O.Carm
Celebrating At Home - Christ, King of the Universe
Being the Living Presence of God
(Matthew 25:31-46)
Only Matthew tells us this story of final judgement in the Kingdom of God. He paints a picture of the glorious arrival of the King and the assembly of all the nations of people who are then separated into two groups, sheep and goats.
Judgement is then pronounced - not on the basis of physical beauty, wealth, power, status or even religious practice.
What determines who will inherit the eternal life of the Kingdom are the works of service done to fellow human beings in need: the hungry, the thirty, the stranger, the naked, the sick and those in prison.
Perhaps surprisingly, there is no mention in the list of religious duties like prayer, liturgical worship, fasting, giving tithes or indeed any identifiably religious practice.
Very likely these things are presumed to be present in all the assembled people. But, the difference between the two groups is how they responded to fellow human beings in need.
At the end of the day, the disciple is called to be the Kingdom (living presence) of God in the world and to transform the suffering of its people into joy by deeds of loving kindness. The goats appear to have made horrible situations suffered by human beings worse by their neglect, their lack of love.
The virtuous disciple is the living presence of Jesus in the world. He or she realises that Jesus has entrusted the kingdom into his/her hands. In the Kingdom of Jesus, the disciple is not master but ‘servant’ - remember how frequently we have heard about the first being last and the last first?
The whole idea of ‘kingdom’ has been thoroughly re-written in the teaching of Jesus: there is only one master and you are all brothers… The disciples are indeed kings – they have the power of Jesus’ spirit in them. But this power is not to be exercised in the classical sense ‘having power over others’, but by being true servants. The power of the spirit of Jesus fuels deeds of loving kindness for the brothers and sisters of Jesus – reversing horrible human conditions, and bringing healing and salvation.
This is, once again, a ‘warning’ parable for disciples to make sure that they are living the life of the Kingdom properly. It is not meant as a ‘prophecy’ about the last day. It is meant for careful consideration by the disciples in their attempt to live the life of the kingdom which has been entrusted to them.
Disciples of Jesus are not to repeat the mistake of the Pharisees in objectifying faith in God and reducing it to external observance.
Disciples are to seize the life (grace) of the Kingdom within them, to work industriously with this great gift so that the life of Jesus at work in them overflows into deeds of loving kindness; so that, becoming one in heart and mind with Christ (as St Paul puts it), the disciple becomes Christ in his/her moment of history - seeing, thinking and acting as Jesus would.
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- pdf Celebrando en Familia - Jesucristo, Rey del Universo(638 KB)
- pdf Celebrando in Casa - Festa di Cristo Re(640 KB)
- pdf Celebrando em familia - Jesu, Rey Do Universo(642 KB)
Chicago Mt Carmel Graduate Laid to Rest After 80 Years
First Lt. Edward T. McGuire, a graduate in 1939 of Mount Carmel High School, the Carmelite school in Chicago, died on Aug. 1, 1943, when his B-24 Liberator bomber went down near Ploiesti, Romania, during Operation Tidal Wave in World War II. His plane was hit by flack and, even with wounded crew members, they pressed on to their bomb targets. To allow the crew to bale out, the pilots increased the plane's altitude. The plane then crashed.
Lt. McGuire was only 22 years old. While his death was presumed when he did not make it back to the Allied base following the operation, his remains were only recovered in 2017, which began a multi-year identification process.
On a recent Saturday, 80 years after his death, Lt. McGuire was laid to rest at Holy Sepulchre Catholic Cemetery, following a memorial mass at Most Holy Redeemer Church. Representatives from the U.S. Department of Defense, police and fire departments, hundreds of community members and dozens of veterans came to pay their respects.
Lt. McGuire is one of 58 Mount Carmel alumni who died while serving in the Second World War.
St. Martin of Tours Celebrated in Rome
The Feast of St. Martin of Tours Celebrated at the Carmelite Church in Rome
Since November 2018, the Carmelite parish of San Martino ai Monti in Rome has celebrated its patron’s feast day in the traditional way.
“In September 2016, I was made pastor of SS. Silvestro and Martino ai Monti parish,” explains Fr. Lucio Zappatore. “Delving into the figure of one of our patron saints, St. Martin, I dicovered his importance on the European level. In particular I discovered the procession in other places of St. Martin on horseback, followed by children with lanterns (recalling the transport of St. Martin's body from Candes, where he had died on November 8, 397, to Tours, the city where he was bishop). And this procession on the feast is the most popular processions in Europe. It was missing here in Rome, so it seemed important to us to establish it here as well.”
This year Bishop Rino Fisichella, the pro-prefect of the Dicastery for Evangelization and the man responsible for organizing the 2025 Jubilee Year, presided. This year’s Mass was extremely crowded; extra chairs provided and then people either sat on the steps of the side altars or stood. This year the 500 lanterns prepared were not enough. In addition to the children from the parish community, children from German schools here in Rome joined in with their own lanterns.
The procession started in the square in front of the church. It moved along to Via Merulana, a large tree covered street that connects the papal basilicas of St. John Lateran and St. Mary Major. At the square in front of St. Mary Major, the procession paused. As a surprise to the participants, the head of the basilica, Archbishop Rolandas Makrickas, invited all the children to climb, with their lanterns, to the central balcony of the basilica's facade to greet St. Martin from above!
“It was a wonderful sight,” said Fr. Zappatore.
The procession then returned to the square in front of San Martino church. There “St. Martin” met a poor man and gave him half of his cloak. This recalls an episode from St. Martin’s life. This was followed with the distribution of St. Martin's cake to the children and chestnuts with new wine to the adults. The families concluded the feast in the nearby Brancaccio Palace. The manager offered complimentary refreshments to the children and their parents.
One of the characteristics of the figure of St. Martin was his concern for the poor and the least among us ("gli scarti" as Pope Francis calls them) so the Carmelite parish community, for many years, has kept this aspect of charity in the forefront: twice a week the parish provides showers and a change of clothes to those living on the street. The parish also distributes food packages and linens to needy families who are referred by the parish Centro d’Ascolto.
The parish is working on establishing a Confraternity of St. Martin to carry out all the charitable activities of the parish. This will be connected to the large family of Confraternities of St. Martin Brotherhoods scattered around Europe.
Prior General Releases Letter to the Carmelite Nuns
On November 21, 2023, the Carmelite prior general, Míceál O’Neill, has released a letter to the Carmelite nuns to commemorate Pro Orantibus Day. In the letter he tells them that “the knowledge that you are there, serving the Lord as contemplative Carmelite sisters, is a source of strength and consolation for us all.”
Fr. Miceal speaks of Carmel as “a place of peace and your life exemplifies that.” He asks that “we unite in prayer and allow God’s peace and God’s desire for peace to fill our hearts and our minds …”
On November 21st the Church celebrates the Memorial of the Presentation of the Virgin Mary in the Temple. Pro Orantibus Day was instituted by Pope Pius XII on November 21, 1953, as a day for all the faithful to thank God for the gift of the enclosed religious life who promote the edification of the Kingdom of God with unceasing prayer day and night.
Carmelite Bishop Named to New Diocese in Brazil
Carmelite Bishop Francisco de Sales Named to New Diocese in Brazil
According to the Saturday Bulletin of the Press Office of the Holy See, Bishop Francisco de Sales Alencar Batista, O. Carm., has been nominated as the bishop of the diocese of Mossoró in Brasil. Bishop Sales was until now bishop of the diocese of Cajazeiras in Brasil.
Sales studied at the Milltown Institute of Theology and Philosophy in Ireland and received a licentiate in spiritual theology from the Teresianum in Rome. He served as general secretary of the Order during a portion of the generalate of Fernando Millán. He was named bishop of Cajazeiras in June 2016 and was ordained bishop the following August.
The Diocese of Mossoró was created in July 1934. It has had six bishops before Sales. It covers 7,272 square miles/18,832 km2 and as of 2004 had a total population of 825,000, of which 793,000 (96.1%) are Catholic.
The Order congratulates Bishop Sales on his new appointment and assure him and his new diocese of the prayers of the Carmelite Family.
Causa Nostrae Laetitiae
PROFESSIO SOLEMNIS
27-09-23 Maria Jeanette Candelaria Malapit (SIG) Tarlac, Philippines
ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
08-09-23 Everton Ramos Cláudio (Pern) Petrolina, Brasil
31-10-23 Novaldus Adventus Wero Gedho (Indo-Est) Maumere, Indonesia
31-10-23 Yulius Dala Pede (Indo-Est) Maumere, Indonesia
31-10-23 Inosensius Sumbi Sola (Indo-Est) Maumere, Indonesia
14-11-23 Flor Vincent Toac (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines
14-11-23 Eduardo Adolfo, Jr. (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines
Celebrating At Home - 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time
Growing the Kingdom
(Matthew 25:14-30)
Continuing the theme of last week’s parable about the wise and the foolish women, this parable also concentrates on wisdom. The wise servants fulfil the bond of trust placed in them by the master by are being productive with an enormous amount of money entrusted to them. Like the perfect wife in the first reading, they are industrious in contrast to the third servant who uses fear as an excuse for doing nothing.
Like last Sunday, today’s Gospel is another ‘meantime’ parable - how do we live as disciples of Christ in the meantime as we wait for his return?
The master entrusts his property to his servants and goes away. On his return, he asks for an accounting of what they have done with his property. The servants who have been industrious and productive are praised.
Christ has entrusted us with the Kingdom of God.
We are called to work industriously and productively with the Spirit so that the Kingdom, the Reign of God’s grace, may be seen and experienced through us, and that others also may come to believe. The Kingdom gifts of love, justice, mercy, compassion and forgiveness are multiplied. The Kingdom grows.
Both the first reading and the Gospel today praise busy, energetic people - those who produce much from what has been given to them. In these readings we find an image of how to wait in this ‘in between time’ for the final coming of Christ. The Christian disciple is called to watch and wait, not in a lazy or self-indulgent way, but eagerly doing the work of the Kingdom and producing its fruits of justice, mercy, peace, hope and love as we go about our daily tasks.
It is the ideal of responsible stewardship which is proclaimed in the Gospel. We have been entrusted with the very life of God. What are we doing/will we do with it?
- pdf Celebrating At Home - 33th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF](2.81 MB)
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- Celebrando en Familia - 33 Domingo del Tiempo Ordinario
- Celebrando in Casa - 33 Domenica del Tempo Ordinario
- Celebrando em familia - 33 Domingo do Tempo Comum
Commemoration of All Carmelite Souls
November 15 | Optional Memorial
Gathered together by one and the same love for Christ and reverence for his most beloved Mother, the members of the Carmelite family continue to love one another fraternally, whether they are engaged in the struggle for Christ on this earth, or, their earthly pilgrimage over, they await the glorious vision of the Lord.
Therefore, the entire Order, united in prayer, commends to God's mercy its deceased brothers and sisters affirn that, through the intercession of the Virgin Mary, pledge of sure hope and joy, He may receive them among the glorious choirs of saints.
All Carmelite Saints
14 November Feast
"Like the prophet Elijah, all the Saints of Carmel have been shaped through a school of spiritual fire. They also intimated the example of Mary and made their truest expression in the experience of love and that love makes the history of the Order. They became a hymn of praise to offer to our God."
Celebration of Bl. Mother Maria Teresa Scrilli
13 November Optional Memorial in the Italian Provinces
Some Observations on the Spirituality of Mother Scrilli
From childhood she showed signs of extraordinary piety and, thanks to the positive influence of her teachers, cultivated her spiritual life through assiduous attendance at the sacraments and readings from the lives of the saints, especially St. Mary Magdalena de'Pazzi. Her mother’s lack of love for having a second daughter and her own long serious illness at the age of 15 drew her ever closer to the suffering of Christ and his Cross. Suffering experienced as an act of love made her delve more and more into the mystery of the Cross. “Patire per amore” (To Suffer for Love) was her motto.
In addition to devotion to Christ’s passion and the Eucharist, she had a tender love for Mary whom she considered her “dear mother.”
When she attempted to live as a cloistered nun at the monastery of St Mary Magdalen de’Pazzi, who she had a devotion to as well, she found that God had other plans for her. She and some friends started teaching. But that too did not work out because of the anti-Church attitudes in Florence at the time. Years later, in 1875, they restarted the Istituto di Nostra Signora del Carmelo knowing that this was God’s will.
To her intense activity, Mother Scrilli united a profound and continuous life of prayer. She knew how to harmonize prayer and work, contemplation and action, self-giving to God and service to her brothers and sisters. This became the goal of the Institute.
While she endured many constant physical sufferings, she also endured moral one with a spirit of faith and conformity to Divine Will. Her whole desire, in fact, was to fulfill God’s will. The “fiat” was the constant that accompanied her throughout her life.
Read more on Mother Maria Teresa Scrilli...
To learn more about the life of Mother Maria Teresa and her work and legacy, we suggest reading The Autobiography of Maria Teresa Scrilli, Foundress of the Institute of Our Lady of Mount Carmel published by Edizioni Carmelitane
From: Dizionario Carmelitani, 2008
