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St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS a Contemplative in Action

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St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS a Contemplative in Action St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS A contemplative in action Commentary by ELDA POLLONARA F.d.C.C. ROME 1988 Original Title: Santa Maddalena di Canossa MEMORIE a cura di Elda Pollonara F.d.C.C. Translation from Italian by: Canossian Sisters Curia Generalizia F.d. C. Canossiane Via della Stazione di Ottavia, 70 00135 ROMA — Tel. 06/308280513 Tip. S.G.S. Istituto Pio XI – P.zza S. M. Ausiliatrice, 54 - Roma - Tel.: 7627819 St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS – A contemplative in action 1 INTRODUCTION The pages of the note-books in which Magdalene of Canossa jotted down her interior experiences form a precious document, even if they do not have style, depth of theological doctrine and refined analysis. However they reveal one of the greatest spiritual adventures of the first half of the l9th century. The work completed by Mother Elda Pollonara is one that has entailed considerable effort, difficult research and is important and worthy of merit. The Memoirs, title given to the note-books, do not have precise references to the events of her life, but often in an elliptical, composed and generalized language they give us testimony of an exceptional spiritual life. The work of the Commentator recaptures in its totality the dynamic and often dramatic life of the Foundress and her profound inner nature. Magda1ene’s spiritual life, inseparable from her activities, is the stimulus for an apostolic zeal which grows with the years and continues to act as deep inspiration and a concrete commitment to action. This is the first aspect of her sanctity. The mystical experience which she reveals to us in the Memoirs neither contradicts nor hinders, but nourishes an extraordinarily active and fruitful life. Her activity is dependent on the Spirit. From prayer she receives the strength required to undertake exhausting journeys and establish foundations which intensify the physical strain, anxieties and difficulties to which she is subjected. A subtle reference to this is always present and can be identified in the Memoirs, but the merit of this work is that it draws attention to the unity of a life constantly reaching out towards divine union, but at the same time, attentive to and regularly engaged in action. Magdalene appears, like Teresa of Avila, to be a woman endowed with great natural and spiritual gifts bestowed on her with such a profusion that could well seem to disturb the equilibrium of her life. On the contrary they enhance a wonderful unity in her life. The Memoirs end in 1827. Magdalene will live for another nine years and they will be again years of travel and toil for the expansion and consolidation of the Institute but by then her spiritual life is marked by interior peace. This is confirmed in 1824 when her apostolic zeal is more evident (cf. Ch. XIV) which indicates that she already attained the perfect unity of her apostolic and interior life. After that year we are not to believe that she was preserved from temptations and sufferings but from then on, there is no need for Magdalene to blame herself of infidelity. By now she lives the perfection of love in her identification with Christ and can say with the Apostle: “It is not I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me”. It is necessary to emphasize that her mystical experiences have a genuine touch of originality. It is evident that human nature is the same but God does not communicate to every soul in the same way. In Magdalene, violent temptations against faith persist; more unexpected and without any special reason is the transition from deepest intimacy to desolation, anguish and a sense of uselessness regarding her work. Long has been the journey to reach a state of constant peace; but she was never freed however, from periods of fatigue and suffering. Precisely for this reason, the mystery of the Cross is dominant in her mystical experiences. Jesus Crucified is the source of all her contemplation and inspiration. From the imitation and union with Jesus Crucified she passes on to identification with Him. The significance given to this mystery in her writings is not in any way, inferior to that found in the writings of St. Paul of the Cross, the greatest mystic of the l7th century. To the very end, at 1east in the Memoirs, her mystical experiences appear to be related to the imaginative and intellectual visions. Magdalene rejects them, but it is these visions that operate in her. Her life of intimacy with Christ is dependent upon them. Magdalene’s constant reference to “God alone” is never meant to overlook Christ and His humanity. Mystical and wholly evangelical, she lives with an ever increasing dependence upon the Word of God that always resounds within her. St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS – A contemplative in action 2 Her experience becomes increasingly more dependent on the Sacrament of the Eucharist. Her interior life is nourished also by popular piety. Certainly she knows of St. Teresa, St. Francis of Sales but in her humility, she seems to prefer pious practices and devotion to the Most Sorrowful Mary and Christ Crucified, to advanced spiritual doctrines. In her love for simplicity and concrete reality she does not speculate about doctrine, nor analyse her feelings, but candidly expresses open-heartedly but in poor language what seems to confirm the authenticity of her experience. Mother Elda Pollonara who writes with filial devotion this work on the Memoirs of Magdalene frequently compares the text with the writings of St. Teresa of Avila. Magdalene has already been referred to as the St. Teresa of the 19th century. Certainly there are points of resemblance between these two “great women”; however there are perhaps more points on which they differ. Though she descends from a noble House, Magdalene does not associate herself with high-ranking people. Rather, she lived with simple women and chose to conceal herself in utmost simplicity and obscurity. Her numerous letters, that are not easy to read, reveal her ability to cope with everyday realities. Magdalene used to dictate her letters to her secretaries who certainly did not have a flair for writing. But also when she herself was writing, her prose does not flow smoothly. Her compositions disclose her attention to the most minute things but they are not outstanding for literary elegance; they do not reveal the magnitude and freedom of spirit found in the writings of St. Teresa. Their mystical experiences seem to differ too. The Cross does not hold the central place in Teresa’s experience as with Magdalene. The great Spanish mystic is drawn to the Risen Christ rather than to Christ Crucified. In the initial phase of her spiritual journey, Magdalene receives considerable help from her Director but later on it appears that she made it on her own: “Torcular calcavi solus”. Except for Countess Durini, it does not seem that she had other friends. Elisabeth Mezzaroli was one of her first companions who also had extraordinary gifts but was more of a daughter than a friend. The Directors who came after Don Libera perhaps did not play as important a role in her life as those who directed the spiritual life of St. Teresa. Even if Magdalene’s Directors had commanded her to write the Memoirs it does not seem as though serious consideration had been given to them. In fact, the Memoirs had remained practically unknown for many years even to Sisters of the Institute and it cannot be said that to date, there has been a serious or systematic study of them. This happens to be the first study by one of her daughters. She expects others to follow up the study of this difficult but most significant text, because it will reveal the spirit which must animate the Institute. The text will not only clearly disclose the spiritual journey of a great soul but perhaps it is one of the most important writings in the history of Christian spirituality of the l9th century. Therefore it is of interest to those who want to know more about Magdalene of Canossa. It is of interest to her Daughters and her Sons who should know her, so as to merit their name. It is of interest to all the scholars of spirituality. In the hope that this first study will receive the wide acclaim that it deserves, we trust that the Commentator’s familiarity with the writings of her Mother Foundress will encourage her in her aspiration to be a worthy daughter. Fr. DIVO BARSOTTI Florence, February 2, 1988 St. Magdalene of Canossa MEMOIRS – A contemplative in action 3 PREFACE This work does not pretend to be a scientific study. The reading of the Memoirs written by St. Magdalene of Canossa under obedience to her Spiritual Directors aims only to highlight the profound spirituality which is hidden behind a life of intense human relations and prodigious activity. This autobiography was published for the first time by Tarcisio M. Piccari in his study of Magdalene entitled: Sola con Dio solo, (Alone with God alone) printed by Ancora, Milan, 1966. A second edition issued under the title Annotazioni autobiografiche spirituali (Autobiographical spiritual notes) has been compiled in the work Regole e scritti spirituali di Maddalena di Canossa, (Rules and spiritual writings of Magdalene of Canossa) edited by Emilia Dossi, vol. I, published by Pisani, Isola del Liri, 1984. This third edition appears for the first time as a separate work, more up-to-date and flowing, without distorting the original ideas of Magdalene. The revised edition by Adele Cattari has been intentionally written in the first person to enable the reader to feel the Saint spiritually closer and personally more alive.
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