St. Therese's convent in Lisieux

We are often blessed with the available media like YouTube in our world today. I came across this video of a 2008 trip to St. Therese's Carmelite convent in Lisieux. It's just pictures put to music, but it gives a little taste of her world. May God continue to bless each one of us today!!

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Mary and Our Spiritual Life

In our observance of the Marian month we should take into account the season of the Liturgical Year which largely corresponds with the fifty days of Easter. Our pious exercises could emphasize Our Lady's participation in the Paschal mystery and in Pentecost with which the Church begins. The pious exercises connected with the month of May can easily highlight the earthly role played by the glorified Queen of Heaven, here and now, in the celebration of the Sacraments of Baptism, Confirmation and Holy Eucharist.

The following practices which are recommended by the Magisterium are offered as suggestions for honoring Our Lady during Her month.

The Regina Coeli The ecclesial community addresses this antiphon to Mary for the Resurrection of her Son. It adverts to, and depends on, the invitation to joy addressed by Gabriel to the Lord's humble servant who was called to become the Mother of the saving Messiah.

The Rosary Also called the Psalter of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Rosary is one of the most excellent prayers to the Mother of God. Thus, "the Roman Pontiffs have repeatedly exhorted the faithful to the frequent recitation of this biblically inspired prayer which is centered on contemplation of the salvific events of Christ's life, and their close association with the Virgin Mother."

Litanies of the Blessed Virgin Mary These consist of a long series of invocations to Our Lady, which follow in a uniform rhythm, thereby creating a stream of prayer characterized by insistent praise and supplication.

Consecration and Entrustment to Mary The Roman Pontiffs have frequently expressed appreciation for the pious practice of "consecration to the Blessed Virgin Mary" and the formulas publicly used by them are well known.

Louis Grignon de Montfort is one of the great masters of the spirituality underlying the act of "consecration to Mary". He "proposed to the faithful consecration to Jesus through Mary, as an effective way of living out their baptismal commitment."

The Brown Scapular and other Scapulars The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer.

Medals These are witnesses of faith and a sign of veneration of the Holy Mother of God, as well as of trust in her maternal protection.

The Church blesses such objects of Marian devotion in the belief that "they help to remind the faithful of the love of God, and to increase trust in the Blessed Virgin Mary."

The "Akathistos" Hymn In the Byzantine tradition, one of the oldest and most revered expressions of Marian devotion is the hymn of the "Akathistos" — meaning the hymn sung while standing. It is a literary and theological masterpiece, encapsulating in the form of a prayer, the universally held Marian belief of the primitive Church.

Excepted from the Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy

Feast Day – May 16th

St. Simon Stock (c1165-1265)
Sixth General of the Carmelite Order

Born in approximately 1165 in Aylesford, Kent, England. Little is known of his early life. All that is certain is that he was elected the sixth general of the Carmelites in 1247. He was approximately 82 years old. In the same year, he obtained a new confirmation of the rule by Pope Innocent IV, who at Simon’s request placed the order under the special protection of the Holy See in 1251 because of hostilities.

Soon after he became General he instituted the confraternity of the Scapular which tradition says that he received from the Mother of God in a vision. During his time as general, he helps the Order spread through England, Southern and Western Europe. He founded houses in Cambridge, England in 1248, Oxford in 1253, Paris and Bologna in 1260. He wrote the “Flos Carmeli” and “Ave Stella Matutina”

In 1265, at approximately 100 years old, he sailed to Bordeaux where he died several months later, on July 16, 1265. He was buried in the cathedral of Bordeaux. In 1951 his skull was given to Aylesford Priory and has been preserved in a reliquary.

No Pain in Vain

As I sit here in the doctor's office feeling miserable I began wondering how much pain is suffered in vain. You may be asking yourself what does she mean by that? Well, let me tell you.

So, how do Catholics "offer up" their sufferings and sacrifices? In both formal and informal ways.

Formally, many Catholics make the Morning Offering to give to Our Lord that day's efforts, works, joys, sufferings, intentions, etc. (the form may vary). At the Mass, we excercise our lay priesthood by consciously, silently, privately offering ourselves up, along with the Son, to the Father during the Offertory.

Informally, we "offer it up" by simply asking God in our own words to use a suffering as it occurs; we often do this for specific intentions (ex., "Use this pain, Lord, for the salvation of my brother..."). We might follow the example of the young St. Thérèse of Lisieux and make use of Sacrifice Beads, or the extraordinary among us might make the Heroic Act of Charity for the souls in Purgatory.

It's quite a discipline to react to suffering this way! In mental or physical pain? Drop something on your toe? Putting up with a co-worker who is making your life a living Hell? Enduring the constant ache of arthritis? Standing in line at the grocery and hating every minute of it? Spill the milk? Accept these things in peace, and ask God to use them for the good of the Church or for a more specific intention close to your heart. This isn't easy to do (and I in no way claim to be good at it), but it does make the suffering more meaningful and less -- well, less insufferable!

You'll find that it is not uncommon to hear one Catholic tell another who is suffering to "offer it up" as a way of dealing with their suffering. It should be remembered, though, that while it is most definitely good to tell someone to "offer it up," it is also easy -- and that we are called, too, to comfort those who are suffering, to feed the hungry, to give drink to the thirsty, to care for the sick, etc. Telling someone to offer it up without also helping him to deal with the temporal and emotional effects of whatever they are going through is not the fully Christian thing to do. Even Our Lord was helped while carrying His Cross: St. Veronica wiped the sweat and Blood from His Holy Face, and St. Simon of Cyrene helped Him bear the Cross itself.

And always help the suffering to retain (or regain) Hope that his suffering is not in vain. Assure him that he will partake of "the consolation":

2 Corinthians 1:5-7
For as the sufferings of Christ abound in us: so also by Christ doth our comfort abound. Now whether we be in tribulation, it is for your exhortation and salvation: or whether we be comforted, it is for your consolation: or whether we be exhorted, it is for your exhortation and salvation, which worketh the enduring of the same sufferings which we also suffer. That our hope for you may be steadfast: knowing that as you are partakers of the sufferings, so shall you be also of the consolation.
Another verse for those who suffer:

Romans 8:16-18
For the Spirit Himself giveth testimony to our spirit that we are the sons of God. And if sons, heirs also; heirs indeed of God and joint heirs with Christ: yet so, if we suffer with Him, that we may be also glorified with Him. For I reckon that the sufferings of this time are not worthy to be compared with the glory to come that shall be revealed in us.
See also the Beatitudes: Matthew 5:3-10

Lectio Divina Videos - Year of St. Paul archbishop, discalced carmelites, lectio divina, video
Lectio Divina Videos - Year of St. Paul

"I would like in particular to recall and recommend the ancient tradition of Lectio Divina: the diligent reading of Sacred Scripture accompanied by prayer brings about that intimate dialogue in which the person reading hears God who is speaking, and in praying, responds to him with trusting openness of heart (cf. Dei Verbum, n.25) If it is effectively promoted, this practice will bring to the Church – I am convinced of it – a new spiritual springtime." - Pope Benedict XVI , September 2005


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This website has been a great blessing for me and I pray that it will also be for you! Each week I'll post a video with Archbishop Thomas Collins of the Archdiocese of Toronto.

Lectio Divina is not a catechesis or a teaching but it is a prayer, a divine reading, a personal encounter with God in Sacred Scripture.

Each episode begins with a glimpse of Archbishop Collins presiding over Vespers at St. Michael’s Cathedral in downtown Toronto. Lectio Divina follows immediately afterwards. In each session Archbishop Collins slowly reads an excerpt from Sacred Scripture, offers a short reflection, and invites the congregation to quietly meditate on the passage.

Living as Christ - Discalced Carmelites

Networking in the field of communication is a necessity for the Order

Vicar General: "The way to enter the kingdom is to live as Christ lived"

Fátima, 05-04-2009

The language groups gathered at the end of the morning session to analyze and discuss the content of the report of P. Xavier Jaya Raj about "collaboration within the Order" and on the proposals made by Father General about the Teresianum and CITeS, including that of establishing an oversight committee to analyze the situation of both centers.

The secretaries of the various language groups presented at the beginning of the afternoon session the results of their work and then opened up a broader dialogue in the Chapter on these two important themes.

After the break, Fr General invited the Father David Jimenez of the province of Castilla to present to the Chapter a new way of working in the field of communication in the Order. David in his speech stressed the need to create a network of communication among all regions or provinces, which, in coordination with the center of the Order might launch a new era in communication within the Order.

"Living as another Christ"

In the evening the Chapter went in procession to the Sanctuary of Fatima to celebrate the Eucharist. With the Carmelite chant of "Flos Carmeli" filling the sanctuary, the entrance precession began the Eucharistic celebration which was presided over by the Vicar General, Fr Emilio José Martínez.

During his homily Fr Emilio alluded to the text of the Gospel of Christ, saying the symbol of the Good Shepherd who identifies himself as the "gate of heaven" is a gesture of humility that demands from us a similar response. "It is no good to open a door we are determined not to cross. The way to cross the gate is simply to identify with that door, live as Christ lived, gate of life."

It is an identification with Jesus that makes us "absolutely available to God's plan," said the Vicar General, who did not hesitate to point out that there is no other way "to live our own lives than to let go of personal projects and give ourselves completely to the word of God. In the word of God, the Church, our superiors and our brothers in community we have a perfect source for seeking God's will through dialogue, communication and listening."

Already at the end of his homily, Fr Emilio made a call to the Chapter to place ourselves "in the hands of God once and for all together and say to our Mother Teresa of Jesus: I'm Yours, born for you, what do you want of me."

Happy Mother's Day!

Enjoy this Video which celebrates Mary!

News to Pray for

My dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

I believe there are times in our lives when we must take a stand and this is one of those times. There is a great scandal occurring within our country on many different fronts. Our values, our morals and even our faith our being attacked. Our we following the path Jesus set for us? Are we living the Gospels? Are we His hands and feet in our society? We must be a powerful voice in our very immoral world for Truth. Truth, Light cannot be hidden under the bushel any more. We must put our Light on the stand for the world to see. We must be the change in the world that we want to see.

Please sign the petition to Fr. Jenkins at Notre Dame University at http://www.notredamescandal.com/SignthePetitiontoFrJenkins/tabid/454/Default.aspx

Feast Day - Angelus of Jerusalem

St. Angelus of Jerusalem - (1185 - 1220) -Priest and MartyrFeast Day - May 05

St. Angelus’ parents were 12th century Jewish converts. At age 18, he and his twin brother joined a group of hermits who formed the first Carmelite house. Angelus was one of the first Carmelites to come to Sicily from Mount Carmel. He met with great success in converting some Sicilian Jews, and great hatred from others, especially around Palermo and Leocata.

According to trustworthy sources, he was killed by unbelievers in Licata during the first half of the thirteenth century. Acclaimed as a martyr, his body was placed in a church built on the site of his death. Only in 1632 were his relics transferred to the Carmelite Church. Veneration of St. Angelus spread throughout the Carmelite Order as well as among the populace. He has been named patron of many places in Sicily. Even to the present time devoted persons invoke him in their needs and faithfully honor him.