Sor Isabel

"I think it is an empty photo frame and we put our pictures in it," Trúc commented.

"Must be.  This retreat house is open to all sorts of people and so some must bring pictures of their family."  I paused momentarily.  "I didn't bring any." 

We both laughed softly because we couldn't figure out any other reason for the sisters to place black and white photos in our rooms.  And of a serious looking girl too.

The aspirants and I were on retreat at the Mount Carmel House of Prayer in Houston, ran by the Missionary Carmelites of Saint Teresa.

"Nothing is so like God as stillness," remarked the 14th-century German mystic Meister Eckhart.  We got plenty of stillness the past few days.

Yet, the black and white photos lingered in the back of my mind.
Along with the plaques in Spanish.

"Vamos a vivir con Dios con un amigo." Sor Isabel.
"Creer que un ser que se llama el Amor habita en nosotros, en todo instante." Sor Isabel.

Sor Isabel.
I spotted the name in the retreat's library.

Talented pianist.
Terrible temper.
After witnessing one of her outbursts, the parish priest declared, "A saint or a demon."

At seven, her father died.
The explosions of anger increased.
At eleven, she received Jesus for the first time in Holy Communion.
Upon leaving the church, she confided in a close friend, "I'm no longer hungry.  Jesus has fed me."

The real Isabel has been found.
In the heart of the Trinity.
Isabel de Trinidad.

Her mother testified that the temper tantrums ceased after her first Holy Communion.
At a great cost to herself.

"I am going to the light, to the life, to the love." 
These were last audible words before she died at the age of 26.


Isabel is Elizabeth in Spanish.
Upon finding out from the prioress of Carmel in Dijon that Elizabeth meant "House of God", she intuited that her heart can become the home of God.

"Vamos a vivir con Dios con un amigo." Sor Isabel.
Let us live with God as with a friend.

"Creer que un ser que se llama el Amor habita en nosotros, en todo instante." Sor Isabel.
 I confide to you a secret which has made my life on earth an anticipated Heaven: the belief that a Being Whose name is Love is dwelling within us at every moment.

Isabel is a French Carmelite nun, like St. Therese of the Little Flower.
Yet, the black and white photos took me by surprise.
So serious and rigid.

I wonder what she looks like now with the heavenly radiance a part of her.

ps.  Photo credit:  http://srhelena5.blogspot.com/

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

Life with Ashes

Image
It was time to move. Goodbye to Allen Parkway and hello to Florin Wood. Our family was moving from Houston to Sacramento. This was over 20 years ago and the day comes back with ashes. And a smell. My dad had piled all our old clothes, furniture, and knick knacks into a huge heap in front of our yard. He poured gasoline generously and lighted it with a smile. My mom looked on regretfully. All seven of us kids were delighted with the dancing flames. The neighbors didn't care. We lived in what they called the ghetto part of the world and since we were not shooting at anyone, we were okay. "We're starting a new life," my dad reassured mom as our van entered the highway. "No need to hang on the old stuff." "It was pretty dinky, wasn't it?" my mom replied hesitantly. Our years in Houston were our first years living in the United States, far away from the land of our origin, Vietnam. What dad burnt was the few possessions we accumulated fro
Read more

Teddy Bear

Image
"Dear God, I love you so much, I want to give you everything. You can have my Mom, my Dad, my sister, my teddy bear. No, I take it back. You can have everyone, but I want to keep my teddy bear." Love, Little Boy. Fr. Roch hardly lost a beat in his lecture of sin as he told his joke. Sin is putting ourselves above God. Not willing to let go. In actuality, God never wants everything. He just wants the teddy bear. What we think is necessary. Photo source: www.funkyfriendsfactory.com
Read more

Bingo!

Image
Sisters at Salerno's Artichoke Lucia.  Baked with Italian cheeses and breadcrumbs. Grilled fillet salmon on a bed of blanched spinach and mushrooms, topped with pine nuts. 8oz. marinated and charbroiled steak topped with sauteed mushrooms; served over linguine. Saturday night at Salerno's. It was time to "open community." Every year we choose a venue to celebrate the beginning of our time together as a religious community.  This year the venue chose us. "Bingo!" An almost audible gasp escaped from the surrounding tables. Sr. Leslie Thu at our table had won another bingo game. A Knight of Columbus member handed her a sealed envelope. Her eyebrows arched in delight. It was a $50 Walmart gift card. We cleared our cards and another round started. It was the Knights of Columbus Sisters Appreciation Luncheon. It was on a early Sunday afternoon. They had sent the invitation two months ago. Sr. Jacinta Ngân had "highly encouraged"
Read more