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Who Was Marie Czernin of Austria?
I’d never heard of this beautiful woman until a story was posted about her recent death at the young age of 51 from cancer. I was so moved by the post, however, because it described someone who was so full of peace and light as she approached death, that all who kept a vigil with her were astonished. Their description of Marie was so moving and as I read, something unexpected happened to me.
I was only halfway through the post and paused for a minute to absorb the descriptions of her life and her writings, when a difficult problem that I have been trying to work out for a long time with not much success, popped into my mind. I had not been thinking about it while reading at all, yet two answers, simple and very clear, came to me regarding my problem.
So I was not thinking about it, and there is no way the two answers I received would have ever entered my mind, as they were the opposite of what I had been thinking while working through on my own. Things like this don’t happen to me. I have no explanation for it, but I felt an immense sense of relief and clarity that I had not had before, and it has stayed with me.
I continued reading the post to the end and the perspective that received has changed my way of thinking about other things as well, such as the recent political outcomes. I seemed less upset and concerned about it. Some excerpts:
Of course, all of this was only possible because of her faith. I’ve been skeptical to allergic to everything to do with the Church for most of my adult life, but even so I’ve only felt from her that radiance.
If you are to bring the divine onto and into the world, then you have to give it space — infinite space. Prayer creates this space and casts worries and swirling thoughts outside.
Marie was not only filled with her faith, she also had the special gift of making this faith tangible for others. That’s why she went on missions.
She was so delicate and fragile and made so much difference. There is something angelic about some people and Marie was particularly so. She was on and in this world, and she loved this world of ours. But at the same time she was also in another world, to which she has now gone completely home. For all of us who accompanied her, the memory of her remains and the confidence that our own deaths as well will be such a homecoming.
— A woman writing in German on the prayer group chat shortly after Marie’s death.
I still know very little about Marie. I found a story about her participation and formation of a pro-life organization in Europe. These were her words and what prompted her to stand up for life:
Europeans affirm life | WORLD (wng.org)
“There’s a part of the film where babies are put in a shop window and people choose them. The ones who don’t get picked up are basically killed. I remember watching and thinking, ‘This is abortion! It’s the same thing!’” says Czernin.
She spent a sleepless night contemplating how many abortions take place in Europe each day. The next day at the conference she met a leader from a pro-life group in search of a graphic designer, Czernin’s field. She offered her help. “The more I got to know about the issue, the more I understood the huge wound society has because of abortion.”
But Czernin, who grew up in Portugal, sees that the problem of abortion in Europe needs a Europe-wide solution, which is why she helped found ProLife Europe three years ago. New pan-European organizations like ProLife Europe are challenging the decades-long acceptance of abortion as a right and reinvigorating the discussion with arguments from biology and ethics. Czernin stresses that the goal of ProLife Europe is first and foremost to have a positive message about protecting life.
She seems to have devoted her life to mission work in difficult and remote areas and always focused on loving those around her. I am sharing her story, not only because I have somehow been blessed by learning about her, but her world vision to serve others, even through illness and challenges to the end, was so inspiring. We need inspiration. She seemed to have had the gift to see through the fog — a clear visionary, and bring peace to others.
“The world, seen through her eyes, became shining and beautiful.” —Manuel de Teffé, a friend who participated in the final rosaries prayed for and with Marie
It also made me think about how we spend our time, what we think is so important. If we looked at what time we have to make a difference, would we be so concerned about the turmoil that seems to always surround us? She seemed to break through the fog, and made a difference to so many, and felt peace as a result.
Politics, social unrest, and change will always be with us. It’s all short-lived if you think about it. Eternity, and what we will think about in our final days and moments will be how we lived and loved, and that will be our legacy.
God bless Marie Czernin of Austria.
Published in General
Will you share what problem was resolved?
No it is personal and multi-faceted, but I thinks its sufficient to say it was a sudden inspiration that came out of nowhere and very unusual. I can’t explain it beyond that.
No problem! Those moments are so rare and I’m glad that were inspired!
What a refreshing bit of thought and reflection to pull me out of my work-a-day world.
Thank you for your taking the time to share this with us.
It is very good that the Marie Czernin’s of the world can affect things. Plus there is no way a person can change the world without somehow changing the hearts and minds of individuals in their path.
In fact sometimes it seems easier to change the Big Picture than people we know personally.
Right now it seems less and less likely that politics will. (At least the end of politics that we are allowed to participate in.) I am happy to know the Marie’s of the world haven’t given up on us.
Beautiful post Front Seat Cat. As the Church often reminds us, there are many saints on Earth and in Heaven whose names we will never know. To be Pro Life in Europe as she was is to be focused on the big picture and optimistic and, well, full of real life. A timely reminder that politics and the current is and should not be everything.
I could swear I’ve heard her name before. It shows you that if you give your heart to God’s service, your life will be beautiful.