Quote of the day, 20 June: St. John of the Cross

Jesus be in your soul, my daughter in Christ.

The reason for my not having written during all this time is due more to my having been in such an out-of-the-way place, as is Segovia, than because of a lack of desire. My will to write remains ever the same, and I hope in God this will continue to be so. I have been sorry about your troubles.

I would desire that you not be so solicitous for the temporal things of the house because God will gradually forget you and you will come to a state of great spiritual and temporal need; for it is our anxiety that creates our needs.

Cast your care on the Lord, daughter, and he will sustain you [Ps. 55:22], for he who gives, and wants to give, the highest cannot fail to give the least. Be careful that you do not lack the desire to be poor and in want; for if you do, at that very hour devotion will fail you and you will gradually weaken in the practice of virtue.

If previously you desired poverty, now that you are superior, you ought to desire and love it much more. You ought to govern and provide the house with virtues and ardent desires for heaven rather than with worries and plans about temporal and earthly things. The Lord tells us not to be thinking about food or clothing or tomorrow [Mt. 6:31-34].

Saint John of the Cross

Letter 21 to Madre María de Jesús (excerpts)
Discalced Carmelite prioress of Córdoba
Madrid, 20 June 1590

John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Study of a Woman’s Head was painted in oil on wood, ca. 1780 by Jean-Baptiste Greuze (French, 1725–1805). Image credit: Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Public domain).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How has God shown you His care and sustained you through His Divine Providence?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#DivineProvidence #monasticLife #poverty #spiritualDirection #StJohnOfTheCross #trust

Quote of the day, 1 February: Madame Acarie

In 1590, during a morning mass at Saint Gervais Church, Madame Acarie fell into ecstasy for several hours. As the phenomenon recurred frequently thereafter, she feared that it might be the work of a demon. Doctors prescribed bloodlettings that left her exhausted.

She met Benet Canfield during the summer of 1592. This Englishman, who had converted to Catholicism and become a Capuchin friar, was an eminent expert on Rhineland mysticism: “He removed her doubts and showed her that everything that happened within her was from God and the effects of grace.”

Until her death, she experienced ecstasies during which she felt as though she were “dying softly.” From 1593 onward, she suffered the torments of Christ’s Passion each week, yet without any visible wounds.

Father Coton writes on the subject: “She bore the stigmata on her body in such a way that at certain times—especially on Fridays, Saturdays, and Lenten days—she felt extreme pains in her feet, hands, side, and head, as if they had been pierced and she had been suspended.”

Madame Acarie was now continually united with Christ, carrying in her prayer a genuine passion for the salvation of sinners. Moreover, she experienced complete trust in God’s Providence, which guided her in everything she did. Her total surrender to God gave her the courage to face difficulties that might otherwise have seemed insurmountable.

Indeed, she entered the most trying period of her life: “A soul can never do well unless it throws itself, without reservation, into the arms of divine Providence, because then God seems bound by His promise to assist it.”

Olivier Rousseau, o.c.d.

Carmelite Online Retreat: Advent 2020, Week 3
“Mystic and Woman of Action: Faith in the Impossible”

Note: Blessed Mary of the Incarnation, better known in France as Madame Acarie, was born in Paris on 1 February 1566.

Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: The Madonna and Child appearing to Blessed Mary of the Incarnation is an oil on canvas painting attributed to Pierre Delestres, ca. 1750. It is part of the collection of artworks at the Discalced Carmelite monastery of Pontoise that depicts Madame Acarie.

#BlessedMaryOfTheIncarnation #DivineProvidence #ecstasy #JesusChrist #MadameAcarie #passion #saveSouls #stigmata #surrender #union

Quote of the day, 28 December: St. Thérèse

Saint Joseph gets up at once and taps lightly at the door of the little room where Mary is at rest.

SAINT JOSEPH

Mary, wake up, for the life of Jesus is in danger.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN, entering with little Jesus

Joseph, sleep in peace, no danger threatens the Divine Child. See how He is resting peacefully in my arms.

SAINT JOSEPH

Yes, in His sweet sleep, the King of the Heavens seems to be unaware of the message of one of His angels…. Still, He knows everything… O, Mary! Why doesn’t Jesus speak to you Himself? Why am I charged with delivering Heaven’s orders to the Mother of my God?…

THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Don’t be afraid. Speak. You are God’s representative, the head of the family; tell me what the angel ordered you on behalf of the Lord. I am entirely ready to obey.

SAINT JOSEPH

He is ordering us to flee into Egypt, because Herod is determined to put the Child to death. We must leave within the hour; tomorrow may be too late…. (He looks at Mary with a sad expression.)

THE BLESSED VIRGIN

Don’t be troubled, Joseph. Since the day of the presentation of Jesus in the temple, I’ve been continually prepared to be put to the test, for the words of the holy elder Simeon pierced my soul with a sword of sorrow. Already his prophesy is coming true; Jesus is suffering persecution before He is even old enough to defend Himself. I know that if He willed it, a single word from His infant lips would suffice to wipe out all His enemies; however, He chooses to flee from a weak mortal, since He is the Prince of peace….

The Word made Child will not crush the half-broken reed, He will not extinguish a wick that is still burning. If He is rejected by those of His own heritage, that will not stop Him from giving His life for poor sinners who fail to recognize the time of His visit….. Let us leave without fear, let us go sanctify an infidel shore with the presence of the Savior.

SAINT JOSEPH

Alas, how it costs me to expose you to the weariness and danger of so long and difficult a journey. How happy I’d be if I were permitted to take all the pain on myself… But I must resign myself to seeing you soon deprived of everything. Here we have the necessities; in Egypt, we will be reduced to the most extreme poverty.

THE BLESSED VIRGIN

The poverty we’ll find in exile doesn’t frighten me, since we will always have the Treasure that makes up the wealth of Heaven. His Divine Providence, which feeds the little birds without forgetting a single one, will give us our daily bread.

Saint Thérèse of Lisieux

The Flight into Egypt (RP 6), Act I, Scene 4

Note: The Flight into Egypt was written for performance at the evening recreation on the feast day of her sister Pauline—Mother Agnès of Jesus—21 January 1896.

of Lisieux, T 2008, The Plays of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: “Pious Recreations”, translated from the French by Conroy S and Dwyer D J, ICS Publications, Washington, DC.

Featured image: Le Repos pendant la fuite en Égypte (Rest on the Flight into Egypt) is an oil on canvas painting executed in 1879 by Luc-Olivier Merson (French, 1846–1920). This artwork is an 1879 variant of Merson’s original painting, Le Repos en Égypte, which was exhibited in the Salon—the official art exhibition of the Académie des Beaux-Arts in Paris in May 1879. Image credit: Museum of Fine Arts, Boston / Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

#BlessedVirginMary #DivineProvidence #Egypt #HolyInnocents #migrants #persecution #poverty #PrinceOfPeace #StJoseph #StThérèseOfLisieux

Quote of the day, 20 November: St. Thérèse

Sunday, November 20, after dressing up according to Vatican regulations, i.e., in black with a lace mantilla as headpiece, and decorated with a large medal of Leo XIII, tied with a blue and white ribbon, we entered the Vatican through the Sovereign Pontiff’s chapel.

St. Therese of Lisieux

Even very young, the Servant of God said she would become a nun and consecrate herself to God, and nobody around her was surprised. She said she wanted to withdraw to the desert in order to belong to God alone. When our sister Pauline was admitted to the Carmel and the Servant of God heard what life inside was like, she realized it was in the Carmelite Order that her aspirations would be fulfilled.

You ask whether she prayed to God and sought counsel in order to resolve the problem of her vocation. I don’t think there was ever a problem of vocation for her. She never questioned whether or not she should consecrate herself to God. The answer was obvious to her. She wondered only how to reach her goal.

With regards to this, she sought counsel from Mother Agnes of Jesus, whom she would visit at the Carmel. The Jesuit priest Father Pichon, our family’s spiritual director, also encouraged her at this point. On Pentecost Sunday 1887, Thérèse shared her desire to become a Carmelite with our father. Marie, our eldest sister, had joined Pauline at the Carmel on 15th October 1886. With saintly faith and simplicity, our father gave her his consent, but our uncle and Thérèse’s legal guardian, Mr Guérin, was opposed to it. He said she should wait until she was a least 17. However he soon yielded, God having softened his heart in this matter.

There remained other difficulties to overcome: the ecclesiastical superior of the Carmel, Father Delatroëtte, refused to admit her because he considered her too young. Thérèse therefore had to appeal to the bishop. With this in view, she went to Bayeux with our father, but when she received only an evasive response, she decided that on her imminent trip to Rome, she would ask His Holiness Pope Leo XIII for the authorisation she sought [MsA 62r, ff]. She made this trip with our father and myself. The Holy Father did not give her a clear answer either [Papal audience, 20 November 1887] and referred the matter back to the Superiors of the Carmel and Providence.

Once back in France, Thérèse gave herself entirely over to the advice of her sister Pauline in the matter of her vocation [Cf. Ordinary Process, Witness 1, Sixteenth Question, 148r]. She wrote to his Lordship the Bishop of Bayeux, and on 28th December 1887, he replied and gave her the authorization she sought. However, desirous to appease the still protesting Superior, the Mother Prioress of the Carmel delayed her admittance until after Lent. It was therefore not until 9th April of the following year, 1888, that Thérèse stepped over the threshold to the cloister, accompanied by her father and the rest of her family.

Sr. Geneviève of St. Teresa, O.C.D.

(Celine Martin)
Apostolic Process, Witness 8
Response to Question 11

We always refer to the website of the Archives of the Carmel of Lisieux for the vast majority of our quotes concerning Saint Thérèse, Saint Zélie, and Saint Louis Martin. If you would like to purchase English translations for the collected works of St. Thérèse, please visit the website of our Discalced Carmelite friars at ICS Publications. 

Featured image: This portrait of Pope Leo XIII is a fumée engraving in black on tissue paper from the René Huyghe Collection at the National Gallery of Art in Washington, DC. American artist Charles M. Johnson created the engraving in 1899. Image credit: National Gallery of Art (Public domain)

#CarmelOfLisieux #CelineMartin #DivineProvidence #LeoXIII #papalAudience #pilgrimage #StThereseOfLisieux #testimony #vocations

Daniel Tyerman, Congregational missionary, speaks of repentance of Manasseh (2 Chronicles 33), and Zaccheus (Luke 19). Conversion will be SEEN. The holy life is not cruel.

Do some see “oppression” and “cruelty” are just the overstated claims of Philistines seeking to undermine our civilization and way of life?

How can you seek a holy life that is free from sardonicism against concepts like cruelty and oppression?

#christian #familyservices #divineprovidence #goodcause #godlycounsel

@wdlindsy
I pointed out on Sunday all the #Evangelical dog whistles at the #Butler rally trying to portray #OrangeHitler as being of #DivineProvidence:

"Took a bullet for democracy" = "died for your sins".

They called his escape from death "a miracle" (ie: God wanted that firefighter dead) and a battle between "good vs evil" (you decide which is which) while a choir sang "Ave Maria". #blasphemy
https://mastodon.social/@MugsysRapSheet/113262735349451996

David and the seer Gad...#Godexists, #divineprovidence
https://steemit.com/seer/@bernardo69/david-and-the-seer-gad-let-me-fall-into-the-hands-of-the-lord-for-his-mercy-is-very-great-but-do-not-let-me-fall-into-human

SCRIPTURE

Humble yourselves therefore under the mighty hand of God, so that he may exalt you in due time. Cast all your anxiety on him, because he cares for you.

1 Peter 5:6–7

READING

As for me, I know God takes care of me, and I’ve already noticed it many times in my life. How many memories I have of this that I’ll never forget.

Saint Zélie Martin

Letter CF 156 from Zélie Guérin to her daughter Pauline
12 March 1876

PRAYER

Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:

Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.

Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.

Intercede for us

(Mention your intentions here)

that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.

Our Father…

Glory be…

Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.

Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.

All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/10/lzmnovena24-9/

#anxiety #care #DivineProvidence #novena #prayer #StZélieMartin #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust

SCRIPTURE

He has gained renown by his wonderful deeds;
    the Lord is gracious and merciful.
He provides food for those who fear him;
    he is ever mindful of his covenant.
He has shown his people the power of his works,
    in giving them the heritage of the nations.

Psalm 111:4–6

READING

When I think about what God has done for me and my husband, God, in whom I’ve put all my trust and in whose hands I’ve put the care of my whole life, I don’t doubt that His Divine Providence watches over His children with special care.

Saint Zélie Martin

Letter CF 1 from St. Zélie Martin to her brother Isidore Guérin
1 January 1863

PRAYER

Saints Louis and Zélie,
you who in your life as a couple and as parents
have borne witness to an exemplary Christian life,
by putting God first,
by fulfilling the duties of your state in life
and practicing the evangelical virtues,
we turn to you:

Help us to have unshakable trust in God
and to abandon ourselves to His Will,
as you did through the joys,
as well as the trials, grief, and suffering
that marked your lives.

Help us to love God with all our hearts,
to persevere through our daily difficulties,
and to abide in the joy and hope
that a living faith in Christ gives us.

Intercede for us

(Mention your intentions here)

that we may obtain the graces we need
today and every day of our lives.

Our Father…

Glory be…

Saints Louis and Zélie, pray for us.

Martin, Z 2011, A Call to a Deeper Love: The Family Correspondence of the Parents of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, 1863-1885, Society of St. Paul, New York.

All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.

Let us unite in prayer

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/03/lzmnovena24-1/

#DivineProvidence #familyLife #God #intercession #IsidoreGuérin #novena #prayer #StsLouisMartinAndZélieGuérin #trust

Growing in Jesus...#FollowJesus, #Divineprovidence...
https://steemit.com/lamp/@bernardo69/growing-in-jesus-john-was-a-lamp-that-burned-and-gave-light-and-you-chose-for-a-time-to-enjoy-his-light

The last words of King David...#Bibleinterpretation, #divineprovidence ...
https://steemit.com/spirit/@bernardo69/the-last-words-of-king-david-the-spirit-of-the-lord-spoke-through-me-his-word-was-on-my-tongue-2-samuel-23-2

Jesus and the providence of God..#divineprovidence, #Jesusisthetruth..https://steemit.com/providence/@bernardo69/jesus-s-providence-yet-i-tell-you-that-not-even-solomon-in-all-his-splendor-was-dressed-like-one-of-these-matthew-6-29

About noon the next day, while they were on their way and approaching the city, Peter went up on the roof to pray. Acts 10.9 NET.

Men from Cornelius approached Joppa. Peter prayed while waiting for lunch to be served. God made things happen.

#Bible #BibleVerses #DivineProvidence

I clicked on the wrong category. For now I'll leave it, to preserve the link. In a few days I'll fix it. A great reminder by Gary H.

https://forthright.net/news/god-provides-deliverer/

#Bible #salvation #DivineProvidence

We should know better – Forthright Magazine http://forthright.net/2021/10/02/we-should-know-better/

I don’t think these words of James have ever seemed so relevant and significant to me than in these years of the Covid 19 Pandemic. In mid-March, 2020 I departed from South Asia after only 5 weeks there, thinking that surely I would be able to return in late summer. When those plans had to be cancelled, I was confident that things would be all cleared up in time for a spring trip in 2021.

#plans #DivineProvidence