TANGAZA UNIVERSITY COLLEGE INSTITUTE OF SPIRITUALITY AND RELIGIOUS FORMATION THE CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF EASTERN AFRICA GLORIA NAKIMERA MWEBE, CM THE VIRGIN MARY AS A MODEL OF CONSECRATION FOR THE CARMELITE MISSIONARIES IN KENYA Supervisor: REV. FR. REMIGIUS IKPE, O.C.D An Integration Paper Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of Requirement for Certificate in Spirituality NAIROBI 2018 ii DEDICATION This work is dedicated to all Carmelite missionaries who heed the voice of Christ to behold his mother (Jn. 19:27) may they walk in the footsteps of Mary Queen and Beauty of Carmel as they follow her every day in faith, hope and love. iii EPIGRAPH Draw us after you, Virgin Mary; and we shall follow in your footsteps.1 “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord; let it be to me according to your word” (Luke 1:38). 1 Cf. Carmelite Sacramentary; the miracles of Mary, 230. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS It is my pleasure to express my heartfelt and sincere gratitude: to God the Father, through the Son and in the Holy Spirit for accompanying me in my vocation and especially in these two years of study. I equally give thanks for the inspiration given to me to write about the Virgin Mary as perfect model of consecration for the Carmelite missionaries in Kenya. To all my Family members for the most precious gift they are in my life. To all Carmelite missionaries with whom I have been living and who have transformed me, by their lives. My special thanks to Sr. Theresa Adanna Ani, Cm my delegate superior and her council for giving me the opportunity to study spirituality, and for their love and support to my journey in Missionary Carmel. To my formators Sr. Felly Covacha, Cm, Sr. Colette Banza, Cm and Sr. Blessing Ezugwu, Cm for their support, encouragements and for journeying with me during these two years of my intensive Juniorate. All my sisters in the international intensive Juniorate community, may the good Lord bless you all. My sincere gratitude goes also to Fr. Remigius Ikpe OCD, for his encouragement and guidance and direction while researching and writing this paper and Sr. Felly Covacha, Cm for providing for me with some Carmelite documents which were very instrumental in the research. I also thank Fr. Nicholas Obiero CP, for sacrificing to proof read this work irrespective of his many commitments and tight schedule. All the lecturers who have imparted their knowledge on me, and to my fellow classmates and all who in one way or other have been instrumental and support to me, thank you very much and may God continue to bless you even more. v STUDENT’S DECLARATION I, the undersigned, declare that this Integration paper is my original work achieved through my personal reading, scientific research method and critical reflection. It is submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the Certificate in Spirituality. It has never been submitted to any other college or university for academic credit. All the sources have been cited in full and acknowledged. Signed: ……………………………………………………………………………………… Name of Student: Gloria Nakimera Mwebe, CM. Date: ……………………………………………………………………………………… This integration paper has been submitted for the examination with my approval as the college supervisor. Signed: …………………………………………………………………………………… Name of the supervisor: Fr. Remigius Ikpe OCD. Date: ………………………………………………………………………………………… vi ABBREVIATIONS CCC Catechism of the Catholic Church CCL Code of Canon Law Cf Confer CM Carmelite Missionaries EG Evangelii Gaudium Fr. Father Gal Galatians Jn John Jn John LG Lumen Gentium Lk Luke MC Marialis Cultus Mk Mark Mt Mathew OCD Oder of discalced Carmelites OCRAM Oder of Carmelites St. Saint Sr. Sister trans. Translation vii TABLE OF CONTENTS DEDICATION ................................................................................................................................ ii EPIGRAPH .................................................................................................................................... iii ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS ........................................................................................................... iv STUDENT’S DECLARATION ..................................................................................................... v ABBREVIATIONS ....................................................................................................................... vi TABLE OF CONTENTS .............................................................................................................. vii GENERAL INTRODUCTION ....................................................................................................... 1 Background of Study ................................................................................................................... 2 Purpose and Aim ......................................................................................................................... 3 The Problem Statement ............................................................................................................... 4 Study Objectives ......................................................................................................................... 5 Significance/ Justification of the Study ....................................................................................... 5 Scope and Delimitation of the Study........................................................................................... 6 Difficulties and how to overcome them ...................................................................................... 6 Research Questions. .................................................................................................................... 7 Methodology ............................................................................................................................... 7 CHAPTER ONE ............................................................................................................................. 8 MARY AS PERFECT MODEL OF RELIGIOUS CONSECRATION ......................................... 8 Introduction ................................................................................................................................. 8 1.1. Mary in Scripture ............................................................................................................. 8 1.2. Marian Consecration according to St. Teresa of Avila .................................................. 10 1.3. Marian Consecration according to St. John of the Cross ............................................... 11 1.4. Marian Consecration according to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus ................................. 12 1.5. Marian Consecration according to Blessed Francisco Palau Y Quer............................. 14 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 15 viii CHAPTER TWO .......................................................................................................................... 17 CHALLENGES OF IMITATING MARY AS MODEL OF CONSECRATION ........................ 17 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 17 2.1 Being a Contemplative Witness in the midst of the World Today...................................... 17 2.2 Fear to embrace the Cross as Power and Strength .............................................................. 19 2.3 Being a true disciple of Jesus .............................................................................................. 21 2.4 Giving Oneself Totally to God and Others ......................................................................... 22 2.5 False Devotion to Mary Misguiding the Consecrated ......................................................... 24 2.5.1 Divinization of Mary by some Christians ........................................................................ 25 2.5.2 Neglect of the Holy Spirit ................................................................................................ 25 2.5.3 Over-emphasis on the Rosary at the Expense of Mass .................................................... 26 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 26 CHAPTER THREE ...................................................................................................................... 28 TOWARDS BETTER MODELING ON MARY AS MODEL OF CONSECRATION ............. 28 Introduction ............................................................................................................................... 28 3.1 Modeling on Mary According to the Scripture ................................................................... 28 3.2 Modeling on Mary According to St. Teresa of Avila ......................................................... 30 3.3 Modeling on Mary According to St. John of the Cross ...................................................... 30 3.4 Modeling on Mary According to St. Theresa of the Child Jesus ........................................ 32 3.5 Modeling on Mary According to Blessed Francisco Palau ................................................. 33 Conclusion ................................................................................................................................. 34 GENERAL CONCLUSION ........................................................................................................