E LILY THand the LITTLE FLOWER St Rafqa El-Rayes and St Thérèse of Lisieux in their Times and for Today
FR MAROUN ELKAZZI
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THE LILY AND THE LITTLE FLOWER: St Rafqa El-Rayes and St Thérèse of Lisieux in their Times and for Today © Maroun Elkazzi, 2018 ISBN: 978 1 925494 41 9 First published, October 2019 All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording or by any information storage or retrieval system without permission in writing from the publisher.
Published by ST PAULS PUBLICATIONS – Society of St Paul P O Box 906 Strathfield NSW 2135 Australia www.stpauls.com.au Cover and internal design by Domenika Fairy
ST PAULS PUBLICATIONS is an activity of the priests and brothers of the Society of St Paul who place at the centre of their lives the mission of evangelisation through the modern means of communication
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FOREWORD To write or research the life of saints is not an easy task. How can one explore their spiritual life and understand their openness to the mystery of God’s love through the means of the body? It takes a special grace and talent to embark on this journey. However, it is essential in the life of the Church and the faithful to learn and read about the lives of the saints and understand their spirituality. The saints are the ‘lovers of God’ because they loved Him with all their heart. They were ordinary men and women who were able to achieve extraordinary things through the power of God’s love. Their journey to God opens up a new doorway for us in which we can encounter the face of God. In this book on the life and times of Saint Rafqa and Saint Thérèse, Fr Maroun Elkazzi shows how the journeys of these two saints can enrich our own lives today. Further, with original insights, Fr Maroun shows remarkable parallels between these two saints—the Lily of Hemlaya and the Little Flower of Jesus—who were contemporaries but unknown to each other. I commend Fr Maroun Elkazzi for this fascinating book and I recommend it to the reader in the hope that it will bring you closer to Jesus and help you on your path of holiness. + Antoine-Charbel Tarabay Maronite Bishop of Australia
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CONTENTS Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . ix Chapter 1: ‘The Lily’: The Life and Times of St Rafqa El-Rayes . . . . . . . . 11 Nineteenth-Century Lebanon: The Stage for Rafqa’s Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 11 The Place of Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 14 Ecclesiological Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 19 Boutrosiya Choboq El-Rayes’ Story: ‘The Lily’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 22 Rafqa’s Spiritual Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 52 Chapter 2: ‘The Little Flower’: The Life and Times of Thérèse of Lisieux . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 Nineteenth-Century France: The Stage for Thérèse’s Life . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 55 The Place of Women . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 58 Ecclesiological Context . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 70 Marie-Françoise-Thérèse Martin’s Story: ‘The Little Flower’ . . . . . . . . . . . . 79 Thérèse’s Spiritual Doctrine . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 98 Chapter 3: ‘The Lily’ and ‘The Little Flower’: Common Themes . . . . . 101 Floral Designations, ‘The Lily’ and ‘The Little Flower’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 113 Chapter 4: ‘The Lily’ and ‘The Little Flower’ Today . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 117 Lessons from ‘The Lily’ and ‘The Little Flower’ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 118 Spreading the Word . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 121 The Value of Metaphors and Images . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 122 Living in the Garden of the Trinity . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 125 Conclusion . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 127 Bibliography: English . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 129 Bibliography: Arabic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 135 Autobiography of St Rafqa . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 137
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PREFACE In the nineteenth century, in Lebanon and France, two beautiful flowers were planted and came to blossom in the spiritual garden of the Catholic Church. These flowers were St Rafqa El-Rayes, who was designated by Fr Youssef Gemayel (her spiritual mentor) ‘the lily of Hemlaya’ and St Thérèse of Lisieux, who designated herself ‘the little flower’. The mystery of these two women leads us on a journey of discovery as we uncover the depth of each one’s life and spirituality. The life and spirituality of St Thérèse of Lisieux has captivated many people since her death in 1897. The way she interprets her experience of God in her autobiography has inspired many to deepen their relationship with Christ through a life of simple surrender to, and trust and confidence in, God. The life and spirituality of St Rafqa El-Rayes came to be of particular interest to many after her canonisation in 2001: she found God in the depths of suffering, and saw her suffering as a sign of intimacy with God. She portrays her journey, too, as an act of surrender, but especially as one of sharing in the sufferings of Christ. Our journey will take us through the social, cultural, political and ecclesiological contexts of Lebanon and France in the nineteenth century. Through our exploration of them we will gain a deeper insight into the life and spirituality of St Rafqa and of St Thérèse. Moreover, in focusing on their autobiographies and on eyewitness accounts of their lives, we will identify important lessons from their experience as an aid for us on our own journey with God.
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CHAPTER 1 ‘THE LILY’: THE LIFE AND TIMES OF ST RAFQA EL-RAYES
Nineteenth-Century Lebanon: The Stage for Rafqa’s Life In the nineteenth century, Lebanon was under the occupation of the Ottoman Empire. The occupation had commenced in 1516 and was to end in 1914, at the beginning of World War I—close to four hundred years. In this era Lebanese society consisted of a mix of Muslims, Druze and Christians, a religious mix that created an atmosphere of tension and unrest, of fear and instability, as religious groups vied continually for power. In short, it was a time of social, political, economic and ecclesial instability. The intellectual climate evolved with the rise of modernity, sectarian culture, and industry, which all allowed for new freedoms. But wars, massacres and conflicts gave rise to a new style of government under the Ottomans that brought about a certain stability and peace from 1861 until the beginning of World War I. On an ecclesial level, there were significant moves by the Holy See to centralise all church authority in Rome. Furthermore, an increase of foreign missionary activity in Lebanon introduced new forms of spirituality. New religious orders were established
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and new devotions were introduced that would shape the lives and spirituality of the Lebanese people of that era. Lebanese society was a religious society. Each religious group had its own customs and traditions specific to its beliefs.1 Social expectations at the time depended upon one’s religious beliefs and social class (Tabaqa). Social classes were made up of landowners (Masheikhs) and peasant farmers (Felahin): In those days there were but two social strata in the Mountain: peasants and shuyukh [landlords]. Within this context, status was a hereditary matter. Individuals were born into their ‘class’ and remained there even when their financial state deteriorated or improved.2 But this social structure slowly began to change with the rise of modernity.3 In the political sphere there was a lot of instability due to sectarian feuding. The Lebanese people suffered the injustice of Muhammad Ali and Ibrahim Pasha of Egypt, who invaded their country, and then the downfall of the rule of the Chehabi Emirs. The Chihab family had ruled Lebanon for almost a century and a half (1697–1842). (They had assumed the title of prince (emir) for all the male members of the family.) Then the Qaimaqam style of government was established: ‘Mount Lebanon was divided into two qâimaqâmiyyas, or districts, one in the north under a Maronite district governor (qâimaqâm) and the other in the south under a Druze district governor’; this
1. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 21. Note that I have translated Arabic sources into English. 2. Khater, Inventing Home. 3. Khater, Inventing Home.
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arrangement lasted until 1861.4 The Moutasarfi style of government (a system of leadership led by an Ottoman Christian governor) was then established through European intervention after civil war had broken out between the Maronites and the Druze: ‘Under Mutasarrifiyya rule Mount Lebanon was reconstituted into a single Ottoman district ruled by an Ottoman Christian governor. To assist the governor in his task an administrative council was made up that represented the six main communities.’5 The Moutasarfi rule was later amended in 1864. The Lebanese people enjoyed the new style of leadership, which gave rise to religious liberties and equality. This brought about a period of peace in Lebanon that lasted until the beginning of World War I. During this period in Lebanese history traditional peasant society governed by the sheikhs became more vibrant and embraced the outside world. This openness to the outside was also one of the main reasons for emigration from Lebanon. More and more people went in search of greater opportunities overseas: Most of the sources confirm that emigration flourished at the time of the Moutasarfi. People migrated from every city or village in Mount Lebanon. In some towns there remained only the elderly, women and children.6 During the second half of the nineteenth century in Lebanon, there was a cultural renaissance in education. New schools and universities were opened. ‘The impetus for the intellectual awakening of the 19th century was given by Western missionary activity.’7 However, as more people were educated, they were less 4. Akarli, ‘Long Peace.’ 5. Hakim, Origins of the Lebanese National Idea, 97. 6. Alaakle, Recent Immigration, 59. 7. Dau, Religious, Cultural and Political History, 664.
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suited to work in Mount Lebanon, because the main field of work was still agriculture. This also gave rise to emigration, as young people looked for opportunities overseas.8 As society in nineteenth-century Lebanon slowly changed with the rise of the industrial revolution, so did the role of women. These changes gave women a greater opportunity to work outside the home. In the second half of the century, more schools were opened that gave more emphasis to the education of girls.
The Place of Women Each religious group in Lebanon in the nineteenth century had its own particular expectations of women and of their roles. However, across all groups, women commonly occupied a lower level in the social order than men.9 In that era, women were thought of as housewives, mothers and labourers. Due to poverty, young girls and women were expected to work to provide for their families. Women had a very basic education and a large number of them were not educated at all: This is what we read about in the letters of the foreign missionaries to their superiors in Europe. We will mention the letter of Fr Meime Bousou, the head of the Marist Fathers in Damascus, written on 8th July 1833. He states: ‘The education of girls here in the East is nonexistent in comparison to that of the boys.’10 Cultural customs at the time reveal the great discrepancy that existed between men and women. Women were consciously relegated to an inferior position in daily life: 8. Alaakle, Recent Immigration, 63. 9. Khater, Inventing Home. 10. Mahfouz, Saint Rafqa El-Rayes, 11.
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The husband has authority over his wife just as the prince has authority over his servants: it is the power of the boss over his workers. Men always walked in front of women, and always walked in front of women when entering their homes. If they were together in a formal function, he would always seat her to his left.11 This deep rift between the genders that existed in Lebanese society at this time was also to be found in the Church. Christian women prayed at the back of a church, while men were at the front. But this began to change in the second half of the nineteenth century: The role of women within Lebanese society, and ‘modern’ marriage … The confluence of these two forces was responsible for the creation of a rural middle class in Lebanon, and the children of this new class became the urban middle class of the cities in later years.12 Marriage has always been perceived as a very important institution in Lebanese society. The family is society’s cornerstone and an essential element of the community.13 Girls were expected to marry at the age of fourteen and boys at the age of sixteen or seventeen, and most marriages were arranged by the family. As far back as the seventeenth century, the process of marriage among Maronite peasants followed a common path, with few occasional and minor variations. Generally, parents would search for a companion for their son worthy of him and of the family. More likely than not, the ‘companion’ would be a close paternal cousin from within the clan. This tradition cut across social classes
11. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 219. 12. Khater, Inventing Home. 13. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 219.
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and religious boundaries to apply to everyone who resided in the Mountain.14 A social stigma was attached to a girl and her family if she never married. It was a great shame for a Lebanese girl to remain a Ganousa (spinster) all her life. If this were likely to happen, she had the option instead of becoming a nun and serving God. The other option would be to stay at home and serve her family. As the Lebanese proverb states, ‘The house that reared you will not forget you.’15 Upon the death of a spouse, men waited no longer than forty days to remarry.16 As another Lebanese proverb says, ‘Single for an age, or a widower for a month.’17 The man’s next wife was called Elbadila (the alternative). This was often a burden for the late wife’s children, who would refer to their mother’s replacement as Khalat (Aunty). The Khalat would not have the heart of their mother, so a lot of the time she would mistreat them. Furthermore, their hearts would be broken by seeing their father with a woman other than their mother. Men did not give a lot of importance to the death of their wives. They used to say, ‘The death of a wife is like hitting your elbow’: one’s mourning for her is intense but it does not last long.18 Some of these cultural customs, however, were beginning to change towards the end of the nineteenth century, with the industrial revolution and the spread of modernity. In time, women began to have more freedom, which allowed them to
14. Khater, Inventing Home. 15. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 246. 16. Khater, Inventing Home. 17. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 221. 18. Ghader, Lebanese Customs and Traditions, Part 1, 221.
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challenge and transform the patriarchal system that existed in Mount Lebanon. It is within this historical and political context that the Lebanese women’s rights movement has emerged. The movement can be traced to the late 19th century, when a growing number of women began voicing demands for greater rights. At the end of the century, many influential women migrated with their families to Egypt, then the hub of Arab renaissance, for either political or economic reasons. Once there, they started their own magazines, focusing on women’s issues and featuring articles in support of education for women, their rights to work and earn a living, and their freedom to choose whether to be veiled. Activists and scholars of this era insisted that Lebanese did not need to blindly imitate the West or deviate from their own culture and traditions.19 The classical patriarchal contract was irrevocably changing, affecting family structures, marital practices and social roles. Money from the booming silk industry changed the value of social status and led to new consumer habits and expectations. Its subsequent decline after 1890 had the peasants searching for ways to reclaim the prosperity they had briefly tasted. This too led to an increase in migration in hope of a better life. It is estimated that one third of the population of the Mountain emigrated.20 The industrial revolution began to reshape Lebanese society. A large number of people migrated in search of a better life and to provide a better standard of living for their family. Because it 19. Khalaf, ‘Lebanon.’ 20. Sbaiti, Review of Inventing Home, by Khater.
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