Colette of Corbie: Learning and Holiness

Chapter 5: Marvels, Extraordinary Eventsand Spirituality

CHapter 5 MarVels, extraordinary eVents and spirituality As a measure of the quality of the spiritual life, as well perhaps as revealing a particular attitude, the marvelous is especially important to Pierre de Vaux. tHe MarVelous Colette’s miracles reveal both the authentic nature of her virtues and the power of her prayer. It is outside the scope of this study to judge the veracity of these accounts, but we can consider the features within them that are undoubtedly real. The most numerous occurring during Colette’s own lifetime were those that she performed herself. These are of particular interest as they cover a wide range of activities. The least common were those involving physical healing. Some seem to have been cases of epilepsy. During her journeys of foundation, Colette’s prayerful intervention in a context of war averted physical and verbal attacks (P. de Vaux §77). Miracles relevant to morality and spirituality were rather numerous. Some of the people healed were suffering from “melancholia,” in the classic sense of that word. In particular , these were nuns who refused to attend office or join in community activities. Colette drew on her gifts of persuasion CHAPTER 5 MARVELS, EXTRAORDINARY EVENTS AND SPIRITUALITY As a measure of the quality of the spiritual life, as well perhaps as revealing a particular attitude, the marvelous is especially important to Pierre de Vaux. THE MARVELOUS Colette’s miracles reveal both the authentic nature of her virtues and the power of her prayer. It is outside the scope of this study to judge the veracity of these accounts, but we can consider the features within them that are undoubtedly real. The most numerous occurring during Colette’s own lifetime were those that she performed herself. These are of particular interest as they cover a wide range of activities. The least common were those involving physical healing. Some seem to have been cases of epilepsy. During her journeys of foundation, Colette’s prayerful intervention in a context of war averted physical and verbal attacks (P. de Vaux §77). Miracles relevant to morality and spirituality were rather numerous. Some of the people healed were suffering from “melancholia,” in the classic sense of that word. In particular , these were nuns who refused to attend office or join in community activities. Colette drew on her gifts of persuasion LEARNING AND HOLINESS 98 and suggestion. The invalid, recovering confidence, returned to the office and proclaimed herself cured (P. de Vaux §102, 103, §73). Colette pressed the idea, particularly to religious brothers and sisters, that their eternal salvation was endangered. The subject’s confession was a response to Colette’s prayer. The confession might have to be repeated if the sick person did not do it “properly.” Colette would know if “great sins” still remained (P. de Vaux §128), and she would send the person back until a state of grace was fully restored. There were two possible outcomes: the subject might die, but receive eternal salvation, or else the subject might be cured, the physical cure becoming a tangible sign of spiritual healing. If Colette arrived too late, and the sick had already died, she would revive them to make a confession.Then they would die again. This happened in one of her convents to a religious sister who was in the state of mortal sin, writes Pierre de Vaux (§206). On two occasions, Colette confessed on behalf of the recalcitrant subject, since she had foreknowledge of the sins. The sinner then, benefitting from the spiritual effects of the confession, was morally healed and made his own confession (§208). Towns and family groups were saved or protected. The enemy did not besiege a town where Colette was staying, the soldiers simply turning back at some distance without attacking (§212). Her prayers even stopped a battle between two groups (P. de Vaux §139). Families that gave Colette shelter were protected. The protection was manifested by a vision of angels who ascended and descended from the castle, somewhat reminiscent of the vision of Arezzo.1 The great biblical vision of the ladder of Jacob, prophet of the Messiah, which Jesus himself repeated, is here reduced 1 The vision of Arezzo: demons above the town chased away by the prayers of Saint Francis. Cf. Bonaventure, Legenda Major, VI-VII in Saint François d’Assise, Documents, Ecrits et première biographies, rassemblés et présentés par les PP. Théophile...