Fr. Paul Pecchie
Saint Titus Brandsma, a relatively new saint for the Church, died in a Nazi concentration
camp in July of 1942.
Before the war, he was a Carmelite intellectual and pioneer of the spiritual life. During the
war, he ended up in a concentration camp because of his leadership among intellectuals. For
months, he lived amid horrific conditions, working from dawn to dusk. He was repeatedly
beaten and le unconscious in the mud. St. Titus endured all the suffering and did not give up.
He encouraged his fellow prisoners to not yield to the hatred. Shortly before he died in the camp, he wrote a poem to
express his feelings and prayers.
It is a powerful illustration of how there can be peace, even in the midst of suffering, and how there can be light
even in the darkness. The poem begins with St. Titus looking up to heaven to see God. He could only look up because
everywhere down and around him was death and evil.
A cup of sorrow, I foresee
which I except for love of thee
the painful way I wish to go
the only way to God
I know my soul is full of peace and light
although in pain, this light shines bright
for here that keep us to their breast,
my longing heart to find their rest
For thou alone. I have no fear
never were thou. Oh Lord, so near
sweet Jesus, please abide with me
my deepest peace I find in thee.
—St. Titus Brandsma
Jesus promises to send the fire of the Holy Spirit to us. He also invites us to take up our cross. It is normal to feel
no desire to embrace the crosses in our lives. Who doesnʼt have a cross or two? For example: parenting a colicky baby,
caring for an elderly parent with dementia, financial difficulties, or a health diagnosis that wonʼt go away. But there is a
secret in Catholicism that once learned, will transform your life.
Consider the ideas of a great Catholic writer who lived in the 1400s. Back then, as today, people carried heavy
crosses. He says:
Jesus has always many who love His heavenly kingdom, but few who bear His cross. He finds many to share His
table, but few to take part in His fasting. All desire to be happy with Him; few wish to suffer anything for Him. Many
love Him as long as they encounter no hardship.”-Thomas A Kempis, The Imitation of Christ 2:11
The secret in Catholicism is to become a soul that embraces the cross and joins Christ in His passion. Instead of
praying that our crosses go away, we should accept Godʼs will and join them to our Lordʼs cross.
What cross in my life could I embrace with more faith?