Marie-Antoinette de Geuser (known as "''Consummata''"; 20 April 1889, in

Le Havre Le Havre (, ; nrf, Lé Hâvre ) is a port city in the Seine-Maritime department in the Normandy region of northern France. It is situated on the right bank of the estuary of the river Seine on the Channel southwest of the Pays de Caux, very cl ...

– 22 June 1918, in Le Havre). Being in close contact with the

Carmelites , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

, her state of health and the events of

World War I World War I (28 July 1914 11 November 1918), often abbreviated as WWI, was one of the deadliest global conflicts in history. Belligerents included much of Europe, the Russian Empire, the United States, and the Ottoman Empire, with fightin ...

did not allow her to take her vows. She left notes and correspondence that are remarkable testimonies of

Carmelite spirituality , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

, in the wake of

Thérèse of Lisieux Thérèse of Lisieux (french: Thérèse de Lisieux ), born Marie Françoise-Thérèse Martin (2 January 1873 – 30 September 1897), also known as Saint Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face (), was a French Catholic Discalced Carmelite ...

and

Elizabeth of the Trinity Elizabeth of the Trinity, OCD (french: Élisabeth de la Trinité), born Élisabeth Catez (18 July 1880 – 9 November 1906), was a French Discalced Carmelite, a mystic, and a spiritual writer. She was known for the depth of her spiritual growth ...

Biography

Marie-Antoinette de Geuser was the daughter of René de Geuser and his wife, née Loyzeaux Grandmaison. She was the eldest of their twelve children. (Marie-Antoinette, Henri, Georges (died in the War of 1914–1918), Louis, Michel, Hubert (died in the war of 1914–1918), Jean, François, René, Marie-Magdeleine, Alfred and Theresa) There were several religious vocations in this family. Of two paternal uncles, one was in the

Carthusian The Carthusians, also known as the Order of Carthusians ( la, Ordo Cartusiensis), are a Latin enclosed religious order of the Catholic Church. The order was founded by Bruno of Cologne in 1084 and includes both monks and nuns. The order has its ...

order and the other became a

Canon Canon or Canons may refer to: Arts and entertainment * Canon (fiction), the conceptual material accepted as official in a fictional universe by its fan base * Literary canon, an accepted body of works considered as high culture ** Western can ...

. Two maternal uncles were

Jesuits The Society of Jesus ( la, Societas Iesu; abbreviation: SJ), also known as the Jesuits (; la, Iesuitæ), is a religious order (Catholic), religious order of clerics regular of pontifical right for men in the Catholic Church headquartered in Rom ...

and an aunt became a

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

. Four of her brothers also became religious. Marie Antoinette was, as a child, of a very fragile health. She nearly died in 1906 as a result of

appendicitis Appendicitis is inflammation of the appendix. Symptoms commonly include right lower abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, and decreased appetite. However, approximately 40% of people do not have these typical symptoms. Severe complications of a rup ...

. It was during the summer of 1906 that she discerned her vocation: ' "on 21 September something happened that I cannot tell you exactly." ..This moment I no longer had any doubt: the light of my childhood was now something truly divine... I gave myself wholly to God. "" (letter of 15 June 1910 to the

prior Prior (or prioress) is an ecclesiastical title for a superior in some religious orders. The word is derived from the Latin for "earlier" or "first". Its earlier generic usage referred to any monastic superior. In abbeys, a prior would be l ...

of the Carmel of

Pontoise Pontoise () is a commune in the northwestern suburbs of Paris, France. It is located from the centre of Paris, in the " new town" of Cergy-Pontoise. Administration Pontoise is the official ''préfecture'' (capital) of the Val-d'Oise ''dépa ...

). On the 31 October following, she decided to now live the contemplative life. Marie-Antoinette de Geuser could not enter the

Carmelite , image = , caption = Coat of arms of the Carmelites , abbreviation = OCarm , formation = Late 12th century , founder = Early hermits of Mount Carmel , founding_location = Mount Car ...

convent. She corresponded with Marie-Thérèse of the Sacred Heart, at the Carmel of

from 1910 to 1917. She received the name of "Marie of the Trinity" in religion. In 1914, and again in 1915, she passed through serious health problems which forced her to return to her parents’ home where she continued the life of recluse. More and more frequently she signed her letters in the name of "Consummata" (the one Consumed by Love). She died on 22 June 1918 without having taken final

religious vows Religious vows are the public vows made by the members of religious communities pertaining to their conduct, practices, and views. In the Buddhism tradition, in particular within the Mahayana and Vajrayana tradition, many different kinds of re ...

Posthumous recognition

Father Raoul Plus, a

Jesuit , image = Ihs-logo.svg , image_size = 175px , caption = ChristogramOfficial seal of the Jesuits , abbreviation = SJ , nickname = Jesuits , formation = , founders ...

, published in 1921 under the name of “Consummata” a collection of texts and extracts of her diaries and correspondence. The book has had numerous reissues. In 1928, Father Plus revealed in a new book the actual name and a

biography A biography, or simply bio, is a detailed description of a person's life. It involves more than just the basic facts like education, work, relationships, and death; it portrays a person's experience of these life events. Unlike a profile or ...

of Marie-Antoinette de Geuser. Two years later, in 1930, there appeared a third book: " Letters from 'Consummata" to a Carmelite."( ''les Lettres de ‘‘Consummata’’ à une carmélite''). Together these three books gave Marie-Antoinette de Geuser great fame. Translations appeared in German, Spanish, Dutch, Italian, Portuguese, etc. Her texts were read and appreciated by

Edith Stein Edith Stein (religious name Saint Teresia Benedicta a Cruce ; also known as Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross or Saint Edith Stein; 12 October 1891 – 9 August 1942) was a German Jewish philosopher who converted to Christianity and became a ...

who carried them with her when she had to flee from

Germany Germany,, officially the Federal Republic of Germany, is a country in Central Europe. It is the second most populous country in Europe after Russia, and the most populous member state of the European Union. Germany is situated betwe ...

because of the

Nazis Nazism ( ; german: Nazismus), the common name in English for National Socialism (german: Nationalsozialismus, ), is the far-right totalitarian political ideology and practices associated with Adolf Hitler and the Nazi Party (NSDAP) in Na ...

, on December 31, 1938.

Hans Urs von Balthasar Hans Urs von Balthasar (12 August 1905 – 26 June 1988) was a Swiss theologian and Catholic priest who is considered an important Catholic theologian of the 20th century. He was announced as his choice to become a cardinal by Pope John Paul II, ...

cites her many times under the name of Consummata in the diaries which were published in their final form in 1989 under the title Das Weizenkorn''".Grains de blé, Grains of Wheat, Editions Arfuyen, two volumes 2003 and 2004

Bibliography

Text of Marie-Antoinette Geuser

* ''Jusqu'aux sommets de l'union divine : "Consummata", lettres et notes spirituelles'', introduction by Father Raoul Plus, Toulouse, Apostolate of Prayer, 1921, 284 pp. ; new edition 1929 (254 pp.), again in 1946 (212 pp.). * ''Marie de la Trinité : lettres de "Consummata" à une carmélite'', the Carmel of Avignon, 1931, 286 pp. * ''Lettres au Père Anatole de Grandmaison, son directeur'', presentation by Father. Louis de Geuser, Paris, Beauchesne, 1977, 240 pp. * ''Lettres à ses frères'', introduction of Father André Ravier in collaboration with Fathers Louis de Geuser and Paul Duclos, Paris, Editions du Cerf, 1982, 232 pp. * ''Notes spirituelles'', preface of Didier-Marie Golay, Paris-Orbey, Éditions Arfuyen, 2011, 174 pp.

Books and articles on Marie-Antoinette de Geuser

* Raoul Plus, ''Marie-Antoinette de Geuser, vie de « Consummata »'', Toulouse, Apostolate of Prayer, 1928, 316 pp. ; new edition. 1933. * "Marie-Antoine de GEUSER" – Press Article in the newspaper ''La Croix'' - 1930/05/04 (Number 14472)-1930/05/05. ''La Croix'' * Marie-Térèse Guignet, ''Une expérience mystique : Marie-Antoinette de Geuser'' (main thesis for the doctorate of letters presented to the Faculty of Letters of the University of Grenoble), Paris, Desclée De Brouwer, 1939, 2 vol., 175 pages and 95 pp. ; the first vol. was reissued by the same Publisher, in 1941, under the same title, in a vol. of 296 pp. * "Une expérience mystique - Marie-Antoine de GEUSER" – Press Article in the newspaper ''La Croix'' - PAGE 3 - 1942/08/01 (Number 18258)-1942/08/02. ''La Croix'' * Marie-Paule Vachez and Élisabeth Rimaud, ''Un itinéraire mystique : de Marie-Antoinette de Geuser à Consummata'', Genève, Claude Martingay, 1974, 408 pp. (coll. Ad Solem). * Élisabeth Rimaud, "De Marie-Antoinette de Geuser à Consummata", in ''Revue du Rosaire'' (Saint-Maximin-la-Sainte-Baume), 55th year, no 7, July 1975, pp. 199–217. * "de Marie-Antoinette de Geuser à Consummata" - Mensuelle - July 1975 – 55th year – no 7 - ''Revue du Rosaire''.

References

External links

Présentation de Marie-Antoinette de Geuser et des ''Notes spirituelles'' sur le site des Éditions Arfuyen
in French
Le site du Carmel
in French {{DEFAULTSORT:Geuser, Marie-Antoinette De 1889 births 1918 deaths Carmelite spirituality Deaths from appendicitis People from Le Havre