NATIONAL SEMINAR ON ST. TERESA OF AVILA

The Carmelite Family of India (CFI), organized a National Seminar on St. Teresa to mark her 5th Birth Centenary, at AtmaDarshan, Aluva, Kerala, from 6-8 February 2015. The initiative and leadership of Frs. Wilfred Rodrigues OCD and Wilson Srampikal OCD coupled with the generous services of the Executive Committee Members of CFI bore fruit in “Journeying with St. Teresa” for three days, each day taking up a relevant aspect of her life viz: (1) Word of God and St. Teresa, (2) Minor Works of St. Teresa and Teresian Communities and (3) Teresian Spirituality in the Indian Context.

The Inaugural function was graced by many dignitaries, invited guests, resource persons, leading organizers and the participants of the seminar. A special mention needs to be made of the presence of Rev. Fr. Augustine Mulloor OCD, the Definitor General, who delivered the keynote address. Fr. Prasad OCD, the provincial of the Manjummelprovince was present. Mother Santa CMC, the Superior General of the Congregation of the Mother of Carmel, inaugurated the National Seminar and gave her inaugural message to the participants. The others who adorned the dais were Fr. Wilfred Rodrigues OCD, the National Convener of CFI andOrganizer of the Seminar, Fr. Wilson Srampical OCD, theCoordinator of the seminar, Fr. ThambyArackal OCD, the Resource person, Sr. Nirmala CMC and Fr. SajiGracian OCD, the Executive Members of CFI.

The lighting of the Lamp by the dignitaries, the singing of the prayer song by the CSST sisters, helped the participants to remain attuned to God’s presence at the session. The inaugural session was ably compered by Rev. Sr. Mabilia AC, the assistant General of the Apostolic Carmel.

Over 275 participants, of varied Carmelite Congregations of men and women, hailing from across India, relished and profited from the well prepared and researched papers presented by the following resource persons:

Dr. Thamby Arackal OCD who spoke of St. Teresa’s love for the Word of God and how it led her to drink of it from all the opportunities and sources she could avail of to nourish her spiritual life and reach great heights of prayer and contemplation. The Church’s ban on the translation of the Bible in the vernacular and the restriction imposed on women of her time, preventing the use / study of the Bible did not deter this great woman lover of God from listening to His Word and using it to help her nuns to grow in sanctity. A detailed paper presented by Fr. Thamby bears witness to his love of and admiration for St. Teresa and for the participating Carmelites!

Dr. Sr. Mary Juliat CMC enlightened the gathering on how St. Teresa related with the Word of God and used it as a powerful tool in her hands. She explained how the stages of prayer mentioned in St. Teresa’s ‘Interior Castle’ are patterned on the love relationship illustrated in the Song of Songs. In St. Teresa’s commentary to the Song of Songs, she alludes to the various stages of prayer and quotes the verses from the Song of Songs to support her love-laden journey of prayer and union with God.

Dr. Jose Kumblolickal MSFS, speaking on the Minor Works of St. Teresa, explained why they are considered as minor works and that they are a ‘key’ to St. Teresa’s character. The Minor works, Fr. Jose explained, contain St. Teresa’s spiritual testimonies and relations, meditations on the Song of Songs, her visits to the Discalced houses, her poems, the exclamations of her soul to God, her letters, the challenges she faced and other fragmentary works. All of her minor works reveal her passion for God and neighbour. They tell us how God revealed Himself to Teresa and how she could set aside His communications to her, to serve Him in the neighbour!

Dr. Benjamin Elias OCD, the provincial of the South Kerala province, spoke in very clear terms and painted a realistic picture of the community life envisioned by St. Teresaunder the title ‘Teresian Communities’, strongly emphasizing that today too we need communities of religious who work hard, live the constitutions (The Rule) as a sign of doing God’s Will if we do not wish to be cursed like the ‘Fig Tree’. For St. Teresa the authentic way of living the Christian life is to live the community life because God is a community! For St. Teresa community life meant treating every member as we would treat Christ, keeping our eyes fixed on Christ and living in detachment, humility and charity. Speaking the mind of St. Teresa, Fr. Benjamin firmly affirmed that community life can be a heaven on earth by pleasing God and not by the display of skills and techniques!

Dr. Joy Kurian Alumkal OCD contextualized St. Teresa, ‘A Guru with a Darshan’, through two looking glasses, viz., Carmelite and Indian. Comparing St. Teresa to Upanishad Seers, Fr. Joy Kurian illustrated that St. Teresa, undertook the journey of turning from the exterior to the interior, which she calls the ‘Way of Perfection’, i.e. the way of detachment, humility and love. This turning inward, a dispassionate looking at oneself is like one choosing to walk on the sharp edge of the sword!

Quoting Pope Francis Fr. Kurian said that St. Teresa teaches us to be pilgrims, walking on the path of joy, of prayer, of fraternity and of time. Only when we, like Teresa, have the ‘Darshan’, the interior ‘seeing’ will we be able to live a witnessing life of interiority, self-awareness, simplicity and serenity.

Besides the valuable input by the resource persons, the seminar became a spiritual experience through the praying of the Morning and Evening Prayer together, through the well prepared Eucharistic Liturgy by the sisters of different congregations and presided over by the two OCD Provincials,Fr. Joseph Elamparyil and Dr. Prasad Teruvathu, in turns. On the third day Fr. Wilfred Rodrigues OCD, the National Convener CFI, celebrated the Eucharist in thanksgiving for the blessings received and in the concluding session before lunch thanked all and sundry for making the Seminar a good experience and St. Teresa a much loved Saint. The well prepared meals, well provided accommodation and arrangements, free flowing recreational opportunitiesat AtmaDarshanwere appreciated by all. Thanks and hats off to Frs. Wilson Srampikal OCD, the coordinator and Fr.BoscoCorrea OCD, the Director of AtmaDarshanfor their loving and well planned services. THANKS to the National Convener, for the planning, the cheerful interventions and singing of Teresian songs in between the sessions and for bringing all Carmelites to honour our Holy Mother St. Teresa.All’s well that ends well!

- Sr. Mabilia AC
Secretary, CFI