By Blessed Titus Brandsma, February 12-13, 1942

Before a Picture of Christ

by Blessed Titus Brandsma

February 12-13, 1942

Original Dutch

O, Jezus, als ik U aanschouw

Dan leeft weer dat ik van U hou

En dat ook Uw hart mij bemint

Nog wel als Uw bijzondren vriend.

Al vraagt dat mij meer lijdensmoed

Och, alle lijden is mij goed

Omdat ik daardoor U gelijk

En dit de weg is naar Uw Rijk

Ik ben gelukkig in mijn leed

Omdat ik het geen leed meer weet,

Maar 't alleruitverkorenst lot

Dat mij vereent met U, o God.

0 laat mij hier maar stil alleen

Het kil en koud zijn om mij heen

En laat geen mensen bij mij toe

't Alleen zijn word ik hier niet moe.

Want Gij. O Jezus, zijt bij mij

Ik was U nimmer zo nabij.

Blijf bij mij, bij mij, Jezus zoet,

Uw bijzijn maakt mij alles goed.

English Translation By Gervase Toelle, O. Carm.

A new awareness of Thy love

encompasses my heart:

Sweet Jesus, I in Thee and Thou

In me shall never part.

No grief shall fall my way but I

Shall see thy grief-filled eyes;

The lonely way that Thou once walked

Has made me sorrow-wise.

All trouble is a white-lit joy,

That lights my darkest day;

Thy love has turned to brightest light.

This night-like way.

If I have Thee alone,

The hours will bless

With still, cold hands of love

My utter loneliness.

Stay with me, Jesus, only stay;

I shall not fear

If, reaching out my hand,

I feel thee near.

English Translation By Joachim Smet, O. Carm.

 Dear Lord, when look on you

My love for you starts us anew:

And tells me that your heart love me

And you my special friend would be.

More courage I will need for sure,

But any pain I will endure,

Because it makes me like to you

And leads unto your kingdom too.

In sorrow do I find my bliss,

For sorrow now no more is this:

Rather the path that must be trod,

That makes me one with you, my God.

Oh, leave me here along and still,

And all around the cold and chill,

To enter here I will have none;

I weary not when I’m alone.

For, Jesus you are at my side;

Never so close did we abide.

Stay with me, Jesus my delight,

Your presence near make all things right.

Rector Tom Brocks has been governing the former Carmel Lyceum in Oss, founded in 1922 by Titus Brandsma, since 2007. After WWII the school was renamed Titus Brandsma Lyceum. Titus' ideas are alive and well here, permeating the school culture. 

Rector Brocks: ''Titus 's statement about Catholic education, 'knowledge is only half [the goal],' is the name of our school plan.'' Titus is referring to the Carmelite value of humanization as the goal of education, as well as the transfer of knowledge and skills. Today it is called personality formation and socialization of young people: discovery of one's own talents, awareness that one is part of society and co-responsible, and one is able to contribute to that society. 

''Teaching from this perspective is a part of every lesson,'' says Brocks. A fellow professor of Titus’ in Nijmegen, Prof. Mohrman who taught classical languages, said that as a professor Titus distinguished himself in this respect. “Before the start of his lectures, he would go up to students and ask how they were doing.  In those days such a rapport was quite unusual between professors and students.''

Being Known  

Titus Brandsma Lyceum clears out a week three times a year without regular classes. Time is taken for reflective discussions with students and social activities such as meeting ex-prisoners, excursions to the Lower House [of Government] or social institutions, places of art and culture. Brocks says, "Another of Titus’ ideas is also a guiding principle: 'As long as the good things happen.’ It is a statement that contains a lot of meaning. The expectation is that you actively participate in society; that you think about what is good and make moral considerations. It also implies there is room for autonomy. You can choose within the framework of what is good. A core value of our school is that you may be who you want to be. Titus Brandsma Lyceum scores high on social safety. We hear this from the evaluators, and we see this reflected in student surveys. It means a safe climate for one to live respectfully one’s sexual orientation, for example. It means space is available for disabled children. Being 'known' is something adolescents are sensitive to. So especially in this most vulnerable and beautiful period of their lives, we are able to accompany them.''

Legitimate Hangout

School leadership, in the spirit of Titus, must be in agreement with this, says the rector. ''It means keeping an eye out to assist your colleagues. What are you passionate about? How can we, as school leaders, help you develop as a professional?

Before the Christmas lockdown, our mentors spent a week having online conversations with individual students and their parents. The purpose was to hear how things were going, how they see things at the school. The listening was very much appreciated. But the young students also called on us. They said things like, “Please make sure school reopens on January 10.”

The students are under pressure because of the corona pandemic. Delays in learning forced all of us to make up a lot of work in a very short period of time. This evoked some resistance as well as uncomfortable behavior. I understand that. School is also a legitimate hangout, I sometimes say. Being anchored with Titus’s values creates congruence in the school. I try to bring home that message often, at the opening and closing of the school year, at Christmas celebrations, and New Year's speeches, at parent information evenings and so forth. Hearing this gives colleagues and students a good feeling I notice.”

 While we most often associate Fr. Titus interest in education with his work at the University of Nijmegen, he was also deeply involved in Roman Catholic secondary education. These schools were only beginning to take root in the Netherlands. He realized that there was a cultural lag among Catholics that needed to be addressed. He worried about the deteriorating link between secondary and university education. When the Association of Roman Catholic High Schools and Gymnasia Boards was founded in 1924, Titus became the chairman the following year and continued in that position until his death in 1942.

Following his doctoral studies in Rome, Brandsma began teaching philosophy at the school the Carmelites had founded in Oss. He had a very keen interest in people who searched for truth and justice and were able to find a solid frame of reference and a safe place. He did not limit himself to the classroom. He went out into the community. He discovered that in Oss there was a crying need for secondary education. Ever a man of action, by 1919 a secondary school for business was established in Oss.

By 1923 the Hogere Burger School—the present-day Titus Brandsma Lyceum—was opened. This presented the opportunity of an education to many more young people. The Catholic Twente region, with Oldenzaal as its center, also needed a Catholic secondary school. That school also became a reality in 1923 as did the Catholic University of Nijmegen where Titus would become a professor.

Fr. Titus encouraged the study of philosophy at the secondary school level. His reasoning was that familiarity with philosophy only deepened education and helped students to think independently and become conscious of what is essential in human life. He felt it was so critical that he even developed an outline for the study of philosophy on the secondary level.

Many of Fr. Brandsma’s talks and writings stress the value he saw in education. Often framed in terms of a struggle “for the honor or God and against all evil,” he did believe that, if we engage in education but fail to speak of God, then we fall short of our goal.

There is no denying that leaving this factor [knowledge of God] out of consideration must deprive the human life of something that ought to have first place in it. Thus, our youth is deprived of that which is most noble and best.

[from:  Constant Dölle, O. Carm., Encountering God in the Abyss: Titus Brandsma’s Spiritual Journey. Leuven: Peters. 2002] 

*Statue of Titus Brandsma created by Gerard Mathot in the Thomas van Aquinostraat at the wall of one of the buildings of the Radboud University in Nijmegen, The Netherlands.