Saint Edith Stein's flower of peace

Spiritual Life, Winter 1999 by Sullivan, John

THE GROWTH IN FAITH OF THE CONVERT Edith Stein occurred during decades noted for energetic German leadership of this century's liturgical movement. Names of significant liturgists, like Romano Guardini, Odo Casel, and Burkhard Neunheuser, were familiar to her.' Guardini called the efforts to enliven the Catholic Church in the celebration of the divine mysteries a rebirth of the "Springtime of the Church." Stein benefitted from this ferment and, in her own way, contributed to the thrust for renewal among those she knew.

Edith Stein went beyond drawing strength for herself in liturgical prayer; she also wrote about it. She published a reflection entitled The Prayer of the Church in 1937 .2 In this work she clearly states the importance of active participation in the liturgy for an overall healthy Christian life. Her intent was to blend her love for the liturgy with her daily experience as a contemplative nun who spent several hours a day in silent, meditative prayer. The following quotation from her identified the liturgy as the fountainhead of her spiritual life, with repercussions for daily life:

The "monks resembling angels" surround the altar of sacrifice and make sure that the praise of God does not cease, as in heaven so on earth. The solemn prayers they recite as the resonant mouth of the church frame the holy sacrifice. They also frame, permeate, and consecrate all other "daily work" so that prayer and work become a single opus Dei, a single "liturgy."'

Sister Teresa Benedicta (Edith Stein) did more for the liturgy than merely comment on it, however. She devised texts for actual worship. One such text occupies a place in a hymn book, used to this day, and is the object of this article. This hymn incorporates a devotion dear to her monastic community in Cologne, namely one to Mary Queen of Peace.

A Previously Unknown Stanza

Today at Cologne Carmel, the nuns still sing an additional stanza devised by Sister Teresa Benedicta for the traditional Carmelite sequence called Flos Carmeli. Some brief background remarks about the Marian sequence will help situate the textual setting in which Stein's creation now lies.

The Flos Carmeli Sequence

Flos Carmeli is a venerable Carmelite hymn in praise of Mary, full of symbolism suited to the Holy Land origins of this Marian order. The Mother of God is described as a flower: clear allusion to the reference of Isaiah 35:1-2 to the mountain of Carmel; an ever-blossoming vine: a traditional interpretation of the name "Carmel" in the Order, though one no longer admitted by scholars;4 all pure: a possible hint at the white color stripes alternating with the brown stripes of the Carmelite hermits' mantles ;5 and star of the sea: an obvious allusion to the location of the Carmelites' first house close to where the via maris (sea road) passes by Mount Carmel.

In its original medieval form, this hymn was comprised of just one Latin stanza. The Discalced Carmelite Mass Lectionary now uses it at Mass as a chant sung during the Liturgy of the Word on the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel-July 16th.' Over time other stanzas joined the primitive text's single strophe. Two of these extra stanzas have been present for some time in the liturgical books of the Order around the world.

New Stanza from Saint Edith

The text which the saint created as her own stanza has the following English translation (her Latin verses fit the musical notation for the original melody quite smoothly):

Draw your / daughters' hearts to that sweetest / and gentlest of hearts. We ask for peace: hear us kindly; / we pray you: help us mightily, / our Queen!

Original of Saint Edith

Fifiarum cordi suavissimo / Cor tuarum illi mitissimo / 0 inclina. Pacem rogamus-audi clementer nos, Te obsecramus-juva potenter nos. / 0 Regina!7

Evidence from the Cologne Carmel's Archives sheds light on the historical setting of Stein's Cologne years and enables us to grasp the significance of this example of liturgical creativity. Three central images in Stein's text are easily noticed. They are the heart, peace, and queen.

Key Ideas of Saint Edith's Stanza

Deducing a date for composition of the extra strophe depends primarily on events in Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross's religious life. Research found no dated original copy of the Flos Carmeli lines in Stein's handwriting in the Archives. Just the same, lengthy study proved that the year 1935 emerges as the most likely time for composition."

Although brief, the symbolism of the new lines reveals interesting insights into Saint Teresa Benedicta's devotion for Mary, Queen of Carmel and Queen of Peace.

Heart: Draw your daughters' hearts to that sweetest and gentlest of hearts.

The word "heart" occurs two times and serves Stein as a symbol of contemplation. Line two of her poetic stanza asks Mary to draw the hearts of her "daughters." From the context we know these daughters are her sister religious in the Carmelite monastery of Cologne, contemplative daughters of St. Teresa of Avila, the great "undaunted daughter of desires" (words of English poet Richard Crashaw, alive at the time the Cologne Carmel was founded in 1637). This was their mother foundress who underwent the mystical grace of the transverberation (piercing) of her heart.