O.Carm
Carmelite Order Celebrates Day of the Cloistered Nuns
Carmelite Order Celebrates Day of the Cloistered Nuns, Pro orantibus. Prior General Sends Letter
In recognition of Pro orantibus, the day the Church dedicated to contemplative nuns, Fr. Míceál O’Neill, the prior general of the Carmelite Order, wrote to the monasteries of the Order. The letter focuses on 2024 being the Year of Prayer, as announced by Pope Francis at the beginning of the year. The prior general connects this year of prayer to the Carmelite charism, writing to those “who incarnate the Carmelite charism to think about our vocation to pray, to pray more intensely ourselves and to help other to pray.”
Reflecting on the Gospel read in the celebrations of both St. Thérèse of Lisieux and St. Francis of Assisi, he finds that God reveals “truths to children like us” in prayer. “Prayer is a communication between persons divine and human who are united in love.” The great Carmelite nun, St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi, teaches us about the moment after Holy Communion when she began to think about the Gospel she had heard in the Eucharist. “There was no better place for her to be at the moment.”
Fr. Míceál also explores the Order’s tradition of prayer and contemplation as recorded in the Order’s Constitutions for the nuns. He points out that the revision of those for the men in 2019 focused the most attention on contemplation. Recalling that the nuns are well into the process revising their own Constitutions, he points out that proposed revisions clearly recognize the gift of contemplation is the nuns’ “charism and calling in a way that allows you to live out that vocation yourselves and explain it to the Church of today and to those who will approach you in the future …”
The prior general notes that liturgical prayer “is the privileged place desired by Christ for our encounter with him.” He senses movement in the Order today “to recover and enhance our rich liturgical tradition.” He highlights a recent publication and the scheduled Liturgical Congress in May. He asks that the liturgies celebrated during the Jubilee Year “contribute to … enlightenment and moving us to seek reconciliation in families, in the Church, in communities.”
Finally, Fr. Míceál speaks of prayer as “discernment, discernment alone in the cell, nourished and completed by discernment in the community and vice versa.” He writes that “a community that comes together to pray and engage in communal discernment is a community that is capable of growing in maturity and responding each day, more fully, to the call to holiness which is union with God.” He concludes “union with God does not exist without union with neighbor, union with our families, union with our religious community.”
He concludes wishing that this day of Pro orantibus be an experience of joy for the sisters and a moment of renewal of love for prayer in their lives.
Celebrating At Home - Solemnity of Christ the King
A Royal Shepherd
(John 18:33-37)
On this last Sunday of the Church’s year we always celebrate the Feast of Christ, the Universal King.
The first reading from the prophet, Daniel, speaks of the coming of one who will rule in the name of God in an eternal kingdom. The second reading from the Book of the Apocalypse speaks of Christ as the ‘faithful witness’ to God and ‘ruler of the kings of the earth’. Here is a king who loves his people and sheds his own blood to save them. The Gospel comes from the Passion of Jesus in St John’s Gospel. It is Jesus’ dialogue with Pilate about his kingship and the nature of his kingdom.
Jesus is anything but a traditional king. This King reigns, not from a golden throne, but a cross of rough wood; naked, with no rich, flowing robes; no bejewelled crown, just thorns; no orb and sceptre, just nails in his hands.
He comes among his people, not as a tyrant wielding weapons of suffering and death, but as a powerless baby.
Jesus says that his kingdom is ‘not of this world’. It is not a kingdom with geographical and national boundaries. It is not a kingdom in the earthly sense where power and oppression reign, but a kingdom where justice, love, mercy, truth and peace reign.
At the end of the day, the disciple is called to be the Kingdom (the living presence) of God in the world and to transform the suffering of its people into joy by deeds of loving kindness.
Virtuous disciples are the living presence of Jesus in the world. They realise that until Jesus comes again, the kingdom has been entrusted into their hands. In the Kingdom of Jesus, the disciple is not master but ‘servant’.
The power of the spirit of Jesus fuels deeds of loving kindness – reversing horrible human conditions, and bringing healing and salvation.
Whenever we act like Christ the Kingdom of God (the reign of God’s grace) breaks into our world. Whenever we are moved by the Spirit to proclaim the truth, to respond to need, to work for justice, to transform and heal our society, the Kingdom of God breaks into human reality and the grace of God becomes clearly visible in our words and actions.
- pdf Celebrating At Home - Solemnity of Christ the King [PDF](2.83 MB)
- default Celebrating At Home - Solemnity of Christ the King [ePub](4.17 MB)
- pdf Celebrando en Familia - Solemnidad de Cristo Rey(464 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - Solennità di Nostro Signore Gesù Cristo Re(323 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em família - A Solenidade de Cristo Rei(435 KB)
St. Raphael of St. Joseph (OCD), Priest
19 November Optional Memorial in the province of Poland
Raphael of St. Joseph (in lay life: Joseph Kalinowski) was born at Vilna to a Polish family on 1st September 1835 and died at Wadowice on 15th November 1907. He took part in the rising against the Czarist occupying forces in Poland, accepting the position of Minister of War in Vilna.
In 1877, Raphael joined the Carmelites. He was ordained priest in 1882 and began an apostolate centred on the confessional, in the giving of spiritual direction and being full of enthusiasm for ecumenism, he worked strongly for unity in the Church.
To read more on the life of St. Raphael of St. Joseph (OCD) ...
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae
PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
01-11-24 Maria Faustina de Jesus Divage (MON) Moncorvo, Portugal
ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
09-11-24 Agostinho Dos Santos (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
15-10-24 Flávio Souza de Oliveira (Pern) Vertentes, Brasil
09-11-24 Silvestre Alves (Aust-TL) Hera, Timor-Leste
Commemoration of All Carmelite Souls
15 November Optional Memorial
Gathered together by one and the same love for Christ and reverence for his beloved Mother, the members of the Carmelite family continue to love one another fraternally, whether they are engaged in the struggle for Christ on this earth, or, their earthly pilgrimage over, await the glorious vision of the Lord.
Therefore, the whole Order, united in prayer, commends to God's mercy the departed brothers and sisters that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, pledge of sure hope and joy, He may receive them among the glorious choirs of saints.
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Annual Lecture on the Carmelite nun Ruth Burrows
Center for Carmelite Studies hosting Annual Lecture on the Spirituality of Ruth Burrows on November 18
The Annual Lecture of the Center for Carmelite Studies will feature Dr. Michelle Jones speaking on the spirituality of Carmelite nun Ruth Burrows. The event will take place in Caldwell Auditorium on the campus of The Catholic University of America. It is open to the public and there is no charge. The talk will also be livestreamed.
Ruth Burrows – the nom de plume of Sr. Rachel Gregory, a Discalced Carmelite nun from England – is a very popular writer of spirituality. Describing the central theme that runs throughout her work, she writes: “God offers himself in total love to each one of us.”
Dr. Michelle Jones is a lecturer in theology at the Australian Institute of Theological Education. Her area of specialization is spirituality, with a particular focus on Carmelite spirituality. She has written about Ruth Burrows having access to a collection of unpublished writings and personal correspondence as well as live interviews with Burrows.
The event starts at 17:00 (5PM Eastern USA) and is scheduled to last for 90 minutes. A buffet reception will follow the lecture.
The Center for Carmelite Studies was established and endowed by the Carmelite Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary in November 2017. The center is located on the campus of the Catholic University of America in Washington, DC.
The Carmelite General Archives on Academia.edu
The General Archives and Library of the Carmelite Order on Academia.edu
The General Archives and Library of the Carmelite Order in Rome have recently become part of the Academia portal, with the aim of sharing and disseminating among scholars, both religious and lay, the numerous publications (monographs, essays and articles) that have resulted from the research conducted in the Archives and Library in recent years. The various studies were published by Edizioni Carmelitane, the publishing house of the General Curia of the Carmelite Order and the Institutum Carmelitanum.
The broader purpose was also to make the Carmelite Archives and Library known as not only ecclesiastical but also cultural institutions, including them within the international scientific community for possible future collaborations and projects.
For the time being, the latest works released in the different series of Edizioni Carmelitane have been included, which you can view at the following link: https://independent.academia.edu/ArchivioeBibliotecageneralidellordinecarmelitano
Celebration of All Carmelite Saints
14 November Feast
About the joys of heaven I dare not write inconsiderately. Isaiah and then Paul in his first letter to the Corinthians wrote: Those things which eye has not seen, nor ear heard, nor ever entered the heart of man, these has God prepared for those who love him. How could I attempt to put into words what you cannot even imagine? I will however say something to urge you to desire to see those things that mortal eyes are unable to see. Such desire, by elevating the mind from earthly things to heavenly things, causes them, while still remaining earthly and mortal, at least in part to become heavenly. If it is true that where your treasure is, there will also be your heart, if our treasure is in heaven, it is necessary that our heart also be in heaven. If it is in heaven, it has heavenly dimensions, and it is necessary that heavenly be the desires of our heart, through the endeavor to meditate on great and infinite things starting from the smallest.
As heaven surpasses earth in size, height and beauty, so I do not doubt that heavenly goods are to be preferred to earthly ones. I say that I do not doubt them; and yet I do not know them, because they are superior to all our imagination. Man has two intellectual faculties: the intellect and the will. The intellect likes to know the truth, the will likes to have comfort, and to such a degree that there can be nothing more desirable in this life. Our knowledge is imperfect, and imperfect is our prophecy. We reason as children, we speak as children, for we see as in a mirror, in a confused way; in fact, a corruptible body burdens the soul and burdens the mind from many thoughts. But in Heaven man will see face to face and know perfectly as he is known; that which is imperfect will disappear, and our desire will be fully satisfied because the supreme essence, which is the truth first, will be revealed to our intelligence. Then the word “stop and know that I am God” will be fulfilled. Now the intellect, tormented by so many fantasies like a child in a marketplace, admires now this or that; it does not stop, it does not see God, but frets and toils in vain.
This homeland, on the other hand, insofar as we live holy, is the homeland of our hope and desires. Placed in it the prophet says: Wonderful things are said of you, city of God. And also: How lovely are your dwellings, Lord of hosts! My soul languishes and longs for the atria of the Lord. And: as a doe yearns for streams of water, so my soul yearns for you, O God. My soul thirsts for God, for the living God; when shall I come and see the face of God? Then God will be all in all, and as much as each one wants will be provided by God. God will creep so sweetly into our minds, that what the Prophet says will be perfectly fulfilled: I will be satisfied with your presence.
The blessed will hear resounding from all sides the highest praises of God, according to the word of the Prophet: blessed is he who dwells in your house: always sing your praises. They will see the heavens and taste all their harmony, they will see Christ and His Mother and all the glorious bodies of the blessed. These, now incorruptible and clothed in incomparable beauty, will be such a sweet spectacle to the beholders that they will not know what better to desire.
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International Liturgical Conference in 2025
International Liturgical Conference Planned for May 5-10, 2025 in Rome
The International Liturgy Commission is sponsoring an International Liturgical Conference at “Il Carmelo” the Carmelite center in Sassone, Italy. The conference will take place May 5-10, 2025 and is open to all members of the Carmelite Family as well as anyone interested in knowing more about Carmelite liturgy. The theme of the conference is Encountering the Risen Lord: Liturgy and Prayer in Carmel Today.
The organizers stress that this conference is more pastoral than academic. The themes that will be explored include the role of liturgy within a synodal church, celebrating the Word of God, celebrating Mary and the saints of Carmel in their feasts and the art of celebration of the liturgy (ars celebrandi) . The way in which these various aspects are inculturated in the different geographic areas of the Carmelite Family will also be explored.
Speakers will include Cardinal Arthur Roche (prefect of the Dicastery for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments), Míceál O’Neill, O. Carm. (prior general), Fernando Millán Romeral, O. Carm. (former prior general), Donna Orsuto (Pontificia Università Gregoriana), Anastasia di Gerusalemme Cucca, O. Carm. (prioress, Monastery of St. Stephen in Ravenna), Giovanni Grosso, O. Carm. (president of the Institutum Carmelitanum), Michael Plattig, O. Carm., Désiré Unen Alimange, O. Carm., Giuseppe Midili, O. Carm. (Pontificio Ateneo Sant'Anselmo), Valéry Bitar, OCD (Teresianum), and Sabino Chiala (prior of the Monastery of Bose) and others.
Lake Elmo Hermits Building New Chapel
Carmelite Hermits in Lake Elmo (USA) Building Bigger Chapel to Accommodate New Vocations
According to a report of the Our Sunday Visitor, the Carmelite hermits in Lake Elmo, Minnesota (USA) need to expand their monastery because of an increase in vocations to the hermit life. “We must build to accept more men …” John Mary, prior of the Hermits of the Most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, is quoted as saying. “We must build for the good of our families, our community, our country and our world. We must build so the faithful can pray with us!”
The current community consists of nine priests and brothers. The hermits were aggregated to the Carmelite Order on May 14, 2003. According to the hermitage’s website, their life consists of three elements – prayer, work and study. Particular emphasis is given to Carmelite and monastic spirituality and to the liturgy. “Manual labor provides an important balance to the work of the mind and helps to sustain the hermitage. We have an extensive garden, carpentry and leather shops, as well as a studio of sacred art.” According to the prior “The solemn celebration of the liturgy is important to us, as is a generous amount of time spent in contemplative meditation and the prayer of the heart.”
The construction of the chapel began in 2022 and is planned to be completed in the summer of 2025. Besides the new chapel, four new hermitages will also be built.
“The favorite part of the chapel for me will be its beauty,” the prior said. “Beauty is one of the attributes of God and the way in which he created the world.” The chapel’s design was inspired by the early Christian churches of Rome and Ravenna, Italy. “It has an elegant Ravenna-esque patterned brick exterior with a stone and plaster basilica interior, including marble columns and arches, side aisles, clearstory, triple apses and a series of Carmelite saints processing toward the altar,” he said.
The architect for the project is the award-winning architecture professor, Duncan Stroik, from the University of Notre Dame.
“Beauty inspires us to see beyond ourselves with all our contradictions and shortcomings, and to glimpse something of the eternal,” Fr. John Mary said. “Beauty stirs awe in us and motivates us to seek something better in our personal moral life.”
“We are thrilled that [the chapel] is under construction and hope it will draw many pilgrims to experience its beauty and the solemn liturgy of Carmel.”
Guests are welcome. “Quite a few friends, benefactors, and neighbors have asked to attend Mass or share in our Divine Office,” the prior said. Now they can partake in the sacrament of confession and spiritual guidance, and visit the hermitage gift shop (also available online), which includes art from the hermits sacred art studio. But the guests will have to wait to worship with the hermits. There is no more room in the current 18 foot by 18 foot chapel. But the new chapel will accommodate up to 44 people.
(Pictures courtesy of the Hermitage of the Blessed Virgin Mary website)
