Stay awake!

Our Advent journey begins today. “The Advent readings form a rich tapestry of images centered on the truth that God has come among us. In Advent we do not pretend that we are waiting for Jesus to be born in a stable. That happened once in history and it will not happen again. We remember that birth as we remember our own birthdays. The God who came among us is still among us. Advent’s invitation is to become aware of the all-pervading presence of the risen Jesus as Emmanuel – God among us.” (Break Open the Word. The Liturgical Commission, Brisbane.)

This week’s Gospel calls us to ‘Stay awake’, to be vigilant and attentive so that we do not miss the moment when God breaks into human history once again. The God who came among us is still among us. In Advent we train our eyes to see the reign of God more clearly so that we may be totally caught up in God’s action in the world.

We live in the ‘in between’ time – between the first and final comings of Jesus. This excerpt from the Gospel urges us to stay awake, alert, watchful and ready not only for the ‘day of the Lord’s coming’ at the end of time, but also for when the presence of God breaks in our lives and our world.

• Celebrating At Home 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November
• Celebrating At Home 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November EPUB
• Lectio Divina for 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November
• Lectio Divina for 1st Sunday of Advent 29 November Epub
• Celebrando en Familia - Primer Domingo De Adviento
• Celebrando in Casa - Prima Domenica Di Avvento

Reflection - Being the living presence of God

Only Matthew tells us this story of final judgement in the Kingdom of God. He paints a picture of the glorious arrival of the King and the assembly of all the nations of people who are then separated into two groups, sheep and goats.
Judgement is then pronounced - not on the basis of physical beauty, wealth, power, status or even religious practice.

What determines who will inherit the eternal life of the Kingdom are the works of service done to fellow human beings in need: the hungry, the thirsty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.

Perhaps surprisingly, there is no mention in the list of religious duties like prayer, liturgical worship, fasting, giving tithes or indeed any identifiably religious practice.

Very likely these things are presumed to be present in all the assembled people. But, the difference between the two groups is how they responded to fellow human beings in need.
At the end of the day, the disciple is called to be the Kingdom (living presence) of God in the world and to transform the suffering of its people into joy by deeds of loving kindness. The goats appear to have made horrible situations suffered by human beings worse by their neglect, their lack of love.

The virtuous disciple is the living presence of Jesus in the world. He or she realises that Jesus has entrusted the kingdom into his/her hands. In the Kingdom of Jesus, the disciple is not master but ‘servant’ - remember how frequently we have heard about the first being last and the last first?

The whole idea of ‘kingdom’ has been thoroughly re-written in the teaching of Jesus: there is only one master and you are all brothers… The disciples are indeed kings – they have the power of Jesus’ spirit in them. But this power is not to be exercised in the classical sense ‘having power over others’, but by being true servants. The power of the spirit of Jesus fuels deeds of loving kindness for the brothers and sisters of Jesus – reversing horrible human conditions, and bringing healing and salvation.

This is, once again, a ‘warning’ parable for disciples to make sure that they are living the life of the Kingdom properly. It is not meant as a ‘prophecy’ about the last day. It is meant for careful consideration by the disciples in their attempt to live the life of the kingdom which has been entrusted to them.

Disciples of Jesus are not to repeat the mistake of the Pharisees in objectifying faith in God and reducing it to external observance.

Disciples are to seize the life (grace) of the Kingdom within them, to work industriously with this great gift so that the life of Jesus at work in them overflows into deeds of loving kindness; so that, becoming one in heart and mind with Christ (as St Paul puts it), the disciples becomes Christ in his/her moment of history - seeing, thinking and acting as Jesus would.

• Celebrating At Home for Christ the King PDF
• Celebrating At Home for Christ the King EPUB
• Lectio Divina for Christ the King PDF
• Lectio Divina for Christ the King EPUB
• Celebrando em Familia - Jesus Rey do Universo Comum Carmelitas Português
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• Celebrando en Familia - Jesuscristo Rey del Universo - Carmelitas

A Happy Christmas to one and all. It is that time of year when we have the joy of wishing one another the blessings of Christmas. I extend my good wishes and the good wishes of our General Council to all the Carmelite friars around the world,  to the contemplative nuns, the sisters and brothers in apostolic congregations and the many lay Carmelite men and women who rejoice in being members of the Carmelite Family.

Circumstances change, but the message of Christmas remains the same:  “The Word became flesh and dwelt among us” Jesus came as the Saviour and brother for all.  This Christmas, 2020 will find us changed. We are poorer, sicker, more frightened that we can ever remember. But we are also stronger, strengthened by what we have seen of the goodness of people who sacrifice themselves every day in order to help others, in the very difficult circumstances brought about by the Coronavirus. And that is not all. While it is true that there are many examples of violent deaths, deaths in the Mediterranean, victims of crime, war and famine, before our eyes, every day, there are also many signs of life because of the many people who save lives, respect life and do all they can to protect the dignity of other people and of our common home. This Christmas wouldn’t it be lovely to give one another the gift of a Christmas that is simple, a Gospel Christmas, a purer Christmas, one in which we are attentive to the needs of others, especially the needs of the poor, the infirm, migrants, and people with no home either for themselves or for their families. Let us commend one another and the whole of humanity to the loving care of Mary and Joseph as we welcome the gift of their Son, God made human, and join in one voice in singing, Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth to the men and women that our God loves. May the grace and peace of the Incarnate Word fill your lives and your homes throughout this holy Season.   Amen. Thank you.

A Letter from the Prior General, O.Carm. and Superior General, O.C.D. to the Carmelite Family on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church.

This year, 2020, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph in the full throws of a pandemic, that forced us to remain in our own homes. Because of that, we felt the need even more to turn to that just and faithful man who knew the meaning of hardship, exile, and worries about tomorrow, but did not lose heart, but continued to believe and hope God, from whom he had received a very unique mission: he was to take care of Mary and the child Jesus, the family of Nazareth, the embryo of the new family that God was giving to the world. Pope Francis, preaching in Santa Marta, reminded us of some of the qualities of St. Joseph: the man of clear and practical vision, capable of doing his work with precision and professional skill, and one who at the same time penetrated the mystery of God, beyond all that was familiar to him or was under his control, and in the presence of which he kneels and adores.

Download below:

• pdf St Joseph, Patron of Carmel [EN] (459 KB)
• pdf El Patrocinio de san José Sobre El Carmelo [ES] (457 KB)
• pdf Il Patrocinio di San Giuseppe sul Carmelo [IT] (455 KB)
• pdf O Patrocínio de São José no Carmelo [PT] (450 KB)
• pdf Saint Joseph, Patron du Carmel [FR] (466 KB)
• pdf El Patrocini de Sant Josep Sobre el Carmel [CAT] (449 KB)

Madres Carmelitas
Monasterio de Sta. Catalina
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Monestir de la Mare de Déu del Carme
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Monestir de l’Encarnació
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Monasterio de la Madre de Dios
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Monasterio de la Encarnación
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Madres Carmelitas
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S. Miguel
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Monasterio Purísima Sangre de Cristo
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Cristo, 19
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Santa Ana, 34-B
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Monestir de l’Amor Diví
Santuari Diocesa de la Mare de Déu de Fatima
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Monasterio de la Purísima Concepción
Ponce de Léon, 11
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Monasterio de la Encarnación del Verbo Divino
Balmes, 41
46001 VALENCIA
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Monasterio de S. Juan Bautista
Avenida Francisco Alcalá, 9
21860 VILLALBA DEL ALCOR (Huelva)
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Monestir de la Mare de Déu del Carme
Barri Sant Pau,3
Apartat de Correus, 175
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Monasterio de la Encarnación
Avenida César Augusto, 1
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Carmelo da Sagrada Família
5160 TORRE DE MONCORVO (Bragança)
Portugal
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Karmel Titus Brandsma
Palestinastraat. 107
6418 HC HEERLEN (Limburg)
The Netherlands
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Woonzorgcentrum St. Anna
Veerstraat 49
5831 JM BOXMEER
The Netherland
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Carmelite Nuns
Gravenallee 12
7591 PE DENEKAMP
OLANDA

Monastero Mater Carmeli
Via del Bottegone, 9
13900 BIELLA-CHIAVAZZA(BI)
Italia
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P. le Belmangieri, 1
62032 CAMERINO (MC)
Italia
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Carmelo S. Anna
Via B. P. Caldarozzi, 32
00032 CARPINETO ROMANO (RM)
Italia
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Santuario dell’Addolorata
58010 CERRETO DI SORANO (GR)
Italia
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Piazza San Giuseppe, 10
84084 FISCIANO (SA)
Italia
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Costa San Marco, 11
60035 JESI (AN)
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33010 MONTEGNACCO DI CASSACCO (UD)
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Contrada Faifoli, 1
86023 MONTAGANO CB
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Contrada Campanile
72017 OSTUNI (BR)
Italia
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Via Guaccimanni, 44
48121 RAVENNA
Italia
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Via Pascoli, 9
47030 SOGLIANO AL RUBICONE (FC)
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Via Garibaldi, 1
01015 SUTRI (VT)
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Monastero Monte Carmelo
Viale Card. Tardini, 1
01019 VETRALLA (VT)
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Carmelo Mater Unitatis
Monastero delle Carmelitane di S. M. Maddalena de' Pazzi
Reg. Villa Puzzi, I
14026 MONTIGLIO (Asti)
Italia
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Eremo Santa Maria degli Angeli
Via S. Lorenzo a Colline n. 6
50023 IMPRUNETA (FI)
Italia
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Via dei Massoni, 26
50139 FIRENZE
Italia
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Karmelitinnenkloster
Forchheimerstrasse, 27
91056 ERLANGEN
Deutschland
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CARMELITE NUNS
Carmelite Monastery – Ba Ria
134/11 (c3) Trần Phú F 5
Bãi Dâu, TP Vũng Tàu
VIETNAM