Introduction:
Each year, the Carmelite NGO engages in days of prayer to commemorate World Environment Day and World Human Rights Day. In his recent encyclical, Laudato Si, and in several addresses while in the United States, Pope Francis makes it clear that we cannot address the rights of human beings apart from “a true ‘right of the environment.’” Our prayer for World Human Rights Day this year is rooted in his vision.

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Dr. Jim Bryan, T.O.Carm.

Saint Joseph, foster father of Jesus has too easily been forgotten by many people. You might remember him if you grew up in an Italian parish where someone hosted a St. Joseph's Table once a year with all the trimmings and Italian delicacies. Or, you might need help in selling or purchasing property, so you get the statue of the older bearded guy holding a lily in one hand and the baby Jesus in the other. Joseph seems to get the short shrift when it comes to popular devotion in the Church.

In fact, after roughly 1,000 years of Eucharistic Prayers his name was only recently added to the Canon of the Mass.

This imbalance was the furthest thing from the mind of St. Teresa of Avila when she initiated the Reform and drew her sisters to the new Convent........St. Joseph's. It was Teresa's intent that Joseph would be the guardian, protector, guide and silent witness to the Reform of what love and care can be. Teresa urged all of Carmel to “Ite ad Ioseph”: GO to Joseph! It was in seeking his assistance she dedicated her nuns, and later the friars.

Joseph is an Icon of Carmel. By “Icon” we mean that his life, his response to God, his protection and nurture of Jesus (as pointed out in the brief passages of Scripture which mention him) all reflect both beliefs and faith in the God of Israel. His “Icon” which shines upon us Carmelites is a mirror, a window of faithfulness and protection. This is the reason Saint Teresa turned to him and asks us to turn, too.

Scripture has further lessons regarding Joseph, and us too as followers of Jesus, attempting to live out our Baptismal promises in this Order. Joseph was at Bethlehem at the place of Jesus birth. In the same way Joseph of Arimathea was at Jesus' burial. Joseph, in Hebrew, means: God will increase, or God will add. Both of the Josephs, in the beginning and at the end, added to the birth and the death of the Incarnate Word. Also, it can be noted Joseph, the earthly father and protector of Jesus was listed in Scripture as a “Tekton” which in the Greek of the first century could be either a worker of wood, or worker of stone. God provided two Josephs in order to have wood of the stable and the rock of the carved tomb.

Lastly, Joseph was a person of faith. Scripture portrays both a person of compassion and a just man. A comparison of the visits by the same angel to both Zachariah and Joseph shows the difference in the faith stance of these two men, both important to the Gospel story. The one who was a priest lacked the faith of the one who was just a craftsman. Joseph placed faith before fear. He didn't know what was ahead, but knew Who was ahead and it seemed that's all that mattered.

Joseph points us towards our vocation as Carmelites in the world. We need not to be loud and showy. We need not be anything but who we are. God through His Son loves us, and loves us eternally more than we can ever give Him credit!

One wonders what Joseph thought as he bundled up his son and wife for the trip to Egypt. Maybe he thought about an earlier Joseph and how he became the “Second in the land”. That could have happened, but I like to think Joseph grabbed his bundles, got his wife and child together and started thinking about what he was going to do once they got out of Herod's territory to provide and protect his family.®

Dr. Jim Bryan, T.O.Carm., is an author, painter, and spiritual director, married to his college sweetheart, an isolate TOC living in North Central Wisconsin. His interests include Incarnational Theology, pastoral care and working on his small 'man-astery' affectionately named: "Wisconsin-wadi"

From Carmelite Preview

The 86th Assembly of the USG (Union of Superior Generals) took place November 25 to 27, 2015, at the “Salesianum” in Rome. The theme for this meeting was “To embrace the future with hope. The consecrated persons on a journey with the people of God.”

The participants studied a number of themes related to the recent Synod on the Family and they also heard various “voices from the Synod” from some of those who took part in the Synod. The superior generals reflected deeply on the theme of the Synod and on the presence of religious in the Synod. They also considered the “synodal” nature of the Church, a topic very dear to Pope Francis, and one on which he dwelt in his address at the 50th anniversary celebrations of the institution of the Synods of Bishops.

During the Assembly were the elections of P. Mauro Jöhri, OFM Cap., as President and Michael Brehl, CSsR, as Vice-President of the Union, along with other members elected to the various organisms of the Union. There were also reports from the commissions of the USG. The Prior General, Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., is a member of the Commission for Inter-Religious Dialogue, presided by René Stockman, FC.

The Assembly was marked by a spirit of joy and true fraternity along with the desire that the USG will continue to be a source of discernment and support for religious life throughout the world.

In different places, activities are beginning to appear to commemorate the 450th anniversary of the birth in Florence of St. Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi. In the conference room of the Carmelite parish in Ayala, Madrid, on the 12th and 13th of November, the 6th Seminar of “Textos para un Milenio” (Texts for a Millennium) was held, focusing this year on the life and doctrine of this Carmelite saint. The Prior General, Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., opened the seminar which numbered among its speakers, Fr. Mario Alfarano, O.Carm., the delegate for the anniversary celebrations, who spoke about the life and spiritual profile of the saint, and Fr. Míceál O’Neill, O.Carm., who spoke about her mystical experience in the liturgy. Other speakers were the professors, Henar Pizarro, the director of Texts for a Millennium, who spoke about the echoes of Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi’s canonisation in Spain, Maria Jesus Fernandez Cordero, who spoke about her theological approach to the Incarnate Word, and Esther Jimenez Pablo whose theme was the Jesuit influence in the saint’s life.

The Carmelite Third Order of the province of Italy, has been publishing regularly a series of leaflets as aids to reflection, centred this year on the doctrine of St. Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi, and  written by the nuns in the monastery of Sutri (Viterbo, Italy). The leaflets contain a number of texts from the writings of the saint and points for reflection, for both individuals and groups.

In the monastery of Granada (Spain) founded in 1508, work is being done on an exhibition with different artistic representations of the saint down through the years.

Very soon, on the website of the Order (www.ocarm.org) a permanent section devoted to the commemoration of the birth of St. Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi will appear.

The Pope’s Prayer Intentions for December 2015

Universal: Experiencing God’s mercy - That all may experience the mercy of God, who never tires of forgiving.

Evangelization: Families - That families, especially those who suffer, may find in the birth of Jesus a sign of certain hope.

Lectio Divina December - Diciembre - Dicembre 2015

From November 16 to 21, 2015, 38 young Carmelites from the Asia-Australia-Oceania geographical area who are in their 1st to 5th year in ministry gathered in Malang, Indonesia, in order to know each other, to share their experiences on ministry among themselves and extract the lessons from them, and to dream for the Order as they continue their journey being the future leaders of the region and of the Order. The gathering was guided by the theme: Nurturing Carmelite Vocation in the Year of Consecrated Life.

To lead them in their discussion and helping them to make sense of their experiences, various speakers were invited. Fr. Christian Buenafe, O.Carm, Prior Provincial of Carmel Philippines, came to share his views about the reality, gifts and challenges of religious living in community and doing ministry as he talked about Sharing Our Lives with Others: Finding the Balance in the Tension of Community and Ministry. Fr. Noel Deslate, a diocesan priest from the Philippines and a director of the Galilee Institute devoted to helping priests and religious with problems, came to talk about Boundaries and Intimacy in the Ministry. Fr. Robert Puthussery, O.Carm., Prior Provincial of St. Thomas Province of India, came to talk about Consecrated Religious in the Midst of the People. The participants, being young Carmelites and confronted with the lures of the modern world, Fr. Stephanus Buyung, O.Carm., Director of Marian Center based Jakarta, Indonesia, came to share about Reclaiming and Nurturing Our Contemplative Gift as Carmelites in Today's World. Fr. Benny Phang Khong Wing, O.Carm, General Councilor for Asia-Australia-Oceania and for Formation, capped the course by suggesting to the young Carmelites that they are the future of the Order in his discussion about Building the Theotokoi Community: Carmelite Lifestyle in the Changing World.

The course was a mixture of prayer, study, relax and fraternal sharing as well as dreaming for the future of the Order. All the participants were grateful for the opportunity to gather together as brothers in the geographical area. They went home to each of their own province wiser, hopeful and inspired to do more in the ministries in the name of the Order, and looking forward to their next gathering!

The Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Ravenna, Italy, was held 21 November 2015. The following were elected:

• Prioress:  Sr. M. Anastasia Cucca, O.Carm.
• 1st Councilor:   Sr. M. Elisabetta Mambelli, O.Carm.
• 2nd Councilor:  Sr. M. Barbara Stella, O.Carm.
• 3rd Councilor:   Sr. M. Paola Teresa Laudicina, O.Carm.
• 4th Couniclor:   Sr. Hilda Maria Duran, O.Carm.
• Director of Novices:  Sr. M. Elisabetta Mambelli, O.Carm.
• Treasurer:  Sr. M. Pia Malmesi, O.Carm.
• Sacristan:  Sr. M. Barbara Stella, O.Carm.

With joy and fraternity we offer you a new edition of E-Bulletin for the Carmelite Laity. This time around, you will find some testimonies from people who have come closer to God through the Carmelite spirituality that we offer in our various groups and institutions.

Likewise, we will read the news of the re-foundation of the Third Order in Sergipe, in northeastern Brazil, where this group had almost disappeared, and was reborn due to the interest of the local bishop and the friars who returned to work with the faithful of this place.

We are also happy to learn about the constancy of the Carmelite Family in the Philippines that met last July completing 23 years of consecutive annual meetings. One of its members offers us a short reflection on Saint Teresa, and with it, we close the V Centenary of the birth of this great saint and our sister.

Lay Carmelites also participate in many ministries in the Church. In this issue we highlight some of the apostolates of the Lay Carmelite and their great experience in these places.

We are pleased to announce the new official website of the Lay Carmelites. The Website provides the latest news, activities and events of the Carmelite Laity around the world, and also features many articles and lectures from and for the laity. Please bookmark and visit it at www.ocarm.org/lay/en

We welcome your comments and suggestions, and would like to ask you to contribute news, articles and activities from your communities to enrich this website.

Please click here to download the E-bulletin

http://ocarm.org/ebook/laybulletin/no4/no4en.pdf

From 4-7 November 2015, a total of 50 bursars from each province, commissariat, and delegation, gathered in Fatima, Portugal, at Hotel Casa Sao Nuno, for the Triennial Bursar's Meeting. This included 12 lay people who also work and collaborate in this ministry in their given provinces.

The Prior General, Fernando Millán Romeral, O.Carm., opened the meeting with a talk pertaining to some issues on the economy of our Order and thanked the bursars for their participation. He also presided at the opening Mass.

Craig Morrison, O.Carm., began the meeting with a Lectio Divina on Acts 5 and spoke about "Luke, Pope Francis, and the Economy." He pointed out the numerous parables in Luke that have a reference to money and the poor, and shared Pope Francis' interpretation of these parables. Bernadette Porter, RSCJ, gave a talk on "The Community of Goods," and shared her experience of central financing with regards to missions and developing areas of the world. Albert Anuszewski, OSST, a member of the General Finance Commission, spoke about the Vatican document on the "Guidelines for the Administration of Assets in Institutions of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life." Time was also set aside for Jurek Borucki, advisor to the Curia, to give a global picture of the finances of Carmel throughout the world.

The meeting was held in a spirit of transparency and honesty, while also taking time to share together in language and regional groups. Masses, prayer services, and meals highlighted a spirit of openness to one another, including a mass at The Shrine and the Chapel of the Apparitions in Fatima.

Special thanks to Ricardo Rainho, O.Carm., and Agostinho Castro, O.Carm., and members of the Portugal Commissariat for their warm hospitality throughout the gathering.

By Ann Schneible

On the 500th anniversary of St. Teresa of Avila's birth, Pope Francis praised the Spanish mystic and reformer for her witness of self-gift to God, as well as her particular relevance during this Year of Consecrated Life.

“How much goodness does the testimony of her consecration – born directly from the encounter with Christ, her experience of prayer as continuous dialogue with God, and her community life, rooted in the motherhood of the Church – do for us!” the Pope said, according to Vatican Radio's translation.

In a March 28 letter addressed to Fr Xavier Cannistrà, superior general of the Order of Discalced Carmelites, the pontiff wrote that it is providential that the anniversary of the saint's birth should coincide with the Year of Consecrated Life, which began late last year.

St. Teresa of Avila, the Holy Father said, “shines as a sure and attractive model of total self-giving to God.”

Born March 28, 1515 in Avila, Spain, St. Teresa is known as a mystic and reformer. Entering the Carmelite order in 1535, she became disillusioned by the laxity of monastic life within the cloister, and committed herself to reforming the order. She is considered one of the founders of the Discalced Carmelites.

During her lifetime, St. Teresa wrote several important works on the spiritual life, such as Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection. Canonized 40 years after her death in 1622 by Pope Gregory XV, she was declared as one of the first ever female doctors of the Church in 1970 by Pope Paul VI.

St. Teresa of Avila remains relevant for consecrated men and women, Pope Francis wrote, as demonstrated by her prayer life, her proclamation of the Gospel, and her understanding of the importance of community life.

Describing her as “primarily a teacher of prayer,” the pontiff said that “the discovery of Christ's humanity was central to her experience.”

For St. Teresa, prayer arose in all occasions, not simply in times and places of seclusion, the Pope said. Moreover, she believed that “continuous prayer” – even when it was imperfect – had value.

“The saint asks us to be steadfast, faithful, even in times of dryness, personal difficulties or urgent needs that call us.”

The “concrete proposals” and methods of prayer left by St. Teresa offers “us a great treasure to renew consecrated life today,” the Pope said.

“Far from closing us in on ourselves or leading us only to inner balance, (they) always make us start again from Jesus and constitute a genuine school to grow in love for God and neighbor.”

Pope Francis went on to describe St. Teresa as a “tireless communicator of the Gospel,” at a time when the Church was in the midst of difficulties. Instigator of the “Teresian reform” of the laxities demonstrated by the Carmelite cloister in which she lived, she demonstrated a “missionary and ecclesial dimension has always marked the Carmelites and Discalced Carmelites,” he said.

“Even today the saint opens new horizons for us, she calls us to a great undertaking, to see the world with the eyes of Christ, to seek what He seeks and to love what He loves.”

Finally, St. Teresa recognized the importance of “authentic community life” in sustaining both prayer and the evangelical mission, the Pope said.

Warning against “the danger of individualism in fraternal life,” he added, the saint commends those living in community to place themselves “at the service of others,” with a humility consisting “of self-acceptance, awareness of one’s own dignity, missionary courage, gratitude and trust in God.”

“Teresian communities are called to become houses of communion, capable of witnessing to fraternal love and to the motherhood of the Church, presenting to the Lord the needs of the world, torn by divisions and wars.”

Pope Francis concluded by imparting his Apostolic blessing, praying that the Carmelite community's “witness to life” would allow “the joy and beauty of living the Gospel to shine and attracts many young people to follow Christ closely.”

The worldwide Year for Consecrated life began November 30, 2014 and will continue until the World Day of Consecrated Life on February 2, 2016.