On January 21st 2022, the 38th anniversary of Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa’s passing to eternal life, the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm held a Eucharistic celebration at Saint Teresa’s Motherhouse in Germantown, New York. The theme of this year’s celebration is ‘Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa: A Companion in Care.’ The Most Reverend Gerardo J. Colacicco of the Archdiocese of New York served as the principal celebrant. Also present were the Very Reverend Mario Esposito, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of the Carmelite Friars of the Saint Elias Province in Middletown, NY, Rev. James Hess, O.Carm., and the Professed Brothers of the St. Eliseus Priory in Harrison, NJ. The Mass was live-streamed to the public via the Carmelite Sisters website, and was attended by the Avila Sisters.
Bishop Colacicco’s homily reflected on this quote about Mother Angeline: “She lived her baptismal and religious consecrations brightly and intensely right up to the day God called her back to himself.”
These are highlighted excerpts from Bishop Colacicco’s homily:
…That light of Christ that she first received at her baptism… that call for everyone baptized Christian to be light to this world – she took very seriously. When challenges of life… tried to dim that light… that light burned brightly and intensely and it enabled those around her to live their consecrations as well.
At funerals, (there is a reading) from the Book of Wisdom… ‘The souls of the just are in the hand of God… In the time of their visitation they shall shine, and they shall dart about like sparks through stubble’. We know the power of the spark. It can ignite. The spark of Mother‘s life in cooperation with God’s grace and cooperation with divine providence continues to ignite.… her light enabled her to see clearly the path that God had chosen for her life, the purpose of her life… It was in that light that enabled her to see clearly… the aged and infirm and embrace them with love and compassion.
Mother’s life and example still shines brightly to remind us to be something different; to allow the spark of His light to shine forth from us so that no one remains in darkness; so that no one is in the shadow – that we are able to see clearly those whom Christ hides in. So that when we touch their life, we touch Him.
…Holy Communion is the fuel that keeps the flame of faith burning brightly and intensely in our lives, just as it did in Mother’s life… so Christ might be seen, reverenced, and loved in all we say and do. Mother believed this. She lived it and she has passed this legacy on to each and every one of us. Let us live out our baptismal and religious consecrations brightly and intensely for however long God’s providence allows.