Affiliated Communities
Carmelite Family
The Carmelite Family is a unity of all the different sectors of family that include lay people, consecrated men and women, that is religious sisters, cloistered nuns and friars. We draw our inspiration from the Rule of St Albert, from its tradition and from the values expressed in Carmelite spirituality, constitute the Carmelite Family within the Church today.
With the brothers and sisters of the Teresian reform we have a particular bond. There are many different ways in which the Carmelite charism is embodied under the influence of the Holy Spirit. Together we share the work of evangelisation, supporting one another in our prophetic and contemplative service in the midst of the people using the gifts, talents and experiences of the whole Carmelite family (see Const. 2019, n. 28, 110).
Final Message of the General Chapter of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel 2019
Fr. Giovanni Grosso, O.Carm.
Fr. Giovanni Grosso, O.Carm.,
Fr. Giovanni was born in Rome on March 27, 1958. After he obtained a degree in Political Sciences in the University of Studies “La Sapienza” in Rome, he entered the Carmelite Order in 1983; he made his first profession on October 10, 1984 and was ordained a priest on June 29, 1989. At the end of his studies in Philosophy and Theology, he obtained a Doctorate in Ecclesiastical History in the Pontifical Gregorian University.
He held several responsibilities in the Italian Province: Prior of different communities (Pisa, Rome – Traspontina, Rome Mostacciano), he was Parish Vicar in several Parishes; for a three year term he was responsible for the formation of professed students; several times he was a member of the Provincial Council as Counsellor, Assistant and Vice Prior Provincial. He was Assistant Provincial of the Carmelite Third Order and worked a lot for the spiritual and cultural formation of the laity. He was member of the General Commission for formation which drew up the second edition of the Ratio institutionis (Rome 2000), he has collaborated in the redaction of the Ratio institutionis for the Cloistered Sisters (Rome 2007); he has been and is member of the International Commission for the laity.
He teaches Church History and Theology of Consecrated Life in the Pontifical Faculty of Theology “Marianum” and also in the Inter Diocesan Institute of Religious Sciences of the Castelli Romani. In addition to his Doctoral thesis - Blessed Jean Soreth (1394-1471), Prior General, reformer and Spiritual Master of the Carmelite Order, Rome 2007 – he has published a book of Lectio Divina on Marian texts – With Mary Daughter of Sion, listening to the Word, Padua 2002 – and numerous scientific articles which have appeared in several reviews.
from November 2007-2014 he was General Postulator of the Order and Dean of the Institutum Carmelitanum, as well as Director of Carmelus.
General Archivist 2008-2010
From 1998-2001 Fr. Ivan completed his licentiate in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, and then he went to Heidelberg, Germany, to do a doctorate in Assyriology - the languages, culture and history of Ancient Mesopotamia. In 2008, he defended his doctoral dissertation at Heidelberg. Since the autumn of that year, he has been teaching Assyriology at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome and working as Archivist at the General Curia of the Order.
Email: ihrusa @ ocarm.org
Vice Prior General
During the General Chapter (an international meeting of the Order which is held every six years), one of the friars is elected as the Vice Prior General. His role is to work closely with the Prior General, assisting him in his duties, and acting as his Vicar in his absence. The Vice Prior General also co-ordinates the work of the General Council and organises the administration of the Curia.
During the last General Chapter, Father Franciscus Xavarius Hariawan Adji was elected Vice Prior General for a six-year term, from 2025 to 2031.
The Shield
The makeup of the Carmelite crest appeared for the first time towards the end of the 15th century, in 1499, on the cover of a book about the life of St. Albert, Carmelite. The design there is that of a "vexillum", (an ensign, a standard, a flag). This changed as time went on until it became the coat of arms, as we now know it. There never has been an official explanation of the crest but there are various interpretations. In what follows we will present the most plausible interpretation in accordance with the most recent documents of the Order.
In the shield we have chosen there are five distinguishing features:
A mountain
A mountain painted in brown, with rounded sides, its tip reaching to the sky. It refers to Mount Carmel, the Carmelites’ place of origin. Mount Carmel is situated in Haifa in Israel. In the 9th century BC the prophet Elijah lived there. In the same place, towards the end of the 12th century some hermits, inspired by the memory of Elijah, gathered their, with a desire "to live a life in allegiance of Jesus Christ". (Carmelite Rule no.2).
Three stars
Three stars each with six points, one coloured silver at the centre of the mountain, and the other two coloured gold placed symmetrically in the heavens, coloured white, on either side of the mountain. The lower star represents Carmelites still on the way to the top of Mount Carmel, while the other two stars higher up, represent Carmelites who have ended their journey "by reaching the top of the holy Mountain". (Carmelite Missal, 1980, Opening Prayer on the Solemnity of the Bl. Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel).
A crown
The crown of gold represents the Kingdom of God. He is the Sovereign Lord of Carmel. Carmelites, indeed, endeavour to serve God faithfully with a pure heart and a stout conscience (cf. Carmelite Rule no. 2). They see their vocation as a calling "to implant and strengthen the Kingdom of Christ in souls and to spread it to the four corners of the earth" (Carmelite Constitutions no. 5). In offering this service to God, Carmelites take their inspiration from Elijah the Prophet and Mary the Virgin. (cf. Carmelite Constitutions no. 25)
An arm and a hand bearing a fiery sword and a banner bearing a biblical text
The Elijan origin of the Order is symbolised by the arm of Elijah holding the fiery sword and the banner bearing the words "Zelo zelatus sum pro Domino Deo exercituum" (I am on fire with zeal for the Lord God of hosts [I Kg 19:10]). The hand and the sword, moreover, are an indication of the fiery passion which Elijah had for the one true and absolute God whose word "burned like a torch" (Eccl. 48:1). For Carmelites Elijah is "the solitary prophet who nurtured his thirst for the one and only God, and lived in his presence" (Carmelite Constitutions no. 26). Like him, they carry "the sword of the spirit, which is the Word of God" (Carmelite Rule no. 19).
Twelve stars
The Marian nature of the Order is symbolised by the twelve stars which recall the apparition of the "woman clothed in the sun, with the moon under her feet and on her head a crown of twelve stars" (Apoc 12:1). In the Virgin Mary, the Mother of God, Carmelites find "the perfect image of all that they want and hope to be" (Carmelite Constitutions no. 27). For them, Mary is Patron, Mother and Sister (cf. Carmelite Constitutions no. 27)and they are "the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel" (Carmelite Constitutions no. 6).
Additional symbols
In various Provinces of the Order, as far back as the 17th century, a cross was added at the top of the mountain: examples of these would be the Province of Castile in Spain (and the Discalced Carmelites since the 17th century). The Province of Sicily put the Cross of the Holy Land in the crest. In other instances one can find on one side of the mountain a lily and on the other side a palm tree, symbols which represent St. Albert of Trapani and St. Angelo - the first two saints of the Order.
Carmelite Charism
The Carmelite Order is guided by the principles and values contained in its Rule, given to the Order by Albert, the Patriarch of Jerusalem.
Fundamental to the life of all Carmelites, regardless of juridical affiliation to the Order, is to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ and embrace his Gospel as the supreme norm of our lives. Carmelites understand their lives to be influenced by the power of his Spirit, enabling each to discover the call of the divine to live together in mutual service of one another and of all people.
The Carmelite’s entire life is characterized by an intense search for God with total adherence to the teachings of Christ. This requires one to be transformed in Christ—a continual process of conversion. Living with this ideal at the forefront, the Carmelite cooperates in God’s plan and, each utilizing his or her own gifts, finds expression in fraternal life and apostolic zeal.
+ Contemplation
Contemplation, as a fundamental value of the Carmelite’s life, should be understood as the inner journey of the person, leading to unity of love with God, raising up the person so that this gratuitous love made be discovered and the person lives in that loving presence. This overwhelming love of God leads one to a transforming experience: it empties us of our limited and imperfect human ways and transforms them into divine ways.
Seeking the face of the living God is clearly reflected in the Rule of St. Albert, which describes a community totally dedicated to a prayerful attention to the Word. Contemplation begins when we entrust ourselves to God. It is an attitude of openness to God, whose presence we discover in all moments.
Carmelites commit themselves to make the crucified Christ the very center of their lives. Through living this attitude of contemplation each moment of one’s life, the Carmelites channel all their energy entirely towards Christ, tearing down any obstacles or detaching or emptying oneself from all that stands in the way of total dependence on him or impede perfect charity towards God and towards others.
This process of detachment or emptying leads to union with God– the ultimate goal of all human growth. We use expressions such as “purity of heart” (puritas cordis) or “total availability to God” (vacare Deo) and the experience of the desert to capture the concept of detachment.
+ Fraternity
This attitude of contemplation allows us to discover the presence of God not only in the events of ordinary daily life but especially to see God in our brothers and sisters. As such, we learn to appreciate the mystery of those with whom we share our lives.
Fraternity is the area in which the transformation within us is tested. The Carmelite Rule requires us to be essentially brothers and sisters. It strongly reminds us that the quality of interpersonal relationships within the Carmelite community needs to be constantly developed and enhanced. The examples of the Divine Trinity and the early Christian community in Jerusalem are examples to be imitated.
For the Carmelite, to be brothers and sisters means to grow in communion and in unity, overcome privileges and distinctions, in a spirit of participation and co-responsibility, sharing material possessions, a common program of life and personal charisms; to be brothers and sisters also means to care for one another’s spiritual and psychological well-being.
Religious life lived in community is a sign of the Church, which is “essentially a mystery of communion” and “an icon of the Trinity.”
https://www.ocarm.org/en/itemlist/user/643-2022-03-04-14-55-17?start=1850#sigProId18df5b5c91
+ Prayer
Prayer is the way the Carmelites relate to God both as individuals and as community. In prayer one becomes open to God who gradually transforms the person through all—great and small—events of their lives. This process of transformation allows one to sustain authentic relationships; it makes one willing and eager to serve, as well as being capable of compassion and solidarity. With prayer, one is enabled to present to the God all the aspirations, the anguish, the hopes and cries of the people.
The practice of prayer is not only the source of the Carmelite’s spiritual life; prayer also determines the quality of our fraternal life and of our service in the midst of the people of God. The prayer of trust, if practiced with fidelity in the midst of the complex events of daily life, makes Carmelite brotherhood a witness to the living and mysterious presence of God in the midst of the people.
+ Service
Among the gifts of the Spirit to the Order is the evangelical life— the commitment of members to respond to the call by Christ by living and spreading to the world his transforming and liberating power. This evangelical life is characterized by an intense search for God which is expressed in fraternal life and apostolic zeal.
As part of the contemplative nature, the Carmelite seeks the face of God in the world. The Carmelite tradition understands itself to be a living part of the Church and of history, able to listen to the world it lives in, and willing to be questioned by it. That tradition is ready to meet life’s challenges and to give an authentic evangelical response based on the charism. Carmelites show solidarity with all who suffer, who hope, and who commit themselves to the search for the Kingdom of God.
This way of being “in the midst of the people” is ultimately a sign and a prophetic witness. It is a prophetic message of justice and peace in society and among people. The Good News requires that this prophecy must be fulfilled through an active commitment to transform sinful systems and structures into grace-filled systems and structures.
It is also an expression of the choice to share in the lives of “the little ones” (minores). In this way Carmelites speak a word of hope by their lives and not merely by their words. This option flows naturally from our profession of poverty in a mendicant tradition. It is also in keeping with our allegiance to Christ Jesus to live in allegiance to the poor and to those in whom the face of our Lord is so clearly reflected.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 8:28-34
Ordinary Time
1. Ordinary Time
Father,
You call Your children
to walk in the light of Christ.
Free us from darkness
and keep us in the radiance of Your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 8:28-34
When Jesus came to the territory of the Gadarenes, two demoniacs who were coming from the tombs met him. They were so savage that no one could travel by that road. They cried out, "What have you to do with us, Son of God? Have you come here to torment us before the appointed time?" Some distance away a herd of many swine was feeding. The demons pleaded with him, "If you drive us out, send us into the herd of swine." And he said to them, "Go then!" They came out and entered the swine, and the whole herd rushed down the steep bank into the sea where they drowned. The swineherds ran away, and when they came to the town they reported everything, including what had happened to the demoniacs. Thereupon the whole town came out to meet Jesus, and when they saw him they begged him to leave their district.
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel stresses the power of Jesus over the devil. In our text, the devil and the power of evil is associated with three things: 1) the cemetery, the place of the dead. The death which kills life! 2) The pig, which was considered an impure animal. The impurity which separates from God! 3) The sea, which was considered the symbol of chaos before creation. The chaos which destroys nature. The Gospel of Mark, from which Matthew takes his information, associates the power of evil with a fourth element which is the word Legion (Mk 5:9), the name of the army of the Roman Empire. The Empire oppressed and exploited the people. Thus, it is understood that the victory of Jesus over the Devil had an enormous importance for the life of the communities of the years 70’s, the time when Matthew wrote his Gospel. The communities lived oppressed and marginalized, because of the official ideology of the Roman Empire and of the Pharisees, which was renewed. The same significance and the same importance continue to be valid today.
• Matthew 8:28: The force of evil oppresses, ill-treats and alienates people. This first verse describes the situation of the people before the coming of Jesus. In describing the behavior of the two demoniacs, the Evangelist associates the force of evil with the cemetery and with death. It is a deadly power, without a goal, without direction, without control and a destructive power, which causes everyone to fear. It deprives people of their conscience, self-control, and autonomy.
• Matthew 8:29: Before the simple presence of Jesus the force of evil breaks up and disintegrates. Here is described the first contact between Jesus and the two possessed men. We see that there is total disproportion. The power, that at first seemed to be so strong, melts and disintegrates before Jesus. They shouted, “What do you want with us, Son of God? Have you come to torture us before the time?” They become aware that they are losing their power.
• Matthew 8:30-32: The power of evil is impure and has no autonomy, nor consistency. The Devil does not have power over his movements. It only gets the power to enter into the pigs with the permission of Jesus! Once they entered into the pigs, the whole herd charged down the cliff into the sea and perished in the water. In the opinion of the people, the pig was a symbol of impurity, which prevented the human being from relating with God and from feeling accepted by Him. The sea was the symbol of the existing chaos before creation and which, according to the belief of that time, continued to threaten life. This episode of the pigs which threw themselves into the sea is strange and difficult to understand. But the message is very clear: before Jesus, the power of evil has no autonomy, no consistency. Anyone who believes in Jesus has already conquered the power of evil and should not fear!
• Matthew 8:33-34: The reaction of the people of that place. The herdsmen of the pigs went to the city and told the story to the people, and they all set out to meet Jesus. Mark says that they saw the “possessed” man sitting down, dressed and in his right mind” (Mk 5:15). But the pigs were still gone! This is why they asked Jesus to leave their neighborhood. For them, the pigs were more important than the person who recovered his senses.
• The expulsion of the demons. At the time of Jesus, the words Devil or Satan were used to indicate the power of evil which drew persons away from the right path. For example, when Peter tried to divert Jesus from His mission, he was Satan for Jesus (Mk 8:33). Other times, those same words were used to indicate the political power of the Roman Empire which oppressed and exploited people. For example, in the Apocalypse, the Roman Empire is identified with “Devil or Satan” (Rev 12:9). While at other times, people used the same words to designate evils and illnesses. They spoke of devil, dumb spirit, deaf spirit, impure or unclean spirit, etc. There was great fear! In the time of Matthew, in the second half of the first century, the fear of demons increased. Some religions from the East taught worship of spirits. They taught that some of our mistaken gestures could irritate the spirits, and these, out of revenge, could prevent us from having access to God and deprive us of divine benefits. For this reason, through rites and writings, intense prayer and complicated ceremonies, people sought to appease these spirits or demons in such a way that they would not cause harm to life. These religions, instead of liberating people, nourished fear and anguish. Now, one of the objectives of the Good News of Jesus was to help people to liberate themselves from this fear. The coming of the Kingdom of God meant the coming of a stronger power. Jesus is “the strongest man” who can conquer Satan, the power of evil, snatching away from its hands a humanity imprisoned by fear (cf. Mk 3:27). For this reason the Gospels insist on the victory of Jesus over the power of evil, over the devil, over Satan, over sin and over death. The Gospels encourage communities to overcome this fear of the devil! Today, who can say “I am completely free?” Nobody! Then, if I am not totally free, there is some part of me which is possessed by other powers. How can these forces be cast away? The message of today’s Gospel continues to be valid for us.
4) Personal questions
• What oppresses and ill-treats people today? Why is it that so much is said about casting out the Devil today? Is it good to insist so much on the Devil?
• How is the meaning of a statement different when we use the term “evil” or “evil forces” versus “Evil One” or Satan or the Devil? How does modern society try to downplay the existence of Satan? Is this important?
• Who can say that he/she is completely free or liberated? Nobody! And then, we are all somewhat possessed by other forces which occupy some space within us. What can we do to expel this power from within us and from society?
• What is freedom? What is free-will? What is choice? If I go along with the crowd, am I free? Have I freely decided or have I acquiesced? Others, including Satan, cannot force us, but we can “go along”. We may not say “yes”, but did we really say “no” to evil today?
5) Concluding Prayer
Yahweh is tenderness and pity,
slow to anger, full of faithful love.
Yahweh is generous to all;
His tenderness embraces all His creatures. (Ps 145:8-9)
