For us to be brothers means to grow in communion and in unity, overcoming privileges and distinctions, in a spirit of participation and co-responsibility. Carmelite Constitution -19.3

"Lord, help me today and every day to curb my tongue, control my temper and watch my words. Surround me in peace so that situations will not activate an angry response. Help me to think before I react, to whisper a short prayer of peace before I respond, to take just a second to think before I say something I regret. Dear Lord, let my home and workplace be a haven of peace and joy, not one of tension and anxiety. Let my family and colleagues respect me not fear me."

You are to eat whatever may have been given you in a common refectory, listening together meanwhile to a reading from Holy Scripture where that can be done without difficulty. Rule 7

"Lord Jesus, in my rejections I cry out to You. My heart is heavy, I live in fear. Dear Jesus, help me to see myself as You see me - a beautiful creation in Your image. Give me the strength and courage to ignore my abusers and to value myself as You value me. Help me to learn to first like myself then love myself a little more each day. Help me to realise that I am Your lovely child and that You have a grand plan all laid out for me. I place my broken heart in Your loving care."

"I resolved to remain in spirit at the foot of the cross and to receive the divine dew, the blood falling to the ground with no one hastening to gather it up. I then understood that I was to pour it out upon souls." ~ St. Thérèse of Lisieux s.11

"Lord, let my work be honest, my relaxation joyful, my example godly, my prayers sincere, my words truthful and my time with friends and family generous. Let every action of mine be through You and for Your glory so that the inheritance I leave behind will warrant Your words - 'Well done, good servant'."

"I have been most zealous for the LORD, the God of hosts. But the Israelites have forsaken your covenant, torn down your altars, and put your prophets to the sword. I alone am left, and they seek to take my life." 1 Kings 19.14

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"Dear Lord, forgive my complacency, I take so much for granted. Let me praise and thank You daily for all I have. No matter how bad my situation may appear to me, it is nothing compared to that of others. Today I give You thanks for the blessings You give me in abundance and I pray sincerely for those who are less fortunate. I pray too for the governments of this world, that they will turn their weapons into ploughshares and value the peoples of every nation, improving their lot instead of degrading them or denying them their basic freedoms."

The Apostle would have us keep silence, for in silence he tells us to work. As the Prophet also makes known to us: Silence is the way to foster holiness. Elsewhere he says: Your strength will lie in silence and hope. Rule 21

"Lord, I come to You in my weakness, in my pain, in my sorrow. I cry out - heal me! Give me the peace of mind and body I so badly need. Still my worrying heart, remove my anxieties, heal me of the hurts, hatred and angers I carry. Like the leper at the pool, I too need the gentle touch of Your healing hand. Lord, in Your healing, instill in me the reminders of my constant need for You, lest I forget that without You I am nothing."

Carmelites live their life of Allegiance to Christ through a commitment to seek the face of the living God (the contemplative dimension of life), through fraternity,and through service (diakonia) in the midst of the people. Carmelite Constitution - 14

to await these changes with patience and faith in Your holy providence. Help me also to praise Your Holy Name in the asking and in the receiving"

From 22 to 25 March 2011 , the meeting of the provincial delegates to the laity was held in Sassone (Rome), on "The figure and the role of the delegate for the laity in the light of Vatican II." The meeting, organized and led by the General Delegate for the Laity, Fr. Josef Jancár , O. Carm., was attended by some 35 delegates from around the world.

In addition to conferences, which presented the theme from the theological and ecclesiological points of view (Fr. Christopher P. O'Donnell, O. Carm. and Prof. Donna Orsuto, of the Pontifical Gregorian University), the historical and juridical points of view (Fr. Emanuele Boaga, O. Carm.), some pastoral aspects were discussed as well, both from the perspective of a friar (Fr. Francisco de Alencar Sales Batista, O. Carm.), and that of a layperson (Mr. Alfio Parisi, TOC). In addition, delegates were able to exchange their own exp eriences and to clarify some doubts. The meeting was held in a wonderful atmosphere of fraternity and dialogue.

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Trujillo Alto, Puerto Rico, was held 28 March 2011. The following were elected:

• Prioress: Sr. M. Inés María Carmona Ortiz, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:  Sr. M. Lutgarda María Reyes, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. Linda María Pérez, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor: Sr. M. Genoveva Renta, O.Carm.
• 4th Couniclor: Sr. Magdalena María Alicea, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices: Sr. Linda María Pérez, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. M. Lutgarda María Reyes, O.Carm.
• Sacristan:  Sr. Magdalena María Alicea, O.Carm.

From 28 to 31 March 2011 , in a beautiful spirit of fellowship and prayer, the first Assembly of the Federation of St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi of the Italian monasteries of the Order was held in Sassone, Italy. After a journey of collaboration among eleven of the Italian monasteries lasting several years, on July 16, 2010, the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life established the Federation.

After a fraternal reflection on the stages and significant moments of the path followed so far, the first President of the Federation and the Council were elected; besides this, some proposals were also put to vote. Together with the prioresses and delegates, the religious Assistant Fr. Matteo Palumbo, O. Carm., Vice Prior General, Fr. Christian Körner, O. Carm., and the Delegate General for the nuns, Fr. Josef Jancar, O. Carm. also participated. At the final celebration, the Provincial of the Italian Province, Fr. Giandomenico Meloni, O. Carm. also participated. The following were elected:

• President: Sr. M. Martina Simeone, O.Carm. (Sutri)
• 1st Councilor: Sr. M. Regina Di Serafino, O.Carm. (Fisciano)
• 2nd Councilor: Sr .M. Daniela Denitto, O.Carm. (Ostuni)
• 3rd Councilor: Sr .M. Anastasia Cucca, O.Carm. (Ravenna)
• 4th Councilor: Sr .M. Noemi Malagesi, O.Carm. (Carpineto Romano)

Through Jesus Christ, Son of the Father and “firstborn of all creation”, we live in union with God and with our neighbours in a new way.

And so, we share in the mission of the Incarnate Word in this world, and we form the Church, which is in Christ “as a sacrament - a sign and instrument of communion with God, and of the unity of the whole human race.”

(Carmelite Constitutions)