On December 28, 2014, Air Asia flight no. QZ8501 from Juanda - Surabaya to Changi - Singapore crashed in the sea of Pangkalan Bun – Borneo. 157 passengers and crew members are believed to have been lost. Among them one were a student and 4 alumni of St. Albert High School in Malang – Indonesia. There were also two families among the victims who were parishioners of our parishes, one in the parish of St. Andrew, Malang, and the other in the parish of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Probolinggo/Kraksaan. We send our deepest sympathy to the Indonesian Province and our prayers for victims, may they find eternal rest in the heavenly kingdom.

Pope’s Prayer Intentions for Jannuary 2015

Universal: Peace

That those from diverse religious traditions and all people of good will may work together for peace. Evangelization: Consecrated life

That in this year dedicated to consecrated life, religious men and women may rediscover the joy of following Christ and strive to serve the poor with zeal.

Lectio Divina Jannuary, Ereno Gennaio 2015

With a decree dated the 21st of November, 2014, the Congregation for Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life established the fusion of the Suore Carmelitane delle Grazie (SCG) and the sisters of the Istituto di Nostra Signora del Carmelo (INSC).  The Carmelitane delle Grazie was the most ancient affiliate of the Order. They were founded in 1724 in Bologna by the Venerable Maddalena Mazzoni. To celebrate the amalgamation, the Prior General assisted by the General Delegate for Affiliated Institutes, Fr. Mario Alfarano, O.Carm., and  by Fr. Alberto De Giuli, O.Carm., Prior of the Carmelite community in Bologna, celebrated the Eucharist in the motherhouse in Bologna on the 13th of December last. During the Mass the Superior General, Sr. Angelisa Spirandelli, recalled the steps that led to the amalgamation, highlighting the many points of affinity that bind the two institutes. Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., for his part, congratulated the two institutes for the decision that they took,  which is an expression of the deep communion that exists among the different sectors of the Carmelite family. He encouraged the sisters to continue in their service to the Church, with enthusiasm and hope.

On the occasion of the first anniversary of the beatification of the ten martyrs of the Betica Province (Carmelo Moyano and companions) and the nine martyrs of the Province of Castile (Alberto Maria Marco y Aleman and companions), the Prior General, Fernando Millan Romeral, O.Carm. has written a letter to the whole Carmelite family, with the title, “Thank you for the martyrs that you have given to the church”. This expression is contained in a message that Pope Francis directed to the Superiors General (USG) at the end of the meeting he had with them on the 29th of Noveber, 2013, shortly after that same beatification in Tarragona (Spain) on the 13th of October, 2013. In this letter, the Prior General reflects upon the message that the witness of these brothers of ours offers to Carmel in the 21st century. It can be read in Spanish on the Order’s website, http://ocarm.org/es/content/ocarm/gracias-por-m-rtires-que-dan-iglesiaand it will soon appear in Italian and English.

C. O’Donnell, O.Carm

One hears it said occasionally that Mary is neglected in the Church today. There are certainly fewer manifestations of devotion: one thinks of May devotions in the past, as well as processions, popular novenas in churches, family Rosary and other indications of veneration and respect. Certainly there is a lesser quantity in devotional exercises than when I was a young Carmelite before Vatican II.

The Council itself is often blamed, wrongly indeed, for this fall-off. But it left us rich Marian teaching, later supplemented by two important papal documents on Mary: Paul VI “To Honour Mary” (Marialis cultus, 1974) and John Paul II, “Mother of the Redeemer” (Redemptoris Mater, 1987). So we are not lacking Church teaching of high quality about the Mother of God.

Recovering Mary

Yet unease remains. Shouldn’t we be doing more? But more what? Perhaps the word “more” is not helpful. In devotion and spirituality quality is nearly always more important than quantity.

The worst way to start an evaluation of our Marian attitudes would be to indulge in big guilt feelings. If we have failed, then we can confidently rely on the Lord’s mercy and on Mary’s understanding of our frailty.

 I can recall the years after the Council when many people, myself included, somewhat lost an earlier contact with the Mother of God. The older devotions no longer seemed attractive and nothing replaced them. Then I was asked to lecture on Mary and to teach Mariology at the Milltown Institute. That meant some serious thought and study. But it was largely thinking at this stage: it was necessary to examine and grasp Church teaching and to impart it; I had to ensure that students could say the right things about Mary in examinations and essays.

There is an image that one encounters in the Charismatic Renewal: a drainpipe carrying water gets wet. One cannot teach about Mary over a long period without being affected, without evaluating one’s own personal position.

Carmelites and Mary

At the same time I was investigating the Carmelite tradition about Mary. For centuries we had been secure in our devotion to Mary through the Brown Scapular. But the Carmelite heritage was much richer and many studies began to appear on Mary and Carmel. There are five truths about Mary in the Carmelite Order, not all equally emphasised in any particular century. They are not exclusive to the Order, but they show its preferences in reflecting on the Mother of God.

Mary is Mother. Carmelites took up this Church teaching with great enthusiasm. But they added another word, so that “Mother and Beauty of Carmel” became a preferred name for her.

Secondly, Mary is also seen as Patron of Carmelites. This is a medieval concept that implies a two-way relationship between lord and servant: the lord protected his servants; they in turn looked after his interests. Such a concept fitted admirably the Carmelite vision of Mary as one whom they loved and served, and who in turn protected them.

 Again, Mary is also Sister of Carmelites. The idea of Mary as Sister is found also in the first millennium, and it was introduced in papal teaching by Paul VI. When we speak of Mary as Sister, we are reminded that she too is one like us, is a daughter of Adam, and that she had to walk the same path of faith, hope and love as all others. The Carmelite idea of Mary as Sister can also have something of the idea of an elder, caring sister who looks after the rest of the family. We can look up to our Sister and accept her guidance. At different times we may be more drawn to the idea of Mary as Sister, rather than as Mother. Both are legitimate, but we should not deny the validity of a title that may not attract us at a particular time.

Fourthly, Mary is the Most Pure Virgin. This title, very common in Carmelite saints and writers looks especially to Mary’s purity of heart. She retained God’s word in her heart (see Luke 2:19.51) and she served him with an undivided and pure heart.

Mary is finally the Model for Carmelites. We can look at what she did. But we have to go deeper. It is not just a matter of doing what Mary did, but having her attitude in all our thoughts and actions.

Presence

A renewed devotion to Mary is not primarily a matter of saying more prayers to her. It implies a relationship with her, which will be established by prayer and reflected in imitation. There is a huge difference between knowing about a person, and really knowing them. Renewal in our Marian life is not a matter of prayers or information, but a loving knowing.

Such a knowing loving, or loving knowing, lies behind the idea of presence. In a letter to the two branches of the Carmelite Order (O.Carm. and OCD) Pope John Paul spoke of the “tender and maternal presence of Mary” which we seek by wearing the Brown Scapular (Letter, Il provvidentialz evento, 25 March 2001). We know that we are always in the presence of God, who sustains us, keeps us in being. But we may not be alert to this presence as we go about our daily lives. It is good to stop occasionally and reflect that we are always in God’s presence.

The gentle presence of Mary is found in her caring for all the Church, in her continuous prayer for us, “now and at the hour of our death” (Hail Mary). We can become aware of her presence if we think of her now and again, speak to her, ask for her guidance, consider how she would act in the circumstances in which we may find ourselves. We can go further and enjoy and relax in her presence.

There is a saying “Never enough about Mary” which is often ascribed to St. Bernard (d. 1153), but in fact came centuries later. It is a principle that needs to be carefully understood. We do not need more dogmas about Mary, or necessarily more prayers, celebrations or titles. We can never, however, sufficiently praise God for the wonders of his grace and love in the Mother of his Son. We can never thank her enough for her motherly care for us. We can never love her enough. As we think of her gentle presence, we are only beginning our future life in which with her we will eternally praise the Trinity.

CHRISTUS NATUS EST NOBIS!
VENITE ADOREMUS!
NATALE HILARE ET ANNUM FAUSTUM
25.XII.2014

FERNANDO PRIOR GENERALIS
DOMUSQUE GENERALIS COMMUNITAS


IMAGE: Natività, Autore ignoto Sec. XVIII, Centro Internazionale S. Alberto, Roma

From the 29th of November to the 2nd of December last, the first meeting of the International Secretariat for Carmelite Nuns took place in the Carmelite monastery of the Incarnation in Zaragoza in Spain. Those who attended were, Fr. Mario Alfarano (General Delegate for the Nuns), Sr. M. Pilar Simon i Blasco (BAR), Sr. Inés M. Carmona Ortiz (TRU), Sr. M. Elena Tolentino (BUR, Federal leader of the Philippines), Sr. Liliana Campos Rosa (ANT), Sr. Marianna Caprio (VET), Fr. Paul Denault (SEL). The points that were discussed at the meeting included the following:  communication at the service of communion between the monasteries and the federations of the Order, and between the nuns and the General Curia; formation initiatives at the international level; the process for updating the Nuns’ Constitutions. The first session was attended by the prioress of the community in Zaragoza, and the assistant to the Mater Unitatis Federation who having welcomed the participants, spoke about their situation and responsibilities. The Prior General who attended the last session, encouraged the work of the Secretariat as a service not only to the nuns but to the Order as a whole.

The Carmelite NGO has prepared a short prayer service and is making it available to those interested in celebrating World Human Rights Day on December 10. The service is entitled “We Are In Awe of the Human Person” and uses selections from the Scriptures as well quotes from Carmelite saints.

The prayer booklet can be downloaded from the Carmelite NGO’s website and freely distributed. The website is: carmelitengo.org.

The Carmelite NGO is a project of the men and women of the Carmelite Family around the world. It is a non governmental organization with special status to the Economic and Social Council of the United Nations (ECOSOC) and is affiliated to the Department of Public Information (DPI) of the United Nations. It also has representation at the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCCC). The Carmelite NGO is at the service of the people the Carmelites serve.

please download here: http://carmelitengo.org/dayofprayer/dayprayer.december2014.pdf

Prayer Intentions from the Holy Father

Christmas, hope for humanity. That the birth of the Redeemer may bring peace and hope to all people of good will.

Parents.  That parents may be true evangelizers, passing on to their children the precious gift of faith.

Lectio Divina December - Diciembre - Dicembre 2014