In many parts of the world, the place where Carmelite friars live together is called a “friary” (in Italian: convento). Normally, friaries have a public church attached to them which is not the parish church. In these places, members of the faithful are welcomed to celebrate the Eucharist, the Prayer of the Church and other celebrations together with the Carmelite community of friars.

As with other Carmelites apostolates, these Carmelite friaries are often well-known for their life of brotherhood and prayer in the midst of the people, for their preferential service to the poor and the marginalised, for their special attention to issues concerning women and for their commitment to justice and peace.

They are particularly known for a care for those who show an interest in the spirit, the spiritual heritage and the life of Carmel. This is often expressed in their preaching of the Word of God and, of course, in the Marian preaching that takes place in these places. It is normal for days of recollection, talks on Carmelite spirituality, and moments of prayer to be arranged in these places and they are often recognised as Carmelite Spirituality Centres.

Information on some of the important centres is listed below.

Titus Brandsma Memorial
Nijmegen, The Netherlands

https://titusbrandsmamemorial.nl/

Karmel Marienthal
Hamminkeln, Germany

http://karmel-marienthal.de/

Convento S. Lucia alla Castellina
Castello (FIorence), Italy

http://www.castellinalafamiglia.it/

Carmelite Friary Kinsale
Cork, Ireland

http://carmeliteskinsale.ie/

The Carmelite Centre Melbourne
Middle Park, Victoria, Australia.

https://www.thecarmelitecentremelbourne.org/

Then, because so many people were coming and going that they did not even have a chance to eat, Jesus said to them, “Come with me by yourselves to a quiet place and get some rest.” So they went away by themselves in a boat to a solitary place. Mark 6:31-32

Carmelites are often known  for their preaching of retreats, spiritual direction and guidance about spiritual problems. Naturally, this means a commitment to being credible witnesses to the Gospel we preach. When preaching, Carmelites try to share the fruits of their listening to the Word of God in order to help accompany others in their own search for God. As a result of our devotion to Our Blessed Lady, Carmelites often preach about Mary in a renewed way.

Frequently, Carmelites establish and develop centres of spirituality and study in order to take care of those who show an interest in the spirituality and the life of Carmel. These often include places to which all lovers of Carmelite spirituality can come and stay for periods of retreat and prayer.

Taking care of people’s spiritual lives is an important ministry for Carmelites. It reflects Carmel’s desire to care for all who are seeking God and who wish to deepen their spiritual lives.

Information on some of the Carmelite Centres of Retreat throughout the world, where people can stay for periods of retreat, can be found below.

(Please also check our Shrines and Higher Institutes of Learning as these often offer accommodation as well.)

AMERICAS

Niagara Falls (CANADA)
Mt. Carmel Spiritual Centre
Niagara Falls, ON, Canada

https://www.carmelniagara.com/

ASIA

Batu (INDONESIA)
Komunitas St. Nonius Alvares Pereira
RT 056/ RW 007
Dusun Seberang Bendo,
Kel. Giripurno, Kec. Bumiaji
BATU

North Sumatra (INDONESIA)
PUSAT SPIRITUALITAS KARMEL
Jl. Tanjung Pinggir No. 1,
Kelurahan Pondok Sayur, Kec. Martoba,
Pematang Siantar

Flores (INDONESIA)
Rumah Retret “St. Nabi Elias”
Mageria – Paga
MAUMERE 86153
Flores - NTT

Bali (INDONESIA)
Biara Karmel “St. Yosef”
Br. Batunya, Kec. Baturiti
Kotak Pos 26
TABANAN – Bali

EUROPE

Springiersbach (GERMANY)
Exerzitienhaus Carmel Springiersbach
Karmelitenstraße 2

http://www.karmeliten.de/exerzitienhaus

Nocera (ITALY)
Casa religiosa di ospitalità Centro di Spiritualità Il Carmelo
Via San Paolo, 13
06025 Nocera Umbra (PG)

Pozzo di Gotto (ITALY)
Centro di Spiritualità "Il Carmelo"
Pozzo di Gotto (ME), Italy

https://carmelit.org/le-comunita/

San Felice (ITALY)
Casa di accoglienza - San Felice
San Felice del Benaco (BS), Italy

https://santuariodelcarmine-sanfelice.it

Sassone-Ciampino (ITALY)
Istituto "Il Carmelo"
Sassone-Ciampino (RM), Italy

http://www.ilcarmelo.net/

Mdina (MALTA)
Carmelite Priory
Mdina, Malta

http://www.carmelitepriory.org/

Lunzjata (MALTA)
Dar tat-Talb – Lunzjata
Lunzjata, Rabat, Malta

http://www.karmelitani.org/dar-tat-talb-lunzjata/

Carmelites have many significant Shrines throughout the world to which large numbers of people often come in pilgrimage to express their devotion. It is not surprising that the shrines and pilgrimages play a significant role in Carmelite life as many of the first Carmelites on Mount Carmel were probably themselves pilgrims to the Holy Land.

Carmelite Shrines are places of welcome, solidarity and ecumenical commitment, providing services to needy brothers and sisters. 

While most of the Carmelite Shrines around the world are dedicated to Our Lady, many others are dedicated to one or more of the Saints and Blesseds associated with the Order.

Marian Shrines

Carmelites have always reserved a special place of importance for their Marian Shrines. This is no surprise as the Marian influence on the Carmelite Order comes from its earliest days. We know that an oratory dedicated to Mary under the title “Our Lady of the Place” stood in the midst of those cells on Mount Carmel. When Carmelites came to Europe, they frequently would establish shrines for pilgrims to come and express their devotion to God and to Our Lady.

Today, Carmelite Marian Shrines are centres in which the Word of God is prayerfully heard and where there is a strong liturgical life. They often include centres of reflection on the path taken by Mary, who is Mother of God, of the Church and of all humanity.

As well as making pilgrimages to their own Shrines, Carmelites frequently make pilgrimages to the other important Marian Shrines in the Church (for example: Lourdes and Fatima). 

Other Shrines

Many Carmelite Shrines are devoted to the Saints and Blesseds of Carmel or to those Saints with whom the Carmelite Family has had a strong connection over the centuries. For example: Aylesford Priory (United Kingdom), where the first General Chapter of the Order outside of the Holy Land was held, is closely associated with Saint Simon Stock. The National Shrine of Saint Jude is found in Faversham (United Kingdom).

For further information on some of our Carmelite Shrines throughout the world, please select one of the following links which will bring you to the website for each shrine:

Aylesford, The Friars
(British Province – Aylesford, Kent, United Kingdom)

The principal house of the Carmelite religious order that came to Kent in 1242. Home to the Shrine of the Virgin Mary and Saint Simon Stock.

https://www.thefriars.org.uk

Basilica Santuario del Carmine Maggiore
(General Commissariat “La Bruna” – Naples, Italy)

Home to the icon of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel called "La Bruna" (seems to be the work of the Tuscan school of the thirteenth century).

http://www.santuariocarminemaggiore.it/

Carmelite Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary “On the Sand”
(Polish Province – Krakow, Poland)

Home to the Shrine of the Blessed Virgin Mary “On the Sand”.

https://krakow.karmelici.pl/

Basilica of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Malta
(Maltese Province – Valletta, Malta)

Part of the UNESCO World Heritage Site, original church dates to 1570 – home to a painting of Our Lady of Mount Carmel dating from the early 17^th century.

https://www.facebook.com/pages/Basilica-of-Our-Lady-of-Mount-Carmel-Valletta/316562561882416

Whitefriar Street Church
(Irish Province – Dublin, Ireland)

Home to the Shrine of Our Lady of Dublin and to the Relics of Saint Valentine.

https://whitefriarstreetchurch.ie/

National Shrine and Museum of St. Thérèse
(Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary - Darien, Illinois, USA)

A place where people come to learn about St. Therese and her life, to honour her, and to pray to her and be with her.

https://saint-therese.org/

National Shrine of Saint Jude
(British Province – Faversham, United Kingdom)

Home to the Shrine of Saint Jude.

https://www.stjudeshrine.org.uk/

Service among the people: the experience of God sends us into mission

Participants in Christ’s mission in the Church

A contemplative community’s authentic experience of God necessarily leads us to make our own “the mission of Jesus, who was sent to proclaim the Good News of the Kingdom of God and to bring about the total liberation of humanity from all sin and oppression. Our ministry as Carmelites is therefore an integral part of our charism.”

As Carmelites, we are in the Church and for the Church, and together with the Church we are at the service of the Kingdom.^[1] While we strive to enrich the Church through the specificity of our charism, we cooperate in building the one body of Christ in full communion with all the other members of the Christian community^[2]. This communion is made concrete by means of our involvement in local churches^[3].

Serving those who seek God

Carmelites share in their contemporaries’ thirst for God. This thirst for spirituality goes beyond the limits of Christianity and is often to be found hidden even in those who profess no religion. As Carmelites, we must be able to recognize this thirst for spirituality, wherever it may be, and to enter into dialogue with anyone who seeks God, contributing to the discoveries individuals make in their own experience of the “holy places and mystical spaces” where God comes to meet us. Faithful to the Order’s spiritual heritage, we focus our work, in its various dimensions, on increasing the search for God, and we invite men and women of our time to the experience of contemplation, sharing with them the richness of our spiritual tradition. Our life as a contemplative community becomes a credible witness to the possibility of encountering the Other and others through silence, openness and sincere communication.

Brothers in the midst of the people

Communal life is in itself both a proclamation and a challenge^[4]. A community that is full of life is both attractive and prophetic; it is a sign of the liberating presence of the Lord among his people.

Our lifestyle, which must be open and welcoming, invites us to share with others the communion of hearts and the experience of God which are lived within the community (Rule, 9).

This way of being “in the midst of the people” is a prophetic sign of a new way of relating with people - one that is based on friendship and fraternity. It is also a prophetic statement about justice and peace in society and among peoples. It is “a choice to share with ‘the little ones’ in history, a choice to speak a word of hope and of salvation from within, more through life than in words.”

Carmelites set out on a journey, following the guidelines given by the Rule, along the paths marked out by the Spirit of the Lord (Rule, 17). They become companions to those who suffer, hope and commit themselves to building up the Kingdom of God, and they seek to promote every means of fostering community.

Brothers in mission

We must learn “to ‘leave the sacred precincts’ and ‘go outside the camp’ in order to proclaim ‘in the new marketplaces of the world’ that God loves humankind with an everlasting tenderness.” Naturally, each situation requires a response that is appropriate to local needs and demands. Our lifestyle and our spirituality must be translatable into attitudes and actions capable of communicating our Carmelite spirit through an ongoing effort to inculturate our charism and the Gospel message. Moreover, every culture into which we integrate ourselves will enrich both our own understanding of the Gospel message and of our charism, and the means which express them; for as we evangelize, we are in turn evangelized. As we take Christ to others, we encounter Christ present in them.

Mission ad gentes

In obedience to Christ’s command to “go and teach all the nations, baptizing them in the name of the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit, teaching them to observe my commands,” (Matthew 28:19-20) the Order recognizes and promotes the continuation of a long missionary tradition which reached its high point when Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus was made patron saint of the missions, and is confident that “mission ad gentes will reveal in a new way the heart of the Carmelite charism.” “Missionary work is nothing other than the manifestation, or the epiphany and the realization, of God’s plan in the world and in history.”^[5]. It is “the Church’s highest and most sacred duty,”^[6] because the Church is missionary by nature.

From the Lord’s explicit command, from the Church’s many emphatic statements, and from the tradition of the Order, it is clear that, for Carmelites today, missionary work ad gentes is not merely a possibility but a real necessity, as well as a privilege. We must encourage and promote “the unsuppressable missionary drive which distinguishes and characterizes consecrated life.”^[7]

Inculturation

The Carmelite charism reaches beyond cultural differences, because the search for God is the heart of the Carmelite vocation and is also the deepest desire of the human heart. In this journey we discover what unites us to God, to each other and to all creation. It is truly joyful in that through it we enter a unity in Christ where there is no longer, division or difference.^[8]

Living at the centre of the world’s complexity, we are called to live the Gospel in unity.^[9] We are an international Order, stretching across five continents in a global reality divided by language, national boundaries, race, wealth and poverty, differing ideologies, gods, and even different generation gaps. The call to unity is a gift in this diversity. The Church reminds us that we are one family.^[10] What is essential for us in this multicultural reality is our common identity. Solid formation in our Christian and Carmelite identity is the sure foundation for dialogue, negotiation and acceptance of the other. In fact, Carmelite communities of today are often a mixture of cultures, nationalities and age groups. This globalization requires that we be well grounded in our own Carmelite culture, so that we have flexibility to embrace difference and an international worldview. The Gospel can appear in different clothing according to the different cultures, but it is the one Gospel.

We can no longer live as isolated realities, because events across the globe touch us, challenge us, engage us. The mendicant friar is not constrained by high walls, but enters the market place where many cultures interact. We are heirs to a great missionary tradition, opening our Order to new cultures and ideas, places where the “seed of Carmel has been planted.” The harvest is rich! For those in initial and ongoing formation programs, international experiences, exchange of personnel, diversity of way of life enriches the formation process and enables the Order to serve God’s people in our new multicultural society. Being open to diversity within the Order and in the greater society will enlighten the dialogue among ourselves and strengthen the common project of community living, which our Rule intimates.^[11]  “The Church…. travels the same journey as all humanity and shares the same earthly lot with the world: she is to be a leaven and, as it were, the soul of human society in its renewal by Christ and transformation into the family of God.”^[12]

Prophets of justice and peace

The contemplative dimension of Carmelite life allows us to recognize God’s action in creation and in history. This free gift challenges us to commit ourselves to the working out of God’s plan for the world. The authentic contemplative journey allows us to discover our own frailty, our weakness, our poverty; in a word, the nothingness of human nature - reminding us that all is grace. Through this experience, we grow in solidarity with those who live in situations of deprivation and injustice. As we allow ourselves to be challenged by the poor and by the oppressed, we are gradually transformed, and we begin to see the world with God’s eyes and to love the world with his heart. With God, we hear the cry of the poor,^[13] and we strive to share the Divine solicitude, concern, and compassion for the poorest and the least.

This moves us to speak out prophetically in the face of the excesses of individualism and subjectivism which we see in today’s mentality, especially in the face of the many forms of injustice and oppression of individuals and of peoples.

Commitment to justice, peace and the safeguarding of creation is not an option; these are urgent challenges, to which contemplative and prophetic Carmelite communities - following the example of Elijah^[14] and Mary^[15] - must respond, speaking out in explicit defense of the truth and of the divine plan for humanity and for creation as a whole. Our communal lifestyle is in itself such a statement: it is founded on just and peaceful relations, according to the plan outlined in the Rule,^[16] which our tradition traces back to the experience of Elijah, who founded on Mount Carmel a community of justice and peace.^[17]

Keeping alive the memory of Mary

The rediscovery of the Marian tradition in Carmelite spirituality inspires us today to offer the humble service of those who attribute to Mary, primary model of discipleship, a specific role in spiritual and ecclesial life. This involves promoting an authentic renewal of Mariology on solid biblical, liturgical, ecumenical and anthropological foundations.^[18] In addition, we need to look more critically at our Marian tradition, in order to find a new language and new ways of expressing our relationship with Mary on our spiritual journey.

Source: Ratio Institutionis Vitæ Carmelitanæ, 45-50, 52-53.

^[1] Love for the Church and for its mission is a constant element of Carmel. Only a few of the numerous references are mentioned here; e.g., Saint Mary Magdalene de’Pazzi, Renovazione della Chiesa, Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Story of a Soul, Ms. B., 2v-3v.

^[2] cf. Vita consecrata, 31, 46-56.

^[3] cf. Vita consecrata, 48-49.

^[4] Fraternal life, 54-56, Vita consecrata 51.

^[5] Ad gentes, 9.

^[6] Ad gentes, 29.

^[7] Vita consecrata, 77.

^[8] see Galatians 3:27-28.

^[9] see John 17:11.

^[10] Ad gentes, 22: “... the local traditions together with the special qualities of each national family, illumined by the light of the Gospel, will be taken up into a Catholic unity.”

^[11] see Rule, 15.

^[12] see Gaudium et spes, 1965, Pastoral Constitution of the Church in the Modern World, 42, §6; and also Catechism of the Catholic Church, 854.

^[13] see Isaiah 3:7.

^[14] see 1 King 21.

^[15] see Luke 1:46-55.

^[16] see Rule, 21.

^[17] see Institutio primorum monachorum, 3:3, 5.

^[18] see Marialis cultus, 29-39; for biblical aspects, see Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, Last Conversations, 21 August, 3; the poem, Why I Love You, O Mary! (PN 54).

In our Rule, Saint Albert speaks about “some work” that has to be done. This expression indicates that work is not an end in itself as it is often misunderstood in contemporary societies where people are valued according to the status, efficiency and outcome of their labour.

The Carmelite Rule sees work on the one hand simply as a means of supporting community. Every work has therefore to be understood as community work even if it is done in the greatest solitude. On the other hand, according to our Rule, work has a spiritual meaning within our journey towards union with God and builds up the Kingdom. Outside the times for prayer and community activities work helps us to be engaged in doing something with attention and concentration in order to be “occupied” so that we are not get­ting distracted from the very true meaning of our life. This is why the Rule requests us to work in silence.

A healthy balance of prayer, work and time for rest will help us to remain always and everywhere with all our being focused and centred in God’s transforming love so that we may better recognize and follow His will for us.

As part of the institutional Church we are inclined to under­stand work more or less exclusively as pastoral or liturgical min­istry. Our Rule instead gives us the example of the Apostle Paul who integrated two important dimensions of work in his own life: he practiced his profession as a tentmaker and lived from this physical labour of his hands. In his remaining time he devot­ed himself to working for the kingdom of God by proclaiming the Gospel.

Every community, and in fact each Carmelite, has to pay attention to finding the right balance between these two dimensions of work.

Source: Ratio Institutionis Vitæ Carmelitanæ, 44.

“You must have some sort of work to do.”
(Rule, number 20)

As a contemplative brotherhood, Carmelites seek the face of God also in the heart of the world. Carmel knows itself to be a living part of the Church and of history.

Our Rule recommends that we always work but doesn’t stipulate what kind of work. It leaves us to discern together what kind of work we do in the confidence that the work we choose will be in fact the work of God’s Kingdom.

Jesus said to them,
“My Father is always at his work to this very day,
and I too am working.”
John 5:17

Consequently, living “in the midst of the people”, Carmelites have traditionally found a large variety of ways to offer their service to the local Churches. This is done in accordance with our charism and with the needs of the time and of the place in which Carmelites find themselves.

While it is difficult to have a comprehensive list of the work that Carmelites undertake, Carmelites undertake the running of Shrines, parishes, centres of spirituality, schools and youth ministry, educational institutions and work for justice, peace and the integrity of creation.

When someone dies, one of the things we often feel is their absence. The rooms where they lived with us, the places where they sat are now empty and our hearts ache.

Its not hard for us to share Mary’s sense of emptiness and bewilderment when she arrives at the tomb. This is an Easter like we have never had before. Without our usual celebrations with family and friends it can feel very empty indeed.

If we were to read the next few verses from John’s Gospel, we would read a story of overwhelming joy as Mary Magdalen meets the risen Jesus. When Jesus speaks her name, Mary recognises him and sadness and emptiness give way to joyful reunion.

It’s a story of transformation - how things can change when we meet the risen Jesus.

In a way, we are all caught in tombs which hold loved ones, our experiences of hurt and harm, our fears and anxieties, especially now.

What we seem to need above all at this time is presence. Yet, this is the time when we experience absence most of all - being apart from loved ones, family and friends.

The practice of the presence of God can help us - just frequently reminding ourselves that we always in the presence of God, that we can talk to God as one friend to another, that God is in this moment with us, that God is on our side no matter what comes our way, that God is our constant companion.

Eventually, we will begin to feel more deeply God’s presence, not just beside us, but within us. Eventually, the fears and anxieties, the past hurts, and disrupted relationships begin to melt away.

Where once there was only absence, now there is calm, loving, healing Presence and we know we are not alone. Our tombs begin to empty and joy becomes possible again.

Resurrection is all about death giving way to life, the impossible becoming possible, absence becoming presence.

May all your tombs be empty!

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Easter Sunday [PDF] (503 KB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Easter Sunday [ePub] (893 KB)
• pdf Celebrando En Familia - El Domingo De Pascua (399 KB)
• pdf Celebrando In Casa - La Pasqua (398 KB)

...

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.

Beginning

The Lord is here, present among us.
We are gathered with the whole Church in this moment of prayer.

Preparing to hear the Word

Now the hour has come
for the Son of Man to be glorified. “I tell you solemnly:
unless a grain of wheat falls to the ground and dies, it remains only a single grain;
but if it dies,
it yields a rich harvest.”

Eternal God,
we are the harvest
yielded by the death of your Son.
As we gather around the cross of Jesus,
remembering his great love for us,
bring us to new life in Christ
for he is Lord for ever and ever. Amen.

The Passion of Jesus according to John

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Good Friday [PDF] (240 KB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Good Friday [ePub] (772 KB)
• pdf Celebrando En Familia - El Viernes Santo (257 KB)
• pdf Celebrando In Casa - Il Venerdi Santo (233 KB)

...

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.

On this night we recall Jesus’ commandment to love one another, his washing of the disciples’ feet and the breaking of the bread of his own life, not just at table, but also on the altar of the Cross, for the healing and nourishment of the world.

The liturgy on Holy Thursday is a meditation on the essential connection between the Eucharist and Christian love expressed in serving one another. Christ is not only present in the Eucharist but also in the deeds of loving kindness offered to others through us.

We are the ones who make ‘real’ the presence of Jesus in every smile, kind word and loving action.

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Holy Thursday [PDF] (229 KB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Holy Thursday [ePub] (759 KB)
• pdf Celebrando En Familia - El Jueves Santo (191 KB)
• pdf Celebrando In Casa - Il Giovedì Santo (217 KB)

...

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.

The Passion of Jesus according to Mark

First thing in the morning, the chief priests together with the elders and scribes, in short the whole Sanhedrin, had their plan ready. They had Jesus bound and took him away and handed him over to Pilate.

Pilate questioned him, “Are you the king of the Jews?” “It is you who say it” he answered. And the chief priests brought many accusations against him.

Pilate questioned him again. “Have you no reply at all? See how many accusations they are bringing against you!” But, to Pilate’s amazement, Jesus made no further reply.

At festival time Pilate used to release a prisoner for them, anyone they asked for. Now a man called Barabbas was then in prison with the rioters who had committed murder during the uprising. When the crowd went up and began to ask Pilate for the customary favour, Pilate answered them: “Do you want me to release for you the king of the Jews?” For he realised it was out of jealousy that the chief priests had handed Jesus over.

The chief priests, however, had incited the crowd to demand that he should release Barabbas for them instead. “But in that case, what am I to do with the man you call king of the Jews?” They shouted back, “Crucify him!” “Why? What harm has he done?” But they shouted all the louder, “Crucify him!”

So Pilate, anxious to placate the crowd, released Barabbas for them and, having ordered Jesus to be scourged, handed him over to be crucified.

The soldiers led him away to the inner part of the palace, that is, the Praetorium, and called the whole cohort together. They dressed him in purple, twisted some thorns into a crown and put it on him. And they began saluting him, “Hail, king of the Jews!”

They struck his head with a reed and spat on him; and they went down on their knees to do him homage. And when they had finished making fun of him, they took off the purple and dressed him in his own clothes. They led him out to crucify him. They enlisted a passer-by, Simon of Cyrene, father of Alexander and Rufus, who was coming in from the country, to carry his cross. They brought Jesus to the place called Golgotha, which means the place of the skull.

They offered him wine mixed with myrrh, but he refused it. Then they crucified him, and shared out his clothing, casting lots to decide what each should get. It was the third hour when they crucified him. The inscription giving the charge against him read: “The King of the Jews.” And they crucified two robbers with him, one on his right and one on his left.

The passers-by jeered at him; they shook their heads and said, “Aha! So you would destroy the temple and rebuild it in three days! Then save yourself: come down from the cross!” The chief priests and the scribes mocked him among themselves in the same way: “He saved others, he cannot save himself. Let the Christ, the king of Israel, come down from the cross now, for us to see it and believe.” Even those who were crucified with him taunted him.

When the sixth hour came there was darkness over the whole land until the ninth hour. And at the ninth hour Jesus cried out in a loud voice, “Eloi, Eloi, lama sabachthani!” which means “My God, My God, why have you deserted me?” When some of those who stood by heard this, they said “Listen, he is calling on Elijah.” Someone ran and soaked a sponge in vinegar and putting it on a reed, gave it to him to drink, “Wait and see if Elijah will come to take him down.” But Jesus gave a loud cry and breathed his last.

And the veil of the Temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The centurion, who was standing in front of him, had seen how he had died, and he said, “In truth this man was a son of God.”

There were some women watching from a distance. Among them were Mary of Magdala, Mary who was the mother of James the younger, and Joset, and Salome. These used to follow him and look after him when he was in Galilee. And there were many other women there who had come up to Jerusalem with him.

It was now evening, and since it was Preparation Day, that is the vigil of the sabbath, there came Joseph of Arimathaea, a prominent member of the Council, who himself lived in the hope of seeing the kingdom of God, and he boldly went to Pilate and asked for the body of Jesus.

Pilate, astonished that he should have died so soon, summoned the centurion and enquired if he was already dead. Having been assured of this by the centurion, he granted the corpse to Joseph who brought a shroud, took Jesus down from the cross, wrapped him in the shroud and laid him in a tomb which had been hewn out of the rock. He then rolled a stone against the entrance to the tomb. Mary of Magdala and Mary the mother of Jesus were watching and took note of where he was laid.

Quiet time for reflection

• pdf Celebrating At Home - Palm Sunday [PDF] (283 KB)
• default Celebrating At Home - Palm Sunday [ePub] (943 KB)
• pdf Celebrando en Familia - Domingo de Ramos (259 KB)
• pdf Celebrando in Casa - Domenica delle Palme (255 KB)
• pdf Celebrando em Familia - Domingo de Ramos [Português] (260 KB)

...

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.