The ancient path of Sister Marie Therese

God has given everyone the ability to create to some degree. However, Sister Marie Therese is one of those bright and shining stars, gifted by God in the arts beyond the measure of most others. 

We came upon this saintly master in an obscure community of cloistered nuns living in a beautiful monastery—the Carmel of Mary in Wahpeton. My wife and I had been traveling extensively throughout North America teaching art to homeschoolers. We had instructed various denominations in churches, even instructing Amish students in a one-room schoolhouse, Mennonites in Canada, street children in Mexico, and the elderly in nursing homes. However, it still came as quite a surprise when we were invited to teach nuns in a convent in the wilderness. 
            
The Carmelites are part of the Ancient Observance, consecrating their lives to God and praying for the salvation of souls, a place on the prairie where there is enough silence to hear the voice of the Living God. As St. Paul said in I Corinthians 7, he would rather young women remain single in order to devote all their thoughts and energy to the deep and rich things of God. Rising at 5 a.m., they begin their day with Morning Prayer, meditation, and focusing on the presence of Christ. They spend most of their waking hours in silence. Brown habits are the centuries-old tradition of the order. The joy they shared with us and have for each other is palpable. 

As our initial class ended, we packed our materials and reconnected with the world. Yet God, or the Sisters, or both, would find us returning time and again, nestled in their guest house next to the Wild Rice River. Throughout the years, we have given them many classes, including instruction in drawing, painting, markers, icons, and even journaling. It reminded us of how the scriptorium of the ancient scribes might have been. To our amazement, they became quite animated while learning many of the basics of the fine arts. 
            
After several classes, Sister Marie Therese’s excellence in drawing and coloring amazed us. We call her the Michelangelo of the Carmelites. Eventually, her health faltered, but with an indomitable spirit, she continues to express her faith and the world around her with that God-given talent. 

In one of our initial classes, we taught journaling. We presented each sister with a handsome journal and explained the basic semantics of what to write, draw, date the pages, etc. Then, we left them to fill the pages on their own. 

A year passed before we returned, and we eagerly asked to see their journals. Early the following morning, my wife and I settled comfortably and opened them one at a time. Cherishing each creative page, the Sisters refrained from giving their names and rarely wrote in the first person. Delightfully immersed, we had to surmise whose hand had graced the pages, each a treasure in its own right. 
            
Finally, Sister Marie Therese’s journal came to hand. It was quite obvious, as she had manifested her extraordinary abilities in the classroom. The pages greeted us with a burst of color and a flow of spiritual thoughts. The brilliant illustrations reminded us of the illuminated manuscripts created during the Dark Ages. There were drawings of Jesus, Mary, Biblical themes, birds, animals, and nature studies captured within the overflowing oeuvre. Even Da Vinci would have been pleased. 
            
Near the final page is a dramatic image of Christ. The crucifixion was copied from a painting on the altarpiece at the Church of St. John the Evangelist in Rochester, Minn., during one of her many stays. She writes that she had been there one month and misses home—her family at the Carmel of Mary. There is impeccable draftsmanship in the outstretched limbs of Christ. Toned with a brown pencil, her proportions are flawless. There are also portrayals of Rembrandt’s Christ; the Entombment by Rubens, and a soft portrayal of Bloch’s Christ in Gethsemane with Jesus leaning on an angel’s shoulder. Sister Marie Therese doesn’t just copy, but incorporates her flowing spirit into each depiction, like her signature. 
            
Sister Marie Therese is a twenty-first-century Fra Angelico, a Dominican friar who lived in Florence during the Renaissance. Vasari, the art historian, stated that Fra Angelico frequently said “he who practiced the art of painting had need of quiet, and should live without cares or anxious thoughts.” In time, Beato, meaning blessed, was added to his name. 
            
One could say Sister Marie Therese was born in undo season—a misplaced treasure within our fast-paced world. Today, the art of journaling and the monastic way of life seem to have fallen by the wayside. The journals of the Sisters of Carmel should be shared—especially that of Sister Marie Therese—the Blessed One, a great source of Godly inspiration.