Appointment of adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts
The Holy Father, Pope Francis, has appointed today as adjunct secretary of the Pontifical Council for Legislative Texts H.E. Msgr. Filippo Iannone, O. Carm, archbishop-bishop Emeritus of Sora-Aquino-Pontecorvo, currently vicegerent of Rome.
To Msgr. Filippo Iannone we offer our warmest congratulations on behalf of the whole Carmelite Family.
The Second Congress of Carmelite Schools
From the 5th to the 10th of November, 2017, the Second International Congress of Carmelite Schools took place in Rome. The congress was organised by the General Commission for this area under the presidency of Fr. Raúl Maraví Cabrera, O.Carm. The first congress took place in Dublin in 2010, to mark the 150th anniversary of the founding of the first Carmelite college in modern times, namely, Terenure College. At this second congress the seventy participants from the five continents stayed at the Domus Carmelitana and in the international houses of our Order in Rome. They included many lay people and a number of religious sisters from different Carmelite congregations.
The title of this congress was, "Carmel, a life of fullness and beauty". The speakers (Anne-Maríe Bos, Albertus Herwanta, Kate McGarey-Vasey, Richard Byrne, John Haggerty and Eduardo Agosta Scarel) illustrated, from a number of points of view, the possibility of handing on specific Carmelite values (contemplation, reflection, day to day spirituality, and Carmelite ecology) to the children and young people who attend our colleges and schools. What they said was studied in language groups and then discussed further in a plenary session. As well as that participants shared a variety of materials that they brought from their respective locations, such as audio/visuals, books, and means of advertising.
On Wednesday, the 8th, the participants all went to the audience with Pope Francis in St. Peter's Square. On the 9th the congress closed, with a celebration of the Eucharist led by the Prior General, Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., who, in his homily, emphasised the importance of the teaching apostolate which is so much part of the lives of many of the provinces of the Order. He encouraged the participants to continue in their reflection on this wonderful area of evangelisation and humanisation, with creativity and generosity.
Students gathering in Asia
On behalf of the General Formation Commission, Fr. Noel Rosas, O.Carm., the Administrative Secretary of the Commission went to India to attend in the geographical area student friars gathering. This biannual international formation program took place in Carmel Bhavan, Karukutty - Kerala, a retreat house owned by St. Thomas Province of India, from October 22 to 28, 2017. There were 39 students participating from Indonesia, Vietnam, and India. Fr. Mathew Neendoor, O.Carm., the Prior Provincial, and the members of the Provincial Council, Fr. Jose Alex Valavanattu, O.Carm., a member of the General Formation Commission, some respected speakers and guests and also formators participated in this important program.
This program, which was a balanced combination of spiritual, intellectual and cultural activities, strengthened the Carmelite life and the brotherhood among the students in the geographical area.
Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of Wahpeton, USA
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Wahpeton, USA, was held 1 November 2017. The following were elected:
- Prioress: Sr. Madonna Morales, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. Joseph Marie Bedard, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr. Margaret Mary Sticka, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. Joseph Marie Bedard, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. Margaret Mary Sticka, O.Carm.
- Sacristan: Sr. Veronica Hartley, O.Carm.
Lectio Divina November 2017
Pope's Prayer Intentions for November 2017
Christians in Asia
That Christians in Asia, bearing witness to the Gospel in word and deed, may promote dialogue, peace, and mutual understanding, especially with those of other religions.
Lectio Divina November - Noviembre - Novembre 2017
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- Wednesday, November 1, 2017
- Thursday, November 2, 2017
- Friday, November 3, 2017
- Saturday, November 4, 2017
- Sunday, November 5, 2017
- Monday, November 6, 2017
- Tuesday, November 7, 2017
- Wednesday, November 8, 2017
- Thursday, November 9, 2017
- Friday, November 10, 2017
- Saturday, November 11, 2017
- Sunday, November 12, 2017
- Monday, November 13, 2017
- Tuesday, November 14, 2017
- Wednesday, November 15, 2017
- Thursday, November 16, 2017
- Friday, November 17, 2017
- Saturday, November 18, 2017
- Sunday, November 19, 2017
- Monday, November 20, 2017
- Tuesday, November 21, 2017
- Wednesday, November 22, 2017
- Thursday, November 23, 2017
- Friday, November 24, 2017
- Saturday, November 25, 2017
- Sunday, November 26, 2017
- Monday, November 27, 2017
- Tuesday, November 28, 2017
- Wednesday, November 29, 2017
- Thursday, November 30, 2017
Electoral Chapters of the Monastery of La Vega and the Monastery of Monción, Dominican Republic
Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of La Vega, Dominican Republic
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of La Vega, Dominican Republic, was held 23 October 2017. The following were elected:
- Prioress: Sr. Ana María Arroyo, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. M. Cecilia Morini, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. Lillian Ferreira, O.Carm.
- 3rd Councilor: Sr. M. de los Ángeles Márquez, O.Carm.
- 4th Couniclor: Sr. Rosa M. de la Cruz, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. M. Lillian Ferreira, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. M. del Carmen Ferreira, O.Carm.
Electoral Chapter of the Monastery of Monción, Dominican Republic
The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Monción, Dominican Republic, was held 23 October 2017. The following were elected:
- Prioress: Sr. M. Josefina Luna, O.Carm.
- 1st Councilor: Sr. M. Consuelo Rivera, O.Carm.
- 2nd Councilor: Sr. M. Rosanna Serrata, O.Carm.
- 3rd Councilor: Sr. Sarah M. Cedano, O.Carm.
- 4th Couniclor: Sr. M. Susana Collado, O.Carm.
- Director of Novices: Sr. M. Consuelo Rivera, O.Carm.
- Treasurer: Sr. Rosanna Serrata, O.Carm.
News from the office of the Postulator
On the 1st of November, All Saints Day, at 17.00 hrs, in the Cathedral of St. John in Valetta (Malta), in the presence of the Archbishop of Malta, Charles J. Scicluna, the solemn closing of the Diocesan Inquiry into the life, virtues, reputation for holiness and signs of the Servant of God, Fr. Avertan Fenech, O.Carm., was marked. Fr. Avertan died in the odour of holiness on the 1st of November, 1943.
On the 4th of November the Acts of the Diocesan Inquiry will be given to the Congregation for the Causes of the Saints, which marks the beginning of the Roman phase of the cause for beatification and canonisation. It is hoped that within a short time, there will be a positive result to the Cause in the form of a recognition of the heroic virtues of the Servant of God as we await a miracle that will then allow the process to proceed towards beatification.
From Mary to Mary, From Mother to Daughter, From Teacher to Disciple
Rafael Fonsêca, pré-noviço carmelita
From Mary to Mary, From Mother to Daughter, From Teacher to Disciple
The Marian spirituality of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face
*****
We are living in important times for the Church, both in our nation and in the world. In the month of October the Church will turn its gaze again towards Fatima in Portugal for the closing of the 1st centenary of the apparitions of the Blessed Virgin to the three shepherd children; in Brazil, we will celebrate the 3rd centenary of the finding of the statue of the Aparecida by the three fishermen, whom the Mother of the Lowly visits and lifts them up through this image. “And he continues to do great things for us”![1] These events provide the opportunity to look again at Marian spirituality, by looking again at the Marian aspects in the lives of those men and women who now share in the communion of the saints, with her who is “full of grace”, the blessed one.
In this same month of October we celebrate the Feast of St. Thérése of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, Virgin, Religious and Doctor of the Church, the faithful witness and proclaimer of the wonders that God has done for all humankind. That being the case, we would like to weave a number of thoughts about the presence of the Virgin Mary in the life and mission of the little Thérése, the little flower of Carmel who still continues to spread the perfume of her spirituality among us, allowing us more and more to desire to choose all, and to aspire to holiness.
The first point is indicated in the title of this brief reflection: Mary – a name that is present all the time in the life of the young girl. It is a simple name, popular in Hebrew and sometimes spelt as Myriam, a name that suggests many meanings, from rebellion, lady, lover, to raised on high, pure, princess, all fitting in well with the many names that we give to our most tender Mother.[2] A Myriam In the First Testament, goes from slavery to freedom, accompanies directly the first Passover and sings the wonders of new life, in the way that God took care of his people, led them into a foreign land and gave them a guarantee of freedom. She is the prophet of liberty, a model for women who continue to praise her and to thank her![3]
In the Second Testament, the fruitfulness of God is revealed in the women who was willing to become a mother, to rescue a humanity that had lost its dignity, when it lost the beauty that was the full communion with which he created and tested everything, and as well as that, was mother and handmaid, with the power to grow, or to lower herself, to glory in herself, or make herself little, exalt herself, or hide herself.
The third Myriam, is Marie Françoise Thérése Martin, a Mary that was born on the 2nd of January 1877 in Alençon, in France, the daughter of another Mary,[4] and who was baptised two days later in a church dedicated to Our Lady, with her older sister Mary as her God-mother. This might be thought of as a “God-cidence””[5] or a “God-happening”, with the repetition of so many Marys in Thérése’s life telling us that the name that God gives us shows us what our mission is to be. These Marys all become part of God’s plan in order to show the world that it is possible to be like their biblical antecedents, in the way that they are signs of innocence, tenderness, virtue, kindness, and also of resistence and of defense of faith, of a life that is in conformity with Christian teaching, with no manipulation, adaptations or inventions of the kind that lead to a faith that is emotional, and cut off from the reality of the world in which we live. To be Mary means to place one’s trust totally in the will of God, being open to what God wants, and willing to modify the difficult things in the world around us.
The meaning of that may be seen more clearly when we look at Mary’s own vocation: The angel approached her and said, Hail, full of grace! Hail Mary! Ave Maria! Hail Myriam! This is a clear sign that God knows us by our name[6] and calls us by our name to fulfil our mission. That’s the way it was with Myriam, with Marie Zelie, with Marie Françoise Thérése and with every Mary who is willing to speak for God in the world: even though their name might not be written in the civic or baptismal registers they have it written on their hands, in their hearts and now have to stamp it on life itself.
The second aspect that we wish to examine is the relationship of maternal affection that nourished Thérése throughout her whole life in her relationship to her Mother in heaven. She wrote in the introduction to The Story of a Soul, that before she began to work she would kneel down in front of the statue of Mary (the same one that gives us so many assurances of the love the Queen of Heaven has for our families) and she would ask her to guide her hand so that she would not write even one line that might not be pleasing to her.
The statue to which she was referring became known as Our Lady of the Smile, because, when she was ill, and was very down because her mother had died, it was before the Blessed Mother, that was invoked as Our Lady of Victories, that St. Louis Martin brought the family to ease the pain of that darling girl. In front of it, Thérése began to regain her strength and felt the touch of her Mother and Queen. In her own words:
The sickness which overtook me certainly came from the demon: infuriated by your entrance into Carmel, he wanted to take revenge on me for the wrong our family was to do him in the future. But he did not know that the sweet Queen of heaven was watching over her fragile little flower, that she was smiling upon her from her throne in heaven and was preparing to stop the storm the moment her flower was to break without any hope of recovery..[7]
It is clear that, while still afflicted, she knew that there was still someone who would take care of her and bring her back to health very soon, that she could count on the help of the one who was her Mother.
Regarding the Virgin Mary’s smile, she said:
(she) prayed with all her heart that she take pity on her. All of a sudden the Blessed Virgin appeared beautiful to me, so beautiful that never had I seen anything so attractive¸ Her face was suffused with an ineffable benevolence and tenderness, but what penetrated to the very depths of my soul was “ravishing smile of the Blessed Virgin”. At that instant all my pain disappeared, and two large tears glistened on my eyelashes, and flowed down my cheeks silently, but they were tears of unmixed joy. Ah! I thought, the Blessed Virgin smiled at me, how happy I am.![8]
This tenderness of a child that Thérése had for the Blessed Virgin is, no doubt, an echo of what she learned in her own home, from the tenderness of her biological mother towards her children. She was such a wonderful mother that her image led her child to think about how good God is. Today, many of us set up resistances to the Mother of God because we did not have a happy relationship with the ones who were given to us as our earthly guardians. Our common sense would tells us, that whoever listens to his mother, will not go wrong, because a mother’s heart is incapable of deceit. If we were more open to listening more, we would have a better relationship with her and as a result, we would feel that it is an honour to have a heavenly Mother. On the other hand, if we are not capable of loving our mothers on this earth, let us ask the Virgin Mother to give us her heart and let us know that she is close to us.
There is nothing more beautiful for her than to consecrate her life to the Order of the Brothers of Mary, the Carmelites, the place where the little flower was well planted, and where she would grow, and develop her vocation to love. There she will develop the little way, the simple way that leads right up to heaven. This way is one that may also be seen from a Marian perspective, since Mary was the one who in her hiddenness fulfilled the will of God. Mary, the faithful disciple, the woman who heard the word and kept it is Thérése’s mother and teacher in the school of littleness, of not desiring great things unless “God is being loved even more” in the way that she loves him.
Mary is Thérése’s teacher, and Thérése feels honoured to be her daughter. The third aspect that we want to write about is Christian love, the devotion that the little flower had for the Flower of Carmel. While still a child, she was standing in front of Mary’s altar, which she was getting ready for the Marian month, as she said, I was adorning the altar to the best of my ability, Everything was so small: candlesticks and pots of flowers, so that two matches, acting as candles, made everything perfectly clear ", that the little girl did her pious exercises, remembering even her faults and having a perfect contrition”.
Since her first communion, Thérése sought to live her vocation as a laywoman, even though she had known since the age of two that she wanted to be a nun.[9] She joined the Association of the Blessed Virgin or simply the "Daughters of Mary". as her sisters had done, and she was also a member of the confraternity of the Holy Angels. Although facing difficulties with formation, feeling alone because she did not have the company of the sisters who were in Carmel, it was there that she came to know her Mother and the Blessed Sacrament.[10]
She used to say in one of her prayers, "Oh, Mary, if I were the Queen of Heaven and you were Thérése, I would like to be Thérése so that you would be the Queen of Heaven!" This is the conclusion of one who understood that she had a mother in heaven, a mother who takes care of her and is a queen, a mother who shelters and protects, who guides and teaches her where to walk. This perhaps is a relationship of dependence that, because we are deluded by our pride and self-sufficiency, we are not capable of nurturing.
Finally, it remains for us to say as Thérése did: "and next to you, Morning Star, I will find a foretaste of heaven", and, "Oh, Immaculate Virgin! You are my sweet Star that Jesus gives me, and you join me to him. Oh Mother! Let me rest under your veil, for today and just today!" Let us learn from this little great one, to experience the love of the tender Mother who takes us in her arms and leads us to meet her Son Jesus, our Beloved, our only good!
[1] Cf. Lk 1, 49.52
[2] Source: https://pt.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maria_(nome); https://www.nomesbiblicos.com/maria/,
[3] Cf. Ex 15, 21
[4] St. Thérése’s mother was called Marie Azélie, whom we know today as St. Zélie Martin.
[5] An expression used by Fr. Leo, SCJ to talk about God’s intervention in human history, changing it and guiding it.
[6] Cf. Is 43,1
[7] Manuscript A, 86
[8] Manuscipt A, 94.
[9] Manuscript A, 21
[10] Manuscript A, 125.
Provincial Chapter of the Province of Pernambuco
During the Provincial Chapter of the Province of Pernambuco held on 2-6 October 2017 were elected:
- Prior Provincial: Fr. Sormani José Barbosa Lima, O.Carm.
- First Councilor: Fr. Luiz Nunes Pereira, O.Carm.
- Second Councilor: Fr. Rogério Severino de Lima, O.Carm.
- Third Councilor: Fr. Vicente Ferreira de Souza, O.Carm.
- Fourth Councilor: Fr. José Adriano Gomes da Silva, O.Carm.
Lectio Divina: Our Lady of Guadalupe (Lk1:26-38)
1) Opening prayer
God of the poor and the humble,
we thank You today for choosing Mary
as the Virgin Mother of Jesus, your Son.
Her faith and willing service
opened the way to Your new world.
Dispose us to seek Your will
and to cooperate with Your plans,
that we too, like Mary,
may give to the world its Savior,
Jesus Christ, your Son and our Lord.
2) Gospel Reading – Luke 1:26-38
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph, of the House of David; and the virgin's name was Mary.
He went in and said to her, “Rejoice, you who enjoy God's favor! The Lord is with you.” She was deeply disturbed by these words and asked herself what this greeting could mean, but the angel said to her, “Mary, do not be afraid; you have won God's favor. Look! You are to conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you must name Him Jesus. He will be great and will be called Son of the Most High. The Lord God will give Him the throne of His ancestor David; He will rule over the House of Jacob for ever and His reign will have no end.”
Mary said to the angel, “But how can this come about, since I have no knowledge of man?” The angel answered, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will cover you with its shadow. And so the child will be holy and will be called Son of God. And I tell you this too: your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God.”
Mary said, “You see before you the Lord's servant, let it happen to me as you have said.” And the angel left her.
3) Reflection
• The visit of the Angel to Mary reminds us of the visit of God to different women of the Old Testament: Sarah, mother of Isaac (Gen 18: 9-15), Anne, mother of Samuel (1 Sam 1: 9-18), the mother of Samson (Jg 13: 2-5). To all of them was announced the birth of a son with an important mission in the realization of God’s plan.
• The account begins with the expression “in the sixth month”. It is the sixth month of the pregnancy of Elizabeth. The need of Elizabeth, a woman advanced in age who is expecting her first son with the risk of delivery, is the background of this episode. Elizabeth is mentioned at the beginning (Lk 1: 26) and at the end of the visit of the angel (Lk 1: 36-39).
• The angel says: “Rejoice, you who enjoy God’s favor, the Lord is with you”!. Similar words were also said to Moses (Ex 3: 12), to Jeremiah (Jer 1: 8), to Gideon (Jg 6: 12) and to other people with an important mission in God’s plan. Mary is surprised at the greeting and tries to understand the significance of these words. She is realistic and wants to understand. She does not accept just any invitation.
• The angel answers: “Do not be afraid!” Just as it happened in the visit of the angel to Zechariah, the first greeting of God is always: “Do not be afraid!”. The angel recalls the promises of the past which will be fulfilled thanks to the son who will be born and who is to receive the name of Jesus. He will be called the Son of the Most High and in Him will be realized the Kingdom of God. This is the explanation of the angel in such a way that Mary is not afraid.
• Mary is aware of the mission which she is about to receive, but she continues to be realistic. She does not allow herself to be drawn by the greatness of the offer, and observes her condition. She analyses the offer according to certain criteria which she has available. Humanly speaking, it was not possible: “But how can this come about, I have no knowledge of man?”
• The angel explains that the Holy Spirit, present in God’s Word since the creation (Genesis 1: 2), is capable of things which seem impossible. This is why, the Holy One who will be born of Mary will be called Son of God. The miracle repeats itself up until today. When the Word of God is accepted by the poor, something new happens, thanks to the will of the Holy Spirit! Something new and surprising, such as a son born of a virgin or a son born to a woman of advanced age, like Elizabeth, whom everyone said was barren and could not have children! And the angel adds: “See, your cousin Elizabeth also, in her old age, has conceived a son, and she whom people called barren is now in her sixth month, for nothing is impossible to God”.
• The response of the angel clarifies everything for Mary, and she surrenders: “Behold, I am the handmaid of the Lord, may it be done to me according to your word”. Mary uses for herself the title of Servant, Handmaid of the Lord. This title of Isaiah, which represents the mission of the people not as a privilege, but rather as a service to the other people (Is 42:1-9, 49:3-6). Later Jesus will define his mission as a service: “I have not come to be served, but to serve!” (Mt 20:28). He learned this from His mother!
4) Personal questions
• What struck you the most in the visit of the Angel Gabriel to Mary?
• Jesus praises his mother when He says: “Blessed are those who hear the Word of God and keep it” (Lk 11:28). How does Mary relate to the Word of God during the visit of the Angel?
5) Concluding Prayer
To Yahweh belong the earth and all it contains,
the world and all who live there;
it is He who laid its foundations on the seas,
on the flowing waters fixed it firm. (Ps 24:1-2)
