Encountering God in the Abyss

Born on a Frisian farm, Titus Brandsma (1881-1942) entered the novitiate of the Carmelites in Boxmeer. On his journey he cultivated the spiritual garden of his cell in order to dwell in the face of his Creator. Becoming a scholar of philosophy and mysticism, Titus Brandsma was concentrated on the depths of human existence, but his contemplation gave him a broad view of reality and made him discover ever new horizons. Although a university professor, he was a productive journalist, engaged in questions of culture and education. Prophet of peace and justice, Brandsma defended from the beginning the Jews against Nazi ideology. During the German occupation of Holland he took a strong stand in favor of the freedom of the press. For him the dignity of the human person could never be sacrificed for ideological and political reasons. As a result he became a martyr in the concentration camp in Dachau.