Making assumptions
(Luke 19:1-10)

It is all too easy to make assumptions about other people which turn out not to be accurate. In the Gospel today, the crowd assumes that Zacchaeus is wicked and sinful, a traitor to his people because he is a tax collector.
The scene for the Gospel is, as usual, set by the first reading from the Book of Wisdom – in praise of a God whose love for what he has created allows him to overlook sins. God is all-powerful and all-merciful, the lover of all he creates and the lover of all life, ‘whose imperishable spirit is in all’. God corrects his people through forgiveness, drawing people away from evil and towards trust in himself.
This loving, forgiving action of God is on show in the Gospel story. Where we might have expected Jesus’ to condemn Zacchaeus, as the crowds do by excluding him and labelling him a ‘sinner’, Jesus recognises the good that Zacchaeus does even in his so-called ‘sinful’ situation (being a tax collector on behalf of the Roman government). Salvation does not lie in appearing to be good, but in being good. Such a person is truly a ‘son of Abraham’ – one of God’s chosen.
It might be helpful to note here that in Zacchaeus’ speech about intending to give half of his property to the poor and so on, the verbs are usually translated into future tense, as in the version which appears here. In the original Greek manuscripts, however, the verbs are unambiguously in the present tense. So Zacchaeus is describing how he presently conducts his life – a defence against the condemnation of the crowd that he is a ‘sinner’ and a traitor.
It is the crowd who turns out to be ‘what was lost’, not Zacchaeus.
Read against the background of Luke’s community, the story raises questions about judging on appearances, who is truly at rights with God, who is truly the sinner. An echo of last week’s parable about the Pharisee and the Tax Collector.
Most of all, building from the first reading, it is a story about the God who does not judge and punish as we would, but who loves, forgives, heals and reconciles people to one another.
When Jesus pronounces Zacchaeus a ‘son of Abraham’ he removes the barrier between the crowd and Zacchaeus and reconciles them.

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From October 17 to 22 the Assembly for the Mater Unitatis Federation of Carmelite nuns was held at the Casa de Espiritualidad "Santos Ángeles" of the Hermanas Angélicas in the city of Zaragoza, Spain.

The Federation was canonically erected on December 10, 1980 and comprises the enclosed monasteries of Caudete, Fontiveros, Huesca Asuncion, Huesca San Miguel, Madrid, Onteniente, Valencia, and Zaragoza.

The results of the elective chapter were as follows:

Federation President | Presidente de la Federación | Presidente della Federazione:
Rvda. Madre M^a del Sagrario Lorite Beltrán, O. Carm.

1st Councilor | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Hna. M^a Mercedes de la Cruz Medina Zárraga, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera  | 2ª Consigliera: 
Hna. Inés Nthenya Nzyuko, O. Carm.

3rd Councilor | 3ª Consejera  | 3ª Consigliera:
Hna. Ana wairimu thuo O. Carm.

4th Councilor | 4ª Consejera  | 4ª Consigliera: 
Hna. M^a Brunilda Rodriguez Velazco, O. Carm.

Director of Novices | Maestra de Novicias | Maestra delle Novizie
Sr Maria Sabina Berneschi, O. Carm.

Treasurer | Ecónoma | Economa: 
Hna. Inés Nthenya Nzyuko, O. Carm.

Secretary | Secretaria | Segretaria:
Hna. Mª Mercedes de la Cruz Medina Zárraga O. Carm.

• Lectio Divina November 2022 [PDF] Download here
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The Price of Truth: Titus Brandsma, Carmelite (in Spanish)
by Miguel Maria Arribas, O. Carm.

The biography of the Church's most recent martyr--a dangerous friar according to the Nazis--Fr. Arribas succeeds in capturing the heart and soul of St. Titus Brandsma's lessons for us today. We all know the life of Titus, but in this book Fr. Arribas explores the documentation behind the canonization process to show why Titus is so important for today.

A simple and cordial Carmelite, a multi-faceted priest who was at times a mystic, a passionate journalist, a university rector and, throughout his life, a driven witness for Christ to the point of giving his own life for the truth.

The author, now deceased, traveled to the Netherlands and Germany, to the places of birth, life and death of St. Titus, to better understand this "martyr of freedom of expression".

For more information on this book

Also available in English

A book of 30 meditations by John of St. Samson inviting us to listen in on his prayers of aspiration as the Church makes its way through the liturgical year and through the various Mysteries of Christ and His Church. John of St. Samson was a French Carmelite and mystic. He is known as the soul of the Touraine Reform of the Carmelite Order, which stressed prayer, silence, and solitude.

John was blind from the age of three after contracting smallpox and receiving poor medical treatment for the disease. He insisted very strongly on the mystical devotion of the Carmelites. After a series of healings word spread and the local bishop asked his theologian his opinion of the healings. The theologian replied, "If people had the faith of Br. John, and lived as authentically as he, the gift of healing the sick would be far more common."

Donatien of St. Nicholas, a disciple and editor of his works "it is certain that this illuminated blind brother has been chosen and given to us by God to be the teacher and director of the spiritual life of our Reform." Donatien later wrote "his face was frequently beheld to be divinely radiant, resplendent with as it were some luminous ray, as I myself and other very trustworthy brothers have witnessed." John of St. Samson has been referred to as the "French John of the Cross" by students of Christian mysticism.

The work is expertly translated from the French by Carmelite nun Sr. Veronica of the Immaculate Heart of Mary of the Wahpeton cloistered Carmel. In his preface to the book,  Fr. Charlò Camilleri writes "Notwithstanding the fact that blindness impeded him from using visual imagery to clarify his ideas, and that the texts are generally full of crowded ideas, digressions, and loosely connected concepts, his doctrine is sound and inspires the reader to live radically the call to divine transformation."

For more information on the book

On November 22, at 3 p.m., the Pontifical Gregorian University will hold an academic event to commemorate the centenary of the publication of the Clavis Ecclesiae of Father Bartolomé Xiberta.

The event is organized jointly by the Order of Carmel and the Gregorian University. Mark Andrew Lewis S.J., and the Prior General, Fr. Míċeál O'Neill, O. Carm. The speakers, Josep M. Manresa Lamarca, Valfredo Maria Rossi, Joseph Carola S.J., and Fernando Millán Romeral O. Carm, will present the figure of Father Xiberta and various aspects of his thesis. The thesis will be read in the light of the preceding ecclesiology and the patristic elements present in it. The process of reception of Fr. Xiberta's text up to Vatican II will also be presented.

Those interested in participating in person are asked to register through the website: www.unigre.it. The deadline is November 14, 2022. Those who cannot attend in person will be able to follow the event via streaming at bit.ly/gregonline. The entire event will be in Italian.

This initiative is part of the activities proposed by the Order for the commemoration of this event. The celebration of this event has been made possible thanks to the generous and assiduous support of the Catalan Province of the Most Holy Redeemer.  

On September 15, the Carmelite Centre d'études d'histoire de la spiritualité (CEHS) in Nantes started the program of Conferences on Carmelite Spirituality for the year 2022-2023, with a seminar conducted by Frère Gianfranco Tuveri on Saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi.

The conferences entitled Sainte Marie Madeleine de Pazzi et set Oeuvres launched also the latest publication by Frère Gianfranco, of The Colloquies of the Florentine mystic. The volume, entitled Entretiens was published by the prestigious Parisian Publishing House Honoré Champion. This volume is the last one of a larger project by Frère Gianfranco: the translation of the Complete Works of St Mary Magdalene de Pazzi in French, completed with critical introductions and notes. The whole project took twenty years to complete, with the first edition of Les Quarante Jours published by Editions Jérôme Million in 2002.

The program of the conferences CEHS, Parcours "La Source du Carmel" Découvrir la Spiritualité Carmélitaine includes seminars of Blessed Françoise d'Amboise, the Rule of Carmel, The Prophet Elijah, John of Saint Samson and Titus Brandsma.

The Carmelites in France

On October 15, the feast day of St. Teresa of Jesus, the Carmelite nuns of the Monastery of St. Teresa in Santo Domingo celebrated the 40th anniversary of their foundation. With great joy, the Carmelite community of the Mount Carmel House of Formation participated in the Holy Eucharist which was presided by Bishop Faustino Burgos Brisman, CM, auxiliary bishop of the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo.

In his homily the bishop emphasized the life of St. Teresa of Jesus, her service to the Church, her teachings and her writings as the first doctor of the Church. The spiritual depth of her doctrine makes us taste the living source that is Christ. Her encounter with the humanity of Jesus changed her life, showing him to the world as a reference not only for the consecrated life, but for every Christian.

The bishop then gave thanks to God for the 40th anniversary. The Carmelite nuns of the capital of St. Dominic have become throughout these years a channel of intercession for all of us. In the afternoon the nuns celebrated together, as a community, with Fr. Ignatius, at St. Teresa of Jesus Parish in Santo Domingo, the patroness day.

History of the Foundation

Bishop Octavio Antonio Beras Rojas had a great love for St. Teresa of Jesus, which gave him the desire to found a monastery of Carmelite nuns in the Archdiocese of Santo Domingo. This dream was shared by his successor, Msgr. Nicolás de Jesús and Cardinal López Rodríguez, who, with great interest and enthusiasm, also desired a foundation of contemplative Carmelite Nuns. He asked the prior general at the time, Falco Thuis to initiate the foundation. The prior general authorized the foundation and the community of Carmelite nuns began on October 15, 1982. This was the IV Centenary of the death of St. Teresa. For this reason, Cardinal López Rodríguez suggested that this saint be the titular of this monastery, and Fr. Falco agreed to the request.

The community was formed by six sisters coming from three monasteries: the monastery of Nuestra Señora del Carmen de Santiago de los Caballeros in the Dominican Republic, the monastery of Villalba del Alcor in Huelva, Spain, and the monastery of Utrera in Seville, Spain.

The community moved into its own house in Villa Mella for two years. From there they moved to Colegio Nuestra Señora de la Altagracia, for three years. By that time, the new monastery was being built in Engombe, where by the immense grace of God and the blessing of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the Carmelite nuns currently reside.

PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
02-07-22  Joseph Caleb Maingi (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
02-07-22  Michael Reagan Onyango Agutu (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
02-07-22  Thomas Mwanzia Muange (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
08-09-22  Mary Veronica Katei of the Holy Spirit (MAC)
08-09-22  Mary Virginia Ndungwa of the Sacred Heart of Jesus (MAC)
01-10-22  Mercedes Mediatrix of Jesus Divine Master Justo (BUR) Burgos, Philippines
01-10-22  Teresita of Good Shepherd Nguyen Thanh Hao (BUR) Burgos, Philippines
01-10-22  Fatima Petra of the Cross Nguyen Thi Hien (BUR) Burgos, Philippines


PROFESSIO SOLEMNIS
27-08-22  Dominik Norbert Smeja (BM) Kostelní Vydrí, Czech Republic
24-09-22  Fernando Luque Herrera (ACV) Madrid, España 


ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
01-09-22  Emmanuel Maria Shikoli Ambeyi (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
22-09-22  F.X. Febri Putra Dewa (Indo)
22-09-22  Julian Antonius Sihotang (Indo)
22-09-22  Thomas Onggo Sumaryanto (Indo)

Communications Office of the Carmelite Order

Shortly after the General Chapter in September 2019, discussions took place to place the various pieces of the Order’s communication program under the Communications Office of the Carmelite Order with a single director and staff. This new entity was charged with creating a more coordinated effort in the Order’s internal and external communications. The two main components:

Edizioni Carmelitane
publishing house of the Carmelite Order

Located in Rome, Italy, Edizioni Carmelitane provides the public with a variety of books, magazines, and audio/videos on the history and spirituality of Carmel, sharing the riches of the Carmelite tradition and spirituality to people around the world. Publications are in a variety of languages but the majority are in English, Italian, Spanish, French, and Portuguese.

• Edizioni Carmelitane webstore: https://edizionicarmelitane.org/
• Books are also available at some major Carmelite sites around the world
• Or contact us for more information: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it.
• Facebook: @edizionicarmelitane

Social Media
The social media office of the Carmelite Order provides a number of services—both internal and external to the Order

• Website of the Carmelite Order: ocarm.org
• To subscribe to CITOC eNews (periodic updates of news in the Order)
• Twitter: @ocarm_org
• Facebook: @ocarm.org
• Online Lectio Divina (to see the current month) | mailed each month: to sign up
• Online Celebrating at Home (mailed weekly: to sign up)
• To Make a Request for Prayers

Communications Offices of the Carmelite Order

The Communications Offices of the Carmelite Order is formed by members of the Order and staff from around the world:

• List of  pdf Communications Offices(119 KB)

Centro Internazionale S. Alberto (CISA)

The community of Centro Internazionale S. Alberto (CISA) is formed by members of the Order from around the world and is directly under the prior general. The majority of the Carmelites in this community are involved in academic work, either as teachers, students or researchers. There are two major initiatives in communications-evangelization:

Stella Maris Journal
An online publication of the community of CISA. The Stella Maris Journal is an “open space” for the presentation and discussion of various topics.

• Website of Stella Maris Journal

Scuola Carmelitana
A monthly opportunity for the larger community of those interested in res carmelitana to come together and reflect on various themes. Presentations are in Italian. The website contains some past courses.

• Website of Scuola Carmelitana

Carmelite Media

Communications Office of the PCM Province (America).

• Homepage: carmelnet.org
• Carmelite Media Publications Webstore
• Facebook: @CarmeliteMedia
• YouTube: YouTube.com/c/CarmelitesPCM
• Twitter: @carmelites