-Rev. Richard Wosman, S.M.
The Church celebrates today the Feast of The Exaltation of the Holy Cross, a day celebrating one of the paradoxes of our faith. Jesus reminds us that we “must take up our cross” in order to follow him (Matthew 16:24; Mark 8:34; Luke 9:23). The pain of the cross leads to the glory of salvation.
The Marianist Family remembers a woman whose life challenges each of us to take up the cross. Looking at the picture to the left, you might dismiss this nineteenth century women as a person of no influence or strength. You would be wrong!! Marie Therese de Lamourous (1754-1836) was a women of great courage, strength, and love.
During the years of turmoil during and after the Revolution, she worked in the underground Church to protect the priests providing the sacraments to the faithful, including Blessed Chaminade with whom she developed a close friendship and in whom she would confide as her spiritual guide from their meeting sometime in 1795 until her death on September 14, 1836.
A nineteenth century biographer recalls an occasion during the reign of terror when Marie Therese noticed two men watching her. Suspicious of their intent, she boldly approached them: “Citoyens! Please come rest in my house. I have some good wine for you!” “Very good, Mademoiselle, we, in fact, were on our way to you,” they replied. There to arrest her, they tossed the warrant on the table, being totally taken by her strength and charm. They left full of wine and having been touched by courageous faith saying: “You are too good a creature—it would be a pity to harm you. We will say you were not home.”
She is remembered for founding the Misericorde, a place where prostitutes who wished to change their lives could live safely and learn skills that could keep them off the streets. La bonne Mére, as she was known is Bordeaux, come to understand the power of God’s providential care. With the help of Blessed Chaminade, she learned to ask the central question of Mission: “Is this the will of God?”
Let us imitate this extraordinary witness to the power of the gospel who reminds us we must rely on the gifts God has given us—the courage to live our faith boldly…the strength to act for the good of all…and the love that we must share by every action.