Thérèse’s snow and cauldrons

The places I have inhabited will inhabit me forever! When I think of Caraquet, Neguac and Belle-Baie with nostalgia, I always do so with gratitude for the blessings these residents have brought me. In each parish where I went, I always sought to know the history of the place.

Thus, I am always curious to know why such a patron was chosen for such a parish: because of the devotion of a priest for such a saint? because of the day of the dedication of the church? because of the spiritual proximity to such a figure of holiness?

I haven’t always found it: I still wonder what there could be in common between Polycarpe and Petit-Rocher. Or between Augustin and Lagacéville. But I found for Robertville; it was an elder of the place who told me this anecdote. I knew that the name of this locality wanted to pay homage to Father Robert.

But what about the Spanish patron saint of the place?

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During the construction of a church in Robertville, an early snowfall disrupted the work schedule. The entire site had been covered in a good depth of snow. It was October 15! Before the climatic disturbances, a snowfall in mid-October was enough to surprise and confuse the plans.

Knowing the feasts of the liturgical calendar, someone told the others that it was Saint Thérèse who had played a trick on them. And another to answer her “we will return the favor: we will name her patroness of Robertville: from now on, she will have to watch over us!”

You have understood that Saint Thérèse is celebrated today. It is not about little Thérèse, that of the Child Jesus surrounded by roses and dimes in the images of yesteryear. It is rather the other Teresa, the great one, that of Avila who reformed the Carmel in the 16th century in Spain. Recently, another Teresa was added to the register of holiness: that of Calcutta who wants to illuminate the darkness of existence.

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Whenever I can link a saint to a place, I like to associate my prayer with the people who inhabit that place on the saint’s feast day. I try to find what the pattern can mean and inspire… centuries and miles away.

The first woman to be named Doctor of the Church, Thérèse of Avila (1515-1582) succeeded in reconciling contemplation and action. In her spiritual ascent, she offers a path accessible to all. Her doctrine is summed up in a famous phrase that she said and which characterizes her: “God is in the midst of the pots.”

What to say?

Many people seek moments of ecstasy in prayer; doing so, it is their own welfare that they prefer. For Thérèse, here is rather what is asked: give up these moments of spiritual intimacy to meet God at the level of daily realities. It is not to be sought only in the highlights of existence, but in the humble fidelity of daily work.

He allows himself to be found in the service in the kitchen, in the middle of the cauldrons. It manifests its presence in maritime work, in the middle of the nets. He comes to meet caregivers through patients in search of benevolence. Since life leads us more often and longer to cauldrons and nets than to prayer, this path is a bliss.

Thérèse offers an embodied spirituality. It suits Christianity, which has made the incarnation its foundation. But another famous phrase of the Saint of Avila applies to all religions: “Let nothing trouble you! God alone suffices.” In these hours of individual uncertainties and global tensions, how I would like this conviction to pass from my head to my heart.

Thérèse’s snow and cauldrons