Woman of Grace: Venerable Thecla Merlo
Venerable Thecla Merlo (1894-1964)Venerated January 22, 1991 by Pope John Paul II
Meditation on Sacred Scripture and Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament have been the foundation of prayer for many women destined to be great spiritual mothers. Such was the case with Maestra Thecla, first Superior General of the Daughters of St. Paul founded by Father James Alberione. As she told her sisters, “Our Master dwells in the Tabernacle. From there he preaches to our mind and heart by means of the Gospel…We must always live united to Jesus. The Holy Trinity dwells in those persons who are united to Jesus.”
In notes she wrote, Maestra Thecla outlined the three main characteristics of her spiritual life. They provide a spiritual tripod upon which the interior life can rest secured:
1. Listening: A simple and life-oriented meditation of the Word of God.
2. Imitation: On-going contemplation of Jesus the Master, encouraged by the biblical phrase: “Learn from me for I am meek and humble of heart” (Mt. 11:29). Her resolution was “to imitate Jesus, the Divine Master. To ask myself: What would Jesus do? I want to imitate the Divine Master and become a saint…Jesus Christ is my model. I must fix my gaze on him so as to see how he prayed, spoke, acted, dealt with people; how he willingly suffered for us …”
3. To Live the Master: Imitation of the Divine Master is to lead us to a deeper level of spiritual life. For Thecla this meant “sharing” the Master’s life, immersing herself in Him, and conforming herself to Him. Ultimately, this culminates in immersion in the Paschal Mystery, by which the person unites herself to the Master’s offering of his life.
Information acquired from http://www.daughtersofstpaul.com
“One cannot have recollection (an abiding sense of the presence of God throughout the day) if she does not make her meditation…. One becomes nervous; she sees everything distorted; she succeeds in nothing…. We need God. We must be united to Him or else we will not do good.”
This is an excerpt from the Women of Grace® Foundational Study Guide, “Full of Grace: Women and the Abundant Life”