In 2018 I had the opportunity to attend the Carmelite formation course on Titus Brandsma in the Netherlands and Germany. Learning more about him made me realise that as an individual and the Order at large, we have a lot to learn from and imitate about Titus. As we approach the canonisation of Titus I have decided to outline how he can be a model of Carmelite life specifically in the context of the Zimbabwean Commissariate I belong to. I should highlight that this reflection was influenced by the works of scholars like Miguel Arribas, Boniface Hanley, Vanden Heuvel, and Leopold Glueckert.

Titus possessed a profound “practical insight” into situations which can be understood as discretion. This enabled him to deal exceptionally with problematic situations like misunderstandings in the community and elsewhere. In a general sense this means that conflict is inevitable wherever two or more people gather in the same space hence the need to be discreet in conflict solving. In his own right, Titus can be regarded as an embodiment of such a great trait which the Order and the Commissariat in Zimbabwe must emulate in word and in deed. For instance, Carmel in Zimbabwe finds itself in the midst of people who belong to different political parties, cultures, and religions. The Carmelite family in Zimbabwe consists of brothers and sisters who owe their being to such a diversified society. Conflict and other problems proper to community living are bound to arise. As such, Titus reminds us to be peacemakers braced with the weapon of “practical insight” so as to create an enabling environment for Carmelites in Zimbabwe to continue to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ (Carmelite Rule 2) as well as to help the people they serve to do likewise.

In light of the Carmelite charism which states that we are a contemplative fraternity in the midst of people, Titus reiterates the importance of guarding against mere externalization of spirituality which is void of an authentic mystical or inner spiritual life. In a way, Titus advocates a balanced Carmelite way of life, such that no pillar of our Charism should be overemphasized at the expense of the others. This also connects with the Order’s ability to read and interpret the signs of times in order to live our charism in a manner that is relevant to our context. Titus in his lecture on the Concept of God in 1932 emphasized the need to find new ways of conceiving God according to the “spirit of the age.” According to Titus, we have to continue finding new ways of making God known. Those forms should be in line with our modern culture. This is essential as new times require new forms of expression. The past seventy-five years of Carmelite presence in Zimbabwe chronicles how the Commissariat engaged the “spirit of the age” in its provisions of service. From the advent of Carmelites in Zimbabwe to the present day, the Commissariat partakes in various ministries such as pastoral work, chaplaincy, education, and retreat-giving. However, a further challenge from Titus is a need to venture into various apostolates relevant to the needs of our country and the local Church.

Titus comprehensively brings out the importance of our two models of inspiration namely Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the Prophet Elijah. Titus talks about how Carmelites share in the double portion of the prophet Elijah. Experience enlightens us to understand that ‘inheritance’ is a portion of something given to the first child and in the Zimbabwe context, the first born son. So, the double portion of the spirit of Elijah is the inheritance given to Carmelites, the privileged children of Elijah in order to keep the tradition of the family and to follow in the footsteps of the prophet Elijah. For Titus, the double portion of the spirit of Elijah represents our contemplative and active participation in the life of the prophet Elijah, our father. God used to call him from his contemplative life to fulfill an active role in the society and thereafter he always returned to contemplation.

In the same manner, Carmelites are called to be active contemplatives who, in their active apostolates, should always fall back on contemplation. In fact, contemplation should be regarded as the higher and better part of Carmelite life. So, the double portion of the spirit of Elijah is the harmonious union of the human exercise of virtue and the divine infusion of mystical life; the union of the purgative and illuminative ways with the unitive way (Valabek 221). Thus Carmelites are reminded to live a life of uniting active and passive contemplation. There should be the union of human effort and the mystical life of God. Human challenges, sufferings or sacrifices in prayer and virtue will be rewarded by God “with the beautifying vision of His love and greatness” (224)

Furthermore, Titus helped in the founding of the Catholic University of Nijmegen. Titus valued religious education. He believed. A lack of religious education results in a lack of an attitude of reverence of all creation and especially for other people. I concur with Titus because religious education is essential if human beings are going to be treated with dignity as they are created in the image and likeness of God. Moreover, the inclusion of religion in education helps one to understand oneself, other people, and other societies. Titus' teaching about the reverence of all creation cements the contemporary, ever-growing realization that human beings and the ecology are connected. Today, Titus reminds the Order and the Carmelites in Zimbabwe of the pertinent need to contribute not only in shaping the future generations through the provision of integrated education, but also in practical ministries like environmental apostolates (clean-up campaigns and the placement of litter bins in key spots). This also serves as a practical witness to other people to reverence all creation.

As a journalist Titus unsparingly worked with the media and thus engaged in issues pertaining to social justice. In late 1935 he became the National Spiritual Adviser to the Union of Catholic Journalists. In this apostolate Titus gave his all, even to the point of losing his life, fighting for justice and the truth. In like manner, Carmelites of today have a responsibility like that of Prophet Elijah, which Titus epitomizes, to resolutely stand for the truth always. Standing for what is right comes with its challenges. For instance, during Titus' time some restrictions were imposed on the Catholic radio network so that it was suspended and its freedom of expression consequently thwarted such that it was hardly possible to speak of a Catholic Press.

While in prison at Scheveningen, Amersfoort, and Dachau, Titus faced difficult situations but he remained hopeful and also infused others with hope. Titus’ Good Friday talk shed light on his own approach to what was happening to him. Faith and hope made Titus strong and unrelenting even in the face of stern hostility. Even in great suffering, Titus remained in communion with God. Titus' believed that his sufferings were a participation in the passion of Christ such that in the like-manner as the resurrected Christ, Titus too will emerge victorious. Titus believed that it was only God who could enable him to sail through the darkness he was facing.  For him, suffering is an opportunity to experience God’s love in us.

In the contemporary world, especially in Zimbabwe but elsewhere in the world as well, the Carmelite friars are ministering in difficult situations and to broken people whose sufferings are exacerbated by economic meltdown which is dwindling their sources of livelihood. Apart from economic constraints, war is one of the ravaging evils of our time. In recent times, the apocalyptic effects of war are apparent in Ukraine and other warzone countries worldwide. In such times, Titus postulates that faith and hope in God and in our capacity as human beings to revere life and all creation will one day triumph over such existential evils like war. The Order at this time and all times, should unapologetically remain a harbinger and repository of hope, peace, and reconciliation.

Finally, in Titus, Carmelites are reminded to be agents of unity since they serve people from all walks of life. Different ethnicities and religious and political affiliations should not take precedence over the fact that we are all human beings created in the image of God. Titus went a step further to defend the rights of the Jews and advocated for their admission to Catholic schools. Moreover, Titus' founding of an association called ‘Apostolate of Re-unification’ furthered his intention of uniting Catholics and our brethren from the Eastern Church. The question is what are we doing today as Carmelites in the area of ecumenism?

May the celebration of the canonisation of Titus Brandsma bring renewal to the whole Carmelite Order and the entire Church.

Underson Musina O. Carm

Read the original article in Shona  pdf here(74 KB)

Writings of Titus Brandsma (Critical Edition)

A project of the Brandsma Institute - Radboud University

Dr. Anne-Marie Bos

Website: https://titusbrandsmateksten.nl (in Dutch)

Texts: 

https://titusbrandsmateksten.nl/writings/  (in Dutch)

https://titusbrandsmateksten.nl/translations/english/  (in English)

https://titusbrandsmateksten.nl/translations/spanish/  (in Spanish)

Commentaries on Titus Brandsma’s Writings: 

https://titusbrandsmateksten.nl/translations/spanish/  (Dutch/English/Spanish)

TITUS BRANDSMA INSTITUTE (TBI)

A research institute for the academic study of spirituality within the Judeo-Christian tradition, past and present; for the benefit of Church and society by means of publications, education, and formation.

The institute was established in 1968 in memory of Professor Dr. Titus Brandsma O. Carm (1881-1942) and is located at Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.

Website: www.titusbrandsmainstituut.nl

TITUS BRANDSMA ARCHIVES

The edition project of the Titus Brandsma Institute is primarily based on the archives of the Dutch Carmelite Province, especially the Titus Brandsma archives.

These archives are managed by the Dutch Carmelite Institute (Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut (NCI) in Boxmeer.

Website: www.carmeliteinstitute.nl

THE TITUS BRANDSMA FAMILY ARCHIVE

The Archives Portal Europe

The archive was originally gifted to the Archive and Documentation Centre for the Roman Catholic Friesland Foundation (ADRKF) by the Hettinga family from Bolsward, the descendants of Fr. Titus Brandsma’s sister Gatske de Boer-Brandsma.

Project Website: https://archivesportaleurope.blog/2021/12/09/the-titus-brandsma-family-archive-in-archives-portal-europe/

Family Archives Website: https://www.archivesportaleurope.net/ead-display/-/ead/pl/aicode/NL-BwdADRKF/type/fa/id/NL-BwdADRKF-2

Database containing a list of articles written by Titus and others written on him from 1985-2017.

During the Chapter of the Provincial Commissariat of Sumatra, Indonesia, held on March 5-10, the following were elected:

Comisario Provincial | Commissary Provincial | Commissario provinciale:
P. Yohans Tinto Tiopanus Hasugian, O. Carm. 

1er Consejero | 1^st Councilor | 1° Consigliere: 
P. Wilibrordus Agus Purwanto, O. Carm.

2do Consejero | 2^nd Councilor | 2° Consigliere: 
P. Andreas Corsini Lamtarida Simbolon, O. Carm.

During the Chapter of the Provincial Commissariat of Eastern Indonesia, held on March 17-18, 2022, the following were elected: 

Comisario Provincial | Commissary Provincial | Commissario provinciale:
P. Florianus Stefanus Buyung, O. Carm.

1er Consejero | 1st Councilor | 1° Consigliere: 
P. Fransiskus Berto Gagu, O. Carm. 

2do Consejero | 2nd Councilor | 2° Consigliere: 
P. Yanto Yohanes Ndona, O. Carm.

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite community of the Monastery of the Ss.ma Trinità in Jesi (Ancona) Italy, took place on March 29, 2022.

The results of the elective chapter were as follows:

Prioress | Priora | Priora:  
Sr. Alma M. Joseph Sponziello, O. Carm.

1st Councilor  | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sr. M. Chiara Sabbatini, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera  | 2ª Consigliera: 
Sr. M. Giovanna Francesca Recososa, O. Carm.

Formator | Formadora  | Formatrice:
Sr. M. Giovanna Francesca Recososa, O. Carm.

Treasurer | Ecónoma  | Economa: 
Sr. Anna Maria Hinlo, O. Carm.

Sacristan| Sacristana | Sacrestana: 
Sr. M. Alma Jesusa Santos, O. Carm.

If nature and nurture determine one’s personality, I was predestined to become a Carmelite. Brought up with Carmelite friends of my parents in a Carmelite parish and at a Carmelite school, all of which stands for my upbringing and significant others in my childhood, my nurturing.

The Historical Institute of the Order of Servants of Mary and the Institutum Carmelitanum are promoting a course for archivists of the Servite and Carmelite families: friars, nuns, sisters, and lay people. The course has been organized by the respective general archives:. It will be held in Italian and will focus mainly on the organization and management of the current archives. 

After a general introduction, the course will deal with the following topics: filling plan, protocols, preservation plans, management manuals, electronic documents and archives and the economics of archives. The course program can be found in the attachment to this email and will be available on the Carmelite Archives website (https://archivioocarm.com/) as well as on the Facebook page of the General Archives of the Carmelites.

The course will be held in Rome, in the new Aula Magna of the Pontifical Theological Faculty “Marianum," from June 30 to July 2, 2022. It will be possible to participate either in person or online. The registration fee is € 50.00.   

Registrations must be received by May 31, 2022, by emailing the General Archivist, Fr. Mario Alfarano: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.. Registrants will be given all the necessary practical information.

Download the course program  pdf here(29 KB)

Nature and Nurture

If nature and nurture determine one’s personality, I was predestined to become a Carmelite. Brought up with Carmelite friends of my parents in a Carmelite parish and at a Carmelite school, all of which stands for my upbringing and significant others in my childhood, my nurturing. There was no escape. Consequently, in 2001, I became a member of the Carmelite family as a Third Order Carmelite: my ‘genetic print,’ my nature.

Father Titus and My Hometown

It all started in Oss, a small industrial town in the southern Dutch province of Brabant. I was born in 1957 in Oss. From 1909 till 1923 Father Titus lived in Oss in a Carmelite monastery and taught philosophy. He founded a secondary school, the Carmel College, where I studied for 8 years. A statue of Father Titus stood prominently in front of the college.

So there I was in Oss, 15 years after father Titus Brandsma was murdered in Dachau. We both have this connection with that small town called Oss. I grew up there. The old and new Carmelite monastery were a daily fact of life, a part of life, my family’s life, as well as the old and new friar’s church, the cemetery, and the schools.

Father Galema, who I knew as one of the Carmelite teachers at my college, was buried next to my sister Marike. She unfortunately passed away in 1978 after a long struggle with cancer at the age of 18 years. The local Carmelite community and Father Falco Thuis, the prior general from 1971-1983, were of great consolation for my parents who had just lost a child. Marike was a faithful young woman.

Facing death, she was full of hope and resigned herself to her destiny, believing she would be with God, with Jesus. My sister Marike gave me a spiritual boost at the time. Now, when I read his poem, she reminds me of Father Titus and how he suffered and kept his faith, experiencing Jesus as his good and close friend.

 “Sweet Jesus, I in Thee and Thou In me shall never part……No grief shall fall my way but I Shall see thy grief-filled eyes; The lonely way that Thou once walked Has made me sorrow-wise.”

A Call

Together with my brothers and sisters I grew up in a Catholic family with loving and caring parents. Our mother made our house a home, warm and secure. Our father, who was a lawyer and later in life a judge at a Criminal Court, taught us about solidarity with the less fortunate and about justice and righteousness as the essence of our faith.

“Many and varied are the ways in which our saintly forefathers laid down how everyone, whatever his station or the kind of religious observance he has chosen, should live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ — how, pure in heart and stout in conscience, he must be unswerving in the service of his Master.”

As a teenager, my dream was to become a priest and a missionary to live and work in Africa. I soon discovered celibacy was not my call. Instead of the seminary and monastery, I choose the university in Amsterdam and became a medical doctor. I married my Marlène and we moved to The Hague. We were both with busy jobs in a busy city with a busy family life. We hungered for silence, prayer and community.

During the early years of our marriage, Father Jos Boermans, also one of my former teachers at the Titus Brandsma college, has been a great support and inspiration for Marlène and myself developing our mutual Carmelite marital spirituality. In our correspondence and meetings, we teasingly referred to him as brother B. as in the first chapter of the Rule of Saint Albert.

“Albert, called by God’s favour to be Patriarch of the Church of Jerusalem, bids health in the Lord and the blessing of the Holy Spirit to his beloved sons in Christ, B. and the other hermits under obedience to him, who live near the spring on Mount Carmel.”

Catholic values, such as human dignity, solidarity, and service in the community for the common good, defined Father Titus’ life. In my own spiritual development, I realized more and more that the same values defined my life, in my choices as a medical doctor as well as my activities in the Church. Therefore, I decided (actually my wife came up with the idea) to start the diaconate formation program and was ordained as a deacon in 1995. In the diocese people joked: “Did God call Paul? We thought it was Marlène.”

“What makes society enjoyable, rather than organised rights and duties, are patience, mutual tolerance and mercifulness. In short: love.”

My Daily Focus and Inspiration

When choosing a password one tends to include a personal reference. For me a password helps me to focus whatever activity I perform. My many digital passwords for computer, apps, social media, websites, work related domains, and God knows what else, all of which are too complicated to remember properly, include a reference to Father Titus.

“Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayer unless attending to some other duty.”

City of International Justice and Peace

During my study of medicine, my wife and I moved to The Hague, the city where the International Court of Justice for arbitrage in conflicts between countries (the Peace Palace) is located.

“The Nazi movement is regarded by the Dutch people not only as an insult to God in relation to his creatures, but a violation of the glorious traditions of the Dutch nation. God bless the Netherlands. God bless Germany. May God grant that both nations will soon be standing side by side in full peace and harmony.”

At the Nuremberg trials after the Second World War, individuals were tried for crimes of conspiracy, crimes against peace, war crimes, and crimes against humanity. In the 1990s the Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia was erected under the auspices of the United Nation’s Security Council.

At that time, I just started my medical practice as a general practitioner. With only a few patients my income was not sufficient to cover all expenses created by life in the city and a young family. Looking for a job to earn some extra money on the side, I began working as a prison doctor at the Scheveningen prison. In the early years I worked in the detention unit were Father Titus Brandsma had been held prisoner by the Nazis. A nickname for this prison during the Second World War was “the Orange Hotel” a reference to it as the prison of the resistance fighters in support of the Oranje, the Dutch royal house. During my rounds to visit detainees, I often passed the original “death” cell in which Father Titus must have stayed and wrote his poem.

During lock-up time I managed to visit the original death cell a few times. The most memorable visit was with Carmelite Father Constant Dölle [ed note: author of Encountering God in the Abyss, who met Fr. Titus when his family hosted Brandsma on several occasions at their home.] and a few other Carmelites. Later in life, Father Constant became seriously visually impaired. I took him by the hand and described to him the images I saw and red the texts on the wall. Thereafter, I brought his hand towards the subjects, he touched them and told me how he recognized Father Titus’ descriptions of his cell. Father Constant also spoke about the phrases carved into the walls such as “God is faithful” and “Stay courageous.”

Not in my wildest dreams could I have guessed that years later I would work for several International Criminal Tribunals as a fully trained penitentiary physician. Individuals, detained and accused of war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide, are my patients. To be able to perform my duty as their doctor I have to set aside my knowledge about the accusations, their violence, and the victims. First of all “innocent until proven guilty” but more importantly is what Father Titus taught me:

God is present, hidden, in every human being and in all of creation. Every moment God creates everything that is, out of nothing. All is in God and God is in all.

And “Evil and unjust are temporarily. Finally, good wins through good choices and deeds by inspired people.”

In Summary

Walking my path in life, Father Titus Brandsma has always walked beside me. There were times I was not aware of his presence – like the disciples heading to Emmaus – although his influence and the presence of the Carmelite community moulded and sculpted my spirituality and my choices; At other times, and definitely later in life, Father Titus and the whole Carmelite community supported me in coming to recognize God’s face and how to stand before God.

“Search God in the depth of our own existence; resign in silence and peace… God, the Source, will approach us in ordinary things; We only need to open ourselves….. We only need to do ordinary things in an extra-ordinary way.

About the Author:

Paulus Falke is a medical doctor, a deacon of the Catholic Church, and a member of the Third Order of the Dutch Province of the Carmelite Order. He and his wife Marlene have four biological children: Marike (Maria), Guus (Gus), Sarah, and Zwaan (Swanny) and 5 “foster children” whom they looked after and are still in contact with: Monica, Max, Marilyn, Jamie and Sonja. The couple founded Saint Jacob’s Hospice for terminal ill patients in 1995. The hospice, located in The Hague, has the motto: “Every life is worth living, how vulnerable or disabled it may be.” In the Holy year 2000, two television documentaries were made about the family. One focused on Falke’s work as a family doctor and deacon. It was titled “Doctor Amongst the Poor.” The second told the story of the family—how they as parents were raising the children in a inner city are with many social problems and how faith was an essential part of their lives.