Women of Vision

Contents Introduction Pa rt O n e :

xvii

Keep Close to God

Let us pray

3

Only one prayer May Sarton Our part Caryll Houselander Letting go Caryll Houselander Letting God Betty Ford Don’t give up Saint Julie Billiart Remove the mask Elizabeth Stuart Like a child to her father Saint Julie Billiart Eyes shut or eyes open? Elizabeth Stuart Pray with your whole heart Saint Mechthild of Magdeburg Where shall I find God? Florence Nightingale Our Father Saint Teresa of Ávila Pray with your lips Blessed Baptista Varani Wisdom through prayer Dame Gertrude More

3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 11 12 13 14 15

Don’t hang up—hang on

16

Waiting for the answer Victoria Lidiard Practicing the presence of God Florence Allshorn Staying awake Kate Compston

16 17 18 vii

Silence Saint Julie Billiart In the dark Eugenia Price Clinging to God Saint Julie Billiart Trust—like a cat Caryll Houselander God keeps his promises Margaret Cundiff Being God’s friend Eugenia Price Offertory and consecration Caryll Houselander See me through Harriet Tubman A vision on the eve of martyrdom Saint Perpetua

19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27

Growing in faith, hope, and love

28

Bible reading Catherine Marshall LeSourd Letting things fall Madame Guyon Dangerous saints Margaret Bondfield Learning faith, hope, and love Florence Allshorn The disciplines of life Anne Ortlund A new relationship with Mary Emilie Griffin Keep the path clear Eugenia Price On receiving a gift Saint Bridget of Sweden A gift of faith Elizabeth Blackwell Awareness of God Margaret Bondfield The hardest lesson Hannah More Ready to obey Madame Guyon Guard the city of your soul Saint Catherine of Siena Seven jewels in a crown of patience Saint Bridget of Sweden If they had known Harriet Tubman Advice to a religious person Blessed Baptista Varani

28 29 30 32 33 34 35 36 37 38 39 40 41

viii • c o n t e n t s

42 43 44

Fly toward God Blessed Baptista Varani Thou shalt not worry Lucie Christine Keeping a journal record Sister Mary Cecilia Cooperating with grace Saint Catherine of Genoa

45 46 47 48

Facing the facts

49

All sinners together Caryll Houselander Down-to-earth holiness Blessed Julian of Norwich If Jesus is for us Margaret Cundiff Christ in the sinner Caryll Houselander Chance after chance Margaret Cundiff Run and ask forgiveness Hannah Whitall Smith The basis of new life Mary F. Smith Give me your grace Margaret Cundiff Love without strings Elizabeth Stuart Trying too hard Margaret Hebblethwaite God wants to forgive Hannah Whitall Smith Only afterward Elizabeth Stuart Witness through weakness Lin Berwick God in our failure Maria Boulding Shipwrecked in the port of religion?

Blessed Baptista Varani

49 50 51 52 53 54 55 56 57 58 59 61 62 63

Pa rt Two :

64

Real Lives, Real Pain

No insurance policy—only grace

67

Being human Anonymous, quoted by Elizabeth Stuart The grace to endure JoAnn Kelley Smith Forgivable failures Margaret Hebblethwaite

67 68 69

c o n t e n t s • ix

Nothing is your own Saint Catherine of Siena Give me courage Margaret Cundiff Not alone Barbara Piller Bad times—and good Caryll Houselander Unshakable foundation Mary Endersbee Communion Caryll Houselander A small and imperfect instrument Lucie Christine God carries us Lucie Christine

70 71 72 73 74 76 77 78

God is there for us

79

Words of strength Blessed Julian of Norwich Jesus makes the difference Catherine Marshall LeSourd Faith reaffirmed Betty Ford Not broken Caryll Houselander Real peace Eugenia Price A mother’s fears Margaret Hebblethwaite A mother’s last words to her daughter Amy Carmichael Turn the carpet Hannah More A wonderful friend Aida Skripnikova I have a guardian angel Attributed to Saint Agnes Opening the door to the Spirit Catherine Marshall LeSourd Perfect peace Anne Ortlund Balance and serenity Betty Ford God brings about the issue Florence Allshorn Be still, my soul Katharina von Schlegel

79 80 81 82 83 84 85 86 87 88

• c o n t e n t s

89 90 91 92 93

On death and dying

94

Voice of experience An elderly widow In death and eternal life Joan Porter Buxton Shadows of glory Caryll Houselander Fearing death JoAnn Kelley Smith No fear Florence Allshorn The leap of faith JoAnn Kelley Smith Into the hands of Infinite Love Caryll Houselander Death of a sister Blessed Mary of the Angels Love creates love Caryll Houselander Incomprehensible love Margaret Hebblethwaite Sorrow irrigates Cicely Saunders and Mary Craig Reach out in power and love Margaret Cundiff

94 95 96 97 98 99 100 101 102 103 104 105

Good out of evil

106

Hard times, and sweet Caryll Houselander My purpose is to receive Enid Henke Lesson in pain Joan Porter Buxton Real healing Lin Berwick Entitled—by suffering Corrie ten Boom Released from fear Josephine Hilton A limit to self-pity Cicely Saunders and Mary Craig Taking stock Cicely Saunders and Mary Craig Blessings outweigh Valerie Hadert Counting blessings Eugenia Price Good out of all evil Margaret Spufford How great is God’s love Pauline Webb

106 107 108 109 110 111 112 113 114 115 116 117

c o n t e n t s • xi

The suffering creator Margaret Spufford Share the stories Gwen Cashmore and Joan Puls The people we need Caryll Houselander Affirm me JoAnn Kelley Smith Don’t give up on me Margaret Cundiff A happy Christ Florence Allshorn

Pa rt Th r e e :

119 120 121 122 123 124

The Real World

Our daily work

127

Spend it wisely Saint Julie Billiart Start where we are Elizabeth Fox Howard Real Christian work Dorothy L. Sayers Drop by drop Mother Teresa of Calcutta Today Caryll Houselander The imprint of Jesus Margaret Cundiff Into all the world Hannah More Advice for women in the world Margaret Blagge A blessing Saint Clare of Assisi Women’s work Elizabeth Fry Faith and life Margaret Hebblethwaite The results are not important Saint Julie Billiart Reverence for things Mary F. Smith Sweeping statement Lois Wilson Gift and work Evelyn Bence Prayer and the cook Saint Gertrude the Great The imperfect boss Saint Gertrude the Great

127 128 129 131 132 133 134 135 136 137 138 139 140 141 142 143 144

xii • c o n t e n t s

Justice for all

145

Open Kate McIlhagga Individuals wanted Sue Ryder Turning the world upside down Elizabeth Stuart Thy kingdom come Evelyn Underhill Will he find faith on earth? Joan Puls Caring for the poor Hannah More An example of service Elizabeth L. Comstock Nothing is too small for God Elizabeth L. Comstock Giving from a distance Caryll Houselander The gospel of peace Margaret Holden Solidarity with the poor Janet Morley Great joy among the poor Dorothee Soelle The gift of liberation Dorothee Soelle The poor are our teachers Dorothee Soelle

145 147 148 149 150 151 152 153 154 155 156 158 159 160

The power of love

161

Real power Penny Jamieson How we love one another Florence Allshorn Christian love Hannah More Do not ask . . . Corrie ten Boom The servant Sylvia Mary Alison Only channels Corrie ten Boom Love like Jesus Florence Allshorn We do not love Elizabeth Gray Vining Children—the real VIPs Margaret Cundiff Strong enough love Caryll Houselander The way of self or the way of love Florence Allshorn

161 162 163 164 165 167 168 169 170 171 172

c o n t e n t s • xiii

Much and warm loving Saint Teresa of Ávila Lessons in charity Saint Thérèse of Lisieux To a friar claiming his love better than hers Saint Catherine of Genoa Why we love Saint Catherine of Siena Head and heart Saint Teresa of Ávila

173 174

Life together

178

Only one course Aida Skripnikova Ships in the night Florence Allshorn Keeping on Florence Allshorn Careful with that plumb line! Eugenia Price I give you The Grail Society A gift from God Elizabeth Gray Vining Go deep Kate Compston You too can be a survivor Betty Ford Harvest festival Caryll Houselander Special Sunday Margaret Cundiff What good is freedom? Aida Skripnikova Messengers Marta Wilhelmsson Christ for the world A Sister from Bukidnon Married or unmarried Florence Allshorn Family or household? Marion Beales Changes Frances Ridley Havergal Follow the light Margaret Fairless Barber How to negotiate Lucie Christine Good judgment Sister Mary Cecilia

178 179 180 181 182 183 184 185 186 187 188 189 190 191 192 193 194 195 196

xiv • c o n t e n t s

175 176 177

Pa rt Fo u r:

Time to Rejoice

Gratitude, thanksgiving, and praise

199

Celebrating Christmas Margaret Hebblethwaite Bathed in light Margaret Hebblethwaite The sheer loveliness of the world Caryll Houselander Holiday Florence Allshorn Give thanks Eugenia Price Begin Eugenia Price Say thank you Melody Beattie Expect the good Katie Whitelegg Cheering us on Harriet Beecher Stowe The God of all happiness Saint Catherine of Siena

199 201 202 203 204 205 206 207 208 209

The goodness of God

210

Jesus, my center and life Blessed Mary of the Angels Drinking draughts of God Margaret Hebblethwaite God loves us as we are Elizabeth Stuart God is there Elizabeth Stuart Ah, Mary we hardly know you Karen Summers My angel Pauline Webb Believe in God and make someone happy Olave, Lady Baden-Powell God understands Melody Beattie God loves and keeps us Blessed Julian of Norwich God’s goodness to women Catherine Booth Certain of God’s help Elizabeth Fox Howard God’s love is everywhere Josephine Butler

210 212 213 214 215 217 218 219 220 221 223 224

c o n t e n t s • xv

The soul experiences life Blessed Marie of the Incarnation 225 Look forward Evelyn Underhill 226 The goodness of created things Saint Teresa of Ávila 227

Seeing God face-to-face

228

God within us Saint Teresa of Ávila Accept God’s graces Saint Teresa of Ávila The interior castle Saint Teresa of Ávila What the heart enjoys with her God Saint Veronica Giuliani The palace of love Saint Veronica Giuliani All shall be well Blessed Julian of Norwich Prayer and a learned lady Saint Gertrude the Great God is my being Saint Catherine of Genoa Union with God Blessed Marie of the Incarnation Come into my soul Blessed Mary of the Angels Timeless existence Lucie Christine

228 229 230 231 232 233 235 236 237 238 239

About the Contributors

241

Index of Authors

253

Index of Subjects

256

Acknowledgments

260

xvi • c o n t e n t s

Pa r t O n e

Keep Close to God Women of vision keep close to God. Most pray. Some chat in friendly terms; some sit in silence. Some read the Bible, and some watch birds! All consider the time spent with their Heavenly Father as pivotal in their lives. It is from this space that they find the resources they need for their life, their work, and their growth as children of God. And they recognize that growth as needing application and dedication, just as in any garden. As one writer says, we need to keep the path clear!

But paths can easily become overgrown with weeds and so, too, do lives fall into sin and failure. Women of vision are honest about their failings. They recognize the masks we all hide behind—and they take them to God. There is an assurance and a freedom to be who you are and to become who God wants you to be—fulfilled, filled with joy and his Spirit.

Let us pray Only one prayer g There is really only one possible prayer: Give me to do everything I do in the day with a sense of the sacredness of life. Give me to be in your presence, God, even though I know it only as absence.

May Sarton

Our part g We are only syllables of the perfect Word.

Caryll Houselander

• k e e p c l o s e t o g o d

Letting go g I finally decided that I must give up stating the case in my prayers and telling God what I thought he ought to do, and instead just kneel down before God and put it before him simply by saying a name. Like the old peasant who had a bad foot. Since he did not know which was best for him, to be cured, to be lame, to be in pain or out of pain, he just went to church and said, “Lord—foot.”

Caryll Houselander

l e t u s p r a y •

$17.95 U.S.

Dorothy Stewart is a freelance writer and editor. She has compiled a number of anthologies, including Women of Prayer (Loyola Press, 1999). Astonished to find women so poorly represented in traditional anthologies of spiritual writing and prayer, she began the research that led to this collection.

“Each page of Women of Vision offers stunning wisdom and golden insight, plus good old common sense . . . here is fresh spiritual fuel.

Thank you, Dorothy Stewart and your most visionary women!”

—Suzanne Strempek Shea, author of Lily of the Valley “Dorothy Stewart’s use of women writers from the past to the present celebrates the need for God in a meaty and realistic way that offers both hope and challenge for the searcher. . . . The faith experience of these magnificent women is deeply grounded in who they are in relationship to God.” —Joan Margret Schwager, R.S.M., Council of Women Religious

Women of Vision

Spirituality/Inspirational

“I always told God, I’m going to hold steady on you, an’ you’ve got to see me through.”

—Harriet Tubman

Women of Vision An anthology of spiritual words from women across the centuries

Cover design by Shar Coulson/Amy Evans McClure Cover art by Meltem Aktas ISBN 0-8294-1556-4

Stewart led by Dorothy Stewart Compiled

“We are neither factories nor reservoirs of [God’s] love, only channels. When we understand that, all excuse for pride is eliminated.”

—Corrie ten Boom “It may be a drop in the ocean, but the ocean is made up of drops.”

—Mother Teresa of Calcutta

g Spanning decades and continents, this remarkable collection is a testament to the vitality of women’s spiritual writing. Dorothy Stewart’s latest anthol-ogy, compiled in the style of her highly regarded Women of Prayer, offers a wonderful example of this rich tradition of inspirational writing. From age-old to contemporary, Stewart’s selections feature works from Saint Gertrude the Great and Florence Nightingale to Betty Ford, Harriet Tubman, and Elizabeth Fry. The women in this collection will help you deepen your spirituality and find God in the ordinary and extraordinary events of everyday life.