MODELS OF SANCTITY 2 : ST ALPHONSA MUTTATHUPADATHU (July 28) 1.

Introduction : Of the saints and blessed who adorn the Church, many of them lived their faith in an ordinary way, showing no sign of extraordinary depth of vision or spiritual power. Sanctity is not only associated with extraordinary spiritual power, but also simple faith lived out with great commitment and generosity. St Alphonsa could not achieve something great during the 36 years of her life, but she has left behind a legacy which could help us attain the same heights of sanctity that she could do during her life time. For many of us struggling with the difficulties and challenges, too heavy for us to carry, St Alphonsa is a great inspiration. 2. Biography : St Alphonsa (19 August 1910 28 July 1946) was a Franciscan Religious Sister who is the first person of Indian origin to be canonized as a saint by the Catholic Church and the first canonized saint of the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church. She was born Anna Muttathupadathu, the fourth child of Cherian Ouseph and Mary Muttathupadathu, in Kudamalloor, near Kottayam. She was baptized on the following 26 August. Alphonsamma, as she was locally known, was born in Arpookara, a village in the princely state of Travancore. She had a poor, difficult childhood and experienced loss and suffering early on in life. Annas mother died when she was young, so her maternal aunt raised her. Her early life was one of suffering at the hands of her stern foster mother and the teasing of schoolchildren. Anna was educated by her great-uncle, Father Joseph Muttathupadathu. When Anna was three years old, she contracted eczema and suffered for over a year. Again in 1923, Annas feet were burnt when she fell into a pit of burning chaff; this is considered as a self-inflicted injury in order to avoid her foster mothers attempt to arrange a marriage for her, and thereby to fulfill her desire for becoming a Religious Sister instead. This accident left her permanently disabled. When it became possible, Anna joined the Franciscan Clarist Congregation, a religious congregation of the Third Order of St. Francis, and through them, completed her schooling. She arrived at the Clarist convent at Bharananganam, Kottayam district, on Pentecost Sunday of 1927. She received the postulants veil on 2 August 1928, and in May 1929 was assigned to teach at Malayalam High School at Vazhappally. Her foster mother died in 1930. Three days later she resumed her studies at Changanacherry, while working as a temporary teacher at a school at Vakakkad. On 19 May 1930 Anna entered the novitiate of the congregation at Bharananganam and received the religious habit, taking the religious name of Alphonsa of the Immaculate Conception. On 11 August 1931, she completed the novitiate and took her first vows. Sister Alphonsa took her permanent vows on 12 August 1936. Sister Alphonsa then taught high school at St. Alphonsa Girls High School, but was often sick and unable to teach.*2+ For most of her years as a Clarist Sister she endured serious illness. In December 1936, it is claimed that she was cured from her ailments through the intervention of the Blessed Kuriakose Elias Chavara (who was beatified at the same ceremony as she), but on 14 June 1939 she was struck by a severe attack of pneumonia, which left her weakened. On 18 October 1940, a thief entered her room in the middle of the night. This traumatic event caused her to suffer amnesia and weakened her again. Her health continued to deteriorate over a period of months. She received extreme unction on 29 September 1941.

The next day it is believed that she regained her memory, though not complete health. Her health improved over the next few years, until in July 1945 she developed a stomach problem that caused vomiting. During the Apostolic Pilgrimage to India of Pope John Paul II, the Pope said as part of his speech at Nehru Stadium, Kottayam, on 8 February 1986, that: From early in her life, Sister Alphonsa experienced great suffering. With the passing of the years, the heavenly Father gave her an ever fuller share in the Passion of his beloved Son. We recall how she experienced not only physical pain of great intensity, but also the spiritual suffering of being misunderstood and misjudged by others. But she constantly accepted all her sufferings with serenity and trust in God, being firmly convinced that they would purify her motives, help her to overcome all selfishness, and unite her more closely with her beloved divine Spouse. She wrote to her spiritual director: Dear Father, as my good Lord Jesus loves me so very much, I sincerely desire to remain on this sick bed and suffer not only this, but anything else besides, even to the end of the world. I feel now that God has intended my life to be an oblation, a sacrifice of suffering (20 November 1944). She came to love suffering because she loved the suffering Christ. She learned to love the Cross through her love of the crucified Lord. In the homily, on the day of Canonization of Sr Alphonsa, Pope Benedict XVI recalled Saint Alphonsas life as one of extreme physical and spiritual suffering This exceptional woman ... was convinced that her cross was the very means of reaching the heavenly banquet prepared for her by the Father, the pope stated. By accepting the invitation to the wedding feast, and by adorning herself with the garment of Gods grace through prayer and penance, she conformed her life to Christs and now delights in the rich fare and choice wines of the heavenly kingdom (Her) heroic virtues of patience, fortitude and perseverance in the midst of deep suffering remind us that God always provides the strength we need to overcome every trial, the pope stated before the ceremony ended. 3. Reflections on the life of St Alphonsa : There are five qualities which present St Alphonsa as a person who is someone we all can imitate, in order to reach heights of sanctity. They are as follows : a. Absolute Simplicity of life : There was nothing in St Alphonsa which made her a class of her own; like most of the people of her village, she went through privation and starvation. She had an ordinary youth and no one could ever think that this village girl was aspiring something bigger than her companions, who were far more gifted. It was her utter simplicity, almost childlike openness and transparency which made her an acceptable offering before the Lord. b. Acceptance of what Gave her without questioning : St Alphonsa trusted God so much that she was determined to accept everything that came her way unquestioningly and joyfully. Even when she knew that she was disabled for life, she had nothing to complain; when she was plagued by sickness continually, she accept all the psychological pain of chronic illnesses, the physical pain, and the pain of complaints and sarcastic comments by her community members. She knew God had a plan for her, and he would bring that plan to fruition in good time. c. Suffering as a way of purification : Pain and suffering had been her life-long companions, from her childhood, when she lost her mother, to death due to stomach ulcer. But the physical pain and suffering was only one part; there was the psychological and spiritual pain; often she felt that God was abandoning her, and it is in these moments of severe

pain, she offered them for the love of the Lord for whom she had offered her entire life. She found the pain and suffering she endured in life was purifying her of all her sinfulness and made her whole again. Her desires for glory, good name and honor were purified by the sufferings she went through. d. Responding to Chronic illness or disease : From her youth St Alphonse experienced disability, and in the later part of her life, she was bed-ridden for the most part of her years. Though she found it hard to accept that she was becoming a burden for her community, which had to buy medicine for her, out of their little earnings, and yet she tried to compensate through her prayers for them and their mission. For the persons who are truly committed to the Lord, no disease, however chronic, can really become an hindrance in carrying out the little he/she can do. e. Surrendering to Gods plan : Often in life, St Alphonsa found herself helpless and could not trust the persons who came her way. She was not looked favorably by her own step mother, who ill-treated her initially and later on tried to get her married off. At the end of the day, she had only bitter tears before the Lords presence, and each day gave a fresh opportunity to surrender all her pain and suffering, all her desires for vain glory and honor to the Lord. She presented herself as a child submitting herself to the loving care of her father. f. Sanctity of the Serene disposition : Even when St Alphonsa was unable to carry out the normal chores of her religious life, and had to be bed-ridden most of the time, she kept herself cheerful, radiating the smile of sanctity to all those who came to her. This was her mission during the last two years of her life on earth; she could not do anything else, but presenting a serene inner disposition to all those who went to meet her, she brought them closer to God. Her very presence was enough to bring down the blessings of God to all those she cared for. 4. Questions for personal Reflection : a. How do we rate our life in community, and how simple are we? Is there anything in us personally or collectively about which we can really boast before God? b. Do we accept all the problems, sufferings, pain and challenges which come our way as really coming from God; or do we complain and resist Gods plans? c. How do we respond to suffering in life, especially physical pain due to a chronic illness or a disease which is long-lasting; how do we respond to situations when we are incapacitated due to old age or any disease; do we accept them as the will of God, or do we make frantic efforts to show that we are fully fit for the mission? d. Do we possess the spiritual disposition to surrender our entire selves to the Lord who has called us by name? Do we have the habit of surrendering ourselves each day of our lives to the Lord? e. How do we try to be holy by accomplishing the mission entrusted to our care? Do we feel that we could attain sanctity by being faithful to our mission, as St Alphonsa did? 5. Prayer of St. Alphonsa : O Lord Jesus, hide me in the wound of your sacred heart. Free me from my desire to be loved and esteemed. Guard me from my evil attempts to win fame and honor. Make me humble till I become a small spark in the flame of love in your Sacred Heart. Grant me the grace to forget myself and all worldly things. Jesus, sweet beyond words, convert all worldly consolations into bitterness for me. O my Jesus, Sun of Justice, enlighten my intellect and mind with your sacred rays. Purify my heart, consume me with burning love for you, and make me one with you.