grow through these experiences.
 The day of the accident (Palm Sunday) I had engaged in a beautiful conversation with a friend about suffering -- as a prayer, as a means of opening to grace, as a gift. We discussed suffering that occurs in life without our control, as well as suffering that we take on voluntarily (like giving up sweets for Lent ) We had so many questions, but also a commitment to understanding and growing in this area.
 How do we offer our sufferings as a prayer? Is it simply making acts of faith and love through the life's sufferings? Is it completing our obligations in spite of natural inclinations or physical limitations? Can it be more of an attitude (one of surrender and trust) than a specific prayer? Can we use specific prayers to offer our sufferings?

You can teach us on sufferings more than I can because you are bearing your cross now! But turning sufferings into n act of prayer is all of the things you mentioned. I think a deep conversion of heart and mind makes one capable of bearing sufferings. The person can be as creative as one can be in making use of these crosses. Let love lead you to wherever it takes you- when one loves, one becomes very creative. The spirituality of St. Therese is a great help in someone who suffers tremendously. She teaches us that prayer is a sigh of the heart, a lifting up of one's being to God. A sigh of pain, a silent plea for relief, a cry of the heart, can all be turned to efficacious ways to move the heart of God who loves us. Therese also teaches us that sufferings can make one humble because they can reveal to us what we are truly like: impatient, cowards, complaining, angry, despairing. But even these can be turned into prayer and moments of grace if we surrender and accept our littleness and helplessness. In her words, everything is grace. Her words, "How happy I am to know that I am weak and in need of so much mercy!" The Holy Spirit will inspire you to pray as you ought. He will teach you the best way to turn your sufferings into something productive. Your part is to remain surrendered and abandoned to wherever the hand of God takes you.

This is a grace we all desire and we all need.

A Perfect Life?

Sr. Helena- Thank you for taking the time to respond. I really liked what you said about religious "living heaven on earth!"

I am a little confused by some conversations I have had recently...I am not called to the religious life, pretty certainly...although I have dear friends who are. Someone recently "informed" me that because religious life is a higher calling that religious who are faithful to God will necessarily be closer to God in heaven than a lay person who is faithful to God. That is one reason I wondered if there is a "difference" once we get to heaven, or if that is just something that some people think in regards to their own possible vocation. Do you have any thoughts about that? It is a little childish but I think it would be quite "unfair" for the religious to first of all be "closer" on earth and then "closer" for all of eternity. A little pride to overcome on my part, admittedly, but just wondered if it is true or not in the first place. Am I just missing something here?

Thanks again for your kindness!
God Bless you!
Ellie

I don't believe that union with God has anything to do with the "station" which He had placed us. Holiness has more to do with conforming our will to the will of God, wherever we find ourselves by God's providence. Religious life is a perfect state, although Religious are far from being perfect. The consecrated life, by the profession of the vows, is the life of Jesus himself, it is perfect. But a Religious does not automatically become perfect just because a person chooses to embrace it. Choosing it is just the beginning. Living our consecration to the full is a work of a lifetime. In our Lady's apparition in Fatima, she showed the children a vision of hell, and sadly the children saw Priests and Religious in that place. We all have to face the tribunal of God and will have to give an account of our stewardship. Religious would have more to answer for because all the "tools" of holiness are given us- the Eucharist, life of prayer, silence, solitude, opportunities for sacrifices and total service to others, Confession, ,retreats and many more- these all comprise the religious life and are more readily accessible to religious than an ordinary person living and working in the world, saddled by multiple concerns and responsibilities. Jesus said, "to those who are given more, much will be required." But to answer your question- all you have to do is look at the variety of canonized Saints we have and see how different they all are in states of life. We become holy by loving God above all things and our neighbors as God loved them. To do that we strive to forget ourselves, conform our wills to God's will, and be transformed by His grace. That is how I see it.

"My Question Is..."

Question:  I have tried to ask my question before...and a few kind people have answered, but I was hoping for a few religious or theologically trained persons to have some input and so far, none...Not that I don't appreciate the responses I have received...I just was hoping for an "expert."  Is it true that all souls will be consecrated souls in heaven and that some souls are chosen to live that reality already on earth? (The kind of life we will all live in heaven?) Or will there still be a difference in heaven between those who are consecrated and those who aren't in heaven? Secondly, do religious vows leave an indelible mark on the soul?  It can be a little frustrating to see that people who are being argumentative or unkind on the forums get responses much more quickly than this little, polite question of mine.
 Thanks and God bless you!
Elizabeth

I would like to premise my remarks by saying that I am not a theologian and my words are not absolute. There will be other more qualified people here on CAF who can better answer your questions. But I think I may have some answers to offer.

Your first two questions: Is it true that all souls will be consecrated souls in heaven and that some souls are chosen to live that reality already on earth?

The fact of the matter is that we were all consecrated to God the day we were baptized. The sacrament of baptism is necessary for entrance to heaven. Souls who make it to heaven are consecrated by virtue of their baptism here on earth. Religious life or the Consecrated life is a state of life where the consecration effected in baptism is lived out intensely and more intimately. In other words, those called to religious life are called to manifest the life of full intimacy and union with Christ even when still on earth. I like to borrow Elizabeth of the Trinity's words of "living heaven on earth." This is the main purpose of religious life- to make visible here on earth the life we are promised in heaven. This is what the Church calls "eschatological reality", It is a life characterized by the public profession of vows, in a stable life approved and recognized by the Church. It is a particular calling, a vocation, not given to all Just like St. Paul's analogy of different members of the one body, religious life is one form or "style" of living out one's baptismal consecration. In the final judgment, we will be judged according to how faithful we had been to our baptismal and religious consecration while still in the flesh.
Secondly, do religious vows leave an indelible mark on the soul? I do not believe so. The "indelible mark" you are referring to pertain to the Sacraments- more specifically to the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Orders. Religious Vows are not part of the sacraments. They are Evangelical Counsels. They are voluntarily embraced for the sake of the Kingdom. We have to remember that religious life is not part of the sacramental life of the Church (comprising of the seven sacraments.) On the other hand it is "sacramental" because it points to Christ and when lived to the full, unites us perfectly with Christ.

I hope I answered some, if not all, of your questions.

Difficulties in Religious Life

From Marie Veronica:

From reading "The Story of a Soul".. I had determined that religious life is anything but easy. Was I correct in my understanding of St. Thereses' words? It caused me to wonder if ever.. anyone goes into religious life.. with unrealistic expectations? But.. I suppose that is why they spend time as postulants and novices? To discern?





Religious life is a difficult life. The difficulties specific to it is the fact that people of different personalities, educational background, spirituality and level of maturity, chose to live together to answer a call. You choose who you marry, you can quit a job if you don't like it, or remain in the world as a single person with your own plans and endeavors. But not in religious life. But it is a CHOSEN life. One chooses to be a religious. Everybody is here with the same goal- to follow God and grow in holiness- but the problem however lies in the fact that everybody sees holiness in different ways, relates to God in different ways and lives the Gospel invitation in different ways.

Everybody who entered religious life had some kind of unrealistic expectations in varying degrees. Just like marriage, you grow into the relationship with God and your Sisters. If one is faithful to prayer, God gives you the understanding and purifies your vision. One continually grows in religious life, not just during postulancy and novitiate. Formation is a lifelong process. The fruit of a good discernment is to be able to accept the fact that one enters the convent or monastery in order to be tried in virtue. If this is not one's goal, there will be plenty of opportunities in the world for holiness and ministry.