O.Carm
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (OCD)
9 August Memorial (Feast in the provinces of Europe: Patron of Europe)
Edith Stein was born at Breslau on 12th October 1891 to German Jewish parents, and after her secondary education, she enroled in the department of philosophy in the city university. In 1913, she transferred to the University of Gotingen to study under Edmund Husserl. Until the age of thirteen years, she was in effect an atheist. She had her first serious encounter with Christianity listening to Max Scheler. In 1916, she continued and completed her studies at Fribourg where she wrote her doctorate directed by Husserl. She remained working in the university until 1921.
St. Albert of Trapani, Priest
7 August Feast
Born in Trapani (Scilia) in the 13th century. He distinguished himself for his dediction to mendicant preaching and the notoriety of his miracles. In the years 1280 and 1289 he was in Trapani and shortly afterwards in Messina. In the year 1296 he was prior provincial of the Carmelite Province of Sicily. He was celebrated for his passionate love for purity and prayer. He died in Messina most likely in 1307.
St. Joachim and St. Anne, Protectors of the Order
July 26 Memorial
The Carmelite Order celebrates, with special devotion its Saints, gathering in them the most living and genuine expression of the Charism and the spirituality of the Order throughout the centuries. The feast of the Protectors of the Order is celebrated with special solemnity that is the feast of Saints Joseph, Joachim and Anne.
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae
30-06-23 Tallon Tafirenyika (Hib-Zim)
30-06-23 Blessmore Murimambeva (Hib-Zim)
PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
01-07-23 Christino Ray Chengetayi Chiveza (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Tshepo Sande (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Edward Kudzai Mukomberanwa (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Percy Fari Kuka (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Rafael Gerson Matias (Pern-Mz) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Acorintio Feliciano Joao (Pern-Mz) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
PROFESSIO SOLEMNIS
19-05-23 Isaïe Nathan Abiscegue Rosseau (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
19-05-23 Marius Darhlin Wabo Togueu (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
14-06-23 Frangelino Ximenes (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
14-06-23 Julião Dos Santos (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
14-06-23 David Soares (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
14-06-23 Estevão De Deus Gomes (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
14-06-23 Francisco Xavirius Vieira Martins (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
24-06-23 Maria Cecília Rocha (JAB) Jaboticabal, Brasil
25-05-23 Pablo Mª de la Cruz Alonso Hidalgo (ACV) Salamanca, España
01-07-23 Keven Mutsvairo (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
01-07-23 Gift Chinyadza (Hib-Zim) Christi Mambo, Zimbabwe
08-07-23 Bismael lNogueira de Alencar (Pern) Recife, Brasil
08-07-23 Jander Maria de Jesus (Pern) Recife, Brasil}
08-07-23 Luiz Otávio Sebastião da Silva (Pern) Recife, Brasil
ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
24-06-23 Dominik Norbert Smeja (BM) Olomouc, Czech Republic
08-07-23 Isaïe Nathan Abiscegue Rosseau (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
08-07-23 Marius Darhlin Wabo Togueu (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
16-05-23 Emery Losinu Ngadjole (Ita-Congo) Bunia, RDCongo
16-05-23 Philémon Kambale Sivasi (Ita-Congo) Bunia, RDCongo
24-06-23 Matteo Antollini (Ita) Roma, Italia
08-07-23 Emmanuel Roland Poo Onana (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
08-07-23 Nicolas Blaise Owono (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
08-07-23 Marie Victoirie Bibake Alipe (Ger-Cam) Yaoundé, Kamerun
Memorial of Bl. John Soreth, Priest
24 July Memorial
John Soreth was born near Caen in Normandy in 1394 and entered the Carmelite house there. Ordained priest around 1417, he became a doctor of theology in Paris in 1438 and then regent of studies there. He was Provincial of the French Province from 1440-1451 and Prior General of the Order from 1451 until his death.
Celebrating At Home - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time
The patient gardener
(Matthew 13:24-30)
The section of St Matthew’s Gospel from which we are now reading concerns the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses this expression frequently in his teaching. The Kingdom is not heaven, it is the life and heart of God.
We live in the Kingdom when we live according to the mind and heart of God. The Kingdom, or reign of God, breaks into human reality when human beings live, breathe and act out of the life of God; when the heart of God becomes ours; when we allow God to speak and act in and through us.
Jesus frequently uses parables in his teaching - stories drawn from real life, designed to get his listeners to think, ask questions and make decisions.
Today’s parable is a story about wheat and darnel growing together in a field. Apparently darnel, a weed, looks so similar to wheat that it is almost impossible to tell the two apart until the ears appear at harvest time.
Only then can you really tell the difference between the two plants. Before that, there may be some signs to do with the direction in which the spikelets grow.
Perhaps that is what the servants see and report it to the owner.
They ask if the owner wants them to remove the darnel. The owner says to leave both plants to grow together until harvest when the difference in the plants will be obvious. That will be the time to do the weeding.
So, what does it all mean?
No doubt, there were people in Matthew’s community who thought that the Reign of God would come swiftly and with vehemence and immediately crush what was contrary to it. Others had grown anxious about the fact that the coming of the Kingdom seemed much delayed and wanted to get on with the job of weeding out the ‘evil ones’ according to their own judgement.
The parable, however, urges patience and to leave final judgement to God. What appears to be darnel may yet turn out to be wheat. Only time will tell.
The parable is also a reflection on the mixture of good and evil in the world. But it calls us to reflect, too, on the mix of good and evil we find in our own hearts.
What will we turn out to be?
The parable also raises the question: can darnel turn into wheat given God’s patience and mercy?
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 16th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] (3.45 MB)
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - 16 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (501 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - 16 Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (347 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - 16 Domingo do Tempo Comum (502 KB)
Solemnity of St. Elijah, Prophet
20 July Solemnity
Elijah's memory was kept alive especially on Mount Carmel where he challenged the people to stop hobbling first on one foot and then on the other but to choose who is God in Israel - Yahweh or Baal. According to the story, which can be found in the First Book of Kings, chapter 18, Elijah's sacrifice was consumed by fire from heaven which proved to the people that Yahweh was the true God.
Elijah made himself available for God's work and was sent into various situations to proclaim God's word. Elijah undertook a long journey through the desert where he began to despair. He sat down under a bush and wished he were dead but God would not allow him to die and prodded him to continue his journey to Mount Horeb. When he arrived there, God became present to Elijah. God came not with the signs usual in the Old Testament of fire, earthquake and mighty wind but in the sound of a gentle breeze. Elijah was sent back to his people to carry out God's will.
From Elijah, Carmelites learn to listen for the voice of God in the unexpected and in silence. We seek to allow the Word of God to shape our minds and our hearts so that the way we live and the things we do may be prophetic and therefore faithful to the memory of our father Elijah.
Bl. Teresa of St. Augustine and Companions (OCD)
17 July Optional Memorial
These were a community of sixteen Discalced Carmelite nuns from the monastery of the Incarnation at Compiégne in France. When the full terror of the French Revolution began, they offered themselves as sacrificial victims to beg God for peace for the Church and for their country.
Arrested and imprisoned on the 24th June 1794, they continued to share their joy and their faith with others. Condemned to death for their loyalty to the Church, to their religious vows and for their devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary, they were guillotined in Paris on 17th July 1794 whilst singing hymns and after having renewed their vows to their prioress, Teresa of St. Augustine. They were beatified by Saint Pius X on 13th May 1906.
Image captions:1. Plaque at Picpus Cemetery dedicated to the Martyrs of Compiègne. By Wikimedia Commons / Mu - Own work, CC BY-SA 3.02. Our Lady of Mount Carmel Church, Quidenham, Norfolk - Windows Two of 16 windows in the clerestory. By John Salmon, CC BY-SA 2.0.
Celebrating At Home - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Becoming rich soil
(Matthew 13:1-9)
The section of St Matthew’s Gospel from which we are now reading concerns the Kingdom of God. Jesus uses this expression frequently in his teaching. The Kingdom is not heaven, it is the life and heart of God.
We live in the Kingdom when we live according to the mind and heart of God. The Kingdom, or reign of God, breaks into human reality when human beings live, breathe and act out of the life of God; when the heart of God becomes ours; when we allow God to speak and act in and through us.
This section about the Kingdom of God is the centrepiece of St Matthew’s Gospel. Matthew uses seven parables and explanations to unfold Jesus’ teaching about the Kingdom.
Last week’s Gospel offered reassurance to those overburdened by religious law and often unable to fulfil it that they were not forsaken by God. Jesus says he is the one who will reveal what God is really like through gentleness and humility and by providing rest (not more burdens) for their souls.
This week we begin the series of parables about the Kingdom with the parable of the Sower. The Sower sows, the seed falls, sometimes the sower’s work succeeds, sometimes it does not. The different soils represent different human responses to hearing the word of God. Not everyone receives the message or responds well to the invitation.
The parable teaches us that God will try anything to get a harvest. The sign of success is the fruit-bearing of the recipients. That’s when God’s word sown in our hearts becomes our word, too.
Those who do respond to the invitation to life in the Kingdom yield the harvest of goodness and Godliness.
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] (2.91 MB)
- default Celebrating At Home - 15th Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub] (3.35 MB)
- pdf Celebrando en Familia - 15 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (475 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - 15 Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (494 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - 15 Domingo do Tempo Comum (476 KB)
In Sollemnitate B.V. Mariae de Monte Carmelo
IN SOLLEMNITATE B.V. MARIAE DE MONTE CARMELO
Flos Carmeli, vitis florigera,
splendor caeli, Virgo puerpera singularis.
Mater mitis, sed viri nescia,
Carmelitis esto propitia,
stella maris.
MÍCEÁL PRIOR GENERALIS
DOMUSQUE GENERALIS COMMUNITAS
16.VII.2023
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This image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is venerated in the parish in Fatima where the little shepherd children to whom she appeared were born. On October 13, 1911, during her final vision at Fatima, the Virgin appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The young Sr. Lucia reported "She had some things hanging from her hand [a scapular] and she looked like the image that is venerated in the parish of Fatima."
