Displaying items by tag: prayer

We would ask your continued prayerful support of our Carmelite nuns in Tanay, Philippines.

According to a letter from the community on September 23, 2021, twelve of the eighteen nuns in the community have tested positive for covid. All of the sisters, with the exception of one, are vaccinated. (The sister who was not vaccinated is taking chemo.) The case are considered to be mild and symptomatic.

Although the sisters are asking for prayers of the people, they also assure everyone that they are responding with prayer to those who have asked for them. They remember especially those who are sick with covid.

The sisters conclude, “Do not worry about us … we are hoping to recover. Whatever happens, someday we will praise HIM together in the Kingdom of Light and say with MARY, 'The Almighty has done great things for ME, and holy is HIS Name.' We love you all!”

The monastery was inaugurated on November 11, 2001, and is part of the “Stella Maris” Federation of monasteries in the Philippines. Nine sisters from different monasteries of the Federation made up the original community.

On 27th July, we celebrate our annual memorial of a famous Carmelite martyr.

Anno Sjoerd Brandsma was born at Bolsward, The Netherlands, in 1881, and joined the Carmelite Order in 1898 taking the name ‘Titus’, being ordained priest in 1905. In time he became a professor and then Rector Magnificus at the Catholic University of Nijmegen. He was also a journalist.

During the 1930s he gave a famous series of lectures in the United States on Carmelite mysticism. Throughout the 1930s Nazi propaganda was on the rise but Fr Titus refused to support or print anything in support of the Nazi regime.

Fr Titus was arrested by the Gestapo on January 19, 1942, and imprisoned in his native country before being sent to the concentration camp at Dachau where he brought comfort and peace to his fellow prisoners. In Dachau he was experimented on in the medical wing and was finally put to death by lethal injection on July 26, 1942.

He was beatified in 1985 and the cause for his canonisation continues which, we pray, will soon be successful.

Please avail yourself of the resources prepared for the celebration of Blessed Titus Brandsma on July 27th.

Liturgical Resources Blessed Titus Brandsma

• pdf Letter to the Carmelite Family (400 KB)
• pdf Mass Leaflet (287 KB)
• pdf Prayers of the Faithful (216 KB)
• pdf Homily Notes (81 KB)
• pdf Newsletter/bulletin insert (253 KB)

Life in the Kingdom of God

In Mark’s Gospel the Kingdom is not something yet to come, it is a present reality. It is the presence and action (reign) of God among his people. That may not always been readily seen, but it is there none the less.

Last Sunday Mark used two parables to talk about the reality of the Kingdom. Over the next few Sundays he begins to talk about the mystery of the Kingdom present in Jesus and what living in the Kingdom requires. None Mark’s stories are about about some awesome display of power. Mark’s stories make it clear that Jesus is about saving human beings, healing them and calming hearts disturbed by life’s storms. In Jesus is the power of life and liberation.

Sudden storms on Lake Galilee were well-known and still happen today.

Many of our ‘boats’ and those of our loved ones have been tossed about on turbulent seas since the sudden arrival of Coronavirus last year. Many of us know exactly the kind of fear and uncertainty that the disciples felt as they were tossed about in the darkness on the stormy lake in this Sunday’s Gospel. Many may also feel that Jesus is asleep somewhere.

And yet, signs of Jesus are all about us: in healthcare workers and medical researchers, in people trying their best to look after others, to provide meals and shelter, to keep themselves and their loved ones safe, to bring comfort and to pray.

Vulnerability is an uncomfortable experience. Mark helps us understand that life in the Kingdom begins with faith and confidence in God especially in the midst of epic struggles which threaten to overcome us.

The disciples’ question is ours, too. Who is Jesus for us? A magician, a wonder-worker, or a person who found the way to let the reign of God’s grace out of his heart and into the lives of those around him?

• pdf Celebrating At Home - 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time [PDF] (7.81 MB)
• default Celebrating At Home - 12th Sunday of Ordinary Time [ePub] (5.22 MB)
• pdf Celebrando En Familia - 12 Domingo Del Tiempo Ordinario (302 KB)
• pdf Celebrando In Casa - 12 Domenica Del Tempo Ordinario (435 KB)  

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Celebrating at Home is a Liturgy of the Word centred around the Gospel reading for each Sunday. It includes a reflection on the Gospel and prayers.

It can be used personally or with your family. Parts for all to pray are given in bold print and all the other parts can be shared among those present.

We hope that Celebrating at Home will be a source of nourishment and strength for all who use it.

In the room you decide to use for this prayer you could have a lighted candle, a crucifix and the Bible. These symbols help keep us mindful of the sacredness of our time of prayer and can help us feel connected with our local worshipping communities.