Displaying items by tag: Calendar of Feasts and Memorials

15 November Optional Memorial

by Fr. Emiel Abalahin, O.Carm.

The homes of most people do not consist of a mere wooden frame or a cement foundation; rather, they are constructed from a great variety of materials, and more often than not, the result of the participation of more than one or two people.  So, too, the Order of Carmel continues to grow and develop today because of the presence and contributions of all those who built upon its spiritual foundations, and not just its great saints. 

Read more ...

November 14 | Feast

The Heavenly Bliss of Paradise
From De Patientia of Bl. Battista Mantovano, Carmelite

The blessed will hear resounding from all sides the highest praises of God, according to the word of the Prophet: blessed is he who dwells in your house: always sing your praises. They will see the heavens and taste all their harmony, they will see Christ and His Mother and all the glorious bodies of the blessed. These, now incorruptible and clothed in incomparable beauty, will be such a sweet spectacle to the beholders that they will not know what better to desire.

Read the complete article

Read more about the Feast of All Carmelite Saints

Some Observations on the Spirituality of Mother Scrilli

From childhood she showed signs of extraordinary piety and, thanks to the positive influence of her teachers, cultivated her spiritual life through assiduous attendance at the sacraments and readings from the lives of the saints, especially St. Mary Magdalena de'Pazzi. Her mother’s lack of love for having a second daughter and her own long serious illness at the age of 15 drew her ever closer to the suffering of Christ and his Cross. Suffering experienced as an act of love made her delve more and more into the mystery of the Cross. “Patire per amore” (To Suffer for Love) was her motto.

In addition to devotion to Christ’s passion and the Eucharist, she had a tender love for Mary whom she considered her “dear mother.”

When she attempted to live as a cloistered nun at the monastery of St Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi, who she had a devotion to as well, she found that God had other plans for her. She and some friends started teaching. But that too did not work out because of the anti-Church attitudes in Florence at the time. Years later, in 1875, they restarted the Istituto di Nostra Signora del Carmelo knowing that this was God’s will.

To her intense activity, Mother Scrilli united a profound and continuous life of prayer. She knew how to harmonize prayer and work, contemplation and action, self-giving to God and service to her brothers and sisters. This became the goal of the Institute.

While she endured many constant physical sufferings, she also endured moral one with a spirit of faith and conformity to Divine Will. Her whole desire, in fact, was to fulfill God’s will. The “fiat” was the constant that accompanied her throughout her life.

Read more ...

To learn more about the life of Mother Maria Teresa and her work and legacy, we suggest reading The Autobiography of Maria Teresa Scrilli, Foundress of the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel published by Edizioni Carmelitane

From: Dizionario Carmelitano, 2008

8 November Optional Memorial

Elizabeth of the Trinity is one of the best-known figures in contemporary spirituality. Through her example and her teaching, she has exerted an ever-growing influence for many years, due above all to her Trinitarian experience and her short writings (spiritual notes, correspondence) rich in doctrine and echoing her communion with the Three Divine Persons.

Humble and pure, rich in intelligence and open to all the beauties of grace, nature, and art, she learned the lesson of love for the “Three”—according to the expression she loved—and at the same time the laws of correspondence to that love from St. Paul, St. Teresa of Avila, and St. John of the Cross. Silence and recollection, enlightened contemplation of the Trinitarian mystery and Christological dogma, generous docility to the slightest inspirations, unconditional fidelity to the divine will in her Carmelite vocation, formed her to a life of dedication that soon reached high perfection.

Adhering to the soul of Christ, “her favorite book,” in him and with him she rose to the Trinity, of which she wanted to be laudem gloriae, that is, a soul “who always adores and, so to speak, is wholly transformed in praise and love, in the passion of the glory of her God.” Such praise and such love were directed essentially to the Three Divine Persons present in her soul: this is the center of her spirituality and her message. In fact, she wrote: “I am Elizabeth of the Trinity, that is, Elizabeth who disappears, who loses herself, who allows herself to be invaded by the Three.” And she added, "Love dwells in us: therefore, the exercise is to enter into my interior and lose myself in Those who are there.

This spiritual orientation, based on the conviction of faith in the divine indwelling, was the grace of her life. Faithful to the progressive inner enlightenment that came to her, above all, from her contemplative study of the texts of the Gospel and St. Paul, she was able to achieve remarkable experiences, such as that of the Ascensions of 1906: "This morning I heard this word deep in my soul: ‘If anyone loves me, my Father will love him, and we will come to him and make our home with him’, and at that very moment I saw how this was really happening. I cannot say how the Three Divine Persons revealed themselves, but I saw them holding their council of love within me, and I still seem to see them like that." The grace of an almost uninterrupted awareness of the indwelling of the Trinity accompanied her during the last months of her life, strengthening and sustaining her during the period of martyrdom that was to “configure her to the death of Jesus, transform her into him crucified” for the glory of the Father and for the Church.

Already on November 21, 1904, in her famous Elevation to the Trinity: O mon Dieu, Trinité que j'adore, she had asked the Holy Spirit: “Descend into me, so that in my soul there may be another incarnation of the Word: that I may be an added humanity (”une humanité de surcroit“) in which he renews his mystery,” understanding that this aspiration could only be realized on the cross. God answered her prayer. The year 1906 was a succession of sufferings endured with fortitude in union with Christ, with her gaze turned to the Church and to souls. After a violent crisis, she was heard to exclaim: "O Love, Love! Consume all my substance for your glory. May it be distilled drop by drop for your Church! It was the ideal that sustained her and made her write to her mother: "The Father has predestined me to be conformed to his crucified Son; my Spouse wants me to be an added humanity in which He can suffer again for the glory of the Father and to help the Church: this thought does me so much good. He has chosen your daughter to associate her with the great work of Redemption, he has marked her with the seal of the Cross, and she suffers on it as an extension of the Passion."

Animated by these certainties, sustained by an ever more lively and theological love for the Immaculate Virgin, Ianua coeli, “the great praise of glory of the Trinity,” as Our Lady defined her, enjoying even in pain the intimacy with the “Three,” died, murmuring almost in a singing tone: “I am going to the light, to love, to life.”

Some time before, she had written: “The Trinity: this is our dwelling place, our home, our father's house from which we must never leave.” And two weeks before her death: “I believe that in heaven my mission will be to draw souls to interior recollection, helping them to come out of themselves to adhere to God with a very simple, loving movement, keeping them in that great interior silence that allows God to imprint Himself on them and transform them into Himself.” The invitation and the promise did not remain a dead letter: many souls, as evidenced by the documentation collected for the beginning of the cause of beatification, follow her path and her example in reliving her grace, the full grace of baptism that configures us to Christ and fixes in the depths of our being the loving presence of the Trinity, the source and end of all perfection.

On July 12, 1982, in the presence of the Holy Father John Paul II, the Decree on Virtues was promulgated. On February 17, 1984, the Decree on the miracle for beatification was promulgated (the Process had been conducted in Dijon in 1964-1965), and on November 25, 1984, the solemn Beatification took place in St. Peter's Basilica. Pope Francis canonized Elizabeth as a saint on October 16, 2016.

[Adapted from Valentino Macca, "Elizabeth of the Trinity" in Dizionario carmelitano, published by Edizioni Carmelitane]

To read more ...

November 7 | Optional Memorial in the Provinces of Spain

The Efficacy of Prayer in Favor of the Church
From the writings of Blessed Francesco Palau, OCD

In his providence God has disposed that our evils should not be remedied and that his graces should not be granted to us except through prayer, and that through the prayer of some others should be saved (cf. Jas 5:16 ff). If the heavens dripped from on high and the clouds made the righteous rain, if the earth opened and the Savior sprang forth (cf. Is 45:8), God willed that the cries and supplications of the holy Fathers and especially of that singular Virgin who persuaded the heavens by the fragrance of her virtues and drew the uncreated Word into her bosom should precede his coming. 

The Redeemer came and through continuous prayer reconciled the world to his Father. For the prayer of Jesus Christ and the fruits of his redemption to be applied to some nation or people, for there to be those who enlighten them with the preaching of the Gospel and administer the sacraments to them, it is indispensable that there be someone or many who by groanings and supplications, by prayers and sacrifices have won over that people and reconciled them with God.

Read the complete article ...

Read about the life of Bl Francesco ...

6 November Memorial

43. The evangelical counsels of chastity dedicated to God, poverty and obedience are based upon the words and examples of the Lord. They were further commanded by the apostles and Fathers of the Church, as well as by the doctors and pastors of souls. The counsels are a divine gift, which the Church received from its Lord and which it always safeguards with the help of His grace. Church authority has the duty, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, of interpreting these evangelical counsels, of regulating their practice and finally to build on them stable forms of living. Thus it has come about, that, as if on a tree which has grown in the field of the Lord, various forms of solidarity and community life, as well as various religious families have branched out in a marvelous and multiple way from this divinely given seed. Such a multiple and miraculous growth augments both the progress of the members of these various religious families themselves and the welfare of the entire Body of Christ.(1*) These religious families give their members the support of a more firm stability in their way of life and a proven doctrine of acquiring perfection. They further offer their members the support of fraternal association in the militia of Christ and of liberty strengthened by obedience. Thus these religious are able to tranquilly fulfill and faithfully observe their religious profession and so spiritually rejoicing make progress on the road of charity.(2*)

From the point of view of the divine and hierarchical structure of the Church, the religious state of life is not an intermediate state between the clerical and lay states. But, rather, the faithful of Christ are called by God from both these states of life so that they might enjoy this particular gift in the life of the Church and thus each in one's own way, may be of some advantage to the salvific mission of the Church.(3*)

44. The faithful of Christ bind themselves to the three aforesaid counsels either by vows, or by other sacred bonds, which are like vows in their purpose. By such a bond, a person is totally dedicated to God, loved beyond all things. In this way, that person is ordained to the honor and service of God under a new and special title. Indeed through Baptism a person dies to sin and is consecrated to God. However, in order that he may be capable of deriving more abundant fruit from this baptismal grace, he intends, by the profession of the evangelical counsels in the Church, to free himself from those obstacles, which might draw him away from the fervor of charity and the perfection of divine worship. By his profession of the evangelical counsels, then, he is more intimately consecrated to divine service.(4*) This consecration will be the more perfect, in as much as the indissoluble bond of the union of Christ and His bride, the Church, is represented by firm and more stable bonds.

The evangelical counsels which lead to charity (5*) join their followers to the Church and its mystery in a special way. Since this is so, the spiritual life of these people should then be devoted to the welfare of the whole Church. From this arises their duty of working to implant and strengthen the Kingdom of Christ in souls and to extend that Kingdom to every clime. This duty is to be undertaken to the extent of their capacities and in keeping with the proper type of their own vocation. This can be realized through prayer or active works of the apostolate. It is for this reason that the Church preserves and fosters the special character of her various religious institutes.

The profession of the evangelical counsels, then, appears as a sign which can and ought to attract all the members of the Church to an effective and prompt fulfillment of the duties of their Christian vocation. The people of God have no lasting city here below, but look forward to one that is to come. Since this is so, the religious state, whose purpose is to free its members from earthly cares, more fully manifests to all believers the presence of heavenly goods already possessed here below. Furthermore, it not only witnesses to the fact of a new and eternal life acquired by the redemption of Christ, but it foretells the future resurrection and the glory of the heavenly kingdom. Christ proposed to His disciples this form of life, which He, as the Son of God, accepted in entering this world to do the will of the Father. This same state of life is accurately exemplified and perpetually made present in the Church. The religious state clearly manifests that the Kingdom of God and its needs, in a very special way, are raised above all earthly considerations. Finally, it clearly shows all men both the unsurpassed breadth of the strength of Christ the King and the infinite power of the Holy Spirit marvelously working in the Church.

Thus, the state which is constituted by the profession of the evangelical counsels, though it is not the hierarchical structure of the Church, nevertheless, undeniably belongs to its life and holiness.

To read more ...

5 November Optional Memorial

Frances was probably born in Thouars on September 28, 1427, to Louis, Viscount of Thouars, and Marie de Rieux, Baroness of Encenis. Promised in marriage at the age of four to Peter, second son of the Duke of Brittany, she spent the rest of her youth with her future mother-in-law Joan, sister of Charles VII, King of France, who instilled in her the deeply Christian spirit she had received from the teachings of St. Vincent Ferrer. Peter, whose father and older brother had died before him, ascended the ducal throne of Brittany and was crowned together with Frances in Rennes Cathedral in 1450. She had a profound beneficial influence on her husband, the duke, on the running of the court and on affairs of state, and the seven years of his reign are remembered by the people as “the times of the blessed duchess.”

Widowed in 1457, despite pressure from her father and the King of France, she not only opposed remarriage but turned towards religious life. After repeated discussions with Blessed John Soreth, prior general of the Carmelites, she decided to join the Carmelite Order, making her possessions available for the foundation of the first Carmelite convent in France. It was established in Bondon, near Vannes, in 1463, with the nuns whom Blessed Soreth had transferred from the monastery in Liège. On March 25, 1468, Frances joined them. Wanting to bridge the social gap with her sisters, she asked them to replace the title of duchess with that of “handmaid of Christ.”

In 1477, under the protection of Our Lady of Couëts (de Scotiis), she founded a second monastery in Nantes, which two years later welcomed the remaining nuns from the former monastery in Bondon. For these foundations and for her influence on the legislation adopted in her and other French Carmelite monasteries, Frances is recognized as the founder of the Carmelites in France. She was responsible for introducing the practice of frequent Communion (and even daily Communion for the sick) and imposing, under penalty of excommunication, the strictest enclosure, which prevented both access to the monastery by all outsiders (including women) and the nuns from leaving the cloistered enclosure. With this vow, she anticipated the legislation of St. Pius V by a century and preserved her religious sisters from the damage that the lack of enclosure caused in other places.

She died in Nantes on November 4, 1485. During the French Revolution, the nuns were forced to abandon the convent, the memories of the blessed were scattered, and her body was desecrated. She is credited with some cloistered instructions, the manuscript of which has been lost, and some meditations published by Christophe Le Roy. Her cult was recognized by Pius IX on July 16, 1863. She is usually depicted with her eyes turned toward the crucifix she holds in her hands; on her Carmelite habit she wears an ermine cape (instead of wool) to recall her rank as a duchess.

To read more ...

15 October Feast

From the “Works” of Saint Teresa of Jesus, virgin
(book “The Book of Life,” chapter 22, 6-7, 14)

Let Us Always Remember the Love of Christ

Those who have Christ Jesus as their friend and follow such a magnanimous captain as he certainly can endure anything; for Jesus helps and gives strength, never fails, and loves sincerely. In fact, I have always recognized and still see clearly that we cannot please God and receive great graces from him except through the hands of the most sacred humanity of Christ, in which he said he was pleased.

I have experienced this many times, and the Lord himself has told me so. I have clearly seen that we must pass through this door if we desire that the supreme Majesty show us his great secrets. We must not seek another way, even if we have reached the summit of contemplation, because this way is sure. It is from him, our Lord, that all good things come to us. He will instruct us.

Meditating on his life, you will find no more perfect model. What more could we desire when we have such a good friend at our side who never abandons us in tribulations and misfortunes, as the friends of the world do? Blessed is he who truly loves him and always has him with him! Let us look at the glorious apostle Paul, who could not help but always have the name of Jesus on his lips, because he had it firmly fixed in his heart. Knowing this truth, I have considered and learned that some very contemplative saints, such as Francis, Anthony of Padua, Bernard, and Catherine of Siena, followed no other path. We must walk this path with great freedom, abandoning ourselves into God's hands. If he wishes to raise us up among the princes of his court, let us willingly accept this grace.

Every time we think of Christ, let us remember the love that prompted him to grant us so many graces and the ardent charity that God has shown us by giving us in him a pledge of the tenderness with which he follows us: for love demands love. Therefore, let us strive to consider this truth and inspire ourselves to love. If the Lord were to grant us the grace, once, to imprint this love in our hearts, everything would become easy for us and we would accomplish much, quickly and without effort.

Read more ...

Edizioni Carmelitane has published A Spirituality of Truth: Philosophical Explorations of St. Teresa of Jesus by renowned Philippino author Macario Ofilada Mina. It is available at from Edizioni Carmelitane.
 
We also offer a number of other books on the life of St. Teresa, her work, and legacy. We suggest reading the following books, available from Edizioni Carmelitane: The Heirs of St. Teresa of Avila and "I Consider the Labor Well Spent" A Mini-Course on the Interior Castle.

To access these and many other fine publications at Edizioni Carmelitane, click here.

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
October 1 | Feast

Saint Thérèse was born at Alençon in France on 2nd January 1873. Her parents were Louis Martin and Zélie Guérin. Following her death on September 30, 1897, of tuberculosis at the age of 24, she became known around the world as St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face through the publication of her autobiography now known as Story of a Soul.   

In 2025, the Church celebrates the 100th anniversary of St. Thérèse's canonization. During his homily at the canonization, the Pope Pius, “If everyone follows this path of spiritual childhood, everyone will see how easily reformation of human society can be achieved, which we have proposed since the beginning of our pontificate. On the wall of the niche in the crypt of St. Peter’s Basilica where Pius XI is buried, there is a mosaic of the saint.

Thérèse’s simple yet powerful spirituality has captured the imagination of Catholics and non-Catholics alike for the last century. Her sense of commitment led her to a profound experience of the love of God and of neighbor. She never had an easy life, but she did live with a great sense of peace and joy.

Read more about the life of St Therese

St. Thérèse, Her Family and Her Spirituality

Proclamation of St. Therese of Lisieux as Doctor of the Church

Edizioni Carmelitane published a book to celebrate the 150th anniversary of her birth in 1873 and the 100th anniversary of her beatification as well as the 100th anniversary of her canonization in 2025. More information is available here:

Singing the Mercies of the Lord Writings on Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

Also available as an ebook

September 17 | Feast

In 1205, Albert was appointed Patriarch of Jerusalem and a little later nominated Papal Legate for the ecclesiastical province of Jerusalem. He arrived in Palestine early in 1206 and lived in Acre because, at that time, Jerusalem was occupied by the Saracens. 

At some point between 1206 and 1214, Albert was approached by the hermits gathered on Mount Carmel, "near the font of Elijah," and asked to set down their way of life in the form of a Rule. Albert's formula vitae (way of life), a relatively short document, encouraged the daily practices of the hermits in order to "follow Christ."

During his time in Palestine, Albert was also involved in various peace initiatives, not only among Christians but also between the Christians and non-Christians and he carried out his duties with great energy and dedication. On 14th September 1214, during a relgious procession, he was stabbed to death.

A list of books available from Edizioni Carmelitane on St. Albert and the Carmelite Rule are listed at the bottom of this paragraph. 

Read more about the life of St. Albert ...

Read about the Carmelite Rule  |  Text of the Rule ...

Books Published by Edizioni Carmelitane on St. Albert of Jerusalem:

Celebrating St. Albert and His Rule. Rules, Devotion, Orthodoxy and Dissent
Edited by Michelle Sauer and Kevin Alban, O. Carm.

The Bollandist Dossier on St. Albert of Jerusalem
Daniel Papenbroeck, SJ | Edited and translated by Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

St. Albert of Jerusalem and the Roots of Carmelite Spirituality
Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

The Life of St. Albert of Jerusalem. A Documentary Biography. Part 1
Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

The Life of St. Albert of Jerusalem. A Documentary Biography. Part 2
Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

Albert and His Rule
Michael Mulhall, O. Carm.

A Pattern for Life. The Rule of St. Albert and the Carmelite Laity
Patrick Thomas McMahon, O. Carm.

The Carmelite Rule. Proceedings of the Lisieux Conference. 4-7 July 2005
Various Authors