Quote of the day, 26 June: Blessed Mary Josephine

It has always been my heart’s burning desire to fulfill the will of God; I have never wanted anything else. I have lived and am living the divine will. It is something I need more than the food I eat and the air I breathe.
— Blessed Mary Josephine of Jesus Crucified
Autobiography

Looking more closely at the history and message of Blessed Mary Josephine, we better understand the inescapable need for a contemplative dimension in every Christian life. Her example shows us a concrete path for cultivating it. Her very existence was a true school of charity—toward her fellow sisters and, through her cloistered life, toward a wide apostolic field she served only to help others love the Lord more deeply.

She, too, like Saint Thérèse of the Child Jesus, did not want to “become a saint by halves.”

With her own unique character and mystical gifts—marked by extraordinary spiritual experiences—she embodied a life entirely rooted in one guiding conviction: “I want to live by feeding on the will of God… I want my will to be made one with His.”

Again, in her Diary, she wrote: “I ardently desire to live in the will of God. I know that this is how saints are made, and I want to become a saint to give glory to God.”

This program of life should be the great aspiration of every Christian, in perfect harmony with the words of Christ, our only and supreme model: “My food is to do the will of the Father” (Jn 4:34), because “whoever does the will of God lives forever” (1 Jn 2:17).

Cardinal José Saraiva Martins

Message at the Beatification of Blessed Mary Josephine of Jesus Crucified
Naples, 1 June 2008

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

Featured image: A nun kneels before Blessed Mary Josephine in the cloister of the Carmel at Ponti Rossi. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (Used by permission).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
What would it mean for you to feed on the will of God in your daily life?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#beatification #BlessedMaryJosephineOfJesusCrucified #gloryToGod #homily #willOfGod

New homily for the New Moon up on Without Authority: “On The Blessedness Of Goodbyes”. I hope that you all benefit from it.

#pagan #paganism #newmoon #newmoonmagic #homily

https://open.substack.com/pub/sororalice/p/on-the-blessedness-of-goodbyes?r=1klaj2&utm_campaign=post&utm_medium=web&showWelcomeOnShare=true

Art: Odilon Redon, “Reflection”, (~1900-1905)

Quote of the day, 26 April: Pope Francis & Blessed Anne of Jesus

These stanzas, Reverend Mother, were obviously composed with a certain burning love of God.

Saint John of the Cross to Blessed Anne of Jesus
Prologue to the Spiritual Canticle

The history of the Belgian Church is rich in examples of holiness. Let us consider Saint Gudula, the patron saint of this country (650–712 ca.), Saint Guy of Anderlecht, the pilgrim and friend of the poor (+1012), Saint Damien de Veuster, better known as Damien of Molokai, the apostle to the lepers (1840-1889), and the many Belgian missionaries who have proclaimed the Gospel in various parts of the world over the centuries, sometimes to the point of sacrificing their lives.

The witness of a Carmelite nun has also blossomed in this fertile land: Anne of Jesus, Anna de Lobera, whose Beatification we celebrate today. In the Church of her time, this woman was among the protagonists of a great reform movement. She followed in the footsteps of a “giant of the spirit”, Teresa of Avila, and helped spread her ideals throughout Spain, France, here, in Brussels, and in what was then called the Spanish Netherlands.

In a time marked by painful scandals, within and outside of the Christian community, she and her companions brought many people back to the faith through their simple lives of poverty, prayer, work, and charity. Some have called their foundation in this city a “spiritual magnet”.

She intentionally left no writings to posterity. Instead, she committed herself to putting into practice what she had learned (cf. 1 Cor 15:3), and by her way of life she helped lift up the Church at a time of great difficulty.

Let us then gratefully welcome the example she has given us of “feminine styles of holiness” (cf. Gaudete et Exsultate, 12), gentle but strong. Her testimony, together with those of so many brothers and sisters who have gone before us, our friends and fellow pilgrims, is not far from us: it is near us, indeed it is entrusted to us so that we may also make it our own, renewing our commitment to walk together in the footsteps of the Lord.

Pope Francis

Homily, Mass of Beatification of Anne of Jesus
Brussels, 29 September 2024

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: Pope Francis passing through a jubilant crowd in St. Peter’s Square minutes before his Inaugural Mass, 19 March 2013 [Inizio Del Ministero Petrino Del Vescovo Di Roma]. Photo by Jeffrey Bruno (Some rights reserved).

⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
Is my life quietly bearing witness—or am I waiting to say something before I live it?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.

#beatification #BlessedAnneOfJesus #Brussels #founder #homily #PopeFrancis #StJohnOfTheCross

Quote of the day, 7 April: St. John Paul II

“I am the light of the world” (Jn 8:12)

Sister Teresa of the Andes—Teresa of Jesus, a Discalced Carmelite—is a light of Christ for the entire Church in Chile. She is the first canonized saint of the Teresian Carmel in Latin America and is now enrolled among the saints of the universal Church.

As in the first reading from the Book of Samuel, Teresa does not stand out because of her appearance or stature. The sacred text reminds us: “The Lord does not see as mortals see; they look on the outward appearance, but the Lord looks on the heart” (1 Samuel 16:7). And so, in a short life of just over 19 years—and in only eleven months as a Carmelite—God allowed the light of his Son, Jesus Christ, to shine through her in an extraordinary way. She now serves as a beacon and guide for a world that has grown blind to divine radiance.

To a secularized society that lives turned away from God, this young Carmelite from Chile—whom I joyfully present as a model of the Gospel’s enduring youth—offers the clear testimony of a life that proclaims to today’s men and women: in loving, adoring, and serving God, we find human greatness and joy, true freedom, and the fullness of our calling. From the silence of the cloister, the life of Blessed Teresa quietly cries out: “God alone suffices!”

And she proclaims this especially to young people, who are hungry for truth and searching for a light that gives meaning to life. To a generation bombarded by constant messages and the pressures of an eroticized culture—to a society that confuses real love, which is self-giving, with the hedonistic use of others—this young virgin of the Andes proclaims the beauty and joy that flow from hearts that are pure.

Now, from eternity, Saint Teresa of the Andes continues her intercession as an advocate for countless brothers and sisters. She who found her heaven on earth in espousing Jesus now beholds him face to face, and from that place of intimacy, she prays for all who seek the light of Christ.

Saint John Paul II

Canonization Homily for Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes
Sunday, 21 March 1993

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

Featured image: Photographer Juan Jose Napuri captures this stunning image of Laguna Torres in Torres del Paine National Park, a famous landmark of Patagonia in southern Chile. Image credit: peruphotoart / Adobe Stock (Asset ID# 304107267)

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💠 Reflection question:
Where do you see Christ’s light shining in today’s world—and how are you called to reflect it?
Share your thoughts in the comments.

#canonization #Christ #contemplation #homily #light #purity #StJohnPaulII #StTeresaOfTheAndes #translation #youth

Saverio Cannistrà, OCD: Carmelite Shepherd for Pisa

On February 6, 2025, Pope Francis appointed Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D., as the new Archbishop of Pisa. A Discalced Carmelite friar, theologian, and former Superior General of the Order, Archbishop-elect Cannistrà has served the Church with wisdom, humility, and a profound sense of the Carmelite charism.

In 2019, during the Extraordinary Definitory of the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Goa, India, he delivered a homily at the site of the first Discalced Carmelite foundation in the country, established in 1619. This gathering marked the fourth centenary of the Teresian Carmelites’ presence in India, a milestone that invited reflection on the Order’s missionary spirit.

The homily that follows was translated by the blogger for that occasion. Archbishop-elect Cannistrà reflected on the courage and spiritual depth that animated the first Discalced Carmelites in India. His words from Goa take on renewed significance today as he prepares for his new pastoral mission in Pisa.

For a deeper look at his Carmelite roots and new pastoral mission, listen to our latest podcast episode below.

https://youtu.be/q6yDfu6rhhc?si=L3sD8gqk8bAUhK3k

His full homily from the 2019 gathering follows.

A Carmelite Reflection on Mission

(Homily of Father Saverio Cannistrà, O.C.D., Goa, February 8, 2019 – Translation by the blogger)

Votive Mass of Blesseds Denis and Redemptus
Readings: Eph 6:10–20; Mt 5:1–12

It is with special emotion that I preside at this Eucharistic celebration together with all of you, my dear brothers in Carmel. We are in the place where the first Discalced Carmelite convent stood in Goa and in India. The first three Carmelites arrived in Goa on Christmas Day, 1619: they were Father Leandro of the Annunciation and two professed students, Brother Elías and Brother José Alejo.

The convent was officially inaugurated on March 19, 1621, with the vestition of seven novices, among whom was a young Portuguese soldier who took the name Brother Redemptus of the Cross [Blessed Redemptus].

On July 16 of the following year, the church was solemnly dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The community remained here for about 90 years, until 1709, when all non-Portuguese missionaries were forced to leave. The convent was then handed over to the Oratorians of St. Philip Neri.

It was in this convent, on Christmas Day in 1636, that Father Dionysius of the Nativity [Blessed Denis] made his solemn profession in the hands of Father Filippo of the Holy Trinity, a missionary, theologian, writer, and, at the end of his life, Superior General of the Congregation of Italy. While Father Dionysius was studying theology in preparation for his priestly ordination, Brother Redemptus of the Cross, who had returned to Goa from the Tatta mission (in present-day Pakistan), was serving as porter and sacristan in the same monastery.

As we know, in 1638, these two friars—Blesseds Denis and Redemptus—were sent to Sumatra as part of a diplomatic mission to the Sultan of Aceh, where they were ultimately martyred for the faith.

These simple historical notes give us an idea of the richness of the history that we commemorate today: a history of holiness, of Carmelite life, of missionary zeal, and above all, of love for God and neighbor. Many thoughts and feelings arise as we remember this.

The first is a sense of awe at the dynamism shown by the Teresian Carmel in its early years. Who would have imagined that just fifty years after its humble beginnings in Duruelo, the Discalced Carmelites would already be in Goa—the capital of the Portuguese Indies, a metropolis of about 200,000 inhabitants—having passed through Poland, Persia, the island of Ormuz, and the empire of the Great Mogul?

Scholars can analyze the historical reasons behind this extraordinary expansion of a small group of contemplative religious. But for us, this history calls us to reflect on what the true strength of our religious vocation is:

It is not the force of numbers, nor of tradition, nor of structures, which can become a burden and an obstacle. It is the power of the Spirit, the abundance of his gifts, which transforms our weakness and our fears into the courage and joy of the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ.

As we heard in the first reading, it is the armor of God that allows us to face the trials and challenges of history. Truth, justice, peace, faith, and listening to the Word of God are the weapons that make up this armor.

A second thought concerns the relationship between contemplation and action. Nothing is more misleading than opposing these two dimensions. The more one is truly contemplative, the more one is truly active—or rather, we become instruments of God’s action, servants of His will.

The first generations of Discalced Carmelites—especially Father John of Jesus-Mary—understood perfectly the core message of St. Teresa of Avila:

Contemplation is allowing oneself to be invaded and transformed by God, who is Love. And Love is always the same: love for God and love for humanity. These two cannot be separated.

It was the fire of this love that made our confreres of four centuries ago so dynamic and effective. They loved God and gave themselves to Him without reserve. But precisely for this reason, they loved the Church and made themselves radically available to it, with obedience, without personal agendas.

They loved humanity, appreciated and valued the cultures, languages, and places where they lived. Their contemplation naturally opened them to mission, which was a movement of true encounter. These Carmelites understood that going on a mission meant getting close to others, listening, studying, and discovering the richness of different peoples.

Thus, their study of theology was not separate from their study of languages, religions, geography, and even botany.

Love is like the sun: it warms, it allows all of humanity to grow and bear fruit in those who allow themselves to be illuminated by it.

Dear brothers, let us thank the Lord for these 400 years of Carmelite presence in India. Let us do so with joyful hearts and with humble awareness of our smallness in the face of such greatness.

At the same time, let us do so with the conviction that this history is not over—it continues in us. We are the brothers of Father Leandro, Father Filippo, Father Dionysius, and Brother Redemptus.

From them, we can learn what it means to live our Carmelite vocation today—as children of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.

Let us ask for their intercession, so that the flame that the Spirit ignited in their hearts may not be extinguished in us and in our communities.

Four hundred years ago, the first Discalced Carmelites set foot in India, carrying the spirit of St. Teresa of Avila beyond Europe. Today, one of their sons is called to shepherd the Church in Pisa. The same trust in divine providence that sustained those early missionaries now accompanies Archbishop-elect Saverio Cannistrà as he prepares for his new mission.

Let us entrust him to the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit, who guided the first Carmelites to distant lands, guide him now as he takes up his pastoral office in Pisa.

Want to stay updated on Carmelite wisdom and reflections? Listen to the Carmelite Quotes podcast, subscribe to our blog, and share this post with others!

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

Featured image: Discalced Carmelite Superior General Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D. greets Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Mass for the canonization of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#archbishop #BlessedsDenisAndRedemptus #DenisOfTheNativity #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #homily #India #nomination #Podcast #PopeFrancis #RedemptusOfTheCross

Quote of the day, 24 January: St. John Paul II

“The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:15).

Today’s liturgy presents us with two key themes for reflection: conversion and vocation.

Conversion is proclaimed by Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, whom God sent to the great city of Nineveh with the message: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jon 3:4) because of their sins. Through the prophet, the Lord—whom the psalmist describes as the one who “instructs sinners in the way” (Ps 25:8)—calls the people of Nineveh to change their ways. And they respond: “They turned from their evil ways” (Jon 3:10), and so God, in his mercy, does not carry out the punishment.

Jesus Christ also proclaims conversion, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:15). In both cases, conversion means turning away from sin. In Jonah’s time, this turning away was motivated by fear of punishment. But Jesus calls us to conversion because of God’s nearness and the promise of his kingdom.

Conversion is a pivotal moment in every person’s spiritual and moral life. It takes on different forms at various stages of life. Sometimes conversion is a major turning point that leads to a profound change in one’s direction and behavior. Other times, it happens in the small, almost unnoticed choices of daily life that are essential for the soul’s growth.

We often speak of first and second conversions, and sometimes even a third. The first conversion involves turning away from serious sins that hinder the life of grace. Later conversions are steps along the path of deeper transformation and closeness to God.

This theme is echoed in the responsorial psalm:

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! (Ps 25:6-7).

Conversion is deeply connected to God’s mercy.

The second theme is vocation.

In the first reading, we hear God’s call to Jonah: “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you” (Jon 3:2). And Jonah obeys.

In the Gospel, we see the call of the first apostles. Jesus calls Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee, while they are fishing by the Sea of Galilee. He invites them: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (Mk 1:17). They leave their nets and follow him.

Vocation, as we see, is God’s call to each person, entrusting them with a mission. With the call comes the grace to fulfill it. Jonah initially resists, feeling overwhelmed by the task, while the apostles respond with readiness—though their journey will not be without challenges.

The psalm expresses this call beautifully:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long (Ps 25:4-5).

Indeed, when God calls, he also gives hope.

These two themes—conversion and vocation—are central to the Christian life. They shape God’s saving plan for us and foster our inner growth. Conversion means breaking away from sin and striving for holiness, while vocation reveals God’s purpose for our lives and our response to his love.

As we draw closer to God, we discover the mission he has entrusted to us. Conversion and vocation go hand in hand. Just as Simon, Andrew, James, and John became “fishers of people” (Mk 1:17), so too, each of us is called to embrace God’s plan for our lives.

Today, I am delighted to visit your parish, dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila, a remarkable mystic known for her deep relationship with God and her love for others. This marks my first pastoral visit in 1982 as Bishop of Rome, and I greet you all with joy.

I extend my greetings to the Cardinal Vicar, the Apostolic Nuncio, the Auxiliary Bishop, and especially your parish priests from the esteemed Carmelite Order, who faithfully shepherd this community. I also warmly greet the lay groups supporting their ministry—catechists, the Catholic Action group, the Secular Carmelites, the Young Couples group, and many others. My heartfelt greetings go to every member of this parish—workers, families, elderly people, those who are suffering, and especially the youth, who hold a special place in my heart.

I want to embrace each of you in light of today’s Gospel message. Every person here is experiencing their own journey of conversion, known only to them and God. Some may feel far from God, others may still be awaiting that first step of conversion. And each of you has a vocation—whether as parents, children, teachers, doctors, students, or workers. To each of you, Christ says: “Follow me.”

Your parish is located in an urban setting with a growing elderly population and a decrease in births, yet with many schools for young people. It is essential that your parish be a place where all find a true sense of community. The Gospel must be known and lived here.

Your parish, dedicated to St. Teresa, is a special space within the larger Church of Rome. Here, God continues to call people to conversion and helps them discover their unique vocation. Through this, each life finds its full meaning.

May your parish truly be a place where God’s grace transforms hearts and leads each person to their calling.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that “for the present form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31). Indeed, time passes. The year 1981 is behind us, and we have entered 1982.

Only God remains forever. Our lives have lasting value when we turn away from sin and embrace God’s call.

May this new year be a time of ongoing conversion and renewed commitment to our vocation.

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Pastoral Visit to the Roman parish of St. Teresa (Corso d’Italia 37)
Sunday, 24 January 1982

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

Featured image: St. John Paul II is seen here during his pastoral visit to Cali, Colombia on 4–5 July 1986. Image credit: Hernan Valencia / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

#conversion #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #homily #Rome #StJohnPaulII #vocation

Quote of the day, 9 December: Silvio José Báez, ocd

In Mary’s life, the grace of God, which had filled her from the first moment of her being, was not “received in vain” (cf. 2 Cor 6:1). She was always “full of grace,” the “tota pulchra,” as we call her in the Marian antiphon.

What is the secret behind the beauty of Mary’s life? The Virgin Mary was the transparency of God.

Mary used to listen to God and spent much time in dialogue with Him. “The Word of God was her secret: close to her heart, it then became flesh in her womb. By dwelling with God, in dialogue with him in every circumstance, Mary made her life beautiful.” (Pope Francis, Angelus, 8 December 2017).

It is not the outward appearance that makes a person beautiful. What makes a life beautiful is having a heart that is open to God, docile to God, and full of God.

Beauty is like the gleam of harmony. It is essential to the notion of the beautiful that beauty should be united to truth and goodness. The irradiation of that harmony between truth and goodness is beauty.

God is supreme goodness, supreme truth, and supreme beauty, which in Christ has been fully revealed as redeeming love. The famous Russian writer Dostoyevsky said that beauty would save the world. Beauty awakens our spirituality, brings out the best in us, captivates us, makes us transcend the merely material, and makes us enter the world of generosity and contemplation.

Unfortunately, many people are deprived of beauty because where sin breaks down dialogue with God and distances us from love, beauty disappears. For this reason, we must turn our eyes to Mary, whose beautiful, luminous, inspiring existence continues to attract us, the disciples of her Son, who contemplate in her the best realization of the Gospel and the ideal of the Church’s vocation.

The Virgin Mary, the “all beautiful,” the “full of grace,” is the creature in whom the paschal beauty of the new life of the Risen Lord was reflected in the purest way.

Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.

Auxiliary Bishop of Managua

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

Featured image: Giovanni Battista Tiepolo’s majestic image of The Immaculate Conception was part of a cycle of seven altarpieces commissioned in 1767 for the new royal church of San Pascual Bailón at Aranjuez, founded by Charles III in the same year.  The symbols in the altarpiece refer to the virtues and significance of the Virgin. She vindicates the original weakness of Eve by trampling on the serpent. The palm tree symbolizes her victory and exaltation and the mirror symbolizes her freedom from all stain. The crescent moon and twelve stars refer to the Woman of the Apocalypse (Rev 12:1-10), while the crescent itself is an ancient symbol of chastity. At the same time, the moon’s light derives from the sun, just as the special grace of Mary derives from the merits of Christ. The shimmering profile of an obelisk shape in the background is a further reference to traditional symbols associated with the Immaculate Conception—the Tower of David and the Tower of Ivory—with their evocations of impregnability, virginity, and purity. Image credit: Copyright ©Museo Nacional del Prado (Public domain)

#beauty #BishopSilvioJoséBáez #BlessedVirginMary #God #homily #ImmaculateConception #inspiration #spirituality

Quote of the day, 13 November: St. John Paul II

“Listen, daughter”… (Psalm 45:11).

1. Today the Church applies these words of the Psalm to Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified, a Discalced Carmelite nun, born in the land that saw the unfolding of the life of Jesus of Nazareth; a land situated in a region that, even today, remains at the center of grave concerns and painful tensions.

“Listen, daughter.” Behold, Sister Mary’s journey toward the divine Bridegroom is now profoundly inscribed in the memory of the People of God. Today, the Church crowns her with the act of beatification. This act bears witness to the unique spiritual “beauty” of this daughter of the Holy Land—a “beauty” that has matured in the glow of the mystery of Redemption: in the rays of the birth and teaching, the cross and resurrection of Jesus Christ.

The liturgy says to the new Blessed: “He is your Lord: bow down to him” (Ps 45:11–12).

And at the same time, with the words of the same Psalm, the liturgy manifests the joy for the elevation to the altar of the humble Servant of God.

“The princess is decked in her chamber with gold-woven robes…” (Ps 45:13–14): the golden fabric of faith, hope, and love; of the theological and moral virtues that she practiced to a heroic degree as a daughter of Carmel.

2. In this Year that the Church experiences as an extraordinary Jubilee of the Redemption, many times we have gathered around figures who have reached the glory of the altar. It is a special sign of the inexhaustible power of the Redemption, which works in the souls of the Servants of God, allowing them to continue tenaciously on the path of the vocation to holiness.

This vocation has its eternal beginning in the salvific plan of the Most Holy Trinity, of which the second reading of the Mass speaks: “For those whom he foreknew he also predestined to be conformed to the image of his Son, in order that he might be the firstborn within a large family. And those whom he predestined he also called; and those whom he called he also justified; and those whom he justified he also glorified” (Rom 8:29–30).

In this grandiose Pauline vision, we penetrate, so to speak, into the very depths of divine thought, grasping in some way the “logic” of the plan of salvation, in the progression of the mysterious actions that lead to its full implementation. Thus, the vocation to holiness is God’s eternal plan with regard to man: with regard, today, to our sister Mary of Jesus Crucified.

True wisdom and intelligence presuppose “littleness,” understood as docility to the Holy Spirit. It is only through this littleness that one can, in the Son, for the Son, and with the Son, come to know the mysteries of the Father. These remain hidden from the wise and learned of this world, who are blinded by foolishness and pride (Cf. 1 Cor 1:18–21).

3. The vocation to holiness is carried out by those “infants” of the Gospel who accept divine Revelation with all their hearts. Thanks to this, they “know the Son,” and thanks to the Son, they “know the Father.”

Such knowledge is, in fact, at the same time, the acceptance of the vocation: “Come to me… Take my yoke upon you, and learn from me…” (Mt 11:28–29).

And so we go to Christ just as Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified came to him, that is, taking his yoke upon ourselves, learning from him, because he is meek and humble of heart, and finding solace for our souls (Cf. Mt 11:28–29).

4. And all this is the work of love. Holiness, first of all, is based on love. It is its mature fruit. And in today’s liturgy, in a particular way, love is exalted:

• “love, as strong as death”;
• “the love that floods cannot drown”;
• “love, in exchange for which one must give all the wealth of one’s house” (Cf. Song 8:6–7).

Thus speaks the author of the Song of Songs. And Saint Paul, in his Letter to the Romans, teaches that “all things work together for good for those who love God” (Rom 8:28). Precisely this cooperation traces the path of holiness, one might say, day by day throughout one’s life. On this path, holiness is realized as the eternal vocation of those “who have been called according to God’s plan” (Cf. Rom 8:28).

5. The readings of today’s Liturgy are a splendid commentary on the life of Sister Mary, who was born near Nazareth and died in the Carmel of Bethlehem at the age of 33. Her love for Christ was as strong as death; the most painful trials did not extinguish it, but on the contrary, purified and strengthened it. She gave everything for this love.

The entire life of the little Arab girl, filled with extraordinary mystical gifts, was, in the light of the Holy Spirit, the conscious and irrevocable response to a vocation of holiness, that is, to that eternal plan of salvation, of which St. Paul speaks, which divine mercy has established for each of us.

Her whole life is the fruit of that supreme evangelical “wisdom” with which God delights in enriching the humble and the poor, confounding the powerful. Endowed with great clarity of mind, a fervent natural intelligence, and that poetic imagination characteristic of the Semitic peoples, little Mary did not have the opportunity to gain access to advanced studies, but this did not prevent her, thanks to her eminent virtue, from being filled with that “knowledge” that has the greatest value, and to give us the knowledge that Christ died on the cross: knowledge of the Trinitarian Mystery, such an important perspective in that Eastern Christian spirituality in which the little Arab girl had been educated.

6. As we read in the Canonical Decree of Beatification, “the humble servant of Christ, Mary of Jesus Crucified, belonging by lineage, rite, vocation, and wanderings to the peoples of the East and being in some way a representative of them, is like a gift from the peoples of the East to the universal Church. These peoples, suffering in miserable conditions of struggle and bloodshed, especially now, turn with great trust to her fraternal intercession, in the hope that, thanks also to the Servant of God’s prayers, peace and harmony finally will be restored in those lands where ‘the Word became flesh’ (Jn 1:14) since he himself is our peace.”

Blessed Mary was born in Galilee. That is why our prayerful thought wants to go today in a special way to the Land where Jesus taught love and died so that humanity might have reconciliation. “That Land,” as I recalled on another occasion, “for decades has seen two peoples opposed in a hitherto irreducible antagonism. Each of them has a history, a tradition, a story of their own, which seem to make it difficult to reach an agreement” (John Paul II, Allocutio occasione oblata orationis dominicae Angelus Domini habita, 5, domenica 4 aprile 1982: Insegnamenti di Giovanni Paolo II, V/1 [1982] 1110).

Today more than ever before, the threats looming over us urge us to make love and brotherhood the fundamental law of social and international relations, in a spirit of reconciliation and forgiveness, taking inspiration from the way of life of which Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified is an example not only for her people but for the whole world. May this new way of life give us peace based not on terror, but on mutual trust.

7. We rejoice today at the altar of the Confession of St. Peter for the beatification of Sister Mary. We inscribe this joy of the Church in the record of the Jubilee Year of Redemption. Together with Christ, we praise the Father, who revealed to the soul of Sister Mary of Jesus Crucified the mystery of truth and love, making her a sharer in the glory of his Kingdom.

With the Psalmist, let us pray to the new Blessed that the Lord may grant peace to her land: “Pray for the peace of Jerusalem: ‘May they prosper who love you. Peace be within your walls, and security within your towers.’ For the sake of my relatives and friends I will say, ‘Peace be within you.’ For the sake of the house of the Lord our God, I will seek your good” (Ps 122:6–9).

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Beatification of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified
13 November 1983, St. Peter’s Basilica

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

Featured image: Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Baouardy). Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#beatification #DiscalcedCarmelite #homily #mariamBaouardy #nun #StJohnPaulII #StMaryOfJesusCrucified

Know that the Lord has set apart the godly for himself; the Lord hears when I call to him.

Psalm 4:3

These words of the Responsorial Psalm express the secret of the life of Blessed Nuno of St. Mary, a hero and saint of Portugal. The 70 years of his life belong to the second half of the 14th century and the first half of the 15th, which saw this nation consolidate its independence from Castille and expand beyond the ocean, not without a special plan of God opening new routes that were to favour the transit of Christ’s Gospel to the ends of the earth.

St. Nuno felt he was an instrument of this lofty design and enrolled in the militia Christi, that is, in the service of witness that every Christian is called to bear in the world. He was characterized by an intense life of prayer and absolute trust in divine help. Although he was an excellent soldier and a great leader, he never permitted these personal talents to prevail over the supreme action that comes from God.

St. Nuno allowed no obstacle to come in the way of God’s action in his life, imitating Our Lady, to whom he was deeply devoted and to whom he publicly attributed his victories. At the end of his life, he retired to the Carmelite convent whose building he had commissioned.

I am glad to point this exemplary figure out to the whole Church particularly because he exercised his life of faith and prayer in contexts apparently unfavourable to it, as proof that in any situation, even military or in war time, it is possible to act and to put into practice the values and principles of Christian life, especially if they are placed at the service of the common good and the glory of God.

Pope Benedict XVI

Homily, Holy Mass for the Canonization of Nuno de Santa María (excerpts)
St. Peter’s Square, 26 April 2009

Featured image: Ukrainian photographer Nik Shuliahin captured this detailed image of a full coat of armor. Image credit: Nik Shuliahin / Unsplash (Stock photo)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/05/b16-nunocanoniz/

#canonization #faith #homily #MarianDevotion #military #PopeBenedictXVI #Portugal #prayer #StNunoAlvaresPereira #StNunoOfStMary

Boxing Devotional 09.15.2024

https://video.boxingpreacher.me/videos/watch/16131067-3e77-49de-8f9e-4cf05a341256

In Episode 31, Bill asks Bishop McCray how he developed his sermon delivery style.

Subscribe, download and listen today! https://linktr.ee/bwabits

#Baptist #AME #sermon #africanamericanchurches #blackchurches #homily

https://youtu.be/rE1Eh4nVIIc

This following of the Master, which should lead us to imitate him to the point of giving our lives for his love, has been almost a constant call for Christians of the earliest times and throughout history to give this supreme witness of love—martyrdom—to everyone, especially persecutors.

Thus the Church, down through the centuries, has preserved as a precious legacy the words that Christ spoke: “No disciple is above his teacher” (Mt 10:24), and “If they persecuted me, they will persecute you” (Jn 15:20).

Thus we see that martyrdom—the ultimate witness in defense of the faith—is considered by the Church to be an exalted gift and the supreme proof of love, by which a Christian follows in the footsteps of Jesus, who freely accepted suffering and death for the salvation of the world.

And although martyrdom is a gift granted by God to a few, nevertheless, all must—and should—be ready to confess Christ before men, especially in the periods of trial that are never—even today—lacking for the Church.

In honoring her martyrs, the Church recognizes them both as a sign of her fidelity to Jesus Christ until death, and as a clear sign of her immense desire for forgiveness and peace, harmony, mutual understanding, and respect.

The three Carmelite martyrs had, without doubt, very present, as we know from their testimonies, those words written by their Holy Mother and Doctor of the Church, Teresa of Jesus:

“If someone is a true religious or a true person of prayer… he must not turn his back upon the desire to die for God and suffer martyrdom” (Way of Perfection, 12:2).

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Beatification of Five Servants of God
29 March 1987

Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

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

Featured image: Detail from a historic photograph of Republican soldiers in the Church of Sigüenza, Guadalajara during the early months of the Spanish Civil War (1936). From the photojournalism collection in the Museo Nacional Centro de Arte Reina Sofia, Madrid. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/23/jp2-29mar87/

#beatification #BlessedMartyrsOfGuadalajara #gift #homily #martyrdom #StJohnPaulII #StTeresaOfAvila #witness

May we always live joyfully. God is infinite joy.

Saint Teresa of the Andes
Letter 101, 14 May 1919

Saint Teresa of the Andes, born as Juana Enriqueta Josefina de los Sagrados Corazones Fernández Solar, was affectionately known as Juanita. She was born in Santiago, Chile, on 13 July 1900. Growing up in a devout Christian family, she was the favorite among her siblings and cherished by her grandfather, Eulogio Solar, who was often seen with his rosary.

From a young age, Juanita attended Holy Mass almost daily and longed for Communion, which she received for the first time on 11 September 1910. Her spiritual life was profoundly influenced by her intense devotion to the Virgin Mary.

Juanita was educated at the Sacred Heart School from 1907 to 1918. Despite her deep affection for her family, she embraced the trial of boarding school as preparation for her vocation. On 7 May 1919, she entered the Discalced Carmelites of Los Andes and took the name Teresa of Jesus. She was clothed in the Carmelite habit on 14 October of the same year.

Inspired by God, Juanita knew she would die young, a reality she accepted with joy and serenity. She saw this as a continuation of her mission to make God known and loved. After much suffering from typhus, she made her religious profession in articulo mortis on 7 April 1920, and passed away on 12 April 1920, at the age of 19.

St. John Paul II, in his homily at her beatification, highlighted her “simple and accessible holiness, centered on the essentials of the Gospel: to love, suffer, pray, and serve.” He emphasized her deep familiarity with Christ and the Virgin Mary, noting, “Her love for Christ, by whom she felt fascinated, led her to consecrate herself to Him forever, and to participate in the mystery of His passion and resurrection.”

For Teresa, “God is infinite joy.” This joy permeated her short life and left a lasting legacy of love and devotion.

The beatification ceremony took place on 3 April 1987, in Santiago, Chile, and her canonization was celebrated on 21 March 1993, at St. Peter’s Basilica in the Vatican.

Prayer:

God of mercy, joy of the saints,
you set the young heart of Saint Teresa ablaze
with the fire of virginal love for Christ and for His Church;
and even in suffering made her a cheerful witness to charity.
Through her intercession,
fill us with the delights of your Spirit,
so that we may proclaim by word and deed
the joyful message of your love to the world.

We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

Spanish readers will find a wealth of information on the website santateresadelosandes.cl

Griffin, M D & Teresa of the Andes, S 2023, The Letters of Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Image credit for the photo of St. Teresa of the Andes goes to the Discalced Carmelites.

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/12/andes-ep09/

#biography #CarmelOfLosAndes #feastday #homily #love #Podcast #pray #serve #StJohnPaulII #StTeresaOfTheAndes #suffer #VirginMary

In giving thanks to God—together with all of you, beginning with the Most Eminent and Venerable Brother Archbishop Cardinal Crescenzio Sepe—for the great gift to the Church of Naples, the new Blessed Maria Giuseppina of Jesus Crucified, Thomas Merton’s reflection comes to mind. He stated: “There is no member of the Church who does not owe something to Carmel,” which finds further confirmation in this Solemn Rite [Merton, 1951].

Indeed, today the Church of Naples owes to Carmel, as a place and school of holiness, not only the precious gift of one of its daughters elevated to the honor of the altars, but also the most authoritative reminder of the universal vocation to holiness, its irreplaceable value, and its perennial relevance.

As the Representative of the Supreme Pontiff Benedict XVI in presiding over today’s beatification, I feel honored and delighted to witness the marvelous works of God, and even more so to admire His masterpieces, which are always the saints and the blessed. This venerable archdiocese, with its considerable and growing number of Blesseds and Saints, offers them to the admiration of the entire Church.

The great, biblical words of the Servant of God Pope Paul VI, addressed precisely to the Discalced Carmelite friars [during a general audience on July 11, 1973], fit like a glove: “You are ‘sons of saints,’ look carefully at the immense spiritual inheritance that is handed down to you…” [Original text: Vos estis «filii sanctorum» (Tob 2:18): immensam intuemini hereditatem spiritualem] Words that I like to apply to the men and women brought forth in the faith in this Neapolitan Church.

Yes, dear people of Naples, you too are children of saints: from them we learn to elevate the horizons of hope to heavenly realities, without setting aside our commitment to building up the earthly city, despite all its urgent and disturbing problems. The more we contemplate the Lord among His Saints, entering into living communion with Him, the stronger the hope within us grows for an active and effective commitment to improving and changing the world around us.

Looking particularly at the story and message of Blessed Giuseppina, we better understand the inescapable need for the contemplative dimension in the life of every Christian. Her example also shows us the concrete way to cultivate it. Her existence was a true school of charity, both toward her fellow sisters and toward the vast field of the apostolate, which she, though a cloistered nun, cultivated solely to make people love the Lord more. She, too, like St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, did not want “to be a saint by halves” [cf. LT 247 to Abbé Bellière], albeit with her peculiarities and mystical gifts, and various extraordinary spiritual experiences.

Everything is summed up in a phrase that constituted the unifying program of the Blessed’s entire life: “I want to live by feeding on God’s will… I want my will to be united with God’s will as one.” And again in her Diary: “I ardently desire to live in the will of God; I know that saints are made in this way, and I want to make myself saintly to give glory to God.”

Such a program must be the great aspiration of every Christian, in full conformity with the word of Christ, the One, Supreme Model: “My food is to do the will of him who sent me, and to accomplish his work” (Jn 4:34), because “The world and its desires pass away, but the man who does the will of God lives forever” (1 Jn 2:17).

I end with the great honor of sharing with you the special apostolic blessing and greeting of Benedict XVI, who, as he has shown, carries Naples, this Church, its Venerable Pastor, and all the members of the People of God in his heart. I entrust you to the powerful intercession of the new Blessed, that she may protect you all and lead you on the path of holiness.

José Cardinal Saraiva Martins

Prefect, Congregation of the Causes of the Saints
Homily, Mass of Beatification of Blessed Maria Giuseppina
1 June 2008, Cathedral of St. Januarius, Naples

Note: Cardinal Saraiva Martins opens his homily with a quote from Thomas Merton. This quote is from the Author’s Note before the Prologue of Merton’s book, The Ascent to Truth. In context, Merton wrote: “There is no member of the Church who does not owe something to Carmel. But there are few who owe more to the saints of Carmel and to its Queen than does the author. Above all, this book was written, so to speak, under her direction and tutelage.”
Later in the homily, Cardinal Saraiva Martins quotes Blessed Maria Giuseppina, who said: “I want my will to be united with God’s will as one.” The Blessed uses the Italian word impasto, which literally translates to “dough” or “paste.” In the context of Blessed Giuseppina’s writings, impasto metaphorically conveys a deep, active blending and molding of one’s will with God’s will, much like the process of kneading dough until it becomes a cohesive, unified substance. This vivid imagery emphasizes the dynamic and transformative nature of aligning oneself completely with the divine will.

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

Featured image: This is a detail from an artist’s rendering of a well-known photo of Blessed Maria Giuseppina, who was captured seated outdoors, smiling broadly. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/31/giuseppina-1jun08homily/

#beatification #BlessedMariaGiuseppinaOfJesusCrucified #CardinalJoséSaraivaMartins #DiscalcedCarmelites #GiuseppinaCatanea #homily #Naples #sanctity #StThérèseOfLisieux #ThomasMerton #unionWithGod #willOfGod

The Virgin Mary, with child, in the mystery of her Visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, is the model for all the baptized who carry the presence of Christ within them. Mary opens to us the paths of interiority as well as mission, as Father Jacques says in this sermon from May 1927 for the faithful during the month of Mary:

“Mary spent many delightful months in divine friendship when she was carrying Jesus. But brothers and sisters, we too carry God within us; we too are certain of possessing the Good God living within us, as long as our souls remain in a state of grace (…)

“Oh brothers and sisters, if only this mystery could be revealed to your eyes. If one day your eyes were to grasp the presence of the Good God in the most intimate part of your hearts, how your life would be changed, what a transformation in your whole being!

“So let us resolve to develop within ourselves the habit of thinking about God’s presence. We are God-bearers; the Good Lord lives in us. Oh, that from time to time, in the course of our days, our souls might recollect themselves for a moment, perhaps just a few seconds, to close our eyes, to descend into ourselves, and there encounter God, the Good Lord, that we might look at Him with a smile, and madly lose ourselves in Him in an affectionate embrace.

“Oh yes, may each hour of our lives bring us greater intimacy with the divine guest who rests in our souls. This will be our joy, our consolation; Mary will help us and be our example.”

This awareness, deeply rooted in Father Jacques’ heart, that every faithful baptized person carries Christ within them, was present even in his seminary days, before he had delved into the teachings of the Carmelite saints.

He wrote:

“We carry within us always and everywhere the Good God, the Holy Trinity, who dwells within us by grace… Ah yes, to live like that within oneself, with the Good God everywhere, always, in a hotel, on a train, on the road, in the countryside, on a street!” (L. 14/01/1924).

Jean-Alexandre de Garidel, o.c.d.

Meditation for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (excerpt)
Carmelite Online Advent Retreat, 21 December 2014

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

Featured image: This detail of a stained glass window featuring the Visitation of the Blessed Virgin Mary is located in the historic Church of Saint-Laurent in Paris, specifically in the chapel of Notre-Dame-des-Malades (Our Lady of the Sick). The stained glass artists were Antoine Lusson (fils) and Léon Lefèvre. This window was crafted in 1874 by Lusson and Lefèvre. Image credit: Mbzt / Wikimedia Commons (Some rights reserved)

Interestingly, twenty years earlier, employees of Lusson’s studio in Le Mans, France, had collaborated with the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Le Mans, who operated their own stained glass studio at the monastery. For those interested in learning more about stained glass from the Carmel of Le Mans, the documentary “Vibrant Light” details the history of the Carmelite stained glass in the Basilica of the Sacred Heart on the University of Notre Dame campus in South Bend, Indiana. The university’s founder, Father Edward Sorin, was once the chaplain of the Discalced Carmelite nuns in Le Mans.

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/30/jacques-visitation/

#BlessedVirginMary #grace #homily #indwelling #intimacy #Jesus #mystery #PèreJacquesDeJésus #presenceOfGod #transformation #Visitation

Being Wheat among the weeds. My homily from this last Sunday

https://spotifyanchor-web.app.link/e/jTQaVRwTFBb

#sermon #homily #gospel

Very honoured to have been asked to do the #Homily for #Evensong on 30th July (service starts at 6:30pm).

And, due to lots of people on holiday or other engagements I am doing THREE sets of #Intercessions (prayers) in August.

You know inflation is largely cause by greedy gouging monopolies when you check the price of oatmeal these days. FFS, you can be sure the farmers are getting squat out of it. #QuakerOatsSucks -- yeah let's trend that. #GeneralMills and all those #MinnesotaNice companies, #ArcherDanielsMidlands too, can all just inflate their own bloated selves.
#rant #homily

Don't misunderstand me, we must act on guns, but the root of our problem may be the indelible psycho stain of 600 years of violent manifest destiny? No fixing that in the short term.
#homily #violencebegetsviolence

“The Holy Eucharist transports us to Golgotha not so that we may remain there, but so that we may be led through the Cross to the ever-radiant glory of the Kingdom of God.” #Homily #Pascha2023 #Pascha #Easter #OrthodoxEaster #OrthodoxChristian #Christianity link is here: https://www.goarch.org/-/patriarchal-encyclical-for-holy-pascha-2023