From the Office of the Postulator

On the 26th of September, 2020, the team of medical consultants appointed by the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, recognised, from the scientific point of view, the unexplainable nature of the cure of Fr. Michael Driscoll, O.Carm., attributed to the intercession of Blessed Titus Brandsma O.Carm. This is the first, fondamental stage in the process that leads to canonisation. We have now to wait for the next steps in the process, i.e.,  the special Congress of theologians, who have to judge and affirm the positive connection between the invocation of Blessed Titus Brandsma and Fr. Michael Driscoll’s recovery along with the other theological requirements that are in keeping with the norms; the Ordinary Session of Cardinal and Bishop members of the Congregation, and finally, if all of these steps have a positive outcome, the Prefect of the Congregation will ask for the Pope’s approval at the end of the Ordinary Session of Cardinals and Bishops.

Following that, having sought the opinion of the Cardinals and Bishops who live in Rome, and surrounding districts, the Holy Father will call the Ordinary Consistory, in the course of which he will confirm the opinion of the Cardinals and Bishops and announce the date of the canonisation.

Let us continue to pray that we may see the day very soon when the name of Titus Brandsma will be included among the Saints.

The General Archives of the Carmelite Order has offered a research grant in memory of Fr. Emanuele Boaga since 2017.

This year, despite the limitations due to the pandemic, nine scholars submitted proposals which were then examined by a commission composed of expert representatives of the Institutum Carmelitanum and other Institutes of Spirituality: Giovanni Grosso (Rome), Fernando Millan Romeral (Spain), Michael Plattig (Germany), Leopold Glueckert (USA), Glen Attard (Malta), as well as Mario Alfarano (General Archivist) and Simona Serci (Assistant Archivist).

The grant was awarded in early November to Flavia Di Giampaolo, Ph.D., a text sciences and paleographer archivist, who will work on a project entitled: Prior General Giovanni Antonio Filippini's Travel Diary: Critical Edition and Historical Contextualization. Further information can be found on the General Archives website: www.archivioocarm.com

Initium Novitiatus

• 04-09-20 Eric Ilboudo, (Baet-Bur), Efoulan, Cameroun
• 04-09-20 Yves R. Zongo (Baet-Bur), Efoulan, Cameroun
• 08-09-20 Michele Silvi (Ita), Salamanca, España

Professio Temporanea

• 05-09-20 Jean Baptiste Nimega (Baet-Bur), Efoulan, Cameroun
• 19-09-20 Leonardo de la Cruz Montes Gómez (ACV-Ant), San Juan, Puerto Rico
• 15-10-20 Gabriella Maria Dal Col (PAR), Paranavaí, Brasil

Professio Solemnis

• 01-10-20 Augustine M. Stegenga (CHS), Christoval, Texas, USA
• 03-10-20 John Mutisi (Hib-Zim), Kriste Mambo, Zimbabwe
• 03-10-20 Vincent Chipisa (Hib-Zim), Kriste Mambo, Zimbabwe
• 03-10-20 Dominic Kudzanayi Zambuko (Hib-Zim), Kriste Mambo, Zimbabwe
• 03-10-20 Carmela Conventi (CER), Cerreto di Sorano, Italia
• 15-10-20 Eugine Ekeya (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
• 15-10-20 Peter Wafula (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
• 15-10-20 Daniel Kyalo Nthama (Ken) Nkoroi, Kenya
• 25-10-20 Samuel Ndjate Kiongo (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo

Ordinatio Diaconalis

• 18-10-20 Luca Zerneri (ACV), Salamanca, España
• 20-10-20 Charles Kambale Muke (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo
• 20-10-20 Gilbert Paluku Musongora (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo
• 20-10-20 Matthias Paluku Katende Mukombozi (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo

Ordinatio Sacerdotalis

• 10-10-20 Alex Giovanny Arévalo Quinchanegua (Ita-Col), Santa Marinella, Italia
• 22-10-20 Ghislain N'Kuba Bahati (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo
• 22-10-20 Charles Kizito Maliro (Ita-Con), Butembo, RD Congo

P. Franciscus Johannes M. Kutschruiter, (Indo)
21-10-20
Ortus: 31-01-29
P. Temp.: 04-09-50
P. Soll.: 04-09-53
Ord.: 10-06-56

Sr. M. Eusebia Garcia Roque, (SLC)
24-10-20
Ortus: 03-05-32
P. Temp.: 16-05-59
P. Soll.: 16-05-62

P. Sergius Brandehof, (Neer)
01-11-20
Ortus: 29-08-26
P. Temp.: 14-10-48
P. Soll.: 14-10-51
Ord.: 11-07-54

P. Peter Hinde, (PCM)
19-11-20
Ortus: 21-06-23
P. Temp.: 15-08-48
P. Soll.: 15-08-51
Ord.: 04-06-52

Fr. Miguel do Rosário Marques, (Lus)
23-11-20
Ortus: 13-12-34
P. Temp.: 10-05-56
P. Soll.: 12-05-59

Fr. Clyde Ozminkowski, (PCM)
01-12-20
Ortus: 09-08-29
P. Temp.: 22-08-49
P. Soll.: 22-08-52
Ord.: 29-05-54

Rest in Peace

Compagni con Cristo

Il Vangelo odierno comincia con l’appello fondativo del ministero di Gesù: il regno di Dio è vicino; convertitevi e credete al vangelo. Segue immediatamente la chiamata dei discepoli. Questo vangelo continua le letture della domenica scorsa riguardo la vocazione e, nello specifico, parla di come diventare un seguace di Cristo porti alla trasformazione e alla proclamazione della Buona Novella.

L’idea del pentimento presente nel testo non riguarda il rifiuto del peccato, bensì l’abbandono di una vita conosciuta per poter incamminarsi verso una direzione completamente nuova in quanto seguace di Cristo.

Questo si nota nella chiamata dei pescatori: allontanati da tutto ciò che conoscevano e persino dalle loro famiglie, essi si imbarcano verso una nuova direzione, seguendo Cristo.

Il fatto che Gesù abbia chiamato (e ancora chiami) discepoli non deve esser letto come un tentativo di creare un gregge di seguaci “pecoroni”, ma di un gruppo di persone che vive e opera in partecipazione attiva con Cristo per stabilire il Regno e predicare la Buona Novella. Diventando “pescatori di uomini” essi attraggono altri all’interno della cerchia della vita di Dio!

Attraverso la proclamazione iniziale del ministero di Gesù e la storia della chiamata dei primi quattro discepoli, il Vangelo ci invita a riflettere sulla nostra vocazione e la nostra chiamata in quanto seguaci di Cristo, e riguardo a cosa è necessario lasciarsi dietro per entrare ancor più pienamente nel mistero del Regno di Dio, su come noi possiamo operare in collaborazione con lo Spirito di Gesù nel rendere il Regno una entità reale nel mondo.

Perché il Regno non esiste senza gli essere umani – esso deve essere incarnato nel popolo di Dio, i discepoli di Cristo.

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Chiamati ad essere Vangelo vivente

Questa domenica potrebbe benissimo essere chiamata la “domenica delle vocazioni”. Sia la prima lettura che il Vangelo sono storie di chiamata e di risposta.

L’episodio che abbiamo visto nella prima lettura viene ben descritto come “la chiamata di Samuele”. Tre volte egli sente la chiamata di Dio ma pensa che sia Eli (un sacerdote del tempio) e si reca da lui. Eli finalmente capisce che è Dio che sta chiamando Samuele e gli suggerisce di dire la prossima volta che sentirà la voce: “Parla, Signore, perché il tuo servo ti ascolta”.

La lettura si conclude con il pensiero che Dio era con Samuele e che Samuele parlava in nome di Dio.

Considerano la lettura insieme al Vangelo, è difficile sfuggire al pensiero che questa domenica è la domenica delle vocazioni per tutti i discepoli. Proprio come Dio chiama Samuele ed Eli indica la via, Gesù chiama Andrea e l’altro discepolo e Giovanni Battista indica la via. Andrea risponde (segue) e va a “vedere” e “dimorare con” Gesù. Il giorno dopo, chiama Pietro ed entrambi vanno a “vedere” e “dimorare con” Gesù.

L'incontro di Andrea con Gesù lo trasforma sia in un discepolo che in un evangelizzatore. L'incontro di Pietro con Gesù (che è andato a “vedere” Gesù) lo trasforma nella “pietra”, “fondamento” e “pastore” (nel Vangelo di Giovanni) del gregge.

Usando questi due brani la Chiesa torna al tempo ordinario chiamandoci a riflettere sulla nostra vocazione, la nostra chiamata ad essere discepoli - a “venire e vedere” Gesù, a “dimorare con lui” e a diventare evangelizzatori e pastori dei nostri giorni.

Stando in compagnia di Gesù (dimorando con lui) arriviamo a vedere chi siano veramente Gesù e Dio, e spesso ci stupiamo che essi sono molto diversi dalle immagini con cui siamo cresciuti.

I cristiani sono chiamati ad una fede “matura” in Gesù, ad una relazione viva che non dipende da delle regole, da delle minacce o dalla paura, ma è motivata solo dall'amore.

Impariamo a vivere in una relazione fedele con Gesù. Alla fine, diventiamo la “voce” vivente di Cristo con i nostri pensieri, le nostre parole e le nostre azioni.

Non è una sequela passiva quella a cui siamo chiamati. Non si tratta semplicemente di camminare poggiando i nostri piedi sulle orme tracciate da Gesù. Si tratta di dimorare con lui, fare della sua casa la nostra, fare della nostra casa la sua. Si tratta di fargli spazio nei nostri cuori e nelle nostre vite, diventando la dimora di Dio e la voce di Cristo, per diventare un Vangelo vivente dell'amore di Dio.

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We began Advent with the cry, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. Now we end it with the joyful shout, ‘God is with us!’

Reflecting on the historical birth of Jesus, the Church proclaims the truth that God is, and has always been, with his people. And if God is with us, then God is for us. God is on our side.

God has no desire to live in houses made of wood, stone or gold. God’s deepest desire is to live in human flesh. Just as God did that in the human flesh of Jesus Christ a long time ago, God continues to do so now in us.

Like Mary, we accept God’s invitation, allowing Jesus to become flesh in us, too; to be seen and experienced in good thoughts, good words and good actions, in deeds of loving kindness which bring life, not death, to God’s people

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Receive your God!

The great Christmas feast is almost here. As always in Advent, what is promised in the first reading is brought to fulfilment in the Gospel reading. We began Advent with the cry, ‘Come, Lord Jesus’. We will end it with the joyful shout, ‘God is with us!’

In the first reading King David wants to build a house (temple) for God, but God says that, instead, God will build David and his descendants into a great house. God is not about building temples to himself and it’s not dwelling-places made of wood or stone that God wants. God is about building a dwelling-place in human flesh. God is about building a people among whom and in whom he can live.

In the Gospel, Mary accepts God’s invitation to make herself into a dwelling place for God by receiving Christ and God makes his dwelling-place in her human flesh. Through her God has come to live permanently in humanity.

That is what we, too, are about – making ourselves into a living dwelling place for Christ. The great gift of Jesus to the world is not meant to be frozen in one moment of time. Through us, that Gift is made present in every moment of history so that through us Christ is able to continue to touch, to hold and to heal the world.

"We must ourselves be the Mother of God.

God must be conceived in us, we must bring him into the world.”

(Blessed Titus Brandsma, OCarm, 1881-1942 )

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Rejoice! The Lord is near!

Today is Gaudete Sunday. The name comes from the first word of the Entrance Antiphon in Latin, which means, ‘Rejoice’. The full text of the antiphon is: Rejoice in the Lord always, again I say, rejoice! Indeed, the Lord is near.

That is what we are rejoicing in: God’s nearness to us. We recognise that nearness in the presence of Jesus, born so long ago, and his continuing presence through the Holy Spirit in our lives now. We rejoice that God has always been with us, whether we realised it or not. God has never left us.

Advent is very much about a fresh discovery of God’s presence and grace in our lives, in our own moment of history.

This is what we are celebrating on Christmas Day, too. Christ is God’s great present to the human family. Christmas celebrates not only the birth of Jesus in one moment of human history, but his continual birth in us so that he may be present in every moment of human history.

As we wait for the final coming of Jesus we, like John the Baptist, are called to be witnesses to the Light. We do that best by taking up the mission of the prophet in the first reading, just as Jesus did.

The Lord has anointed us to bring Good News to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison and a year of favour from the Lord. God trusts us to do that. We have been commissioned by the Church through our Baptism to do that.

Our faith in (that is, our living relationship with) Christ is meant to be lived openly, generously and graciously, at the service of our brothers and sisters in the world by being the living presence of Jesus in our day and age.

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Repentance and forgiveness console God’s people and prepare the way for the Lord to enter our hearts. The magnificent first reading from the prophet Isaiah today looks forward to the appearance of God. Great preparations take place for his arrival - hills are lowered, valleys filled in, a straight highway is made in the desert. The joyful message of God’s approach is proclaimed from the mountain tops and shouted in the streets.

How will this God show himself to his people? Not as a warrior-king with a frightening display of military power or with thunderbolts in his hands, but as a shepherd-king: feeding his flock, gathering the lambs in his arms, holding them against his breast and leading the mother ewes to rest. God’s coming liberates and frees his people through tenderness and forgiveness.

The Gospel presents John the Baptist as one who comes preparing the way for the Lord by proclaiming ‘a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins’. According to Mark, all Judea and the whole of Jerusalem come to John for baptism and to hear the proclamation of forgiveness – a moment of real conversion. John says that another will come, more powerful than himself, who will baptise, not with water, but with the Holy Spirit.

Our Advent readings help us realise God’s profound love for us and his presence within us through the Holy Spirit. Knowing that God will always treat us with love and tender care helps us to turn again towards him and to trust in the depth of his mercy.

Our Advent journey is showing us how to prepare our hearts for a fresh discovery of God’s presence in our lives; how to recognise the hidden presence of Jesus among and around us; how to turn around and face towards God with faith, hope and love; and how to be the living presence of Jesus in our moment of history.

The candles of the Advent Wreath remind us of the growing light and warmth of God’s love made visible in Christ.

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