Visit to the Curia by the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Holy See
This last July 19, the Ambassador of the Netherlands to the Holy See, His Royal Highness Prince Jaime Bernardo of Bourbon-Parma, accepted the invitation of the Prior General Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., and paid a visit to our Curia in Rome. The Ambassador was welcomed by the prior of the community, Fr. Christian Körner, O.Carm. He was interested in the process of canonization of Blessed Titus Brandsma, and in different topics about the Order and its presence in various parts of the world. After dinner, together with the community members present in Rome, the Prior General gifted the Ambassador with a selection of books on Blessed Titus Brandsma, and with the Carmelite Monasticon of the Netherlands. The whole encounter took place in a delightful and relaxed atmosphere.
IN SOLLEMNITATE B.V. MARIAE DE MONTE CARMELO
Flos Carmeli, vitis florigera,
splendor caeli, Virgo puerpera singularis.
Mater mitis, sed viri nescia,
Carmelitis esto propitia,
stella maris.
IN SOLLEMNITATE B.V. MARIAE DE MONTE CARMELO
Fernando Prior Generalis
Domusque Generalis Communitas
16. VII. 2018
Image: Madonna del Carmine, Curia Generalizia, Roma, Italia
Flos Carmeli: The Tapestry of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
By Fr. Nicholas Blackwell, O. Carm
Flos Carmeli,
vitis florigera,
splendor caeli,
Virgo puerpera
singularis.
Mater mitis,
sed viri nescia,
Carmelitis,
esto propitia,
Stella maris.
Flower of Carmel,
tall vine blossoming laden;
Splendor of heaven,
child-bearing yet maiden.
None equals thee.
Mother so tender,
who no man didst know,
on Carmel's children
thy favors bestow.
Star of the Sea.
I remember my first few days in the Pre-Novitiate. Those days were about 10 years ago. My Pre-Novice Master gave me a card with the first two stanzas of the Flos Carmeli. He told me I was expected to learn it by memory, because the community sings it in the chapel every day. After his request, I looked at him and said, “how am I supposed to memorize all these lines.” He gently laughed and said to me, “You will have it memorized in a week.” He was right. After a week I had those two stanzas memorized. Yet, there is a danger in our lives when it comes to things done with any level of frequency. When a person repeats something, like a phrase or a word, enough times, that phrase or word can lose a bit of the force it once had in its relationship to the human heart. If we are not careful the Flos Carmeli can be like that for us. That is why it is a good idea to slow down at moments throughout the year and sit with these stanzas, so our hearts can discover them anew.
My hope with this reflection is to offer some insights for each line from these stanzas. Why? So, our hearts will hopefully rediscover the profound magnificence and wisdom that this ancient Carmelite hymn offers to us as Carmelites and the broader Church. All Carmelites are called to allegiance with Jesus Christ. Our time spent with Mary, opens our hearts to the penultimate gift of his presence. A presence that she bore in her womb for us.
Flower of Carmel
Our first line brings us into the state of natural beauty. The word flower brings to each of our minds a possibility of different types of flowers, but each flower within itself is something that shines forth with the beauty of nature. These first few words link together the idea of beauty that flowers invoke and associate that beauty with the land of Carmel. Carmel is not an arid place, but a place with beauty, that entices people into a journey with the Lord, so they too may know the ultimate beauty of God. Carmel of course meaning the vineyard of God. Yet, this beauty, the beauty of a flower, is not merely left in an abstract sense, but is also linked through this hymn to a person, the person of our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary, and Our lady of Mount Carmel. Mary being the pristine flower that the land of Carmel offers to all as its aromatic guide.
Tall vine blossoming laden.
Our second line focus on what type of flower Mary is for us Carmelites in the land of Carmel. Mary is a tall vine that is all embracing and encompassing. These qualities are seen through her maternal embrace that she offers to each of us through her brown scapular. Her presence is always life giving, thanks to her son, Jesus Christ. Jesus, who is the life-giving water that supports her and makes it possible for her to not simply blossom but to be overloaded or laden with blossoms. Her life in union with God, is now for always a perpetual source of beauty for our souls and the world. A beauty that is meant to be emulated and shared.
Splendor of Heaven
Her splendor, the laden blossoms, are not a source of her own merit, but rise from her son, so the Kingdom of Heaven can be made known to all peoples. Honoring the splendor of heaven that Mary reflects helps us to understand, in our own limited ways, the wonder that is the Kingdom of Heaven. Christ has gone before us to prepare us a room in His Father’s house. The presence of Mary in our lives, as her sons and daughters, keeps us focused on the Kingdom of Heaven. A message that Christ has entrusted us with as his disciples, siblings, and friends. A message called to be proclaimed to all creation.
Childbearing yet Maiden
This line brings us into the great mystery God offers to us through his work in her life. Work that Mary fully said yes to. She is the one who bore the fullness of life in her womb, and yet stayed in a state of always desiring to receive him. For maidens where always at the ready to receive their lord. Mary, through her life teaches us, the need and the ability to be at the same time, filled with the presence of the Lord and willing to receive him at the same time.
None equals thee.
As we come to the end of the first stanza what else can be said about Mary in relationship to creation. The beauty of nature from its flowers are invoked and shown to be marvelously manifested through the life of Mary. Nonetheless, she through the gift of Christ that was entrusted to her has no equal in all the created order. She bore the source of creation, first in her heart and then in her womb. Because of her fiat she has now, no equal, but still calls us all to be with her son in docility.
Mother so tender
Our second stanza desires our minds to focus on what type of mother Mary is in our lives. This stanza begins with the emphasis placed on her tenderness. As Carmelites, should we be surprised by this? No! Who in the order has been denied her motherly touch? No one. Because we all received that tender touch through the gift of the brown scapular. A physical reminder that our mother wants to remain with us and aid us in our life of allegiance to her son Jesus. Whether asleep, awake, in or out of prayer, Mary’s tenderly motherly touch always rests upon the shoulders of a Carmelite through her scapular.
No man didst know
This line clearly points to the belief in the perpetual virginity of the Virgin Mary, but is not only restricted to that belief. Mary cannot be limited to only one man. Christ, on the cross, entrusted her to his beloved disciple and therefore the Church. This line offers us an insight into the limitless love that Mary has for us, thanks to her son. A love that was clearly demonstrated at the wedding feast of Cana. No man didst know her, because she is called to be known by all, so the salvation and joy of her son may be known by all.
On Carmel’s children thy favors bestow
These lines are placed together because they form the complete idea about the actions of our tender mother. Carmelite’s are reminded through this line that we have a special relationship with Our Lady. Why? Because we are her children. Her motherhood and thus our childhood in her eyes, is a reminder that we did not choose her, but she chose us. Hence, the favors she bestows, on behalf of Christ, is not due to our volition or merit, but simply because she desired to be our mother.
Star of the Sea
In this final line our mother’s tenderness is coupled with firmness. Mary’s tender embrace allows us to acknowledge the way that a Carmelite is called to follow. Our allegiance to Christ is manifested in the purity of our hearts and the stoutness of our consciences. Many barriers are thrown in our way from an impure heart and flimsy conscience. These barriers can obscure the way that Mary is making known to us in and through her son. Thus, she is like a star for us. A firm and bright point on the horizon that will always point out the correct way to any wayward traveler that might have become lost along the way to Jesus, her son.
Conclusion
These few points of reflection are not an exhaustive list. The Flos Carmeli contains 8 stanzas devoted to Our Lady. Above is merely two of them. The hymn is a beautiful tapestry that has been woven together with the hope to convey a taste of the mystery that is made known to us in and through Our Blessed Mother, the Virgin Mary. A woman who freely choose to accept the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Her presence within the Order, is not merely limited by her motherhood of course, for she also aids us as a sister in the faith, because she, like us, is a child of God. Nevertheless, as her sons, daughters, sisters and brothers in Carmel, we must always cherish and honor the fact that she is our mother. May this little reflection help us all embrace and live out the spirit of Carmel. A spirit that has been shaped, cultivated, nourished and challenge by our mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary. May we never forget the wisdom of St. Therese about Mary, “She is sometimes described as unapproachable, whereas she should be represented as easy of imitation. She is more Mother than Queen.”
24th Assembly of the Iberian Region
From June 29 to July 2, 2018, the 24th Assemby of the Carmelite Family of the Iberian Region took place in Tarrassa. It was prepared and coordinated by the Carmelite Province of Catalonia. The theme for reflection was: "Carmel is committed to the care of our common home."
The lectures were given by: Eduardo Agosta, a Carmelite religious from Argentina, who addressed the theme: "The Genesis of Laudato SI" (how we got to this work, why this topic, the global crisis and its structure). With scientific data Eduardo made us reflect on the urgent importance of taking care of our mother earth. José Luis Gutiérrez, a lay Carmelite from Madrid, in his lecture entitled, "Conversion in the midst of the people", encouraged us to take a stand in caring for our common home through with daily gestures that are within reach. Pedagogically and dynamically he made us see the importance of opening ourselves to an authentic conversion, individually and in communally, to be protectors of God's work. Llorenç Puig, SJ, spoke about approaches to Laudato SI from the faith, from three points of view: rupture, eschatological and just. Later he coordinated group work to answer some questions about the motivations that act as resistance to achieving an integral ecology in each of our environments.
The environment of fraternity and communication was evident to all. The celebrations of the Eucharist were led by Fathers, Paco Daza (Bêtica Provincial, Luis Maza (Catolonia Provincial) and the last day by Fr. Desiderio García (ACV Provincial).
The meeting closed in a spirit of joyful renewal, for having experienced Carmelite fraternity and always with the commitment to put into practice all that was offered to us at this meeting, thereby, to make our common home, our Mother Earth, more habitable.
LETTER OF THE PRIOR GENERAL ON THE SOLEMNITY OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL 2018
Dear brothers and sisters of the Carmelite Family:
The solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is approaching and - like every year - I would like to send you my most cordial fraternal greetings on our patronal feast, in which we remember Mary under the beloved title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. We commemorate Our Mother and Sister, the Domina loci (mistress of the place) that is at the center of our lives and that inspires and encourages us to live our Carmelite charism at the service of the Gospel, of the people of God and of all humanity.
*****
During this time, the Church is preparing with a series of different initiatives for the XV Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, which will deal with the theme "the youth, faith and vocational discernment," to be held in Rome in October of this year. The intention is that, through various methods, the voice of young people may reach the Synod, so that it is not just an assembly "over" them, but also one in which their opinions, their impressions, their doubts and their illusions can be heard in the synodal assembly.
Likewise, in January 2019 World Youth Day (WYD) will take place in Panama, which - as on other occasions – will gather thousands of young people from different continents in a festive, prayerful and celebratory atmosphere. Our Order will be present at this ecclesial event, as it has been doing since 2008 in Sydney (Madrid 2011, Rio de Janeiro 2013 and Krakow 2016), through a "Carmelite day" that we will celebrate in collaboration with our Discalced Carmelite brothers. Logically (as has happened in each WYD) the majority of those present will be young people from the closest countries and, therefore, our brothers from El Salvador, together with the Province of Central America of the Discalced Carmelites, are those who are preparing this meeting where -God willing - I hope to accompany the young Carmelites as I have been doing in the previous World Youth Days.
Undoubtedly, both events remind us of the importance of young people for the present and the future of the Church. For this reason, I would like to ask you, first of all, to bear in mind this intention in the novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in your celebrations and in your preaching that will take place during these days of preparation for the feast. Mary, the young woman from Nazareth, knew how to welcome the undertaking that God entrusted to her with generosity and courage as a youth. We ask you now to pray for our young people, so that they may also know how to find the beauty of faith, the beauty of Christian life and the challenge and adventure of following Jesus Christ in a world as changing, complex and fascinating as ours.
Secondly, I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to all Carmelites (religious men and women and laity) who work not only "for" but "with" young people. It is a ministry that is not always easy. It requires "being", "accompanying", "listening" and "sharing". It is understandable that other seemingly more rewarding ministries are preferred, but, in any case, no Province or entity of the Order should be closed to this ministry, in order to avoid what could be considered "pastoral suicide". May Mary Our Mother, the Virgin of Mount Carmel, symbol of beauty, inspire the Carmelites who accompany young people to be able to transmit the richness of our charism and our spirituality and give them the fidelity necessary to continue walking with young people with creativity and generosity.
Thirdly, I would like to expose young people to our charism, not only because its values, such as a personal relationship with God, spiritual depth, sensitivity, beauty and poetry, etc., which have always accompanied Carmel, are values that can motivate our young people, but also because our charism has a "countercultural" aspect today. In a society that is characterized by and promotes the immediate, the superficial, the bombardment of unnecessary information, virtual relationships, the provisional ... a call to the interior life, to the depth, to the personal encounter with the Lord, to the rediscovery of time as kairos, to prayer and to contemplation, can be revolutionary. Let's propose it to the young people we meet on our way, without complexity, without believing ourselves superior, not as an arrogant imposition or as indoctrination, but as a simple and affectionate offer.
The theme chosen by Pope Francis for the Synod also includes vocational discernment. In many parts of the world, Carmel continues to receive numerous vocations to the consecrated life, but in others (for many reasons that we cannot analyze here) we find ourselves in a serious and troubling vocational crisis. With the wisdom of discernment, with the humility to recognize possible errors, but without masochistic tendencies, with the responsibility of knowing that the Lord calls through us and having Mary as a model of listening and a generous response to God's call ... Let us commit ourselves to the vocation ministry that aims to help young people to discern their vocation (whatever it may be) and to live it with generosity and joy.
I would like these ecclesial events to help us to rejuvenate ourselves. I do not mean the “cosmetic youth”| which the world idolizes and which is superficial and often ridiculous. Our society treats old age with disdain, and, therefore, we try to disguise ourselves as young people, denying our age and not accepting reality. I do not mean any of that. I speak of "rejuvenating" in the sense that we should look with hope to the future, not dwell on pessimistic and defeatist ideas, but flee from the sclerosis of routine and our prejudices ... If we look to the future with enthusiasm, with confidence in Lord by the many aspects of our identity, we will stay young!
****
Finally, I would like to share with you two interesting events that, in their simplicity, do not cease to be meaningful and joyful for the entire family of Carmel. First of all, I would like to point out that, in Manila, the 400th anniversary of the arrival in the Philippines of the first image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been celebrated this year. It is an image that came from Mexico (since the Philippines was then part of the so-called Viceroyalty of New Spain) thanks to the Augustinian Recollects, who, in turn, had received it from the Discalced Carmelites of Acapulco. The image was installed in the convent of Bagumbayan and, shortly after, it went to the church of San Sebastián de Quiapo, where it has remained until now and where it has received and continues to receive the affection, devotion and prayers of the Filipinos, as I have had occasion to see personally on several occasions.
On the occasion of this fourth centenary a series of events have been organized in Manila. On May 4, after the procession with the image by boat on the bay, there was a solemn Mass of thanksgiving in Luneta (in the center of Manila). Cardinal Tagle granted a plenary indulgence to all those who participated in these celebrations with the proper dispositions.
Although there was already an earlier permission of Fr. Diego del Castillo (vicar of Andalusia), on August 19, 1691, the Prior General of the Carmelites, Fr. Pablo de San Ignacio, granted with joy the permission to erect the Brotherhood of the Holy Scapular, given the existing devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Now, much later, I would like to join in the joy of my predecessor in giving thanks for this devotion so deeply rooted in the Filipino people. For this reason, I have personally congratulated the Prior General of the Augustinian Recollects, Fr. Miguel Miró Miró, thanking him for the pastoral service that his Order has been doing for four centuries, by spreading devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the beloved nation of the Philippines.
May the Virgin of Carmel grant both Orders a renewal of the missionary spirit that guided those Augustinians, and may She, whom we invoke as "Star of the Sea," open new paths of mission and evangelization.
The second event I want to highlight is that on July 28 the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel will be canonically crowned in the town of Rute (Córdoba, Spain), of which she is a Patroness. This beautiful image, from the end of the 17th century, has enjoyed for centuries the veneration and devotion of so many faithful. The coronation of an image of the Virgin does not distance it from us, nor is it outdated, distorting its evangelical richness. The coronation of Mary is a sign of hope for all humanity, because in her (the simple woman of Nazareth, our sister), God crowns all the redeemed humanity. Mary becomes - as the preface of the day of the Assumption proclaims – “the beginning and the pattern of the Church in its perfection, and a sign of hope and comfort for your people on their pilgrim way”. In addition, as the magnificence of Mary is exercised in the service of the weakest, the commission in charge of this coronation has been developing a series of activities of a charitable type that remind us of the deepest meaning of this coronation.
May all of us, members of the Carmelite family throughout the world, continue to crown the Virgin of Carmel in daily life, living as she does in openness and listening to the Word of God and in service to the most needy and the least of our time.
*****
Congratulations to all. May the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel be a true time of grace, devotion, faith and conversion.
With fraternal affection
Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm.
Prior General
Lectio Divina July 2018
Pope's Prayer Intentions for July 2018
Evangelization: Priests and their Pastoral Ministry
That priests, who experience fatigue and loneliness in their pastoral work, may find help and comfort in their intimacy with the Lord and in their friendship with their brother priests.
Lectio Divina: July - Julio - Luglio 2018
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Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Mayagüez, Puerto Rico, was held 21 June 2018. The following were elected:
- Prioress: Sr. M. Lourdes M. de Jesús Crucificado Avilés Calderón, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. M. Antonia de Jesús Sacramentado Acevedo Lorenzo, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. de la Trinidad Rodríguez Barbosa, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. Monserrate M. del Corazón Crucificado de Jesús Lugo Millán, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. M. de la Trinidad Rodríguez Barbosa, O.Carm.
- Sacristan: Sr. Monserrate M. del Corazón Crucificado de Jesús Lugo Millán, O.Carm.
Provincial Chapter of the American Province of Saint Elias
During the Provincial Chapter of the American Province of Saint Elias held on 19-22 June 2018 were elected:
- Prior Provincial: Fr. Mario Esposito, O.Carm.
- First Councilor: Fr. Paul Denault, O.Carm.
- Second Councilor: Fr. Joseph Nguyen Do, O.Carm.
- Third Councilor: Fr. Mark C. Zittle, O.Carm.
- Fourth Councilor: Fr. Francis Amodio, O.Carm.
Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of Caudete, Spain
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Caudete, Spain, was held 14-15 June 2018. The following were elected:
- Prioress: Sr. Josefina Marco Navarro, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. Estela Santos Torres, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr. Cristina Conejero Rodríguez, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. Estela Santos Torres, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. Estela Santos Torres, O.Carm.
- Sacristan: Sr. Cristina Conejero Rodríguez, O.Carm.
Provincial Chapter of the Irish Province
During the Provincial Chapter of the Irish Province held on 10-14 June 2018 following earlier elections were confirmed:
- Prior Provincial: Fr. Richard Byrne, O.Carm.
- First Councilor: Fr. Brian McKay, O.Carm.
- Second Councilor: Fr. Éanna Ó hÓbáin, O.Carm.
- Third Councilor: Fr. Simon Nolan, O.Carm.
- Fourth Councilor: Fr. David Twohig, O.Carm.
- Commissary Provincial of Zimbabwe: Fr. Vitalis Tendai Benza, O.Carm.
