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St. Edith Stein - Philospher and Martyr
We celebrate the feast of Edith Stein,
Philosopher, dean, doctor, Carmelite
Discalced,- with mind and spirit sharp and keen,
And Christian Martyr, shedding beams of light;.
Of Jewish roots and education, she
Was steeped in Hegel, Kant, and sages more,
Engrossed in learning and philosophy
But Providence held something else in store..
She sought much more than was a sage can give,
And did convert to Christianity.
Much to her friends and parents’ woe and grief,
Who could with her decision not agree.
Dissatisfied with mere philosophy-
A seeker true - so hungry was her soul,
And reading wide, she turned a devotee
Of St. Theresa as her model role.
Brelaus’s Agnosticism grown rampant
And with philosophies dissatisfied,
And Atheism turning militant,
She opted for the Order Carmelite.
Adored by students for her excellence,
Largesse of heart, and generosity,
Her understanding and intelligence
That stunned religeous peers and laity.
Her order is ascetic and severe,
The Carmelites discalced, but Edith found
In it her calling though the Lord did steer
To make her Christian Martyr- glory-bound.
Gestapo whacked and beat her convent’s door:
“You hide a Jewess sisters, and will pay
“Go! hurry! - bring this Jewess to the fore
We have a train to Auschwitz underway“!
And Auschwitz final destination was
For Edit Stein, the young nun Carmelite
Who waited with her peers to breath foul gas
And miasma fumes of deadly cyanide..
An angel to the death-consigned she was,
Consoled, and assuaged their dread and fear
Of henchman, ovens and the murderous gas,
Assuring them salvation had drawn near.
Her turn came too - heroic martyrdom
Did suffer Edit Stein the Carmelite
And Saint in heaven, to be called upon
To shed and spread her beacon beams of light.
