Way of the Cross with Titus Brandsma, O. Carm.
Hidden God
Many of us experience God as hidden. There is nothing new in this. It is not something unique to our time. Already, two and a half thousand years ago, Isaiah sighed in exile: “Truly, You are a hidden God”. (Is 45:15). Throughout the centuries, people of faith have repeated such words to the Lord, up to and including Titus Brandsma. For Titus, the hiddenness of God was a deeply lived reality.
In his prison cell at Scheveningen, Titus prayed the well-known hymn Adoro Te after lunch. In his account of his time in prison, 'My Cell', he tells us about this: “The Adoro Te has become my favourite prayer. Frequently I sing it softly and this helps me to make a spiritual communion”.
Titus knew this song by heart. He prayed it daily and every Saturday evening he sang it with his fellow brothers during the Saturday Station of Our Lady. The hymn touched Titus deeply. He was familiar with it. He carried it with him into prison. There Titus sang it ‘softly’, on his knees, after his lunch of soup and bread. Prayerfully it dawned on him: really, God is hidden. Not now and then. Not here and there. Always and everywhere, God is hidden.
After this moment of worship, Titus lit a pipe, walked to and fro in his small cell, and filed his nails, which by now had become “too long and I could not find the scissors.” God, for Titus, is hidden in the most ordinary things: a pipe of tobacco, walking to and fro, filing his nails.
God’s hidden presence is hopeful for those who have come to know it and to live from it. Seeing his hiddenness can even become so familiar to us that it makes us happy. Our God does not come like a jack-in-the-box. He is not an Easter egg hidden somewhere or a magic trick.
In the Dachau concentration camp, Titus’ hidden relationship with God is severely tested. Adoro Te drags him through it. When the camp guard has beaten him, he prays the Adoro Te together with his fellow brother, Rafaël Tijhuis. Hurt in his frail body, he remained standing in God’s hidden presence.
Adoro Te
Godhead here in hiding whom I do adore
Masked by these bare shadows,
shape and nothing more.
See, Lord, at thy service low lies here a heart
Lost, all lost in wonder at the God thou art.
Seeing, touching, tasting are in thee deceived;
How says trusty hearing? that shall be believed;
What God's Son has told me, take for truth I do;
Truth himself speaks truly or there's nothing true.
On the cross thy godhead made no sign to men;
Here thy very manhood steals from human ken:
Both are my confession, both are my belief,
And I pray the prayer made by the dying thief.
I am not like Thomas, wounds I cannot see,
But I plainly call thee Lord and God as he:
This faith each day deeper be my holding of,
Daily make me harder hope and dearer love.
O thou, our reminder of the Crucified,
Living Bread, the life of us for whom he died,
Lend this life to me, then; feed and feast my mind,
There be thou the sweetness man was meant to find.
Like what tender tales tell of the Pelican,
Bathe me, Jesus Lord, in what thy bosom ran--
Blood that but one drop of has the pow'r to win
All the world forgiveness of its world of sin.
Jesus whom I look at shrouded here below,
I beseech thee, send me what I thirst for so,
Some day to gaze on thee face to face in light
And be blest forever with thy glory's sight.
Attributed to St Thomas Aquinas; translation G.M. Hopkins.
Prayer
We ask you, Lord,
that, in the imitation of Saint Titus Brandsma,
we may know how to be close to you, near to the cross,
and that we may always feel you near to us in our crosses, both large and small,
as our Friend, our Companion on the journey, and our Redeemer.
May the cross always be for us a sign of love,
of generous and total surrender to the cause of life,
of solidarity and compassion for all.
May we always say, in all the circumstances of life,
with joy and full confidence in you…
Ave Crux Spes Unica…
Amen.
Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us.
Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us.
Download the Leaflet 6. Adoro Te - Hidden God pdf here(4.23 MB)
Titus’ Education
Titus was a good student who understood from early on the value of education. As a child he read widely and had a particular liking for literature and history.
After entering the Carmelite Order in 1898, Titus continued to read widely and began to publish. Taking his doctorate in philosophy at Rome’s Gregorian University, he also took courses in modern sociology.
Catholic Education
Titus reformed the programme of studies for Carmelites in the Netherlands. Education for the laity was a priority for Titus. At Oss a library with attached reading room and lecture hall was established which was open to the general public. Through Titus’ efforts, two Carmelite schools became the very first private schools in Holland to receive government support. He founded the Union of Secondary Schools in 1925, serving as its President.
University Professor
With the founding of the Catholic University at Nijmegen in 1923, Titus was nominated Professor of Philosophy and the History of Mysticism. In 1932 he became its Rector Magnificus. Titus’ courses left an ‘unforgetable’ impression; he was effectively rediscovering the spirituality of their country. Titus was kind and students at the university constantly sought him out. He sought scholarship funding for the less well off. Titus subjected National Socialism to rigorous critique as part of his university teaching. He kept his feet firmly on the ground. Titus was known to assist an old man in pushing his junk wagon up the hill between the university and the Carmel, placing his professorial briefcase on top while he did it.
Education in the Call to Mysticism
Titus was always keen to educate people regarding their call to be mystics. He defined mysticism as: ‘a special union of God with human beings, whereby they become aware of God's presence and also become one with God.’ Titus understood mysticism as a call directed to all and spoke of an everyday mysticism, convinced that God is the ground of our being and can be encountered always and everywhere and in our neighbour. His lectures on Carmelite mysticism, delivered in the United States in 1935, are a true classic of twentieth-century spirituality.
The Journalist as Educator
Titus undoubtedly saw journalism as a form of education. His accessible articles in the Catholic press were effectively ‘short courses’ of their own.
Titus’ Philosophy of Education
For Titus it was important for the educator to respect each student individually: ‘…people are not simply all alike and do not comply with a casual construction or idea. The human being, and even the child, is in each person different in nature and it does not help us when we would like to see beyond all the differences…We must take young people as they are.’ It was important for Titus that students thought for themselves, saying to one group: ‘We do not impart philosophical knowledge to you, because you must first and foremost develop it in yourselves… We do not ram the truth or knowledge of the truth into you, we only draw on the wondrous passion for knowledge of what is true, which lies hidden in you.’
Resourcing Education
Titus was convinced of the importance of the proper resourcing of education. He also underlined the need for the continuous professional development of teachers: ‘a justified ideal for the teacher is continuous further development… A trained teacher is a blessing.’ Titus had a particular concern for providing for children from underprivileged backgrounds: ‘Attention at school to the underprivileged child, that is where true love reveals itself.’
Titus’ care for Jewish Students
Titus took a particular stand on Jewish students, refusing to remain silent when they were excluded from attending Catholic schools, even making enquiries about placing them in the care of the Carmelites in Brazil.
The Apostolate of Carmelite Mysticism - Carmel as School
The Apostolate of Carmelite Mysticism - Carmel as School Titus speaks of ‘the apostolate of Carmelite mysticism’, using the image of a school. Carmelites are to teach people to pray, helping them know they have been found and loved by God. For Titus, Carmel is like a school, ‘a school of mystical life’, and insists: ‘in the spiritual life, no more than in ordinary life, can we dispense with education, with teachers and with guidance.’
Prayer to Titus Brandsma
God our Father, your servant, Titus Brandsma, laboured zealously in your vineyard
and gave his life freely because of his faith in you.
Through his intercession I ask for your mercy and help.
Father Titus never refused when he was asked for help by your people.
In his name, I come to you with my needs...
Lord, help me always to imitate the great faith, generous love and burning zeal of Titus.
Glorify your servant as he strove to glorify you.
Amen.
Mary, Mother of Carmel, pray for us.
Titus Brandsma, Carmelite martyr, intercede for us.
Download the Leaflet 2. Education pdf here(3.46 MB)
‘In the Blessed Sacrament He gives us Himself again, and not only Himself as the Second Person of the Holy Trinity, no, He tells us that all three Persons will take up their residence in our hearts, if we are united with Him.’
Titus Brandsma
The Eucharistic Life of Carmel
Being of central importance to the Christian life, it is no surprise to find the Eucharist at the heart of Carmelite life from its earliest beginnings. The first Carmelites built an oratory in the midst of their cells on Mount Carmel to facilitate common prayer and common celebration of the Eucharist. This sacred space was to be a focal point for encounter with one another and with the risen Lord. Until the reforms of Pope Pius X in the early twentieth century, daily receiving of Holy Communion was unusual. However, taking inspiration from the Rule of Carmel, daily reception of the Sacrament was already common in Carmelite communities long before this and was to be a constant of the life and spirituality of Titus Brandsma who entered the Carmelite Order in 1898 at Boxmeer, in the Netherlands, a town long associated with Eucharistic devotion.
Food for the Journey
Titus was convinced that our spiritual life, just as our physical life, requires food. He saw in Elijah, Prophet of Carmel, the pattern of the Carmelite life. Just as Elijah was sustained for his journey through the desert to Mount Horeb by miraculous food from heaven, so we too are strengthened by the gift of the Eucharist as we ‘walk in life’s journey here below.’ Imprisoned on account of his fearless defence of the freedom of the Catholic press and basic human rights in the Nazi-occupied Netherlands, ‘walking in the strength of the divine bread’ was ultimately tested for Titus between January and July 1942 as he followed his own ‘way of the cross’ all the way to Dachau concentration camp.
Frequent Communion
Titus’ conviction concerning the importance of frequent celebration of the Eucharist was confirmed in reading Carmelite saints such as Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi and Teresa of Avila. Titus also draws out the importance of daily reception of Holy Communion when presenting the life and message of Saint Lidwina of Schiedam, one of the national saints of the Netherlands.
Prayer after Communion
In continuity with another key aspect of the Carmelite tradition, Titus emphasised the importance of taking time to pray after receiving Holy Communion. This is a true contemplative moment when, having received the risen Lord into ourselves, we seek to open ourselves to his accomplishing great things in us. Titus reflectively links prayer after Communion to the figure of Elijah: ‘In the caves of Horeb God spoke to the Prophet by the voice of the gentle, whispering wind.
The Lord was not in the storm nor in the earthquake, but in the gentle wind. So, after Communion we must contemplate under the Eucharistic species and in the depths of our spirit; for now God passes.’
Spiritual Communion
St Teresa of Avila often recommends acts of spiritual communion when reception of the sacrament is not possible. Perhaps early on Titus might not have realised how important this would prove to be in his own life, just as readers of St Teresa in our own time might not have realised how important spiritual communion would become in time of pandemic.
While Titus was able to receive Holy Communion at Dachau (including on the day of his death), there were times this was not possible. Unable to celebrate Mass at Scheveningen prison Titus describes how ‘each morning I kneel down and say the prayers of daily Mass, spiritual communion.’ In the camp at Amersfoort Titus led communal acts of spiritual communion with his fellow prisoners.
The Eucharist and Contemplation
An often-repeated spiritual teaching of Titus Brandsma is that ‘the mystical contemplative life is a fruit of the Eucharistic life.’ The Eucharist is what strengthens us to receive the gift of contemplation from God. And such contemplation leads to action.
Titus told a group of young people: ‘Good deeds no longer suffice; they must originate in the consciousness that our union with God obliges us to perform them.’
Adoro Te
In his prison cell at Scheveningen, Titus prayed the well-known hymn Adoro Te after lunch. In his account of his time in prison, 'My Cell', he tells us about this: 'The Adoro Te has become my favourite prayer. Frequently I sing it softly and this helps me to make a spiritual communion'. The first and last verses read as follows:
I devoutly worship Thee,
Hidden Godhead,
Who among these signs are
truly hidden.
O may I behold Thee
with unveiled face
and taste the happiness
to see Your glory.
Download the Leaflet 3. Eucharist pdf here(3.70 MB)
Letter to the Order on the Centenary of St. Teresa of Jesus
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Prof. Dr. F.J.Th. Rutten
From his commemorative speech (1942)
“In love lay his decisive power.”
“From this deceased rays emanate.”
From a written testimony (1955)
“My judgement in 1942, 'from this deceased rays emanate,' is based on a peculiarity in the memory of Father Brandsma, which I noticed in my surroundings. When people talked about Father Brandsma, they almost always only remembered his striking goodness. There was no mention of particular incidents in his life, not even by those who had known him very well.”
Dr. (Jacobus) van Ginneken, (SJ)
From his commemorative address (1942):
“We know from his Carmel retreat that he had prepared himself diligently for death. His intention from the first recital of the ninth day was: to learn to die. In his last will we read: 'I unite myself in my death with the death of my Redeemer and with Mary I place myself under the feet of the Cross of my Lord. Misericordias Domini in aeternum cantabo.’ I will sing of the Lord's mercy for ever and ever (Ps. 88:2).”
Reverend (Johannes) Kapteijn
Camp Amersfoort and the prison of Kleve
Fr. Titus and Kapteijn were shackled together when they started their trip to Dachau
"Our dear brother in Christ, Titus Brandsma, is truly a mystery of grace".
Van Mierlo
Camp Amersfoort
“Professor Brandsma was physically very weak, but mentally one of the strongest. He was totally above his physical suffering. Without exception we all loved him very much, especially for his natural and amiable manner. He knew no hatred or aversion, nor impatience or hardness.”
Colonel Fogtelo
Scheveningen prison and Camp Amersfoort
“It was as if this man was in the free world.”
Dr. Jacobus Gerard G. Borst
Camp Amersfoort
“I knew Professor Brandsma from earlier and had great friendship and admiration for him. Whenever I could find the time, I would go and talk to him. Professor Brandsma was always cheerful, and he also knew how to suffuse his environment with this cheerfulness. He was interested in all possible kinds of problems, and he was not in the least impressed by the methods of terror with which they tried to crush us mentally and physically.”
Pastor Heinrich Rupieper
Dachau Concentration Camp
“He made a gentle, quiet impression on me. He had surrendered his life into God's hand. He did not know hatred. I was always surprised that Father Titus patiently endured everything without any expression of disgust or inner sadness. He prayed the rosary a lot, on his fingers, and said: 'We must pray for them.”
Chaplain Meertens
Camp Amersfoort
“He lived from hour to hour in an intimate union with God and yet was not unworldly. On the contrary: he was man with men, sincerely loved the good things in nature, and for higher motives endured the troubles that befell him.”
Chaplain (Nikolaus) Jansen
Dachau Concentration Camp
“When Father Titus arrived in Dachau, he looked like an abomination. Of course, that only got worse there. In the short time he was with us he was often beaten, sometimes his face was covered in blood. But he kept up the courage and was spiritually unshakeable.”
Father Van Genuchten
Dachau Concentration Camp
“I thank God that I was allowed to know this joy-filled and sunny person. When Professor Brandsma came to us, Dachau was a hell like never seen before or since. His short stay in Dachau was a true martyrdom. And yet he always remained cheerful and happy, an example and even a support to us all. I will never forget Professor Brandsma and I hope he will not forget me either!
Fr. Joseph Kentenich
Priest of the Pallotine Congregation
“His person and words always bespoke such a calm, such an abandon and so much good hope that one can never forget this venerable person.”
R. Höppener
Dachau prisoner
“His spirit could simply not be broken. Any thought of revenge was far from him: thus he could say his Our Father in silence while in the presence of his attackers.”
Fr. Othmarus Lips, OFM Cap
Capuchin religious
“Simple and unobstrusive among the 1200 priests of Dachau... a perpetual smile, filled with patience and inner calm, a smile of mystical serenity in the midst of all the suffering he had to undergo.”
P. Verhulst
Dachau prisoner
“Fr. Titus knew of no feelings of hate, he was all love. There was no favoritism with him. When I returned home I said immediately to my mother: That man will be canonized one day.”
