St. Teresa Margaret Redi

Today is the feast of a little-known Carmelite saint, a Florentine nun from the eighteenth century. I had to do a report on her when I was a novice, a report that I later turned into a talk that I gave in courses and programs about such people.

Teresa Margaret died young, 22 years old. The above portrait was painted when she lay in her coffin, although the artist chose to present her alive with her eyes open.

Unlike many Carmelite saints, she left no writings, and history has preserved only a few of her sayings. My favorite is the quote below. The other quote is from Rumi, the great Persian mystic and poet.

We swim in God's mercy like fish in the sea.

~ St. Teresa Margaret Redi, OCD

Are you jealous of the ocean's generosity?

Why would you refuse to give

this joy to anyone?

Fish don't hold the sacred liquid in cups.

They swim the huge fluid freedom.

~ Rumi

My wish for you on this Labor Day and every day is that you swim joyfully in whatever sea you find yourself.