No public gatherings.
No open churches.
No celebration of the Holy Eucharist.
Lockdown, enhanced community quarantine, stay home appeals. Television and social media are explicit with these terms that it has become second nature to us. Wherever we are right now, we are faced with this unseen, microscopic enemy. It can be unnerving to hear the silence at any time of the day.
Solitude and Isolation as a Expression of Faith
Practicing solitude can be a daunting experience, more so with isolation brought about by COVID-19. In a society that is so used to noise and seeming chaos, a momentary silence can make one uncomfortable or even fearful of what one does not or suddenly hears. Hearing a wailing sound will probably scare us, or a whisper will probably stop us in our tracks--thinking that it may be a ghost or something.
Solitude--the Carmelite Way
The Rule of St. Albert says that: Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord's law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers unless attending to some other duty. We are taught that the cell does not refer to a physical place, but rather one's innermost being where the Spirit of God dwells as its temple (1 Cor. 6:19).
So solitude is nothing new to us Carmelites; in fact, it is nothing to be feared at. What is happening in the world today is merely a physical solitude where we are required to stay inside our homes. We are called to a spiritual solitude where our hearts are directed towards the Beloved. "Be still and see that I am God" (Psalm 45:11).
Isolation of St. Teresa Benedicta
A number of Carmelite saints have experienced this period of isolation. St. John's produced his Spiritual Canticle during his period of confinement. St. Teresa of Avila, St. Therese of Lisieux and Blessed Titus Brandsma also experienced isolation in their lifetimes, among other Carmelite saints.
Lesser known to us was the period of confinement of another Carmelite saint and Holocaust martyr, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. In one of her letters in 1942, she wrote that:
"We are very calm and cheerful. Of course, so far there has been no Mass and Communion; maybe that will come later. Now we have a chance to experience a little how to live purely from within" (written from Westerbork transit camp, August 1942).
Enter into Holy Week
Catholics all over the world celebrate Palm Sunday today, bringing to Holy Week. Just as our Lord Jesus entered into Jerusalem, let us enter into Holy Week with much prayer and reflection, meditating on the passion of our Lord.
Let us bring Him into our cell, where we will find comfort and peace.
