Biography
Edith Stein was born on October 12, 1891 in Breslau, Prussia, into a Jewish family. And, although her upbringing was marked by Judaism, as she grew older she distanced herself from him and abandoned all belief. As a result of this, she began the tireless search for the truth and, after leaving school for a while, she resumed her studies in psychology and philosophy. Thanks to her imminent intelligence, she submitted a thesis on the empathy and it became the first woman doctor of philosophy. In fact, she Edith became the assistant of Edmund Husserl, founder of transcendental phenomenology, and became interested in religious phenomena. In addition to this, she was also touched by the faith of several people, especially that of a woman who prayed alone in church, and that of a widowed friend who was going through a period of mourning and kept her strength thanks to faith. her. But, there was an event that marked her life forever: in 1921, she ended her search for the true faith by reading the autobiography of Saint Teresa of Ávila, which motivated her to request baptism.
On the other hand, his philosophical knowledge and his faith allowed him to teach for ten years in the Dominican convent of Speyer, with the aim of promoting a Christian vision of the human being. However, with the rise of Nazism he was banned from teaching due to his Jewish roots. Shortly thereafter, in 1933, he entered the carmel of Cologne and took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Regarding his vocation, he testified saying: “For almost twelve years, Carmel has been my goal. Since the “Life” of our Holy Mother Teresa fell into my hands in the summer of 1921 and put an end to my long search for the true faith.. In fact, this decision caused a new rupture with her family, especially with his mother, who could not understand her reasons. However, Edith, who had become a sister Carmelite, continued his spiritual growth, taking Saint John of the Cross and Saint Teresa of the Child Jesus as models. It should be noted that this brave woman chose to follow Christ, under her sign of the cross, regardless of the evil that stalked her, suffering the horrors of Nazism in her own flesh. In fact, in 1938 she left Germany and went to the Carmelite convent of Echt, in Holland, but, as the Dutch bishops denounced the Nazi exactions, the National Socialist authorities decided to deport all Christians of Jewish origin and Edith Stein was deported to Auschwitz on August 1, 1942. Only a few days later, that is, on August 9 of the same year, he died there in the Nazi gas chambers.
Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 11, 1998 and proclaimed co-patron saint of Europe in 1999 together with Saint Bridget of Sweden and Saint Catherine of Siena.
(Find other saints in the Guide to the Saints of ).
Writings and spirituality of Edith Stein
Sister Teresa Benedicta de la Cruz left numerous writings that express their spirituality. In fact, his texts transmit his teachings to us, so full of light, to apply them in our times. Among all these writings, we can mention his Letter to Pope Pius XIdated April 12, 1933, his Lectures, his Correspondences, his Testament, his Poems. It should be noted that Saint Teresa Benedicta de la Cruz transmits her spiritual message to us through her writings, whose brilliant phrases we quote below:
- On woman expresses himself by saying: “The natural task of women is evident: her body structure is predisposed for motherhood; she is the only being capable of bringing more lives to life.”
- About him mystery of the crossSister Teresa Benedicta de la Cruz wrote in her book “The Science of the Cross” that “The death of the Cross is the means of salvation chosen by the Infinite Wisdom of God.”
- On the virgin mary I affirm that “The pure image of the feminine essence is before our eyes in the Immaculate, the Virgin, who was filled with the Holy Spirit, the temple in which she built her dwelling and the fullness of Grace, all her gifts… No one outside of Her incarnates feminine nature in its original purity… Every woman who wants to achieve her specificity must look at her image”.
- On Eucharist: “Living humorously means leaving the anguish of one’s own life and entering the infinite horizon of the life of Christ”in his book The Mystery of Christmas.
- On religious life and her vocation as a Carmelite, affirms that: “I crossed the threshold of the House of the Lord in profound peace. I had the feeling that the Lord had reserved for me in Carmel what I could only find here”.
- On the church and christ: on site Being finite and being eternalHe says: “Through the incarnation of the Word, human nature is filled with divine life; through this overflow of life, Christ becomes, from the first moment of his human existence, a life-giving spirit.”
Pray with Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Prayer of abandonment of Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
“Leave me Lord,
Blindly follow your paths
I do not want to seek to understand your ways;
I’m your daughter,
You are the Father of wisdom
And you are also my Father,
And you guide me in the night;
take me to you
Lord, may your will be done:
I’m ready!
Also if in this world
You do not turn off any of my desires,
You are the Lord of time,
The moment belongs to you
I want to make your eternal present mine,
perform in me
What in your Wisdom you foresee:
If you call me to offer in silence,
help me answer
Make me close my eyes
to all that I am,
So that, dead to myself,
Do not live but for you.”
Prayer to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
“Lord, God of our fathers,
You drove Santa Edith Stein
to the fullness of the knowledge of the Cross
at the time of his martyrdom.
Fill us with the same knowledge;
and, through his intercession,
allow us to always continue in search of you, that you are the supreme Truth,
and remain faithful until death
to the covenant of love ratified by the blood of your Son
for the salvation of all men and women.
We ask this through our Lord.”