Another Secular Saint

Last week I wrote about the Norbertine Seculars whose existence I had just discovered.  Today I have discovered the existence of the Trinitarian Seculars because it is the feast day of one of them, the Italian Anna Maria Taigi (1769-1837).  In a way she exemplified what we think of as a Secular Carmelite life in the sense that her spiritual life was lived in a family to the end (as opposed to many female saints whose religious vocation emerged after they were widowed). It seems that her husband was still alive at the age of 92 when her beatification process began.  With next Sunday being the Feast of the Holy Trinity it seems very appropriate to think of The Trinitarians (founded around 1193 by St John Matha). They originally had a special vocation of ransoming Christians who had been enslaved by Muslims – a frequent occurrence in the Mediterranean countries in years gone by.  This reminds me of Teresa’s very dear friend and collaborator Fr Jeronimo Gracian, the first Provincial of the Discalced Carmelites (1545-1614).  He spent a period as a captive in North Africa, but the story goes that his ransom was paid after two years - although not by the Trinitarians but by a Jew whom he had previously helped: this is a story which I love (it evokes the idea of Karma!).  Gracian’s life was extraordinary because he was eventually expelled from the Discalced Order owing to internal politics.  But that’s a tale for another day.

Intercessions:

Brian Davis – cancer

Marie, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him) - cancer

Siena, Elara – sick children

Wojtek – massive heart attack leaving him incapacitated

David - housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Joy Smith OCDS – seriously ill

Jacqui – terminal cancer

Sue B – cancer

Teresa K - cancer