The madcap Elate Eight continues today as Origen faces Madeleine Sophie Barat. To make it this deep into the bracket, Origen defeated Hilda of Whitby and Juana Ines de la Cruz, while Madeleine took out Mesrop Mashtots and Columbanus.
Yesterday in YET ANOTHER tightly contested battle of Lent Madness 2022, José Hernández squeezed past James Holly 52% to 48% to snag the second spot in the Faithful Four.
Origen
The term “kitsch” wasn’t even around when Origen was building the foundation of systematic theology for the church.
What is left are papyrus that capture the work of Origen to understand the Bible and our understanding of God and
faith.
Certainly, I can show you the many times theologians both ancient and modern that have written dissertations discussing the influence of Origen on the church.
But really, you’d need some libation after that dry work (theologians aren’t known for their levity or brevity). Several drinks have assumed the name Origen.
Or perhaps you need an icon In Which to venerate Origen
Or perhaps I could show the items used to torture Origen for his presumed heresies when he disagreed with the leadership of the church.
But really what Origen would want for me to show you so the Bible. To truly understand God, you must seek God’s presence, God’s faithfulness and God’s consistent love in the pages of the Bible that Origen spent his life studying.
Madeleine Sophie Barat
“In an old house in Paris that was covered with vines lived 12 little girls in two straight lines…the smallest one was Madeline”.
So begins each story in Ludwig Bemelmans’ Madeline series. The vine-covered home is in fact a boarding school, where Madeline and her classmates are watched over by Miss Clavel. The school is supposedly modeled on a Sacred Heart academy; even the way that Miss Clavel is a “miss” and not a “sister”--sisters of the Society of the Sacred Heart of Jesus preferred their students to call them Madame, the common practice of other French orders of the period (though Bemelmans thought calling a nun “Miss”, as in Mademoiselle, would make more sense to American readers than the technically correct “Mrs.”)
Madeleine Sophie Barat lived a difficult life in a tenuous time–and despite her more modern (at least by the standards of Lent Madness!) pedigree, she hasn’t exactly generated much in the way of kitsch. But the powerful legacy of her pedagogy, and the Sacred Heart schools that still credit her inspiration today, make this little connection to the famous book series seem like the right place to start. And just like Madeline, Madeleine Sophie Barat was herself the smallest (read:youngest) of the sisters committing themselves both to the education and nurture of young women, and to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. And just like Madeline, Madeleine Sophie was intrepid and indefatigable, and unafraid of everything, even her own scars.
Madeleine Sophie had to be brave from her first breath. This author of this young adult novel imagines herself into Barat’s life story (as a childhood companion) to tell the story of Madeleine’s life–from her premature birth in a house fire, to practicing her Christianity “underground” in the midst of revolution, to championing her new religious order to open schools all over France, then Europe, and then the world.
While struggle makes some people bitter, understanding hardship made Mother Barat sweet. Rather than making poor children try to learn while they were hungry, Mother Barat and her Sisters instituted snack time, or goûter. While some sources describe the meal they provided as a cake, I learned from one commenter that it was actually an enriched brioche with dried fruits or nuts added. Let them eat kitsch!
Madeleine Sophie Barat was beloved among the nuns she led for her gifts of spiritual direction, and her own strong life of prayer. If you’re looking for something practical to express your Barat fandom, there’s no shortage of rosaries and other prayer beads on the market for you!
In the early days of the order, Madeleine and her companions did lacework in the evenings to help financially support their mission of education for all. Let this vintage French “Holy Card” of the Sacred Heart, bordered in lace, help inspire you to stand against educational inequality today.
And when you need a break, rest your head on this surprisingly chic throw pillow. The pillow is patterned with powerful yet simple words of the Mother Superior, and advertised with similarly simple copy: “Love this powerful Catholic Lady!” Me too, RedBubble.com. Me too.
Love can make you do crazy things. For Madeleine Sophie, it meant teaching catechism in a secret Christian community in spite of possible imprisonment or even death, and ultimately leading the Society through four different French regimes and their accompanying religious tensions for the sake of children’s education. And for this little girl, it meant picking an obscure saint for Kindergarten trivia:
Whether you use prayer beads, a habit, or even a piece of cake, think about how you might “dress up” as Madeleine Sophie Barat today, striving after her example of patience, thoughtfulness, and bravery.
75 comments on “Origen vs. Madeleine Sophie Barat”
These just keep getting harder! I ended up voting for Origen because he was so far behind.
I had voted for Madeline in the previous rounds, though.
I am not sure my vote for Madeline went through. It kept twirling & twirling. Help.
I like that Origen icon a lot.
Here’s a link to view the Madeleine Sophie Barat quote throw cushion: https://www.redbubble.com/i/throw-pillow/St-Madeleine-Sophie-Barat-Quote-by-amart14/38921804.5X2YF
Great job on the kitsch write-ups, both of you!
I am voting for Madeleine. Not because my daughter once dressed as Madeline for Halloween (I miss those adorable days), but in honor of education for girls and the woman who seems pretty remarkable as a leader, educator, and faith.
Heart over head. I voted for Madame Borat despite my dutiful acknowledgement that Origen is probably the more influential of the two.
When I was a child, we rented a summer house which featured a (very badly done) Sacred Heart embroidery. Perhaps I am doing penance for the things my friends and I said about it!
Here's more kitsch:
The popular baby teether, Sophie the Giraffe, is also named after Madeleine Sophie Barat.
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sophie_the_Giraffe
This folks is why you need to read the comments! Sophie the Giraffe! I never knew that she had a connection to the saint!
Even though I voted for Madeleine, kudos to Anna Fitch Courie for an OUTSTANDING kitsch presentation on behalf of Origen.
Origen is praised for starting the practice of studying the bible, but theology is continuing to comprehend and extend the biblical writings into a world of scientific thinking and a completely different cosmology.
Madeline's influence is needed today because of the anti-intellectual forces wanting to dominate the world and demolish democracy.
Besides agreeing with all the great comments about Mother Barat, I grew up reading the Madeleine books. A vote for an influential teacher and spiritual example.
I am sorry you have not included a Madeleine Sophie "holy card" in your kitsch, I still have one I was given when I was the smallest girl at the Convent of the Sacred Heart in Winnepeg. There does not seem to be a way of adding it!
I was taught that Jesus died for me because he loved me and so if I truly loved him I should be prepared to die for him during the Cuban Missile crisis. I am still prepared.
Both of these took down the other 4 theologians and thinkers that I'd actually voted for in earlier rounds.
And even though I loved Anna's focus-shifting summation for Origen, Eva's writeup had me connecting again and remembering why I was originally so torn between M. Barat and Mashtots in that very first round.
The well-known baby teether La Girafe Sophie is named after Saint Madeleine Sophie Barat. It was launched on her Saint's Day May 25. Both my grandsons loved it.
Where is John Cabot?
He's in my living room at the moment. 🙂 It is his practice to write his saintly limericks for the saints he has chosen for his bracket which we do through our church LM "pool" and his bracket cracked a while ago. So he's not actively writing them at this point in the contest.
Happy to know that he is well.
I went to a Religious Of the Sacred Heart school - that’s why I voted for Origen.
Madeline Sophie is such a wise example for all of us.
vote madeleine
Once again, unable to vote. This has to be fixed!
I was thrilled to see Madeleine Sophie Barat as one of the Lent Madness saints. I graduated from Barat College in Lake Forest, Illinois. Tim and Scott please check the pronunciation of Barat. The t is silent.
madeleine sophie barat sounds like the name of a supreme court judge.
Ketanji Brown Jackson sounds even more like the name of a Supreme Court justice. Saints be praised.
Is there such a thing as bracket heaven? I think I'm there! Sophie and Jose are both in!
What if there had been no Origen?
Could we have a recipe for the brioche?
There is a recipe in response to one of the earliest comments on this round.See Tessa's response to Judy A's comment.
I voted for Madeline. It was my mother's name. <3
In lieu of kitsch, I can offer a story about Origen from the Ecclesiastical History of Eusebius of Caesarea. As a teenager, Origen planned to turn himself in to the Roman authorities as a Christian. His mother stopped him by hiding all his clothes. He was willing to be martyred, but not to walk through the streets naked.
Very sweet Kindergartner, but my heart belongs to m'man Origen, unfairly slagged as the "hydra of all heresies" and unfairly left unsainted in his Permanent Record. According to current vote tally it doesn't look like this will be the year of his vindication either. Sigh. I was sooo looking forward to Origen parading his Golden Halo in front of Theophilus of Alexandria.
(My bracket is sooo busted.)
When I lived in Paris 45+ years ago I was introduced to the custom of having a gouter after school. The preferred example with children I knew was a pain au chocolat, a croissant formed around a solid bar of dark chocolate and baked. Umm, umm. So in honor of that delicious treat I vote for Madam; and tomorrow I'm getting one of those pain au chocolat at my local coffee shop!
Thanks very much. My vote is for Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat because of her many great deeds for mankind during her time. I am “striving after her example of patience, thoughtfulness, and bravery”, especially in times like these.
Thanks very much. My vote is for Mother Madeleine Sophie Barat because of her many great deeds for mankind during her time. I am “striving after her example of patience, thoughtfulness, and bravery”, especially in times like these.
I've thought of some names to suggest as candidates for next year's Lenten Madness: Cesar Chavez; Alan Paton; Sant Kirpal Singh; Martin Buber; Desmond Tutu; Rumi, Mary Oliver and Wendell Berry
I was going to vote Origen, because torture deserves the vote, but Madeleine's story continues to impress.