St. Edith Stein (St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) stayed up all night reading Teresa of Avila’s autobiography in 1922. By morning, she informed her best friend, Hedwig Conrad-Martius, she was going to become a Catholic. Hedwig was also a philosopher. She knew Edith’s Jewish family would be upset, and knew Christian philosophers were not in demand in Germany. Hedwig demanded to know why.
And Edith didn’t reply. She just wrote on a nearby piece of paper, “secretum meum mihi,” Latin for “my secret is mine, or my secret is unto me.” Jesus made sense to HER.
When I read this story - it inspired me to start this newsletter for Catholic women pondering the things that just don’t make sense to friends, family or co-workers.
Don't you have a secret too?
At work, you never mention faith for fear of being misunderstood.
At church, you never mention your work because no one asks.
And family challenges are often too personal to mention to the church ladies.
Friends and family have a rightful place in our hearts, but we often feel inadequate to meet their needs. The daily pace never slows. Even though it has been a century since St. Edith Stein converted, women of faith still struggle to be taken seriously.
My Secret is Mine newsletter is for all women, pondering the meaning of the Messiah. No, we do not fully understand the Mystery, but we trust in the promise, and believe that our pondering is already bearing fruit.
My Secret is Mine?