*** “For to me, to live is Christ and to die is gain.” —St. Paul, Letter to the Philippians 1:21; message sent to me by fellow pilgrim Vera Little, 81, of Torrance, California, "with deepest condolences," upon learning of the death two days ago, on October 28, of my dearest friend Marie Czernin in Vienna, at the age of 51 "As they pass through the valley of tears, they make it a place of springs." —Psalm 84:6, which describes those strengthened by God's blessing who bring "springs" of blessing into this world through their lives. One such person was Marie Czernin, a young Austrian woman who devoted her life to others, in recent years leading missions of mercy and hope for the poor and abandoned in places like Sudan, India, and Ukraine. Marie passed away in great peace in a hospital in Vienna, Austria, where she had spent the last three weeks, bringing to an end a four-year struggle with cancer. But it was the manner of her death that astonished all "Her room is full of prayers, and a candle is burning. She is still full of joy, and thinking about everybody else, but her body is very weak. All her family is with her. At 8 pm every evening people pray a Rosary for Marie… Yes, she is in good spirits despite pains. She is so strong and still worries about all the others… She is strong for us, but I feel her body must be so tired. She is a saint!" —Marie's friend, Stephanie Eble, in text messages to me "The world, seen through her eyes, became shining and beautiful." —Manuel de Teffé, a friend who participated in the final rosaries prayed for and with Marie "I loved Marie and I admired her. I admired her because there was something miraculous about her. She went where the need was greatest. Where evil reigns, where people cause unspeakable suffering to other people. But this evil could not harm her at all. (...) "Marie never lost her enthusiasm, was always radiant, always young, even when she was terminally ill. "Marie never lost her special ability to see the good in everyone. "And with this special view of people, she was like Jesus, who even met his murderers with nothing but pure compassion. "In the 21 days that we were allowed to pray the rosary with and for Marie, she continued to shine and even more so, although already so tired and so exhausted and hurrying toward her death. (...) Marie was beautiful in every way and even in her death she gave us her gift of beauty. "Of course, all of this was only possible because of her faith. I've been skeptical to allergic to everything to do with the Church for most of my adult life, but even so I've only felt from her that radiance. There was something totally disarming about her because she actually didn't fight, not because she was a coward, but because of her connection with Jesus and His mother. (...) "If you are to bring the divine onto and into the world, then you have to give it space — infinite space. Prayer creates this space and casts worries and swirling thoughts outside. "Marie was not only filled with her faith, she also had the special gift of making this faith tangible for others. That's why she went on missions. She was so delicate and fragile and made so much difference. There is something angelic about some people and Marie was particularly so. She was on and in this world, and she loved this world of ours. But at the same time she was also in another world, to which she has now gone completely home. For all of us who accompanied her, the memory of her remains and the confidence that our own deaths as well will be such a homecoming." —a woman writing in German on the prayer group chat shortly after Marie's death. "Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, our life, our sweetness and our hope. To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve; to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley of tears. Turn then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us..." —The beginning of the hymn "Salve Regina" ("Hail, Holy Queen"), which asks the Virgin Mary to give aid from heaven to those who suffer in this world, this "valley of tears." Marie died as she prepared to say a Rosary with dozens of other who had joined her daily for three weeks from around the world via Zoom for this great Marian prayer. Above, Marie Czernin with Pope St. John Paul II on March 29, 2002. She had written a meditation for the 14th Station of the the Via Crucis in the Colosseum that year, the stations recalling the death of Christ on the Cross. And John Paul II greeted her Two days ago, on October 28, in Vienna, Marie Czernin passed away after a long battle with cancer. Marie was 51. Her friends and family who surrounded her these last days were so profoundly moved by her serenity and love of others as she faced death, that they began speaking of her as a great saint even before she died.—RM
"So how should we enter the house of Heaven? How should we die? Death is an act, an event, an opportunity won or lost. How one 'makes his death' is something to be judged. Death is the great, decisive moment of salvation or damnation. (Liguori) In the space of a few hours, the soul will reach either eternal life or death. (Louis of Granada) Death will endow a person with everlasting consequences. (Fenelon). Eternity depends upon death, so choose wisely. Only one trial (one death) is accorded you, so prepare. Since death is the final act of our lives, it’s the chief act of our lives, and should be treated with due seriousness. Challoner speaks for all when he says (link) 'The great business of our whole life is to secure this happy eternity; and nothing else can secure it but a good death. This is the necessary gate, through which we must pass to eternal life: if we think of arriving at it by any other way, we shall miss the road. A good death, then, must be the study and business of our whole life: our whole life ought to be a preparation for it.'” —David W. Fagerberg, "A Good Death," Sunday, October 30, 2022, published in The Catholic Thing (link) "The Son of God descends to the dead in order to rescue those detained by death... Jesus comes to free the just and restore them to the light of the resurrection. He has been swallowed up by the darkness of death, but only to be brought back to the fulness of light and life: as the whale keeps Jonah in its belly, only to give him back after three days, so the earth will open its jaws to release the radiant body of the One who lives." —Meditation written 20 years ago by Marie Czernin for the Via Crucis of Pope John Paul II in the Colosseum for Good Friday, March 29, 2002. Her meditation was on the 14th and last of the Stations of the Cross, which meditates on the death of Jesus, when, humanly speaking, all seems lost, and yet, the hope of Easter morning and of His rising to new life is about to be proclaimed "May she rest in peace and may her memory be eternal!" —A Russian Orthodox theologian, upon learning of Marie's death =========== Letter #115, 2022, Sunday, October 30: Marie of Austria and this "Valley of Tears" I am writing from the United States, with news both sad and yet -- with the eyes of faith -- also of joy and hope. *** First, the sad news: a beautiful young woman has just died of cancer, cutting short a life filled with hope and possibility. Her name was Marie Czernin, and she died two days ago, peacefully, at the age of 51, at about 20 minutes before 8 p.m. in Vienna, Austria, after about three weeks of hospitalization. *** Second, the news of joy and hope: Marie ran her shining race of Christian faith to the very end. I repeat: to the very, very end. To the very end... In the last days of her life, she became for hundreds of friends and co-workers a radiant sign of God's love and kindness, especially for the poor and abandoned of this world, to whom she had brought much consolation in recent years on behalf of Missio: Austria, the Pontifical Missionary Society of Austria, where Marie was a distinguished writer and also an ambassador of Christian charity. Marie faced death with such serenity that many marveled at it, amazed at her strength and her concern for everyone around her, everyone but herself. A prayer group of some 200 people grew up around her, joining with her in her hospital room on a Zoom call to pray a rosary at 8 p.m. each evening while she lay resting, and joining in when she had the strength. Marie breathed her last just minutes before the evening rosary two evenings ago was about to start.
Padraig, One of your most inspiring posts, ever! The Lord raises up saints in each of our own lives for us to realize the Gospel of Jesus Christ still works it's miracles! Today, I plan on meditating on the living saints who during my own life inspired me to never give up, but to plow the next furrow for planting seeds. The first was my Mom...
Well don't thank me Terry , thank Dr Moynihan. I love very often to ask myself the wonderful question, 'Who was the Holiest person you ever met in your life?' Then to go back down to long years to review the many wonderful Saints I have met in my life. One thing I recall with joy was that in the Monastery there was many very saintly men who I revere. The Church tends to get a bad press lately because in shadow. But if there was many extremely holy men in the monastery when I was there it must , of course be the same in Monasteries and Convents and Religious Houses throughout the entire world. Tens of thousands, hundreds of thousands of them..entire armies. ..and of course at Mass every day when I look around at my dear brothers and sisters to go saint hunting in the congregation. There is always at least one saint there, hidden , but shining like a star for those with loving eyes to see..
How wonderful it is to meet a real live saint , standing before us. Water in the desert. Fire in coldest winter. Warmth of the heart. A song of heaven. God's caress.
On Sunday morning I was struggling to get to 8am Mass. A string of Night Shifts and too much of my home brew wine the night before had left me strongly thinking of returning to my nice warm bed and sleep, sleep wonderful sleep. But there is a deep hunger for the Eucharist, 'The source and summit of the Mystical Life,' and this drove me onwards and outwards to trudge on up to Church. Happilly I got a second wind and was bright eyed and bushy tailed all through Mass. The Feast of Christ the King. Last night as I was praying the Lord said to me out of the blue, 'I noticed', (me making the effort to get to Mass.) I was slightly flustered at this apparent praise and reminded the Lord that I went because I wanted to go, because of inner hunger. But He simply repeated. 'I notice things, even the smallest'. This pleased me, but a Little later it suddenly occurred to me that since He notices even the smallest things He certainly does not miss my sins and a gentle sadness crept over me. Then this piece of Scripture sprang to mind.
