Today May 8

Today, finally, is the feast day of the wonderful Sister Miriam Teresa, surname Demjanovich. Her parents were immigrants from Slovakia and she was born in the great state of New Jersey. She was very bright and from a young age had two favorite pastimes: baseball and reading. She also was a joyful member of the glee club. She started school at age 4, high school at 12 and graduated at 15. She took 2 years off to nurse her sick mother, then went to the College of St. Elizabeth and was graduated in 1923 with a bachelor's degree in literature summa cum laude. She taught for a year in Jersey City, then made a novena to ask God what she should do with her life and where she should go. She became convinced she should be a Sister of Charity (even though she'd entertained thoughts of Carmel before this). She entered in 1925, followed the rule to the letter in the novitiate, was allowed to take her final vows in 1926 (after her older brother intervened) and died in 1927 after a minor bout with tonsillitis and appendicitis. She hardly made a ripple in the community . . . until it was discovered (after her death) that the fabulous conferences that had been given by Father Benedict were all the writings of the dear little Miriam Teresa, she of the humble, prompt, legalistic obedience; she the only one who had teaching experience and had been asked to teach -- which she did happily though she hated it; she who suffered (invisibly) the crown of thorns; she who her confessor swore "never offended God by a deliberate venial sin." Her great insight into the spiritual life was simply this: Union with God is possible for anyone -- anyone -- who chooses to always say "yes" to God. "If all would only make use of the ordinary duties and trials of their state in the way God intended, they would all become saints." Amen, sister.