Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr CANONISED 15 MAY 2022
Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr CANONISED 15 MAY 2022
SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA
Contents A Brief Biography 8 Early Life 8 Ministry and Mission 8 Journalism 9 Arrest and Martyrdom 9 Prayer before an image of Christ 9 Education 10 Titus’ Education 10 Catholic Education 10 University Professor 10 The Call to Mysticism 10 The Journalist as Educator 11 Philosophy of Education 11 Resourcing Education 11 Care for Jewish Students 11 Carmel as a School of Mysticism 11 Prayer to Titus Brandsma 11 Eucharist 12 The Eucharistic Life of Carmel 12 Food for the Journey 12 Frequent Communion 13 Prayer after Communion 13 Spiritual Communion 13 The Eucharist and Contemplation 13 Witness of Forgiveness 14 Seeking dialogue 14 Ecumenism 14 In the face of conflict 14 Today 15 A Poet of the Cross 16 Early Studies 16 Areas of Research 16 Via Crucis 17 Adoro Te - Hidden God 18 Hidden God 18 Adoro Te 19 Contemplative 20 Living in the presence of God 20 Contemplation transforms 20 Contemplation and others 21 Contemplation in darkness 21 ‘O Jesus, when I gaze on You’ 22 The Inscription 22 The Opening Line 22 Once More Alive, That… That… 22 Suffering Shared in Friendship 22 The Union with God 23 O, Leave Me Here 23 Your Presence Makes All Things Good for Me 23 Mary, the Mother of God 24 To Jesus with Mary 24 My soul magnifies the Lord 24 Mary’s divine motherhood 24 Mary, Hope of all Carmelites 25 Clash of Ideas 26 A Tale of Two Cells 28
He felt compassion for me ... The way he looked at me showed no sign of hatred whatsoever ... Those who saw him could see that in him something supernatural was speaking. He gave me his Rosary beads, as a way of asking me, Would I like to pray? I said I did not know how, and for that reason the Rosary was of no use to me. He said, even though I might not know how to pray, all I needed to do was recite the second part of the Ave Maria, “Pray for us sinners.” Tizia (the name given to the nurse who injected him with phenic acid) The witness of Fr Titus is one that inspires and enlightens, not only members of the Carmelite Order, but the society in which we live. We find in him in these times so troubled by the threat and existence of war, a prophet of hope and a champion of peace. Events in the Ukraine make us think of other parts of the planet too where we can see the wounds of many other conficts that appear to be forgotten, or treated with indifference. In these situations the Church has the opportunity to make a real contribution, by taking up the teaching of Fratelli tutti, and by placing its trust in the hope of a God who created and will always support the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of his own children. Let us unite our voices with the men and women of good will who in the face of the suffering of the innocent, stand for peace, freedom and the defence of the dignity of every human being. Titus, a true expert of humanity, by shedding his blood out of love (cf. Mk 14,24) taught us that to bea disciple of Jesus Christ means not only that we look up to him and know all that we can about him, but also that we are called to share in the destiny of love that fell to him. The world and the Church itself demands of us today a clear witness and an authentic life. Our desire is that the people might see what Carmelites are called to be.1 What is it that we are to be? 2 our saints asked. Who am I? is the defining question, the most important spiritual question. I am what God has made me. I am the combination of charisms that God placed in me. What I do comes from who I am. The very intense life of Blessed Titus Brandsma helps us to understand that when identity is understood as defined by activity, we run the risk of losing ourselves, choosing the wrong pathways. Charism is a living thing, beyond speculation. There has to be an interaction between identity and mission, in which what we do helps us to define who we are and who we are helps us to determine what we do.3 Blessed Titus helps us to realise that our life becomes a valuable witness when it is adorned by our works. In addressing his Carmelite Brothers in the Netherlands he once said: “It is better not to know anything, and believe fully, than to know everything and have no feeling ... Only the one who is closely united to God can be truly close to his neighbour. Only the one who takes his nourishment from God can give witness to God by his works.” On another occasion he said, “What makes our life lived in common beautiful is not so much our rights or our duties as much as the way we help one another and our mercy”. The Church needs the everyday saints, the saints whose lives are coherent, the “saints from next door”, as Pope Francis likes to say.4 The Church also needs saints who have the courage to accept the grace to be witnesses to the end, even unto death. All of them, including our brother, Titus, are the life blood of the Church. 1 The Global Plan of the General Council 2019-2025 2 St. Teresa of Jesus, The Way of Perfectioin 4,1. 3 Constitutions of the Friars, 2019, n. 177 4 Gaudete et exsultate, 7 6
carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma Pope Francis in his address to the 2019 General Chapter of the Friars, made the connection between authenticity and the faithful living of the vocation that each one has received. Referring to Blessed Titus on that occasion, he said, “Something that belongs to the Carmelite Order, even though it is a Order of mendicants, living and working in the midst of the people, is to maintain a great respect for solitude and for detachment from the things of the world, seeing in solitude and contemplation the best part of their spiritual lives.” Titus Brandsma entered the Carmelite Order because he was drawn by its charism: “The spirituality of Carmel, that is a life of prayer and of tender devotion to Mary, led me to the very happy decision to take on that life. I was enthralled by the spirit of Carmel.” Fr Titus is not someone who was lost in the past, but rather one who looked to the history of Carmel, its mystics and models of holiness, to find prophetic figures who have something to say to the present moment. To this effect, he set up the Institute of Mysticism in the University of Nijmegen, which would lead in time tothe Institute that was to bear his name. Titus, friend of God, forms a bridge among the great “throng of witnesses” (cf. Hb 12,1) in Carmel’s spiritual tradition. He knew how to bring together tradition and modernity in a way that was authoritative and integrated. He was open and fexible, with an enormous capacity for work to which he gave his all with great passion and generosity. There was balance and harmony in the way that he lived his Carmelite contemplative life. He was the prayerful, prophet and fraternal one, living in the midst of the people. We, Carmelites, in this crucial time in our history, a time when humanity continues to tackle the difficult questions of war, violence, inequality, and many other evils, continue to place our trust in the grace and mercy of God. We denounce with all the prophetic vigour of Elijah everything that diminishes or destroys people, our sisters and brothers with whom we share in full the pilgrimage of life, with its joys and hopes, it fears and sadness (cf. GS 1). At the same time, we seek to discover, contemplate and refect upon the wonderful signs, fragile and hidden at times, of the presence of God in our lives. With as much realism as possible, and with the eyes of faith, we see the beauty that the Spirit of God has poured out upon people everywhere. Just like the first Christian community, “together with Mary the Mother of Jesus” (Acts 1,14), we too want to be a sign of hope and commitment for all who enter into contact with the spirituality of Carmel. It is our desire to refect, as Saint Titus Brandsma did, in important situations, the mercy and tenderness of God. In saying that, I make my own the beautiful invocation that Saint Titus used in one of his retreat talks: Like the apostles, we want to remain with one heart and one soul, in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus, filled with the confidence that through her intercession the Holy Spirit will come down on us to renew us and infame our tepid hearts and spirits ..... Mary will be the one to guide us. Mary, Mother and Sister to us, standing at the foot of the cross (cf. Jn 19,25), you learned from the meek and humble heart of Jesus (cf. Mt 11,29), we commend to your care all those who suffer for their fidelity to your Son and his Church. You who are the Queen of martyrs, help us to be convincing witnesses to the Gospel, responding to the evil and injustice that are in the world with the power of forgiveness, truth and charity. Fr Mícéal Miceal O’Neill, O.Carm. Prior General Rome, 1st May 2022 Extract from The Cross for me is Joy Download the full letter at carmelites.org.au/saint-titusbrandsma I am happy in my suffering, because I do not consider it to be suffering anymore, but is the fate that is most desired, that unites me with You, O God. For You, O Jesus, are with me, I have never felt so close to You, stay with me, with me. Sweet Jesus Your presence makes all good for me. Titus Brandsma 7
Early Life Anno Brandsma was born to Tjitsje and Titus Brandsma on 23 February 1881 at Wonseradeel in Friesland, a province in the very north of Holland. The Brandsma family consisted of four girls and two boys, of which Titus was the second youngest. Five of the siblings would later enter religious life. The family owned a dairy farm and herd, selling milk and cheese made on the farm itself. At the time, Catholics were a minority in Friesland and protective of their religion and culture. Anno’s father worked to preserve the Friesian culture within his family and the local community. He participated in politics, and at one time served as chairman of the local election board. When Anno had completed his secondary education at a Franciscan school, he decided to join the Carmelite Order. He began his novitiate at Boxmeer in September 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. After further studies at the Gregorian University in Rome, he was awarded a PhD in Philosophy in 1909. Titus also had a keen interest in both Spirituality and Journalism, two areas which, together with his academic pursuits, would make up much of his life’s work. Ministry and Mission In 1923, Titus helped found the Catholic University of Nijmegen, and worked there as lecturer, professor and administrator. He served as Rector Magnificus (President) during the academic year 1932-33. As a Carmelite friar, he also liked to share the Order’s spiritual tradition with people outside of the University. He travelled widely lecturing on Carmelite Spirituality. In preparation for a lecture tour in the United States in 1935, he spent some time at the Carmelite Priories in Whitefriar Street, Dublin, and Kinsale, Co. Cork, Ireland. Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr A BRIEF BIOGRAPHY The Brandsma Family (Anno on far left)
Professor Brandsma at work Dachau Concentration Camp Prayer before an image of Christ O Jesus, when I gaze on You Once more alive, that I love You And that your heart loves me too Moreover as your special friend. Although that calls me to suffer more Oh, for me all suffering is good, For in this way I resemble You And this is the way to Your Kingdom. I am blissful in my suffering For I know it no more as sorrow But the most ultimate elected lot That unites me with You, O God. O, just leave me here silently alone, The chill and cold around me And let no people be with me Here alone I grow not weary. For Thou, O Jesus, art with me I have never been so close to You. Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet, Your presence makes all things good for me. Written by Titus Brandsma on 12-13 February 1942 while a prisoner at Scheveningen. Translation: Susan Verkerk-Wheatley / Anne-Marie Bos © Titus Brandsma Instituut 2018 SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Journalism Titus also cultivated his interest in journalism and publishing. In late 1935 he became the National Spiritual Adviser to the Union of Catholic Journalists. In this role, he encouraged opposition to the publication of Nazi propaganda in Catholic newspapers and in the Press generally. He was especially critical of its anti-Semitism. When the Nazis invaded Holland in May 1940, Titus was an adviser to the Archbishop of Utrecht. He encouraged the bishops to speak out against the persecution of the Jews and the infringement of human rights generally by the occupiers. In doing so, he became a marked man by the authorities. Arrest and Martyrdom The refusal by Catholic newspapers to print Nazi propaganda sealed the fate of Titus. Titus had agreed to deliver personally to each editor a letter from the Catholic bishops. This letter instructed the editors not to comply with a new law requiring them to print official Nazi advertisements and articles. Titus had visited fourteen editors before being arrested by the Gestapo at Nijmegen on 19 January 1942. Titus was interned at Scheveningen and Amersfoort in Holland before being transported to Dachau in June. Under the harsh regime there, his health quickly deteriorated and he was in the camp hospital by the third week of July. He was subjected to biological experimentation before being killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. On the day he died, the Dutch Bishops issued a pastoral letter protesting strongly against the deportation of Jews from Holland. Before his execution, Titus had prayed that God might help the nurse who would administer the injection to repent of her actions in the camp. He also gave her his rosary beads, although she protested that she was a lapsed Catholic. Some years later, that same woman came to a Carmelite priory seeking forgiveness and was a witness in the process for his beatification, which took place in Rome on 3 November 1985. carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 9
Titus’ Education Titus was a good student who understood from early on the value of education. As a child he read widely and had a particular liking for literature and history. After entering the Carmelite Order in 1898, Titus continued to read widely and began to publish. Taking his doctorate in philosophy at Rome’s Gregorian University, he also took courses in modern sociology. Catholic Education Titus reformed the programme of studies for Carmelites in the Netherlands. Education for the laity was a priority for Titus. At Oss a library with attached reading room and lecture hall was established which was open to the general public. Through Titus’ efforts, two Carmelite schools became the very rst private schools in Holland to receive government support. He founded the Union of Secondary Schools in 1925, serving as its President. University Professor With the founding of the Catholic University at Nijmegen in 1923, Titus was nominated Professor of Philosophy and the History of Mysticism. In 1932 he became its Rector Magni cus. Titus’ courses left an ‘unforgettable’ impression; he was effectively rediscovering the spirituality of their country. Titus was kind and students at the university constantly sought him out. He sought scholarship funding for the less well off. Titus subjected National Socialism to rigorous critique as part of his university teaching. He kept his feet rmly on the ground. Titus was known to assist an old man in pushing his junk wagon up the hill between the university and the Carmel, placing his professorial briefcase on top while he did it. The Call to Mysticism Titus was always keen to educate people regarding their call to be mystics. He de ned mysticism as: ‘a special union of God with human beings, whereby they become aware of God’s presence and also become one with God.’ Titus understood mysticism as a call directed to all and spoke of an everyday mysticism, convinced that God is the ground of our being and can be encountered always and everywhere and in our neighbour. His lectures on Carmelite mysticism, delivered in the United States in 1935, are a true classic of twentieth-century spirituality. Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr EDUCATION Titus Brandsma with journalists
SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Prayer to Titus Brandsma God our Father, your servant, Saint Titus Brandsma, laboured zealously in your vineyard and gave his life freely because of his faith in you. Through his intercession I ask for your mercy and help. Father Titus never refused when he was asked for help by your people. In his name, I come to you with my needs ... Lord, help me always to imitate the great faith, generous love and burning zeal of Saint Titus. Glorify your servant as he strove to glorify you. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us. The Journalist as Educator Titus undoubtedly saw journalism as a form of education. His accessible articles in the Catholic press were effectively ‘short courses’ of their own. Philosophy of Education For Titus it was important for the educator to respect each student individually: ‘… people are not simply all alike and do not comply with a casual construction or idea. The human being, and even the child, is in each person different in nature and it does not help us when we would like to see beyond all the differences …We must take young people as they are.’ It was important for Titus that students thought for themselves, saying to one group: ‘We do not impart philosophical knowledge to you, because you must rst and foremost develop it in yourselves … We do not ram the truth or knowledge of the truth into you, we only draw on the wondrous passion for knowledge of what is true, which lies hidden in you.’ Resourcing Education Titus was convinced of the importance of the proper resourcing of education. He also underlined the need for continuous professional development of teachers: ‘a justi ed ideal for the teacher is continuous further development … A trained teacher is a blessing.’ Titus had a particular concern for providing for children from underprivileged backgrounds: ‘Attention at school to the underprivileged child, that is where true love reveals itself.’ Care for Jewish Students Titus took a particular stand on Jewish students, refusing to remain silent when they were excluded from attending Catholic schools, even making enquiries about placing them in the care of the Carmelites in Brazil. Carmel as a School of Mysticism Titus speaks of ‘the apostolate of Carmelite mysticism’, using the image of a school. Carmelites are to teach people to pray, helping them know they have been found and loved by God. For Titus, Carmel is like a school, ‘a school of mystical life’, and insists: ‘in the spiritual life, no more than in ordinary life, can we dispense with education, with teachers and with guidance.’ Photo courtesy of Jim Forest carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 11
The Eucharistic Life of Carmel Being of central importance to the Christian life, it is no surprise to nd the Eucharist at the heart of Carmelite life from its earliest beginnings. The rst Carmelites built an oratory in the midst of their cells on Mount Carmel to facilitate common prayer and common celebration of the Eucharist. This sacred space was to be a focal point for encounter with one another and with the risen Lord. Until the reforms of Pope Pius X in the early twentieth century, daily receiving of Holy Communion was unusual. However, taking inspiration from the Rule of Carmel, daily reception of the Sacrament was already common in Carmelite communities long before this and was to be a constant of the life and spirituality of Titus Brandsma who entered the Carmelite Order in 1898 at Boxmeer, in the Netherlands, a town long associated with Eucharistic devotion. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr EUCHARIST The cell of Titus Brandsma at Scheveningen Concentration Camp Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Food for the Journey Titus was convinced that our spiritual life, just as our physical life, requires food. He saw in Elijah, Prophet of Carmel, the pattern of the Carmelite life. Just as Elijah was sustained for his journey through the desert to Mount Horeb by miraculous food from heaven, so we too are strengthened by the gift of the Eucharist as we ‘walk in life’s journey here below.’ Imprisoned on account of his fearless defence of the freedom of the Catholic press and basic human rights in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, ‘walking in the strength of the divine bread’ was ultimately tested for Titus between January and July 1942 as he followed his own ‘way of the cross’ all the way to Dachau concentration camp. In the Blessed Sacrament He gives us Himself again, and not only Himself as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, no, He tells us that all three Persons will take up their residence in our hearts, if we are united with Him. Titus Brandsma Window of Titus before the Blessed Sacrament, in the Priory Chapel, Houston - courtesy of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary (PCM).
Adoro Te In his prison cell at Scheveningen, Titus prayed the well-known hymn Adoro Te after lunch. In his account of his time in prison, ‘My Cell’, he tells us about this: ‘The Adoro Te has become my favourite prayer. Frequently I sing it softly and this helps me to make a spiritual communion’. The first and last verses read as follows: I devoutly worship Thee, Hidden Godhead, Who among these signs are truly hidden. O may I behold Thee with unveiled face and taste the happiness to see Your glory. SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Full Habit, 22 years old Frequent Communion Titus’ conviction concerning the importance of frequent celebration of the Eucharist was con rmed in reading Carmelite saints such as Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi and Teresa of Avila. Titus also draws out the importance of daily reception of Holy Communion when presenting the life and message of Saint Lidwina of Schiedam, one of the national saints of the Netherlands. Prayer after Communion In continuity with another key aspect of the Carmelite tradition, Titus emphasised the importance of taking time to pray after receiving Holy Communion. This is a true contemplative moment when, having received the risen Lord into ourselves, we seek to open ourselves to his accomplishing great things in us. Titus reflectively links prayer after Communion to the gure of Elijah: ‘In the caves of Horeb God spoke to the Prophet by the voice of the gentle, whispering wind. The Lord was not in the storm nor in the earthquake, but in the gentle wind. So, after Communion we must contemplate under the Eucharistic species and in the depths of our spirit; for now God passes.’ Spiritual Communion St Teresa of Avila often recommends acts of spiritual communion when reception of the sacrament is not possible. Perhaps early on Titus might not have realised how important this would prove to be in his own life, just as readers of St Teresa in our own time might not have realised how important spiritual communion would become in time of pandemic. While Titus was able to receive Holy Communion at Dachau (including on the day of his death), there were times this was not possible. Unable to celebrate Mass at Scheveningen prison Titus describes how ‘each morning I kneel down and say the prayers of daily Mass, spiritual communion.’ In the camp at Amersfoort Titus led communal acts of spiritual communion with his fellow prisoners. The Eucharist and Contemplation An often-repeated spiritual teaching of Titus Brandsma is that ‘the mystical contemplative life is a fruit of the Eucharistic life.’ The Eucharist is what strengthens us to receive the gift of contemplation from God. And such contemplation leads to action. Titus told a group of young people: ‘Good deeds no longer suffice; they must originate in the consciousness that our union with God obliges us to perform them.’ carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 13
Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr WITNESS OF FORGIVENESS Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Seeking dialogue Throughout his life, Fr Titus Brandsma was a man of forgiveness and reconciliation, including in the most complicated situations and contexts. When he was Assistant Press Officer of the Catholic Press, he had to face complex situations (political instability, tension, labour struggles, radicalisation, etc.) and always demonstrated a willingness for dialogue, open to the pleas of all. Through this, he earned the nickname “the reconciler.” Similarly, during the year he held the position of Chancellor of the Catholic University of Nijmegen, Professor Brandsma tried to create an atmosphere of dialogue and always sought to nd opportunities for encounter and understanding. It was not easy, since the Central European universities at the beginning of the 1930s found themselves in an atmosphere of extreme tension between radicalisms of various types (communists, fascists, nationalists, etc.). Given this context, perhaps we can understand better his fondness for Esperanto, the artificial language created by Ludwig Zamenhof, to avoid so much division (including violence) provoked by the uneasy coexistence of languages, and to fend off the linguistic colonialism that often imposes itself. He saw Esperanto as an instrument of understanding, a way of overcoming the linguistic barriers that can feed racial, supremacist, and discriminatory divisions. Ecumenism At the same time, from this point of view, the ecumenical attitude of Titus is understood in all its depth. Our Carmelite was a true pioneer of ecumenism in Carmel. He formed, with great enthusiasm, the so-called “Apostolate of Reunification”, oriented to the better knowledge and rapprochement of Catholics with the eastern churches. In addition, he always showed a very respectful attitude and was close to the Protestants (mostly in the Netherlands) and always pursued frank and fraternal dialogue with the separated brethren. In the face of conflict During the long months of imprisonment in various prisons and concentration camps, Fr Titus lived together with several Protestants, some of whom would later testify during the beatification process, emphasising his generosity, kindness and deep trust in the Lord. This does not mean to say that he was a “diplomat,” nor that he lacked strong ethical and religious principles. Indeed, after the Dutch invasion Professor Brandsma would show his rm opposition to some of the Nazi government’s measures. For example, when he refused to comply with the obligatory order to expel Jewish children from schools, and when he told the directors of Catholic newspapers that they must refuse to publish Nazi propaganda. However, despite his rm rejection of National Socialist ideology, he never showed any hatred toward the guards of the Lager for what they did to him. 14
Blessing written by Titus Brandsma Prayer We ask you, Lord, that by the example and intervention of Saint Titus Brandsma, who endured the torments of martyrdom with joy and full confidence in Your Divine Will, we too, Carmelites of the 21st Century – friars, contemplative nuns, religious of the active life, Third Order members, lay people of various groups – may always testify to the radical nature of Christian love and the values of the Gospel, and that our lives may be seeds of reconciliation and forgiveness. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us. SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Icon of Titus Brandsma & Edith Stein at the National Shrine of St Jude at Faversham, Kent, courtesy of the British Province of Carmelites Moreover, our Carmelite invited the religious whom he met in Dachau to pray for them. Deep down, he believed that yielding to hatred would be the true victory of evil. Fr Titus never hated the Germans either as a people, as a nation. When the Gestapo sergeant Hardegen asked him to write a small essay about the reasons why the Dutch, and especially Catholics, opposed National Socialism, the prisoner developed a brief composition in which he elaborated on the philosophical, ethical and religious motives (a theme about which he had spoken frequently in his university classes). Despite the head-on opposition, the text concluded with a beautiful blessing: God bless the Netherlands! God bless Germany! May God grant these two peoples to return to the path of peace and freedom, and to recognise His Glory for the good of these two nations that are so close. Today In a world like ours, full of divisions and conflicts, Fr Titus appears before our eyes as an example, as a witness that reconciliation and forgiveness are possible, despite the difficulties, and as a true martyr for those most authentic Christian values. carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 15
Early Studies Fr Titus Brandsma did his doctorate in philosophy in Rome in 1909. He also used his “Roman years” to study sociology and make contact with the new currents of Christian social thought and with the social doctrine of the Church. Following this, throughout his academic life, many of his studies and courses were centered on topics of spirituality and mysticism. Since becoming part of the cluster of professors at the recently created Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923, our Carmelite was a professor of “History of Mysticism” and, in addition, taught various courses on the stages and authors of that history. A POET OF THE CROSS Young Titus with the Blessed Virgin Mary Areas of Research There are three speci c areas in which Fr Titus developed his research work. The rst was the translation and dissemination of the work of Saint Teresa of Jesus. For him, the fact that there was no full translation of the works of the saint, done according to scienti c criteria, presented a grave lacuna for the religious culture of the Netherlands. A group of Carmelite enthusiasts, together with Fr Titus, was able to translate several volumes, but were unable to nish the project. While in prison in Scheveningen, Fr Titus continued working on a spiritual biography of the Saint, and although he did not complete it, it would be completed and published in 1946, at the end of the war. In the second place, Professor Brandsma studied much of the thought and doctrine of the authors typical of the so-called devotio moderna - the rhenish-flemish mysticism including that of the beguines - that is, the spiritual literature of central and northern Europe (fundamentally the Netherlands) toward the end of the Middle Ages. Among the authors whom our Carmelite studied, were Jan Van Ruusbroec, Gerard (Geert) Groote, and Hadewijch of Antwerp. Finally, one should note his interest in the gures of Saint Willibrord and Saint Boniface, the evangelizers of Friesland, his region of origin. He highlighted, in many articles and sermons, their apostolic life and missionary generosity, something that Fr Titus called attention to because he himself wanted to go to the missions in Java in the 1920s, but was not given permission by his superiors. Illustration by Fr Emanuel Franco Gómez O.Carm @manuocarm Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr
Prayer We ask you, Lord, that, in the imitation of Saint Titus Brandsma, we may know how to be close to you, near to the cross, and that we may always feel you near to us in our crosses, both large and small, as our Friend, our Companion on the journey, and our Redeemer. May the cross always be for us a sign of love, of generous and total surrender to the cause of life, of solidarity and compassion for all. May we always say, in all the circumstances of life, with joy and full confidence in you, Hail to the Cross, our only hope. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us. SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Via Crucis From these three influences Father Titus developed a profound sympathy for the passion of the Lord and for the cross. In addition, he wrote two commentaries on the Stations of the Cross. The rst, written in 1921, emerged in very peculiar circumstances. The Belgian expressionist painter Albert Servaes had painted a Via Crucis (Way of the Cross) somewhat unusual for the tastes of that period. It provoked a great deal of debate. Finally, the Holy Office in Rome ordered that it not be displayed in places of worship. Fr Titus told Servaes to obey the order, but, at the same time, wrote a beautiful commentary on each of the stations that was published in Opgang magazine. The second commentary was written in more dramatic circumstances, in the Scheveningen prison. It was intended to accompany the images of each of the stations in the St Boniface Chapel (Bonifatiuskapel) in Dokkum, in whose construction Fr Titus had played an important role. In this Via Crucis, there is no reflection on the fourteenth station. Perhaps he had no time to write it; or perhaps he would write with his own testimony, a few months later in hell in Dachau. There is no doubt that this deep belief encouraged and consoled the prisoner Brandsma in his personal Via Crucis, whose stations were various prisons and concentration camps. Fr Titus felt deeply united to the passion of Christ and felt that the cruci ed God was very close to his sufferings. This is how it would be presented, as much in the beautiful poem “Before a Picture of Jesus In My Cell”, as in the talk he gave to the other prisoners on Good Friday 1942 in the camp at Amersfoort. Illustration by Fr Emanuel Franco Gómez O.Carm @manuocarm Fr Titus Brandsma with Carmelites in Boxmeer carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 17
Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. Hidden God Many of us experience God as hidden. There is nothing new in this. It is not something unique to our time. Already, two and a half thousand years ago, Isaiah sighed in exile: “Truly, You are a hidden God”. (Is 45:15). Throughout the centuries, people of faith have repeated such words to the Lord, up to and including Titus Brandsma. For Titus, the hiddenness of God was a deeply lived reality. In his prison cell at Scheveningen, Titus prayed the well-known hymn Adoro Te after lunch. In his account of his time in prison, ‘My Cell’, he tells us about this: “The Adoro Te has become my favourite prayer. Frequently I sing it softly and this helps me to make a spiritual communion”. Titus knew this song by heart. He prayed it daily and every Saturday evening he sang it with his fellow Carmelites during the Saturday Station of Our Lady. The hymn touched Titus deeply. He was familiar with it. He carried it with him into prison. There Titus sang it ‘softly’, on his knees, after his lunch of soup and bread. Prayerfully it dawned on him: really, God is hidden. Not now and then. Not here and there. Always and everywhere, God is hidden. After this moment of worship, Titus lit a pipe, walked to and fro in his small cell, and led his nails, which by now had become “too long and I could not nd the scissors.” God, for Titus, is hidden in the most ordinary things: a pipe of tobacco, walking to and fro, ling his nails. God’s hidden presence is hopeful for those who have come to know it and to live from it. Seeing his hiddeness can even become so familiar to us that it makes us happy. Our God does not come like a jack-in-the-box. He is not an Easter egg hidden somewhere or a magic trick. In the Dachau concentration camp, Titus’ hidden relationship with God is severely tested. Adoro Te drags him through it. When the camp guard has beaten him, he prays the Adoro Te together with his fellow Carmelite, Rafaël Tijhuis. Hurt in his frail body, he remained standing in God’s hidden presence. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr ADORO TE - HIDDEN GOD
Adoro Te Godhead here in hiding whom I do adore Masked by these bare shadows, shape and nothing more. See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art. Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived; How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed; What God’s Son has told me, take for truth I do; Truth himself speaks truly or there’s nothing true. On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men; Here thy very manhood steals from human ken: Both are my confession, both are my belief, And I pray the prayer made by the dying thief. I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see, But I plainly call thee Lord and God as he: This faith each day deeper be my holding of, Daily make me harder hope and dearer love. O thou, our reminder of the Cruci ed, Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died, Lend this life to me, then; feed and feast my mind, There be thou the sweetness man was meant to nd. Like what tender tales tell of the Pelican, Bathe me, Jesus Lord, in what thy bosom ran-- Blood that but one drop of has the pow’r to win All the world forgiveness of its world of sin. Jesus whom I look at shrouded here below, I beseech thee, send me what I thirst for so, Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light And be blest forever with thy glory’s sight. Attributed to St Thomas Aquinas; translation G.M. Hopkins. Carmelite students visit Dachau Concentration Camp in 2018 SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Prayer We ask you, Lord, that, in the imitation of Saint Titus Brandsma, we may know how to be close to you, near to the cross, and that we may always feel you near to us in our crosses, both large and small, as our Friend, our Companion on the journey, and our Redeemer. May the cross always be for us a sign of love, of generous and total surrender to the cause of life, of solidarity and compassion for all. May we always say, in all the circumstances of life, with joy and full confidence in you… Hail to the Cross, our only hope. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us. carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 19
During his life Titus Brandsma stressed the importance of active contemplation. Some people think of contemplation as something done by strange people called the mystics. Yet, Carmelites understand contemplation as an attitude of openness to God, whose presence we discover in all things. As an attitude, it can permeate any dimension of our lives, no matter what our work is. Contemplation is for everybody! Living in the presence of God Inspired by Elijah, “As the Lord lives in whose sight I stand”, Titus stressed the importance of living continually in the presence of God. Contemplative practice involves building an awareness of staying before the face of God throughout our day. Even in a life of intense activity, each of us can live in God’s presence. Contemplation starts when we entrust ourselves to God, in whatever way God chooses to approach us. It is up to God, not up to us. It is his work in us. God is willing to touch and transform us to be like him. God wants to lead us to be united in love with him, so that we may live in his loving presence. This fow of divine love slowly and gradually changes us. It empties us of our limited and imperfect human ways of thinking, loving, and behaving, transforming them into divine ways. Contemplation transforms Contemplation, then, is a dynamic element which unites our prayer, living in relationship with others and the reality of life and work. With contemplation our prayer is no longer mere lip service, it becomes contemplative, as St Teresa of Avila says, “A close sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with him who we know loves us.” Our relationships with our neighbours become contemplative as we are enabled to see God in our sisters and brothers, with all their strengths and weaknesses, and to appreciate the mystery of those with whom we share our lives. This experience of contemplation in prayer and in community compels us to seek the face of God also in the heart of the world. This belief moves us to lend our hands to the ones who suffer and need help. This contemplation is what Titus Brandsma firmly believes in. He summarises Carmelite life as complete dedication to contemplation; it should be interrupted only because of necessity – when there is need to go to people and speak to them of God. Only charity toward one’s neighbour or obedience can be reasons for leaving God for the sake of God. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified in 1985. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. CONTEMPLATIVE
Contemplation and others God can be found in the places of worship. However, if we have to go and lend our hand to our brothers and sisters in need, we can find God there, too. Leaving God for the sake of God is a kind of mantra which helps us to be contemplative anywhere and anytime. But how far did Titus go with this belief? The answer is at the very end of his life. Fearlessly Titus fought the injustice the Nazis showed in the Netherlands. He defended the weak who were marginalized and suffered under Nazi oppression, stating bravely, The Catholic Church does not make any differences regarding sex, race, and people! The consequence of this attitude was his detention. When he was in Scheveningen prison, among loneliness and brutal cold, his contemplative eyes saw God. He then wrote a prayer: For Thou, O Jesus, art with me I have never been so close to You. Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet, Your presence makes all things good for me. Contemplation in darkness In Dachau concentration camp, when he was beaten so severely, he sang Adoro Te Devote, a hymn contemplating the presence of Jesus in the Eucharist. Finally, to the agnostic nurse who would inject him with a lethal solution, he gave his simple rosary, encouraging her to pray the last phrase of Hail Mary, “Pray for us sinners.” Titus saw in this agnostic nurse, his executioner, the presence of God. He was a truly contemplative person. SAINT TITUS BRANDSMA Prayer We ask you, Lord, that, in the imitation of Saint Titus Brandsma, we may know how to be close to you, near to the cross, and that we may always feel you near to us in our crosses, both large and small, as our Friend, our Companion on the journey, and our Redeemer. May the cross always be for us a sign of love, of generous and total surrender to the cause of life, of solidarity and compassion for all. May we always say, in all the circumstances of life, with joy and full confidence in you… Hail to the Cross, our only hope. Amen. Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us. Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us. carmelites.org.au/titusbrandsma 21
Anno Brandsma was born in the Dutch province of Friesland in 1881. He joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking his father’s name, Titus, as his religious name. He made his First Profession in October 1899 and was ordained priest on 17 June 1905. As an academic Titus specialised in philosophy and mysticism. He helped to found the Catholic University of Nijmegen in 1923 and later served as Rector Magnificus. In the years before the Second World War Titus was openly critical of the Nazi ideology. During the occupation of Holland, he defended the freedom of the Press and of the Catholic Press in particular. Titus was arrested in January 1942 and sent to Dachau Concentration Camp where he was killed by lethal injection on 26 July 1942. He was beatified as a martyr in 1985 and canonised on 15 May 2022. The poem ‘O Jesus’, which Titus Brandsma wrote – and which was smuggled out of the prison – is for many people a comfort. The Inscription Titus wrote the poem in two days,12 and 13 February 1942, in the convict prison of Scheveningen – established for political prisoners. The poem places itself ‘Before the image of Jesus’. In his cell, Titus has fixed three small illustrations from his breviary on his small folding table: the image of Christ on the cross, with the wounds of the Sacred Heart; St Teresa with her saying Mori aut pati (to die or to suffer); and, St John of the Cross with his Pati et contemni (to suffer and to be scorned). The Opening Line The opening line evokes the atmosphere of contemplative attention. Seated silently ‘before the image of Jesus’, Titus Brandsma keeps his loving gaze directed to Jesus on the cross. The lament ‘O Jesus’ expresses the intimacy of his attention. Once More Alive, That… That… Titus prayerfully explains what is happening whilst he gazes: ‘Once more alive…’ Devotion causes us to ‘rise up out of tepidity’ and ‘awakens love’. In his description of the movement of love coming from Titus and the counter movement coming from Jesus, Titus describes not only the reciprocal love he experiences but, more than that, a special friendship. Good friends should mutually care for each other so that the value of friendship is not lost. In ‘O, Jesus’ the special nature of the friendship arises out of the mutually shared suffering. Suffering Shared in Friendship A friend asks for the courage to suffer, a ‘special friend’ asks for ‘the courage to suffer more’, certainly when it concerns the friendship with Jesus who bears the suffering of humanity. Whoever suffers with his friend is like him. Thus, the disciples of Jesus ‘resemble’ Him who had gone before them on the way of ‘suffering’ in solidarity in suffering which leads into his Kingdom of peace. Friends desire to ‘resemble’ each other, they do not wish to see their friend standing there all alone, they wish to share the lot of their friend. In this spirit Titus says: ‘Oh, for me all suffering is good’. Friends bear each other’s suffering, through which ‘all suffering’, which in itself is evil, is ‘good’ for ‘me’ as a ‘friend’. Titus Brandsma Carmelite and Martyr ‘O JESUS, WHEN I GAZE ON YOU’
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