#carmelite — Public Fediverse posts

[L]et’s be Carmelites; but in the full sense of the word. It’s the greatest vocation, since Our Divine Master told Mary Magdalene: “you have chosen the better part.” The most Holy Virgin was a perfect Carmelite.

Our Lord spent 30 years of His life in retirement and prayer, and only dedicated but three years to evangelizing. In the Most Holy Sacrament, He continues that uninterrupted prayer. In heaven, the occupation of souls will be to adore and to love. Let us begin, then, on earth what we’ll be doing for all eternity!

A Carmelite, as I think of her, is nothing but an adoring victim. Let us be victims, dear Isabel, hosts, but very pure ones. Let us live completely immersed in God.

I’ll tell you what I do: I consider my soul as a heaven where the Most Holy Trinity resides, whom I cannot penetrate nor see, because I consider it as an immense fire, infinite in light. Very close to that fire, I imagine the Most Holy Virgin inundated with light and love. Near the Most Holy Virgin is my Father, Saint Joseph and all the angels and saints, each one with his corresponding place.

And much lower, in the last one, I see myself as a dark point in that halo of light, and there I live, contemplating and adoring that most Perfect One. The task is not to interrupt that praise of glory interiorly.

Although on the outside we are busy, let’s keep silence interiorly; that is to say, let’s permit no thought foreign to that adoration, rejecting even thoughts about our own person, because we might have thoughts about vanity or whatever disturbs us.

Let’s live always in God’s presence, rejecting any thought of creatures. When we must deal with them, let’s see God in them and treat them with deference, considering ourselves as their slaves. Let’s give them first place, sacrificing ourselves for them and sanctifying ourselves through them.

Let us not have, Isabel, any desire but to glorify God by fulfilling His Will at every moment. Let’s think joyfully that at every moment we are fulfilling and adoring that Divine Will. May our deeds be done with the awareness that God will judge them. And so we will do them perfectly.

And we’ll do everything as you reminded me: for love. And ever with the intention of fulfilling God’s will rather than pleasing people. We’ll need mortification of the flesh in order to live in continuous prayer, otherwise, if we are taken up with our comfort, we’ll fail to take care of our soul.

But since we’re not permitted much penance, let’s try to mortify our senses, so that, when we want to look at something to satisfy our curiosity, let’s try not to do it. The same with the other senses, particularly taste: not eating anything impulsively. Whenever we eat, we mustn’t do it for pleasure and to indulge in what pleases us. Let’s eat our food quickly, without savoring or lingering over it so that we can temper our appetite. As for bodily functions let us do everything simply, since it is necessary for life.

Let’s humble ourselves, seeing our lowliness, and let’s raise our spirit to God. May we always live joyfully. God is infinite joy.

Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

Letter 101 to Elisa Valdes Ossa
14 May 1919

Griffin, M D & Teresa of the Andes, S 2023, The Letters of Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: Detail from the last photo taken of St. Teresa of the Andes, where she is embroidering a purificator. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/05/13/andes-infinitejoy/

#adoration #Carmelite #contemplation #DivineWill #HolyTrinity #love #mortification #prayer #presenceOfGod #selfDenial #silence #StJoseph #StTeresaOfTheAndes #vocation

Novena to St. John of the Cross, Day 9: All things are forgotten

Scripture

Lord, I have given up my pride
and turned away from my arrogance.
I am not concerned with great matters
or with subjects too difficult for me.
Instead, I am content and at peace.
As a child lies quietly in its mother’s arms,
so my heart is quiet within me.
Israel, trust in the Lord
now and forever!
(Psalm 131)

Reading

The soul is incapable of truly acquiring control of the passions and restriction of the inordinate appetites without forgetting and withdrawing from the sources of these emotions. Disturbances never arise in a soul unless through the apprehensions of the memory. When all things are forgotten, nothing disturbs the peace or stirs the appetites. As the saying goes: What the eye doesn’t see, the heart doesn’t want.

The Ascent of Mount Carmel: Book Three, Chapter 5

Prayer

O St. John of the Cross
You were endowed by our Lord with the spirit of self-denial
and a love of the cross.
Obtain for us the grace to follow your example
that we may come to the eternal vision of the glory of God.

O Saint of Christ’s redeeming cross
the road of life is dark and long.
Teach us always to be resigned to God’s holy will
in all the circumstances of our lives
and grant us the special favor
which we now ask of thee.

Mention your request

Above all, obtain for us the grace of final perseverance,
a holy and happy death and everlasting life with you
and all the saints in heaven.
Amen.

Let’s continue in prayer…

• Day 1 — What profit is there?
• Day 2 — An open wound
• Day 3 — Your heart in peace
• Day 4 — An imitation of his life
• Day 5 — Supreme goodness
• Day 6 — Guided through the dark night
• Day 7 — Surrender
• Day 8 — Inspired with love
• Day 9 — All things are forgotten

We are grateful to Professor Michael Ogunu, O.C.D.S., of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Nigeria for sharing this novena.

All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.

Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Joseph.

Let us unite in prayer

#appetites #ascentOfMountCarmel #ascesis #carmel #carmelitas #carmelitasDescalzas #carmelitasDescalzos #carmelite #carmeliteHabit #carmelitePropers #carmelo #discalcedCarmelite #emotions #forgetfulness #memory #mountCarmel #novena #passions #peace #purification #sanJuanDeLaCruz #secularCarmelites #selfControl #selfDenial #selfEmptying #selfForgetful #selfGiving #soul #stJohnOfTheCross #withdrawing