O.Carm
Celebrating At Home - 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time
The Great Commandment
(Mark 12:28-34)
The first reading from the Book of Deuteronomy and the Gospel today are linked by the words of the Shema – the creed which observant Jews pray every morning and evening. These words come from the Book of Deuteronomy: Listen, Israel: The Lord our God is the one Lord. You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your strength. The title, Shema, comes from the Hebrew word for ‘listen’, the very first word of the prayer.
In a way, Shema is a call to conversion: to listen deeply with the heart and to respond to God’s grace and mercy with love, faithfulness and obedience.
When a scribe asks Jesus, “Which is the first of all the commandments?”, Jesus replies by quoting the Shema and then adds a quotation from the Book of Leviticus (19:18), “You must love your neighbour as yourself”.
According to Jesus, there is no commandment greater than these.
The scribe is impressed by Jesus’ reply. His words to Jesus show he has grasped what Jesus means. In repeating what Jesus has just said in his own words, the scribe also adds, “this is far more important than any holocaust or sacrifice”. Now it is Jesus who is impressed with the scribe’s depth of understanding: that love is the very heart of obedience to God and more important even than ritual worship. The scribe’s correct understanding of the Old Testament Law means he is very close to the Kingdom of God.
It also means that true faith, as Jesus teaches it, is about being in loving relationship with God and other human beings. Religious rituals are meant to be ways of reflecting on, savouring, remembering, celebrating and expressing that love. Sometimes they just end up as ‘empty’ rituals, when love has been replaced by fear, when we are trying to bargain with God, or when we are just ‘going through the motions’.
The Kingdom of God is not some far off place, but the moments when God’s life breaks into the human story. Those moments bring love, wisdom, grace, compassion, generosity, forgiveness and peace.
Those practiced in the things of God recognise God’s presence most of all in loving relationships. If our rituals grow out of and express our sincere love for God and neighbour then they have value. We are always at risk of putting ritual above the practise of love, of thinking that we are at rights with God just by attending a liturgy, by ‘paying God off’, in a sense.
The words of Jesus remind us of the importance of the other part of our religious lives – the liturgy of everyday life in which we make present and visible the love, mercy and compassion of God.
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - XXXI Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (287 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - XXXI Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (292 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em família - XXXI Domingo do Tempo Comum (290 KB)
Lectio Divina November, 2024
Opening Prayer
Lord, the meaning of our life is to seek your Word, which came to us in the person of Christ. Make me capable of welcoming what is new in the Gospel of the Beatitudes, so that I may change my life. I would know nothing about you were it not for the light of the words spoken by your Son Jesus, who came to tell us of your marvels. When I am weak, if I go to Him, the Word of God, then I become strong. When I act foolishly, the wisdom of his Gospel restores me to relish God and the kindness of his love. He guides me to the paths of life. When some deformity appears in me, I reflect on his Word and the image of my personality becomes beautiful. When solitude tries to make me dry, my spiritual marriage to him makes my life fruitful. When I discover some sadness or unhappiness in myself, the thought of Him, my only good, opens the way to joy. Therese of the Child Jesus has a saying that sums up the desire for holiness as an intense search for God and a listening to others: «If you are nothing, remember that Jesus is all. You must therefore lose your little nothing into his infinite all and think of nothing else but this uniquely lovable all…» (Letters, 87, to Marie Guérin).
Visit to Carmelite Family in Tanzania and Kenya
The Prior General, Míceál O’Neill, and the General Councilor for Africa, Conrad Mutizamhepo held the formal visitation of the Carmelites in Tanzania and Kenya. Tanzania is a foundation of the General Commissariat of La Bruna in Naples begun in 2009. Kenya is a General Delegation started by the Upper German Province (now the German Province) with brothers from its former Provincial Commissariat of India (now the Province of St. Thomas). After the construction of the house Bustani ya Karmeli, Kenyan brothers from the Provinces of Catalonia and Arago-Valentina (now the Aragon-Castile-Valencia Province) continued the foundation.
Following the visit, the prior general reflected on their visit:
A visit to Africa is a visit to a continent that is teeming with life. The Carmelites have been in Tanzania since 2009 and in Kenya since 2001. Conrad and I enjoyed our two visits, getting a chance to talk to every member in the two countries and on some occasions, to take part in their wonderful liturgies. In Dar es Salaam the building of a Marian Shrine with a very large Church is underway. In Kenya the building of a new retreat and spirituality centre is well underway as well.
We were also impressed by the presence of the wider Carmelite Family in these countries. In Tanzania the Carmelite Missionary Sisters of St. Therese of the Child Jesus has a province of some seventy members, and there are the beginnings of a Carmelite Third Order. In Kenya, on the other hand, as well as the friars there are three monasteries of nuns, two affiliated Congregations, Donum Dei, and the Carmelite Sisters of the Sacred Heart, and a very well organised Carmelite Third Order.
Vocations for the friars are encouraging even if the numbers are not enormous. The commitment to providing good formation is very strong, but is a constant challenge because of the shortage of resources.
In Tanzania, they visited the communities of Bunju, Mabwepande, and Morogoro along with some houses of the sisters in Boko and Mapinga secondary school. In Kenya one celebration was for the 15th anniversary of the Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Charles Lwanga parish. Thirteen couples exchanged wedding vows during the Mass which was followed by a huge celebration into the evening. On the feast of St. Teresa of Jesus the Carmelite Family, with representation from Third Order commemorated the Diamond Jubilee of the establishment of the Third Order in Kenya. This took place at the Our Lady of Mount Carmel Naromoru Retreat Centre. Palm trees were planted to mark the significant anniversary.
Let us remember these men and women, religious and lay, as they work to build Carmel in new places.
Prior General's Schedule for November 2024
Fr. Míċeál O'Neill, the prior general, has the following schedule planned for the month of November 2024:
- November 1 - 11: Canonical Visitation of Ireland
November 11 - 13: Triennial meeting of the Bursars of the Order - Fatima
November 13 - 20: The Curia - Rome
November 20 - 22: Assembly of the Union of Superiors General - Rome - November 24 - 30: Canonical Visitation of the Neapolitan Province
Celebrating At Home - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time
What Do You Want Me to Do for You?
(Mark 10:46-52)
There are all kinds of blindness - physical, lack of insight or perception, an unwillingness to see a confronting reality, and so on. For many weeks now we have travelled with Jesus and the disciples as they head towards Jerusalem. Many times, the disciples have seemed almost wilfully blind to understanding the mission of Jesus. Time and again, their own egos seem to get in the way – arguments about which is the greatest, wanting to be people of high status, powerbrokers and princes and rulers in the kingdom. On this journey Jesus has been instructing the disciples about his mission and their call to be true followers of his. As we have seen, they have largely resisted both.
We are nearing the end of the journey. Today’s Gospel episode, the cure of blind Bartimaeus, is the last before Jesus enters the Holy City.
Bartimaeus may be blind, but he sees more clearly who Jesus is than the sighted disciples. In terms of faith, it is the disciples who are blind, and it is Bartimaeus who sees.
Even in his blindness Bartimaeus recognises who Jesus is. When Jesus calls him, his reaction is full of energy and enthusiasm. He throws off his cloak, jumps up and makes his way to Jesus, in contrast to the rather hesitant attitude of the disciples.
Jesus restores Bartimaeus’ sight with the words, ‘Go, your faith has saved you.’ But Bartimaeus does not go; he stays and follows Jesus.
Not only has Jesus restored Bartimaeus’ sight, he has also removed the taint of sinfulness which surrounded people with disabilities in those days.
This story is a parable about discipleship.
Bartimaeus is an image of the true disciple. He recognises his blindness and asks for healing. He comes to Jesus with great faith and enthusiasm and not much else. With sight restored he becomes a follower of Jesus on the journey to Jerusalem.
The presence of Jesus in our lives heals and restores us to our true calling as the People of God so that we can truly follow Jesus in our lives.
What Jesus asks Bartimaeus, he asks us, too:
What do you want me to do for you?
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 30th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] (2.81 MB)
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - XXX Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario (284 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - XXX Domenica del Tempo Ordinario (283 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em família - XXX Domingo do Tempo Comum (284 KB)
Formation Course Focuses on Life of St. Titus Brandsma
International Ongoing Formation Program Celebrates Life of St. Titus Brandsma
An international ongoing formation course visiting places from the life of Titus Brandsma took place in the Netherlands and Germany from October 6-16, 2024. The conference focused on the life of St. Titus Brandsma as Carmelite, Professor, Journalist, and Martyr: Contemplation, the Dynamic Element that Unifies Them (RIVC, 28).
The program was planned by the General Formation Commission, chaired by Benny Phang, O. Carm, vice prior general. There were 38 participants from around the Order, representing five continents as well as other parts of the Carmelite Family.
Participants received a variety of presentations, allowing them to reflect on various aspects of the life and writings of St. Titus. They also visited significant places where Titus lived, suffered, and died: Nijmegen, Boxmeer, Oss, Scheveningen prison, Amersfoort concentration camp in the Netherlands as well as the Carmelite church and community in Mainz, and finally the Dachau concentration camp.
They prayed and meditated on some texts that Titus or other witnesses wrote in each place. Particularly in Dachau, they had a dialogue with the Discalced Carmelite nuns living on the grounds of the concentration camp about their experience of living and praying in that place. The program culminated in the celebration of the Eucharist in the Discalced Carmelite monastery of Heilig Blut at the rear of the concentration camp.
Among the presenters were Anne-Marie Bos, Sanny Bruijns, Fernando Millan, Benny Phang, Hettie Berflo, and Míceál O'Neill, the prior general.
The participants found that the Carmelite Way “in obsequio Iesu Christi” as shown by the great witness of St. Titus Brandsma is still relevant for them who are ministering in various fields.
Boxmeer:
Scheveningen:
(Fotos courtesy of Jorge Monterroso, O. Carm.)
A Curiosity in the Carmelite Library in Rome
Among the oldest books of the Carmelite General Library in Rome is a wonderful volume from 1528. Coming from Paris, the work is the first printed edition of the Latin tract Summa de haeresibus et earum confutationibus written by Carmelite Guy de Perpignan (1270-1342), also known as Guido Terreni.
The work, dating from the 16th century, contains a very interesting title page. The page is frames with elegante architectural designs. Inside the frame there are, other than the name of the work and the author, the stamp of the Flemish printer Jodocus Badius Ascensius. The picture shows an old printing shop, staffed by three people working on a wooden printing press. The design captures the "tiratore" (puller), in the center, at the moment he operates the bar to press the platen onto the sheet to be printed. The "rullatore" (roller), on the left, is in charge of inking the pages of movable type. The "compositore" (compositor), on the right, is responsible for composing the texts by aligning the movable type, taken from the typographic case, on the composing machine. Also one notes in the foreground are two stacks of paper, one still blank and one already printed.
In addition the note of ownership can be seen on the title page [Photo], also attributed to the 16th century, places the book in the old library at Santa Maria in Traspontina, a stadium generale for the Order. That library was the original home of most of the oldest books now preserved at the Carmelite General Library in CISA.
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae
INITIUM NOVITIATUS
12-09-24 Mary Domitilla Ndumi of the Cross (MAC) Machakos, Kenya
PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
14-09-24 David Jonathan Rodríguez (ACV-Ant) Santo Domingo, Rep Dominicana
14-09-24 Johan David Domínguez Guzmán (ACV-Ant) Santo Domingo, Rep
Dominicana
14-09-24 Yonny de Jesús Báez Lora (ACV-Ant) Santo Domingo, Rep Dominicana
01-10-24 Maria Daniela Teresa di Gesù Bambino (CAM) Camerino, Italia
PROFESSIO SOLEMNIS
05-10-24 Ma. Esperanza de la Santissima Trinidad Sánchez Gutiérrez (ONT)
Onteniente, España
ORDINATIO DIACONALIS
17-09-24 Cristiano Garcia Dias Barbosa (Pern) Goiana, Brasil
10-10-24 Bintang Parhusip Nainggolan (Indo) Malang, Indonesia
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
30-09-24 Arnoldus Reban (Indo-Est) Bajawa, Indonesia
30-09-24 Heronimus Muga Wio (Indo-Est) Bajawa, Indonesia
30-09-24 Ironius Sebho (Indo-Est) Bajawa, Indonesia
30-09-24 Alexander Raymond Dhena (Indo-Est) Bajawa, Indonesia
10-10-24 Alfonsus Christi Setiawan (Indo) Malang, Indonesia
Pope's Message for World Mission Day 2024
The 98th World Mission Day will be celebrated on Sunday, October 20, 2024 on the theme “Go and invite everyone to the banquet” (cf. Mt. 22:9). Pope Francis has released his message for World Mission Day 2024 on 25 January 2024, Feast of the Conversion of Saint Paul.
In the text, Pope Francis reflects on the Gospel parable of the Wedding Banquet, where the king tells his servants “Go therefore to the thoroughfares, and invite to the marriage feast as many as you find”.
The Pope noted that the king’s banquet “it is an image of ultimate salvation in the Kingdom of God.”
In the last part of his message, the Pontiff recalls that God wants "everyone to be saved and come to the knowledge of the truth". “This is the heart of mission," Pope Francis stressed, "that ‘all’, excluding no one."
World Mission Sunday was instituted in 1926 by Pope Pius XI at the request of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith (Latin: Propagandum Fidei).
On the occasion of the 98th World Mission Day, the Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste have prepared the following resource that can be very useful in extending the Pope's invitation to all, especially those on the margins of society.
To see the resource on the pdf World Mission Day 2024 (3.15 MB)
To see the Message of His Holiness Pope Francis
Conference Focuses on St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi
St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi Subject of Upcoming Lecture at the Center for Carmelite Studies
The Center for Carmelite Studies at the Catholic University of America will host a lecture on October 24, 2024, given by Carmelite Simon Nolan, PhD, prior provincial of the Order’s Irish Province and former Dean of the Faculty of Philosophy of the Pontifical University of St. Patrick in Maynooth, Ireland. The lecture is entitled Awakening to God’s Love: Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi on the Mystical Dimension of Every Christian Life.
For those who wish to be present, the lecture will be held in the Curley Hall Boardroom. The lecture will take place from 5PM-6:30PM (Eastern US time). A light reception will follow the lecture. For those unable to attend in person, there is a livestream link.
St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi (1566-1607) from Florence, Italy, is called the “ecstatic saint” because of her special gift from God to be aware of her union with God while both her internal and external senses were detached from the sensible world. She is attracting renewed interest today and a number of recent books have been published exploring her spirituality.
To learn more about the life of Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi and her work and legacy, we suggest reading the following books from Edizioni Carmelitane, the publishing house of the Carmelite Order:
"Union with God as Transformation in Beauty. A Literary-Spiritual Analysis of the Colloquies of Santa Maria Maddalena de’ Pazzi", Charlò Camilleri, O. Carm.
"Prayer Life in Carmel: Historical Sketches", Redemptus M. Valabek, O. Carm.
To access these and many other fine publications at Edizioni Carmelitane, click here.
