Does God listen?
(Luke 17:5-10)

“Are you listening, God?” That’s the cry of the prophet Habakkuk in the first reading for this Sunday.

Everyone can resonate with the Habakkuk’s feelings of frustration and anger at the appalling injustice he witnesses. ‘Why is God so slow to act?’, he complains.

God’s response to Habakkuk is a call to greater trust and faithfulness. God will answer, but not, perhaps, as quickly, or in the manner, Habakkuk would like.

The idea of faithfulness links the first reading with the today’s Gospel and the apostles asking Jesus to increase their faith.

What disciples on the ‘way of Jesus’ need more than anything is a deepening faith in the God of Jesus Christ who can and will rescue them from opposition and other destructive forces.

Jesus says that even a small amount of faith can bring about quite unexpected and seemingly impossible things - like uprooting a mulberry tree and planting it in the sea!

Essential to the faithful following of Jesus is letting go of the ego needs for power, wealth and position and living a life of faith in God and faithful following of Jesus which is expressed in true ministry to others.

Faithful disciples work diligently as servants of the Kingdom, not for rewards and honours, but keenly aware of God free graciousness to them and the need to extend that graciousness to others.

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On September 21, 2022, the Feast of St. Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist, the Carmelite community of the Monastery of St. Peter in Osuna, Seville (Spain) convened for its triennial elections. The elections were presided over by the Vicar for Consecrated Life of the Archdiocese of Seville, D. José Ángel Martín Domínguez and with the presence of the President of the Federation Mater et Decor Carmeli as co-visitor, Sister Mª Dolores Domínguez Pérez.

The results of the elective chapter were as follows:

Prioress | Priora | Priora:
Sr. Mª DEL CARMEN DONADO SEVILLA, O. Carm.

1st Councilor | 1ª Consejera | 1ª Consigliera:
Sr. SONIA SEVILLA ORTIZ, O. Carm.

2nd Councilor | 2ª Consejera  | 2ª Consigliera: 
Sr. CAROLINA ZAMORA BRAVO, O. Carm.

Director of Novices | Maestra de Novicias | Maestra delle Novizie:
Sr. CAROLINA ZAMORA BRAVO, O. Carm.

Treasurer | Ecónoma | Economa: 
Sr. SONIA SEVILLA ORTIZ, O. Carm.

Sacristan | Sacristán | Sacrestana:
Sr. VIVIANA Mª ESPITIA MEJÍA, O. Carm.

Fortunes reversed
(Luke 16:19-31)

The story Jesus tells in the Gospel is about a rich man, his five brothers and a poor man, and how their fortunes get reversed.
The rich man does nothing particularly evil. He lives like a rich man, dresses like a rich man and dines like a rich man. But he does not see the poor man sitting at his door. He does not even notice him.
The story is told against the background belief that riches were a sign of God’s blessing. By the time of Jesus, the teaching of the prophets that blessing brings responsibility seems to have been forgotten.
So the story asks the hearers: will they follow the example of the rich man or heed Jesus’ teaching (and that of the prophets) about the care of the needy and prove themselves true children of Abraham and take their place at the eternal banquet?
Injustice and greed breed violence and often result in the exploitation of the poor. As Pope Paul VI once said, “If you want peace, work for justice”.
We are not called to hoard God’s blessings, but to be distributors of them so that all have a fair share of this world’s goods and can live with dignity and respect.

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The General Congregation of the Order began on Monday, September 5 at the Villa Aurelia, a retreat/conference center near the Vatican. The theme of this year’s meeting is Gift and Mission: The Radical Witness of Consecrated Carmelites in the World of Today. “By This Everyone Will Know that You Are My Disciples” (Jn 13: 35).

Before the start of the meeting, the prior general, Fr. Míceál O’Neill, expressed his hope for the two-week gathering. “My principal interest is for this to be a kind of extended general council in which we get a chance to share leadership, information, and responsibility with those who are leaders in the various provinces.”

The congregation concluded with a message to the Carmelite Family, which we include here. This message was discussed and approved by the members of the Congregation in its final days.

Read pdf here (107 KB) the Final Message of the General Congregation to the Carmelite Family

The first ever conference devoted to John of St. Samson (1571-1636), author of abundant spiritual and mystical works, will be held September 28-October 1, at the Auditorium Paul Ricoeur of the Archives départementales d’Ille-et-Vilaine. Its organization is the fruit of joint efforts between the Archives, the Université Rennes 2/Tempora, Cellam, the Maltese Carmelite Institute (CIM), the University of Malta (UOM), TBI/Radboud University and the CEHS Grands Carmes and is sponsored by Le Departement Ille & Vilaine, Metropole Rennes, Région Bretagne, UOM, CIM and CEHS.

The colloquium is intended to be a genuine rediscovery of John St-Samson as Carmelite, mystic, and poet. The conference will bring together specialists of the spiritual literature of the 17th century and historians of Catholicism in the modern period, both French and from other countries including Belgium, the Netherlands, Italy, Portugal, and Malta.

The publishing house of the Carmelite Order, Edizioni Carmelitane, is planning a modern edition of the Complete Works, with four of eleven planned volumes completed.

The conference will be held at the Archive of Ille-et-Vilaine, which preserves an exceptional collection of St. Samson’s manuscripts. The first session will be devoted to a presentation of the collection and challenges with the edition. The volumes published in the 17th century, twenty years after John's death, were sometimes very different from the manuscripts preserved at the Archive. The latter are not autographs, because Jean de Saint-Samson was visually impaired and dictated his teachings. The manuscripts in Rennes are the most complete. All the speakers at the colloquium had access to digital copies and working transcriptions.

A second session will attempt to appreciate the historical role of Jean de Saint-Samson. Originally from Sens in Burgundy, Jean Du Moulin came to Paris in 1597 and was admitted to the Carmelite priory of Dol-de-Bretagne in 1606 and took his religious name there. Although a "lay brother,” he acquired a strong influence over the novices and, in 1612, was called to Rennes by the prior. From then on, historians consider him to be the "spiritual master" of the Touraine Reform Movement, a reforming current of which Rennes was the focus.

The focus will then shift to St. Samson’s writings to consider their reception and his influence. A central point is the link of Jean de Saint-Samson's spirituality to the "abstract" mysticism of Rheno-Flemish origin. The theme of love in his writings, the best-known today being the Epithalamium, will be addressed.

The poetry of Jean de Saint-Samson, almost entirely unpublished, will be a volume in itself in the current edition of the Complete Works. The poetry will also receive a full day of examination at the colloquium.

PROFESSIO TEMPORANEA
27-07-22  Nelson Anciano Jr. (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Johny Rebosquillo (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Sanny Gie Calacar (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Alvin Evangelista (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Lolito Noja Jr. (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Sunday Buling(Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-08-22  Patrick (Louis-Marie) Mingard (Gal) Nantes, France
03-09-22  Anderson Bruno Nana Barh (Baet-BF) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Fernand Yameogo Arzouma (Baet-BF) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Éric Bahati Kodjo (Ita-Congo) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Bertrand Gang On (Ger-Cam) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Alphonse Marie Deligiri Engal III (Ger-Cam) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Benjamin Yutcha Tedonang Yemele (Ger-Cam) Efoulan, Cameroon
03-09-22  Achille Ango (Ger-Cam) Efoulan, Cameroon
08-09-22  Mary Veronica Katei of the Holy Spirit (MAC) Machakos, Kenya
08-09-22  Mary Virginia Ndungwa of Sacred Heart of Jesus (MAC) Machakos, Kenya
11-09-22  Laurentiu Francu (Ita) Albano Laziale, Italia
11-09-22  Marco Figuccio (Ita) Albano Laziale, Italia


PROFESSIO SOLEMNIS
27-07-22  Mechael Tateng Jr. (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Romualdo Delos Reyes Jr. (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Rolando Mamites (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Alexander Martinez (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Michel San Juan (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Adrian Vergel Ballares (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Petronilo Flores (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Dave Malinao (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
27-07-22  Jaynor Mike Gomez (Phil) Quezon City, Philippines 
20-08-22  AnaMihaela del Santissimo Sacramento (CAR) Lucani, Romania
03-09-22  Miriam Therese Albeza (BUR) Burgos, Philippines


ORDINATIO SACERDOTALIS
03-09-22  Paolo Guerrini (Ita) Pisa, Italia

On August 12-14, the Carmelite Family of Peru gathered at Villa Carmelitas to celebrate the XI Meeting of the Carmelite Family.

After two years of not meeting due to the Covid 19 pandemic, the members came together again and celebrated as family. The gathering was marked by pain and sadness from what was experienced together during the pandemic. For the 2022 celebration, it was decided to reflect on the experience of God in everyday life.

The main theme of our reflection was: Holiness in Daily Life Following the Example of St. Titus Brandsma. Member of the Carmelite Family gathered from all parts of Peru and beyond: lay people, religious, students in formation, novices, lay people from Bolivia, “the whole family gathered with our eyes fixed on Jesus.”

“We gave thanks to God because the Villa Carmelita retreat center had become the place where we could recreate our experiences of God, or as someone said, it became our little Mount Carmel.  We also give thanks for these spaces of fraternity because they reinforced our identity as Carmelites.” Luis Maza, general councilor for the Americas, and Enrique Laguna, director of the Centro de Espiritualidad Carmelita San Juan de la Cruz in Lima, Peru, facilitated the meeting. “They helped us to understand what it means to be saints in the challenges of daily life. We thank the whole team for the preparation of the meeting.”

Investing in the future
(Luke 16:1-13)

When bad things happen to us we are apt to spend a great deal of time being angry at what has taken place – especially if we feel that what has happened is unjust, unfair or unreasonable.

Today’s Gospel episode is often called the ‘Parable of the Unjust Steward’. But perhaps he is the one who is being treated unjustly. After all, the Master hears a rumour that the steward has been ‘wasteful with his property’. Without conducting an investigation to find out if the rumour is true, the Master decides to dismiss the steward.

The steward spends only a little time trying to decide what he will do once he loses his job. Knowing he is too weak to dig and too ashamed to beg, he sets about altering the contracts of sale for his masters’ debtors.

Is the steward stealing from the Master? No. In the ancient world such stewards were not directly paid by the master. Their ‘wage’ came from the commissions they added to bills of sale. So the steward is giving up his commission for the sake of his long-term future; to build goodwill among the debtors that they might return the favour in the steward’s coming hour of need.

For astutely investing in his future the steward is praised by the Master. Jesus uses this allusion to advise the disciples that they, too, should invest in their future through the sharing of all that they have.

The term mammon refers not only to money, but to all that a person has. The disciples, says Jesus, should be prepared to give away all that they have to the poor so that when the kingdom comes, in which the poor have the privileged places, the disciples will be welcomed into the ‘tents of eternity’.

The final sayings of this Gospel presuppose that Christian life is a stewardship in which the wealth that one handles is wealth God wishes the whole world to share, not one’s personal possession. Disciples must choose wisely and act decisively. When it comes to wealth, they must choose between the interests of God and their own self-interest.

If disciples do not share possessions, they will not be entrusted with the true riches of the kingdom. If they do share possessions, which are on loan from God, they will be given the treasure of heaven as their own. The disciples must give exclusive loyalty to God or succumb to the enslavement of mammon.

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17 September Feast

There are very few facts known about the birth of Albert. The first biographical data comes from the Canons of Mortara. Albert entered into this order around 1170. Around 1180 Albert began developing connections with the pope and the Roman curia. Between 1181 and 1183 he undertook two missions at the behest of Alexander III and Lucio III. The following year he was nominated bishop.

He was bishop of Vercelli for 20 years but continued to be involved in diplomatic activity on behalf of the popes. Some of his work was settling conflict between people or cities. But he was also very active in the area of legislation and organizational structure. He would ultimately provide these gifts in service to the hermits on Mount Carmel.

In 1204 the Canons of the Holy Sepulchre elected Albert as patriarch of Jerusalem. Pope Innocent III added the responsibilities. Of papal legate for the Holy Land and Middle East. Albert arrived in Palestine in 1206, residing at Acre since Jerusalem was occupied by the Saracens. Here too Albert became the mediator of various disputes. In fact, this role as mediator has led some to conclude that Albert became involved with the hermits on Mount Carmel because of a dispute among the members.

When exactly Albert wrote his formula vitae for the hermits is open for discussion. This document was addressed to someone named “B” which later traditions named “Brocard.” Albert becomes referred to in the Carmelite Order as “the lawgiver” for his development of a rather short document outlining the life of the hermits on Mount Carmel. Albert’s formula vitae which will eventually become the Rule of the Order.

By the 16^th century Albert’s feast was celebrated on April 8. Later it was customary to celebrate his feast on September 17. There were attempts to have Albert proclaimed as a martyr but the Order continues to celebrate him as “bishop and legislator of our Order.”

Read more here

Watch here the Reflections on St. Albert of Jerusalem with Br. Patrick Mullins O. Carm.

Watch here the Interview with Br. Patrick Mullins O. Carm, an expert on St. Albert.

List of Books From Edizioni Carmelitane on St. Albert of Jerusalem.

La Regola del Carmelo: Origine, Natura, Significato – Seconda Edizione. Carlo Cicconetti, O. Carm. 

A cornerstone of formation for members of the entire Carmelite Family today as in the past is the Rule.

Alberto Patriarca di Gerusalemme. Tempo – Vita – Opera. Vincenzo Mosca, O. Carm. 

The book opens with a broad sweep covering the historical and religious environment of the eleventh to thirteenth centuries.

The Life of St Albert of Jerusalem – A Documentary Biography – Part 1. Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

English. 2016. 604 pages. Euro 45.00.

The large number of extant documents concerning the early thirteenth-century Latin Patriarch of Jerusalem, Albert degli Avogadri (c. 1150-1214), demonstrate both his impact on his times and the ways in which his life was shaped by his historical circumstances. Divided into two volumes, each of twelve chapters.

The Life of St Albert of Jerusalem – A Documentary Biography – Part 2. Patrick Mullins, O. Carm.

These and more books can be purchased directly from Edizioni Carmelitane or from other webstores around the world.

Click here to access these and other many fine publications at Edizioni Carmelitane.

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