#presence-of-god — Public Fediverse posts
Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #presence-of-god, aggregated by home.social.
-
Quote of the day, 30 May: St. Teresa of Avila
What I tried to explain in the previous chapters—although I digressed a great deal in speaking of other things since mentioning them seemed to me very necessary—was the work we can do through our own efforts and how in obtaining this initial devotion we can help ourselves in some way.
For in thinking about and carefully examining what the Lord suffered for us, we are moved to compassion; and this sorrow and the resulting tears bring delight. In thinking about the glory we hope for, the love the Lord bore us, and His resurrection, we are moved to a joy that is neither entirely spiritual nor entirely of the senses.
But the joy is virtuous and the sorrow very meritorious. Virtue and merit are found in all the things that cause the devotion acquired partly by the intellect, even though this devotion could not be merited or obtained if God did not give it.
The soul can place itself in the presence of Christ and grow accustomed to being inflamed with love for His sacred humanity. It can keep Him ever-present and speak with Him, asking for its needs and complaining of its labors, being glad with Him in its enjoyments and not forgetting Him because of them, trying to speak to Him, not through written prayers but with words that conform to its desires and needs.
This is an excellent way of making progress and in a very short time. I consider that soul advanced who strives to remain in this precious company and to profit very much by it, and who truly comes to love this Lord to whom we owe so much.
As a result, we shouldn’t care at all about not having devotion—as I have said—but we ought to thank the Lord who allows us to be desirous of pleasing Him, even though our works may be weak.
This method of keeping Christ present with us is beneficial in all stages and is a very safe means of advancing in the first degree of prayer, of reaching in a short time the second degree, and of walking secure against the dangers the devil can set up in the last degrees.
Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do.
Saint Teresa of Avila
The Book of Her Life, Chapter 12
Note: Saint Teresa’s counsel corresponds beautifully to the Rosary, which teaches the soul to keep Christ present by contemplating the mysteries of his sacred humanity with the Blessed Virgin Mary. In the Rosary, sorrow becomes compassion, joy becomes hope, and even dry prayer remains a faithful effort to remain in the precious company of the Lord.
Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Photographer Christopher Riggs captured this image of a woman praying the Holy Rosary. Image credit: xopheriggs / Unsplash (Stock photo)
#mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod #Rosary #sacredHumanity #StTeresaOfAvila -
Quote of the day, 1 May: Père Jacques
Mary spent delightful months of divine friendship while she was carrying Jesus. But we too, my brothers, carry God within us; we too are certain to possess within us the living God, so long as our souls remain in a state of grace.
Oh! my brothers, if this mystery could appear before your eyes. If your gaze were one day to grasp the presence of God in the most intimate depth of your hearts, how your life would be changed—what a transformation in your whole being!
Let us, then, resolve to develop within ourselves the habit of thinking of the presence of God. We are God-bearers; the good God lives in us.
Oh! from time to time, in the course of our days, may our souls recollect themselves for a moment—just a few seconds perhaps. Let us close our eyes. Let us descend within ourselves. And there, encountering God—the good God—let us look upon Him with a gentle smile. Then, in a kind of holy “madness,” let us lose ourselves in Him in an affectionate embrace.
Oh yes, may each hour of our life bring us a greater intimacy with the divine Guest who rests in our souls. This will be our joy, our consolation; Mary will help us in this and will be our example.
Servant of God Père Jacques de Jésus
Sermon, Marian devotions, 1927
Carmes de Paris. 2014 Carmelite Advent Online Retreat: “Devenir lumière dans la nuit.” Accessed April 29, 2026. https://retraites.carmes-paris.org/meditation-chretienne-en-ligne/avent-2014-avec-le-pere-jacques-de-jesus-devenir-lumiere-dans-la-nuit/
Featured image: Giovanni Battista Salvi da Sassoferrato (Italian, 1609–1685), The Virgin in Prayer (Madonna in preghiera), oil on canvas, c. 1640–1650. This work is held in the collections of the National Gallery, London. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
#PèreJacquesDeJésus #prayer #presenceOfGod #recollection #VirginMary -
Quote of the day, 15 March: Silvio José Báez, ocd
It’s true that God seems to be hidden in the pain, but in reality, he’s present, always working mysteriously for our good, even now.
In the difficult moment that humanity is experiencing, we have to walk with serenity like the blind man in the Gospel of John (9:1-41); we have to face uncertainty without losing our inner peace…
The blind man’s perseverance, walking in the midst of conflict and incomprehensible hostility, teaches us that we recover our sight to the extent that we recognize that we don’t see everything clearly, that we don’t understand everything completely, but we trust in Jesus and resist with the light of faith and the strength of his love.
When we feel tired, anxious, and afraid that this long night won’t end, let’s recognize with serenity that we don’t see clearly—that darkness surrounds us. Jesus came “that those who do not see may see” (Jn 9:39). He wants to sharpen our interior gaze, to cure our blindness, and to give us his light so that we may see more deeply.
During this Lent, we must take time to be silent and pray, to listen to the Word of God, and to pray as a family. It’s time to prostrate ourselves before the Lord and adore him. God may seem to be absent, but right there where he doesn’t even seem to be, he is consoling us and giving us strength, marvelously weaving a plan of life for all of humanity.
God consoles us in our helplessness and pain and gives us the strength of his love so that through everyone’s solidarity and sacrifice we can save ourselves. God is with us— and through Jesus, the light of the world, he sustains us in our littleness and gives us the capacity to see in the darkness, beyond all blindness.
Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Auxiliary Bishop of Managua
Homily for the Fourth Sunday of Lent (excerpts), 22 March 2020Translation from the Spanish text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: Christ Healing the Blind Man, Gioacchino Assereto (Italian, 1600–1649), c. 1640 oil on canvas. Image credit: Carnegie Museum of Art, Pittsburgh (Public domain).
#BishopSilvioJoséBáez #blindness #light #prayer #presenceOfGod -
Quote of the day, 4 February: Blessed Marie-Eugène
The contemplative is an explorer of realms that begin at the outer limits of human understanding and extend into the infinity of God. Having reached God, how could such a soul not also one day discover Mary—the one through whom every divine gift passes? In these mysterious expanses, the contemplative advances by the light of living faith: “The Lord lives, in whose presence I stand” [1 Kgs 17:1].
It is the living presence of God that the contemplative seeks; why, then, should that same gaze not also seek the living presence of Mary?
The contemplative discovery of the Blessed Virgin closely resembles the contemplative discovery of God Himself. It is of the same nature and unfolds under the same conditions. Both rest upon a presence within the soul of the living realities they are called to encounter.
God is present within us because He continually sustains our existence by His action and because He communicates to us grace, a participation in His own life. To this active and sustaining presence is added a new mode of presence brought about by grace itself. By drawing us, as children, into the movement of Trinitarian life, grace enables us to enter into relationship with God and to know Him directly and immediately as an object of knowledge and love. It is for this reason that this new mode of divine presence, created by these relationships, is called an objective presence.
With regard to the Blessed Virgin, we may affirm that there is a certain mode of presence, which we deliberately refrain from defining. We leave this task to theologians, so as not to tie truths that transcend all schools of thought to any single theological opinion… Mary could not communicate supernatural riches to us unless she were in real contact with us.
Blessed Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus
Heureuse Celle qui a Cru: Découvrir Marie (1943)
de l’Enfant-Jésus, M 2017, Heureuse Celle qui a Cru, edited by Institut Notre-Dame de Vie, Éditions du Carmel, Toulouse.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: Detail from Madonna and Child, an undated oil on wood painting attributed to Bernardino Luini. Image credit: Smithsonian American Art Museum (Public domain).
#BlessedMarieEugeneOfTheChildJesus #BlessedVirginMary #grace #presenceOfGod #relationship
-
Immersed in the River of Sinful Humanity — Silvio José Báez, ocd
Today’s Gospel shows Jesus coming from Nazareth to the River Jordan to be baptized by John (cf. Mk 1:9). The account does not so much describe the external rite of baptism as it does Jesus’s interior experience—an experience that would be decisive for his future messianic ministry.
As the Messiah, we might expect a glorious appearance and a display of power. Instead, Jesus arrives as one among many, without signs of superiority. He blends into the crowd gathered around John and takes his place in line among those who were confessing their sins. He begins his public life not with a solemn proclamation or a surprising miracle, but by drawing near to sinners and placing himself among them without any display of sanctity. Before being immersed in the waters of the Jordan, Jesus immerses himself in the river of sinful humanity.
The Messiah is the leader par excellence, the leader sent by God who leads us to salvation. Jesus the Messiah shows that authentic leadership is marked by humility and closeness to the people. The true leader doesn’t seek prominence or personal gain; he places the good of others first and shares the burdens of the people. He listens, accompanies, and brings the poorest and those who suffer most to the forefront.
Baptism was a rite of purification and conversion very common at the time: those who immersed themselves in the water expressed their decision to abandon sin and begin a new life. Jesus, “the Holy One of God” (Mk 1:24), who “knew no sin” (cf. 2 Cor 5:21), accepts being baptized in the midst of the people because “God does not look at the world from afar” (Leo XIV, Angelus, 11 January 2026). The Son of God does not come from outside to purify or punish at a distance; he identifies with the human condition and immerses himself in it.
John the Baptist resists baptizing him, affirming that he himself would rather need to be baptized by Jesus (cf. Mt 3:14). Jesus responds: “Do what I tell you, for it is necessary that in this way we fulfill all righteousness” (Mt 3:15). God’s design must be fulfilled: his plan of love for humanity is not to condemn sinners, but to make himself present in human weakness and to rescue human beings from within. In Jesus, God lowers himself to wounded humanity in order to save us.
Jesus made heaven present on earth; his joy was to spread the closeness and compassion of God.
For Jesus, baptism in the Jordan was not a purification from personal fault, but the beginning of his messianic mission on behalf of humanity in need of salvation. That is why, as he came up out of the water, “he saw the heavens being torn open” (Mt 3:16). There is no longer any distance between God and humanity. Jesus made heaven present on earth; his joy was to spread the closeness and compassion of God. However dark the days may be, heaven will always remain open to us, and the provident gaze of the Father will never be withdrawn. Nothing will be able to separate us from the love of God (cf. Rom 8:39).
Then Jesus saw the Spirit of God descending like a dove and coming upon him (Mt 3:16). The Spirit is the breath of God that sustains our fragile life, his power that renews and transforms us, his loving energy that heals us and fills us with good things. From that moment on, it will be the Spirit of God who leads Jesus along the roads and villages of Galilee. Jesus will not improvise; he will not allow himself to be swayed; he will not be driven by any passing interest. Jesus will always act moved by the Spirit. He is the “beloved Son” of God, in whom the Spirit dwells as in a temple.
Anointed by the power of the Holy Spirit, we heard in today’s second reading that Jesus “went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil, for God was with him” (Acts 10:38). We have received this same Spirit in our baptism: he has freed us from sin, made us children of God, and guides our lives in imitation of Jesus.
Heather Mount / UnsplashIn a world polarized and blinded by ideologies, today more than ever we need to be guided by the Spirit. Ideologies offer absolute answers that narrow our vision: they simplify and label people, reinforce prejudices, fuel fanaticism, and often protect the interests of those in power, disguised as the common good. Blinded by them, we risk offering easy remedies to complex problems, forgetting mercy, and ignoring or despising those who are different—the weaker ones, migrants, and the poor.
Unlike ideologies, the Spirit disposes us to seek the truth with humility, opens our eyes to see the dignity of each person, enables discernment of the common good, and gives us the courage to denounce unjust structures that divide the world and oppress the peoples. Guided by the Spirit, we will know how to listen; we will have compassionate eyes, a heart ready to accompany others, and words not only to console but also to denounce, always seeking justice and peace.
Finally, after the Spirit descended upon Jesus, a voice was heard from heaven: “This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased” (Mt 3:17). God says the same of each one of us: “This is my beloved son, my beloved daughter, with whom I am well pleased.” Let’s live with the awareness that the heavens are opened over each one of us like an embrace and a breath of life. Let’s listen each day to the consoling voice of the Father who whispers to our hearts: son, daughter, you are my love, my joy. We will live with greater serenity and fewer fears; we will become more human and joyful.
Thanks to Jesus, we too are sons and daughters of God, precious in his eyes. We are a temple of the Spirit; let’s allow him to lead us. Heaven is open and will never be closed. Let’s not extinguish the joy of living God’s own life and of carrying within us the strength and the light of his infinite love.
Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Auxiliary Bishop of Managua
Homily for the Baptism of the Lord, 11 January 2026Translation from the Spanish text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: The Bruneau River is a tributary of the Snake River that flows through the U.S. states of Idaho and Nevada. Photographer Bob Wick captured this stunning image of the river as is flows through the Bruneau-Jarbidge Wild and Scenic River system in southern Idaho. Image credit: Bob Wick, Bureau of Land Management / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
#BaptismOfTheLord #BishopSilvioJoséBáez #guidance #HolySpirit #presenceOfGod
-
Standing in His Light (Christian Music) = Lift your voice 💫 with this new Christian melody! - #God #Jesus #TheLord #Praise #ChristianMusic #Bible #Music #Song #Prayer #Faith #Light #Guidance #ChristianYouth #SpiritualJourney #TrustingGod #PresenceOfGod #JoyInFaith #HopeInChrist #GodsLove #ChristianWorship #GodsPromises #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLife #HolySpirit #StrongFoundation #BlessedAssurance #SeekingTruth #GodsCreation #InnerPeace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
-
Standing in His Light (Christian Music) = Lift your voice 💫 with this new Christian melody! - #God #Jesus #TheLord #Praise #ChristianMusic #Bible #Music #Song #Prayer #Faith #Light #Guidance #ChristianYouth #SpiritualJourney #TrustingGod #PresenceOfGod #JoyInFaith #HopeInChrist #GodsLove #ChristianWorship #GodsPromises #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLife #HolySpirit #StrongFoundation #BlessedAssurance #SeekingTruth #GodsCreation #InnerPeace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
-
Standing in His Light (Christian Music) = Lift your voice 💫 with this new Christian melody! - #God #Jesus #TheLord #Praise #ChristianMusic #Bible #Music #Song #Prayer #Faith #Light #Guidance #ChristianYouth #SpiritualJourney #TrustingGod #PresenceOfGod #JoyInFaith #HopeInChrist #GodsLove #ChristianWorship #GodsPromises #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLife #HolySpirit #StrongFoundation #BlessedAssurance #SeekingTruth #GodsCreation #InnerPeace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
-
Standing in His Light (Christian Music) = Lift your voice 💫 with this new Christian melody! - #God #Jesus #TheLord #Praise #ChristianMusic #Bible #Music #Song #Prayer #Faith #Light #Guidance #ChristianYouth #SpiritualJourney #TrustingGod #PresenceOfGod #JoyInFaith #HopeInChrist #GodsLove #ChristianWorship #GodsPromises #SpiritualGrowth #ChristianLife #HolySpirit #StrongFoundation #BlessedAssurance #SeekingTruth #GodsCreation #InnerPeace - https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=
-
Quote of the day, 3 September: Brother Lawrence
Means to acquire the presence of God:
It would be appropriate for beginners to formulate a few words interiorly, such as: My God, I am completely yours, or God of love, I love you with all my heart, or Lord, fashion me according to your heart, or any other words love spontaneously produces.
But they must take care that their minds do not wander or return to creatures. The mind must be kept fixed on God alone, so that seeing itself so moved and led by the will, it will be obliged to remain with God.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.
Spiritual Maxims, 30
Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God, translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Photographer Marko Vombergar captured this image of a pilgrim to Argentina’s 2016 National Eucharistic Congress in Tucumán. Image credit: Marko Vombergar for aleteia.org / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #GodAlone #loveForGod #mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod
-
Quote of the day, 14 August: Brother Lawrence
The [practice of the] presence of God is an application of our mind to God, or a remembrance of God present, that can be brought about by either the imagination or the understanding.
I know someone who, for forty years [Brother Lawrence is speaking of himself], has been practicing an intellectual presence of God to which he gives several other names. Sometimes he calls it a “simple act,” a “clear and distinct knowledge of God,” an “indistinct view,” or a “general and loving awareness of God.” Other times he names it “attention to God” “silent conversation with God,” “trust in God,” or “the soul’s life and peace.”
This person told me that all these forms of God’s presence are nothing but synonyms for the same thing, and that it is at present second nature to him. Here is how:
This person says that the habit is formed by the repetition of acts and by frequently bringing the mind back into God’s presence. He says that as soon as he is free from his occupations, and often even when he is most taken up by them, the recesses of his mind [esprit] or the innermost depths of his soul are raised with no effort on his part and remain suspended and fixed in God, above all things, as in its center and resting place.
Since he is generally aware that his mind, thus held in suspension, is accompanied by faith, he is satisfied. This is what he calls “actual presence of God,” which includes all the other types of presence and much more besides, so that he now lives as if only he and God were in the world. He converses with God everywhere, asks him for what he needs, and rejoices continuously with him in countless ways.
It is important, however, to realize that this conversation with God takes place in the depths and center of the soul. It is there that the soul speaks to God heart to heart, and always in a deep and profound peace that the soul enjoys in God.
Everything that takes place outside the soul means no more to it than a lit straw that goes out as soon as it is ignited, and almost never, or very rarely, disturbs its inner peace.
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.
Spiritual Maxims, 20–23
Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God, translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Sister Vanesa Guerrero of the Purity of Mary Sisters looks out over the Balearic Sea at Valldemosa, Mallorca. Image credit: Vanesa Guerrero, rpm / Cathopic
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #conversation #habit #interiorLife #presenceOfGod
-
St. Edith Stein Novena 2025, Day 5: We are not ruined
SCRIPTURE READING
Psalm 68:32–35Kingdoms of the earth, sing to God, praise the Lord
who rides on the heavens, the ancient heavens.
He thunders his voice, his mighty voice.
Come, acknowledge the power of God.His glory is on Israel; his might is in the skies.
God is to be feared in his holy place.
He is the Lord, Israel’s God.
He gives strength and power to his people.Blessed be God!
MEDITATION
Three Dialogues: I Am Always in Your MidstGod is
How foolish now this doubt appears to me!
If God’s call sounds within a soul,
When he leads it to our house’s door
And to knock hard—why should we not open
The door wide, our arms and our heart?
If he shows the way, then he also knows
That it is not a wrong track where people suddenly get lost;
No spurious way that ends in desert sands.
That step by step the road will be revealed, I firmly believe.
And in fact what is certain?
Where is “certain fate”? Yes, we see—
And it’s good that we are so confronted—
How around us structures are becoming ruins
That seemed to us to have been raised for eternity.
One thing alone is certain: that God is
And that his hand holds us in being.
Then even if around us the whole world falls to wrack and ruin,
We are not ruined if we hold ourselves to him.PRAYER
Saint Edith Stein,
faith in the holy angels gives me confidence—
confidence to believe, in the midst of all suffering,
in the divine life-force we all share,
which flows through all creation
as the sap flows from the vine into its branches.We do not stand alone
in this fierce struggle between life and death.
“When my enemies press in on me…” (Ps 56:2),
“…then God fights for me.” (Josh 23:10)In this valley of tears,
I lift my eyes in trust to you,
you holy angels and saints:
your task is to pass on that Love
whose “beginning and end is the triune God.”
(Edith Stein, Complete Works)We are held and drawn into this radiant stream
of light and love, of life and truth.
The more we are united with you
through surrender to the divine will,
the more your love becomes our love,
your light our light.If we believe in this communion,
we already walk in the light.Intercede for us,
that we may take part in the restoration of all creation.Here mention your intentions
Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory Be
℣. Saint Edith Stein,
℟. Pray for us.Stein, E. 2014, The Hidden Life: hagiographic essays, meditations, spiritual texts, translated from the German by Stein, W, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
All scripture references are from The Jerusalem Bible Reader’s Edition, copyright © 1966, 1967 and 1968 by Darton, Longman & Todd, Ltd and Doubleday & Company, Inc. as accessed from The Internet Archive 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.
-
Quote of the day, 6 April: St. Edith Stein
“And the word was made flesh.”
This became reality in the stable of Bethlehem. But it has also been fulfilled in another form: “He who eats my flesh and drinks my blood has eternal life.” The Saviour, knowing that we are and remain human—daily struggling with our weakness—aids our humanity in a manner truly divine. Just as our earthly body needs its daily bread, so the divine life in us must be constantly fed: “This is the living bread that came down from heaven.”
If we truly make it our daily bread, the mystery of Christmas—the Incarnation of the Word—will be re-enacted in us each day. And this, it seems, is the surest way to remain in constant union with God and to grow every day more securely and more deeply into the Mystical Body of Christ.
I am well aware that many will think this an exaggerated demand. In practice, it means for most of those who start this habit that they will have to rearrange their outer and inner life completely. But this is just what it is meant to do. Is it really demanding too much to make room in our life for the Eucharistic Saviour, so that He may transform our life into His own?
We have time for so many useless things: we read senseless rubbish in books, periodicals, and newspapers, sit in cafés, and chat for a quarter or half an hour in the street. All these are distractions by which one wastes time and strength. Should it really be impossible to save an hour in the morning in which one is not distracted but recollected—in which one does not spend oneself but gathers strength sufficient to carry one through the whole day?
It is true: more is needed for this than just the one hour. We must live from one such hour to the next in such a way that we are allowed to come again. It is no longer possible to “let ourselves go,” even only for a little while. We cannot escape the judgment of a person with whom we are in daily contact. Even without words, we feel what others think of us. We will try to adapt ourselves to our surroundings, and if this proves impossible, it will be torture to live together.
Thus it is also in daily intercourse with our Lord. We shall become ever more sensitive to what pleases and displeases Him. If before we had been, on the whole, quite satisfied with ourselves, this will now become very different. We shall find much that is bad and change it if possible. And we shall discover many things that we cannot think are satisfactory—and yet are so hard to change.
And so we shall gradually become very small and humble, as well as patient and indulgent with the motes in the eyes of others, because we are busy with the beam in our own. And finally, we shall learn even to bear with ourselves in the light of the divine presence, and to give ourselves up to the divine mercy which can deal with all the difficulties that are too much for our own strength.
It is a long way from the smug self-satisfaction of the “good Catholic” who “does his duties,” reads a “good paper,” etc., but apart from that does what he likes, to a life guided and provided by the hand of God in the simplicity of the child and the humility of the publican. But whoever has walked in this way will no more turn back.
Thus, being a child of God means to become small—and at the same time to become great. Living eucharistically means quite naturally to leave the narrowness of one’s own life and to grow into the breadth of the Christ life. If we seek the Lord in His house, we shall not always occupy Him only with ourselves and our own affairs. We shall begin to be interested in His affairs.
Saint Edith Stein
The Mystery of Christmas: Incarnation and Humanity
Lecture given to Catholic academics, 13 January 1931
Ludwigshafen, GermanyStein, E 1931, The mystery of Christmas: incarnation and humanity, translated from the German by Rucker, J, Darlington Carmel, Darlington UK.
Featured image: Photographer Tim Foster captured this golden hour image of hikers at El Hoyo volcano in Nicaragua. Image credit: Tim Foster / Unsplash (Some rights reserved).
💠 Appreciate these quotes from the Carmelites?
Subscribe for more Carmelite wisdom delivered straight to your inbox.💠 Reflection question:
What might Christ wish to rearrange in your life so you can live more eucharistically?
Share your thoughts in the comments.#Eucharist #faithful #incarnation #little #presenceOfGod #relationship #StEdithStein #transformation
-
St. Joseph Novena 2025, Day 6: If you knew
SCRIPTURE READING
Genesis 28:16“Surely the Lord is in this place—and I did not know it!”
READING
RP 6 6rO woman! If you knew the name of the one who has just come into your cavern! If you knew the Child whom Mary presses to her heart!…
NOVENA PRAYER
Remember, O most pure spouse of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
my great protector, Saint Joseph,
that no one ever had recourse to your protection,
or implored your aid without obtaining relief.
Confiding therefore in your goodness, I come before you.
Do not turn down my petitions, foster father of the Redeemer,
but graciously receive them.(Mention your prayer requests)
Our Father… Hail Mary… Glory Be…
V./ Pray for us, holy Father St. Joseph
R./ That we may become worthy of the promises of Christ.Father,
you entrusted our Savior and his holy Mother
to the care of St. Joseph.
By the help of his prayers
may your Church continue to serve its Lord, Jesus Christ,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Amen.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.
of Lisieux, T 2008, The Plays of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux: “Pious Recreations”, translated from the French by Conroy S and Dwyer D J, ICS Publications, Washington, DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
#HolyName #InfantJesus #inspiration #novena #PiousRecreation #prayer #presenceOfGod #StJoseph #StThereseOfLisieux #VirginMary
-
Quote of the day, 12 February: Brother Lawrence
“Sometimes I think of myself as a piece of stone before a sculptor who desires to carve a statue; presenting myself in this way before God I ask him to fashion his perfect image in my soul, making me entirely like himself.”
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d.
Letter 2 (excerpt)“To consider oneself as a piece of stone before a sculptor who desires to carve a statue.” Could Brother Lawrence’s insight not serve as a guide in our spiritual life? To allow the Holy Spirit to imprint in us the traces of God’s Love and Mercy through the sacraments—especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation—without neglecting the Word of God, which strengthens and sustains us. To accept, like a model standing before the sculptor, the work of God shaping us. A vast undertaking, requiring perseverance, at times even courage, but above all, the willingness to welcome God’s work in our daily lives. The Lord desires the conversion of his children so that they may love and follow him—not in monotonous repetition, but in the beauty of each new day.
This echoes what God revealed to the prophet Jeremiah:
The word that came to Jeremiah from the Lord: “Come, go down to the potter’s house, and there I will let you hear my words.” So I went down to the potter’s house, and there he was working at his wheel. The vessel he was making of clay was spoiled in the potter’s hand, and he reworked it into another vessel, as seemed good to him. Then the word of the Lord came to me: “Can I not do with you, O house of Israel, just as this potter has done? says the Lord. Just like the clay in the potter’s hand, so are you in my hand, O house of Israel” (Jer 18:1–6).
Whether as sculptor or potter, God’s work in each of us follows the same pattern. At every moment, God opens a space of renewal, shaping in us his image. From the very first pages of Scripture, in the Book of Genesis, we see God at work, particularly in the creation of humanity:
“Then the Lord God formed man from the dust of the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and the man became a living being” (Gen 2:7).
Sculpting, molding, shaping—it does not matter which word we use. The reality remains the same: God comes to restore his image in us, an image that time, hardship, or even sin may have distorted. He enters into our daily lives, whatever they may be. Will we hear his call?
With Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, one essential question emerges again and again in the spiritual life: How do we live with God throughout the day? How do we remain in his presence? Our Carmelite brother offers us the answer:
“The holiest, most ordinary, and most necessary practice of the spiritual life is that of the presence of God. It is to take delight in and become accustomed to his divine company, speaking humbly and conversing lovingly with him all the time, at every moment, without rule or measure, especially in times of temptation, suffering, aridity, weariness, even infidelity and sin…. We must continually apply ourselves so that all our actions, without exception, become a kind of brief conversation with God, not in a contrived manner but coming from the purity and simplicity of our hearts.” (Spiritual Maxims 6–7).
The Word of God and the wisdom of Brother Lawrence guide us on this journey. “Let anyone who has an ear listen to what the Spirit is saying to the churches” (Rev 2:7).
This is the ongoing work of the spiritual life: to listen, to surrender, and to allow the Master to work. He comes to renew us. He comes to sculpt his image in us.
Father Didier-Joseph of the Holy Family Caullery, o.c.d.
2018 Carmelite Online Lenten Retreat
Note: Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, o.c.d. died on 12 February 1691, at the Discalced Carmelite convent on the Rue de Vaugirard in Paris. After decades of humble service in the monastery kitchen and as the community’s sandal maker, he was led by the choirs of angels to the presence of God. Though he left no theological treatises, his Letters, Conversations, and Spiritual Maxims continue to inspire countless souls.
Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God, translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Adobe Express creates the following image in Firefly with the following prompt: “A bald, elderly 17th-century French friar with a joyful and serene expression, sitting alone on a simple wooden chair in a dimly lit monastic cell. He wears a well-worn brown habit. Using a wooden lap desk, he writes a letter by candlelight with a quill and parchment. The atmosphere is warm, peaceful, and prayerful. There are no other people in the room.” Image credit: Firefly / Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved)
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #conversation #God #mentalPrayer #presenceOfGod #sculpture #spiritualDirection #statue
-
Quote of the day, 14 January: Brother Lawrence
Reverend and Dear Mother,
I received from Miss N. the rosaries that you gave her. I am surprised you haven’t let me know what you think of the book I sent you. You must have received it. Put it diligently into practice in your later days. Better late than never.
I cannot understand how religious people can remain content without the practice of the presence of God. As for me, I keep myself recollected in him in the depth and center of my soul as much as possible, and when I am thus with him I fear nothing, though the least deviation is hell for me.
This exercise does not hurt the body. It is nonetheless appropriate to deprive it occasionally, and even with some frequency, of some innocent, permissible, little consolations. For God will not permit a soul desirous of being entirely his to find consolation other than with him, and that is more than reasonable!
I do not say we must put ourselves to a great deal of trouble to do this; no, we must serve God in holy freedom. We must work faithfully, without turmoil or anxiety, gently and peacefully bringing our minds back to God as often as we find ourselves distracted.
We must, however, place all our trust in God and let go of all our cares, including a multitude of private devotions, very good in themselves but often carried out for the wrong reason, for these devotions are nothing more than the means to arrive at the end. If, then, we are with the one who is our end by this practice of the presence of God, it is certainly useless to return to the means. We can continue our loving exchange with him, remaining in his holy presence sometimes by an act of adoration, praise, or desire, other times by acts of oblation, thanksgiving, or anything else that our minds can devise.
Do not be discouraged by the repugnance you feel on the side of nature. You must do it violence. In the beginning you may often think you are wasting your time; nonetheless, you must continually resolve to persevere until death in spite of all the difficulties. I commend myself to the prayers of your holy community and to yours in particular and I am in Our Lord,
Yours,
From Paris, November 3, 1685
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection, O.C.D.
Letter 4, to the same nun as Letter 3
Saturday, 3 November 1685Lawrence of the Resurrection, B; De Meester, C 1994, Writings and Conversations on the Practice of the Presence of God, translated from the French by Salvatore Sciurba, OCD, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Photographer Mark Notari captures this image of pots and pans on a stove in a commercial kitchen within a market in Oaxaca, Mexico. Image credit: notarim / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #freedom #innerPeace #prayer #presenceOfGod #recollection #Rosary #selfDenial #trust
-
Quote of the day, 21 December: Père Jacques
The Virgin Mary, especially in the mystery of her visitation to her cousin Elizabeth, is the model for baptized Christians who carry the presence of Christ within them. Mary opens for us the paths of interiority and mission, as [the Servant of God] Père Jacques expressed in this sermon from May 1927, delivered to the faithful during the month of Mary:
“Mary spent delightful months of divine friendship as she carried Jesus. But we too, my friends, carry God within us. We can be certain that we possess the Good God living within us, as long as our souls remain in grace. (…) Oh, my friends, if this mystery could be revealed to your eyes! If your gaze could one day perceive the presence of the Good God in the very depths of your hearts, how your life would change, what a transformation in your entire being! Let us therefore resolve to cultivate the habit of thinking about the presence of God within us. We are bearers of God; the Good God lives in us. Oh, let our souls, from time to time during our days, gather in recollection for a moment—perhaps only a few seconds—to close our eyes, to descend within ourselves, and there, encountering God, the Good God, let us look upon Him with a kind smile and lose ourselves in Him in an affectionate embrace. Oh yes, may each hour of our lives bring us into greater intimacy with the divine guest who dwells within our souls. This will be our joy, our consolation. Mary will help us and will be our example.”
This awareness, so deeply rooted in Père Jacques’ heart, that every faithful baptized person carries Christ within, was present even during his seminary years, before he delved deeply into the teachings of the saints of Carmel. He wrote:
“One always and everywhere carries the Good God within, the Holy Trinity, who dwells in us through grace… Ah, yes, to live thus, within oneself, with the Good God everywhere, always—at the hotel, on the train, on the road, in the countryside, on the street!” (Letter, 14 January 1924).
Jean-Alexandre de Garidel, o.c.d.
Meditation for the Fourth Sunday of Advent (excerpt)
Carmelite Online Advent Retreat, 21 December 2014Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: The Visitation was designed by Raphael (Italian, 1483–1520), who charged 300 scudi. He delegated the execution (c. 1517) of the painting to his assistant Giulio Romano; the landscape was entrusted to Giovanni Francesco Penni. The painting was commissioned by Giovanni Branconio, apostolic protonotary, on behalf of his father, Marino Branconio, for the family chapel in the church of San Silvestro in Aquila. In Marino’s choice of subject, the name of his wife Isabella, and that of his son Giovanni, must have been decisive. It was acquired in 1655 by Philip IV (1605-1665), who deposited it in the Monastery of El Escorial. It entered the Prado Museum in 1837. Image credit: Copyright ©Museo Nacional del Prado (Used by permission)
#grace #HolyTrinity #indwelling #intimacy #PèreJacquesDeJésus #prayer #presenceOfGod #VirginMary #Visitation
-
Quote of the day, 30 November: Anders Arborelius, ocd
To pray is simply to realize and accept God’s presence to us and in us. It’s by no means reserved for those who live tranquil lives in monasteries—if we happen to believe that it’s so tranquil there.
Prayer ought to be the very breath of everyone who follows Jesus and believes in the Most Holy Trinity. We have to be very practical people if we want to live in God’s presence. We have to see His traces everywhere.
Cardinal Anders Arborelius, O.C.D.
Chapter 3, To Remain in the Holy Trinity
Arborelius OCD, A. 2020, Carmelite Spirituality: The Way of Carmelite Prayer and Contemplation, EWTN Publishing, Irondale, Alabama.
Featured image: A fruit vendor pauses to pray in the market in Cali, Colombia. From the photo series Caminando por el Centro de Cali – Serie Completa. Image credit: © Cindy Muñoz / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
#breath #CardinalAndersArborelius #HolyTrinity #love #prayer #presenceOfGod #simplicity
-
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 1:3–8
Blessed be the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ, who has blessed us in Christ with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places, just as he chose us in Christ before the foundation of the world to be holy and blameless before him in love. He destined us for adoption as his children through Jesus Christ, according to the good pleasure of his will, to the praise of his glorious grace that he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved. In him we have redemption through his blood, the forgiveness of our trespasses, according to the riches of his grace that he lavished on us.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 32
This is the measure of the holiness of the children of God: “to be holy as God, to be holy with the holiness of God” [cf. 1 Jn 3:3]; and we do this by living close to Him in the depths of the bottomless abyss “within.” “Then the soul seems in some way to resemble God Who, even though He delights in all things, yet does not delight in them as much as He does in Himself, for He possesses Himself a supereminent good before which all others disappear. Thus all the joys which the soul receives are so many reminders inviting her to enjoy by preference the good she already possesses and to which nothing else can compare” [St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 21:12]. “Our Father who art in Heaven…” [Mt 6:9]. It is in “this little heaven” that He has made in the center of our soul that we must seek Him and above all where we must remain [St. Teresa of Avila, Way of Perfection, 28:5; Spiritual Canticle, 1:6].
Reflection: To Be Holy
We are called to a holiness that mirrors God’s own—a holiness born from remaining close to Him, “in the center of our soul.” St. Elizabeth urges us to seek God within, to rest in that “little heaven” where He dwells in us. What might it mean to practice His presence within us, cherishing it above all else? God invites us to a life of deep communion, where we find a joy that nothing else can match. Today, let’s embrace our call to be holy, grounded in His love.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/06/liznovena24-9/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Philippians 3:8–14
I regard everything as loss because of the surpassing value of knowing Christ Jesus my Lord. For his sake I have suffered the loss of all things, and I regard them as rubbish, in order that I may gain Christ and be found in him, not having a righteousness of my own that comes from the law, but one that comes through faith in Christ, the righteousness from God based on faith. I want to know Christ and the power of his resurrection and the sharing of his sufferings by becoming like him in his death, if somehow I may attain the resurrection from the dead. Not that I have already obtained this or have already reached the goal; but I press on to make it my own, because Christ Jesus has made me his own. Beloved, I do not consider that I have made it my own; but this one thing I do: forgetting what lies behind and straining forward to what lies ahead, I press on toward the goal for the prize of the heavenly call of God in Christ Jesus.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 28
All the intensity of St. Paul’s soul is poured out in these lines. The object of this retreat [or, “novena”] is to make us more like our adored Master and, even more, to become so one with Him that we may say, “I live; no longer I, but He lives in me. And the life that I now live in this body of death, I live in the faith of the Son of God, who loved me and gave Himself up for me” [Gal 2:20]. Oh, let us study this divine Model; His knowledge, the Apostle tells us, is so “excelling” [or, “surpassing”].
Reflection: Christ Has Made Me His Own
St. Paul’s desire to “know Christ” in every sense—His life, death, and resurrection—is echoed by St. Elizabeth’s call to unite ourselves fully with Him. We’re invited to let go of all that doesn’t lead to Him, to press on toward the “surpassing value” of knowing Christ intimately. What attachments could I release to make room for this deeper unity? To be “made one” with Christ is to let His life flow through ours, transforming our every action. Today, let’s keep our gaze on Him, our “divine Model,” drawing closer to His Sacred Heart.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/05/liznovena24-8/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: 2 Corinthians 3:17–18
Now the Lord is the Spirit, and where the Spirit of the Lord is, there is freedom. And all of us, with unveiled faces, seeing the glory of the Lord as though reflected in a mirror, are being transformed into the same image from one degree of glory to another; for this comes from the Lord, the Spirit.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 24–25
“Be holy for I am holy” [1 Pet 1:16, citing Lev 11:44–45]. It is the Lord who speaks. “Whatever may be our way of life or the clothing we wear, each of us must be the holy one of God.” Who then is “the most holy”? “The one who is most loving, who gazes longest on God and who most fully satisfies the desires of His gaze.” How do we satisfy the desires of God’s gaze but by remaining “simply and lovingly” turned towards Him [cf. St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 3:33] so that He may reflect His own image as the sun is reflected through a pure crystal. “Let us make man in our own image and likeness”: such was the great desire in the Heart of our God. The form of the soul is God who must imprint Himself there like the seal on wax, like the stamp on its object. To “realize this ideal” we must “keep recollected within ourselves,” “remain silently in God’s presence,” while the soul immerses itself, expands, becomes enkindled and melts in Him, with an unlimited fullness.
Reflection: Reflecting His Own Image
To be holy is to allow God to leave His mark on us, as a seal imprints itself on wax. St. Elizabeth calls us to be a “pure crystal,” letting God’s image shine through us. Holiness doesn’t depend on our role or appearance; it’s about remaining inwardly turned toward Him. Today, consider: How do I allow God’s love to transform me? What might I let go of to become more transparent to His light? Our call is simply to be open, to let His presence reflect in us from “one degree of glory to another.”
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/04/liznovena24-7/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Colossians 1:24–27
I am now rejoicing in my sufferings for your sake, and in my flesh I am completing what is lacking in Christ’s afflictions for the sake of his body, that is, the church. I became its servant according to God’s commission that was given to me for you, to make the word of God fully known, the mystery that has been hidden throughout the ages and generations but has now been revealed to his saints. To them God chose to make known how great among the Gentiles are the riches of the glory of this mystery, which is Christ in you, the hope of glory.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 20
“We have come to know and to believe in the love God has for us” [1 Jn 4:16]. That is our great act of faith, the way to repay our God love for love; it is “the mystery hidden” in the Father’s heart, of which St. Paul speaks, which, at last, we penetrate and our whole soul thrills! When it can believe in this “exceeding love” which envelops it, we may say of it as was said of Moses, “He was unshakable in faith as if he had seen the Invisible.” It no longer rests in inclinations or feelings; it matters little to the soul whether it feels God or not, whether He sends it joy or suffering: it believes in His love. The more it is tried, the more its faith increases because it passes over all obstacles, as it were, to go rest in the heart of infinite Love who can perform only works of love. So also to this soul, wholly awakened in its faith, the Master’s voice can say in intimate secrecy the words He once addressed to Mary Magdalene: “Go in peace, your faith has saved you.”
Reflection: To Repay God Love for Love
To repay God “love for love” means trusting deeply in His love, especially when we can’t feel it. St. Elizabeth shows us a faith that goes beyond feelings, resting in the assurance that God’s love is constant, even in trials. How might I live today with this unshakable faith, seeing each moment as an invitation to believe in His goodness? God asks only that we meet His infinite love with a heart that trusts—beyond doubt, beyond fear, resting in the mystery of His kindness.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/03/liznovena24-6/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: 1 Corinthians 10:15–17
I speak as to sensible people; judge for yourselves what I say. The cup of blessing that we bless, is it not a sharing in the blood of Christ? The bread that we break, is it not a sharing in the body of Christ? Because there is one bread, we who are many are one body, for we all partake of the one bread.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, no. 18
When we receive Christ “with interior devotion, His blood, full of warmth and glory, flows into our veins and a fire is enkindled in our depths.” “We receive the likeness of His virtues, and He lives in us and we in Him. He gives us His soul with the fullness of grace, by which the soul perseveres in love and praise of the Father!” “Love draws its object into itself; we draw Jesus into ourselves; Jesus draws us into Himself. Then carried above ourselves into love’s interior,” seeking God, “we go to meet Him, to meet His Spirit, which is His love, and this love burns us, consumes us, and draws us into unity where beatitude awaits us.” “Jesus meant this when He said: ‘With great desire have I desired to eat this pasch with you’” [Lk 22:15].
Reflection: Carried into Love’s Interior
In the Eucharist, Christ draws us deeply into His own life, sharing with us the fullness of His grace and virtues. St. Elizabeth speaks of being “carried above ourselves into love’s interior,” where we’re drawn into unity with God. How do I approach the Eucharist—do I see it as an invitation to be transformed, to let Christ’s love consume me and draw me closer to Him? Today, as I receive or meditate on the Eucharist, I will ask to be led ever deeper into the mystery of His love.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/02/liznovena24-5/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Hebrews 12:28–29
Therefore, since we are receiving a kingdom that cannot be shaken, let us give thanks, by which we offer to God an acceptable worship with reverence and awe; for indeed our God is a consuming fire.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 13–14
Our God, wrote St. Paul, is a consuming Fire, that is “a fire of love” which destroys, which “transforms into itself everything that it touches” [St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 2:2]. “The delights of the divine enkindling are renewed in our depths by an unremitting activity: the enkindling of love in a mutual and eternal satisfaction. … Certain souls “have chosen this refuge to rest there eternally, and this is the silence in which, somehow, they have lost themselves.” They think much less of the work of destruction and detachment that remains for them to do than of plunging into the Furnace of love burning within them which is none other than the Holy Spirit, the same Love which in the Trinity is the bond between the Father and His Word.
Reflection: God Is the Fire of Love
St. Elizabeth teaches us that God’s love is a consuming fire, not to harm, but to transform us completely. This fire is the Holy Spirit, dwelling within, uniting us with the Father and the Son. Today, consider: Am I open to letting God’s love burn away what keeps me from Him? What might I surrender to His purifying fire? As we rest in this “Furnace of love,” we discover the joy of being continually transformed in God’s own life.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/11/01/liznovena24-4/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 5:1–2
Therefore be imitators of God, as beloved children, and live in love, as Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 9–10
“If anyone loves Me, he will keep My word and My Father will love him, and We will come to him and make our home in him” [Jn 14:23]. The Master once more expresses His desire to dwell in us. “If anyone loves Me”! It is love that attracts, that draws God to His creatures: not a sensible love but that love “strong as death that deep waters cannot quench” [Song 8:6–7]. “The property of love is never to seek self, to keep back nothing, but to give everything to the one it loves” [St. John of the Cross, Spiritual Canticle, 32:2]. “Blessed the soul that loves” in truth; “the Lord has become its captive through love”! [Spiritual Canticle, 32:1].
Reflection: Blessed the Soul That Loves
Christ invites us to love as He loves—freely, without holding back. St. Elizabeth reminds us that true love keeps nothing back. It’s a love that welcomes God to dwell in our hearts fully, as His “beloved children.” Today, consider: How can I offer myself more completely to God? Is there something I’m still holding back? This love “strong as death” calls us to surrender all to Him, trusting that He, too, will give Himself completely in return.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/31/liznovena24-3/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Ephesians 3:16–19
I pray that, according to the riches of his glory, he may grant that you may be strengthened in your inner being with power through his Spirit, and that Christ may dwell in your hearts through faith, as you are being rooted and grounded in love. I pray that you may have the power to comprehend, with all the saints, what is the breadth and length and height and depth, and to know the love of Christ that surpasses knowledge, so that you may be filled with all the fullness of God.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 5–6
“The kingdom of God is within you” [Lk 17:21]. Awhile ago God invited us to “remain in Him” [cf. Jn 15:4], to live spiritually in His glorious heritage. And now He reveals to us that we do not have to go out of ourselves to find Him: “The kingdom of God is within”!… St. John of the Cross says that “it is in the substance of the soul where neither the devil nor the world can reach” [St. John of the Cross, The Living Flame of Love, 1:9] that God gives Himself to it; then “all its movements are divine, and although they are from God they also belong to the soul, because God works them in it and with it” [ibid.] The same saint also says that “God is the center of the soul. So when the soul with all” its “strength will know God perfectly, love and enjoy Him fully, then it will have reached the deepest center that can be attained in Him” [ibid., 1:13] … Since love is what unites us to God, the more intense this love is, the more deeply the soul enters into God and the more it is centered in Him.
Reflection: The Kingdom of God Is Within
St. Elizabeth reminds us that we don’t need to look outside ourselves to find God; He’s already present, dwelling within. Today, consider: How often do I seek God within, in the quiet center of my soul? Do I allow His love to draw me deeper? God invites us to be “rooted and grounded in love,” making His presence our foundation.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/30/liznovena24-2/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
Scripture Reading: Colossians 3:1–4
So if you have been raised with Christ, seek the things that are above, where Christ is, seated at the right hand of God. Set your minds on things that are above, not on things that are on earth, for you have died, and your life is hidden with Christ in God. When Christ who is your life is revealed, then you also will be revealed with him in glory.
St. Elizabeth Speaks: Heaven in Faith, nos. 3–4
“Remain in Me” [Jn 15:4]. It is the Word of God who gives this order, expresses this wish. Remain in Me, not for a few moments, a few hours which must pass away, but “remain…” permanently, habitually, Remain in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work and act in Me. Remain in Me so that you may be able to encounter anyone or anything; penetrate further still into these depths.
Reflection: Remain in Me
St. Elizabeth calls us to “remain” in Christ, not just in prayer, but as a way of life. What would it mean for you to live in Him today—not just to pray, but to work, to meet others, even to suffer, in Him? This “hidden life” with Christ asks us to draw closer, finding His presence in our everyday moments.
Novena Prayer
O Saint Elizabeth,
in your great love for God,
you were always so close
to the needs of your friends.
Now that you are in Heaven,
before the Face of the Lord,
intercede with Him
for the intentions we entrust to you.(Mention your intentions)
Teach us,
in faith and love,
to live with the Holy Trinity
in the depths of our hearts.
Teach us, like you,
to radiate God’s love
among all people,
in our daily lives,
so that we may become a praise of His Glory.Our Father…
(pray slowly to God dwelling within you)Glory be…
(three times, in praise of the indwelling Trinity)Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
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. Joseph, 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. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/29/liznovena24-1/
#HeavenInFaith #HolyTrinity #novena #prayer #presenceOfGod #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #unionWithGod
-
What I tried to explain in the previous chapters—although I digressed a great deal in speaking of other things since mentioning them seemed to me very necessary—was the work we can do through our own efforts and how in obtaining this initial devotion we can help ourselves in some way.
For in thinking about and carefully examining what the Lord suffered for us, we are moved to compassion; and this sorrow and the resulting tears bring delight. In thinking about the glory we hope for, the love the Lord bore us, and His resurrection, we are moved to a joy that is neither entirely spiritual nor entirely of the senses.
But the joy is virtuous and the sorrow very meritorious. Virtue and merit are found in all the things that cause the devotion acquired partly by the intellect, even though this devotion could not be merited or obtained if God did not give it.
The soul can place itself in the presence of Christ and grow accustomed to being inflamed with love for His sacred humanity. It can keep Him ever-present and speak with Him, asking for its needs and complaining of its labors, being glad with Him in its enjoyments and not forgetting Him because of them, trying to speak to Him, not through written prayers but with words that conform to its desires and needs.
This is an excellent way of making progress and in a very short time. I consider that soul advanced who strives to remain in this precious company and to profit very much by it, and who truly comes to love this Lord to whom we owe so much.
As a result, we shouldn’t care at all about not having devotion—as I have said—but we ought to thank the Lord who allows us to be desirous of pleasing Him, even though our works may be weak.
This method of keeping Christ present with us is beneficial in all stages and is a very safe means of advancing in the first degree of prayer, of reaching in a short time the second degree, and of walking secure against the dangers the devil can set up in the last degrees.
Keeping Christ present is what we of ourselves can do.
Saint Teresa of Avila
The Book of Her Life, Chapter 12
Note: This passage from The Book of Her Life shows how Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection firmly grasped the essence of Teresian prayer, which he expressed in his letters and maxims as the practice of the presence of God.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: Photographer Christopher Riggs captured this image of a woman praying the Holy Rosary. Image credit: xopheriggs / Unsplash (Stock photo)
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/10/02/stj-keepingchrist/
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #mentalPrayer #prayer #presenceOfGod #sacredHumanity #StTeresaOfAvila
-
Each one of you is to stay in his own cell or nearby, pondering the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch at his prayers unless attending to some other duty.
Saint Albert of Jerusalem
The Carmelite Rule, no. 10
St. Albert’s Rule offers us timeless wisdom, particularly in his call to “ponder the Lord’s law day and night and keeping watch” at prayer. At first glance, this advice might seem suited only for those living in monastic silence, but it holds deep value for all of us in the modern world.
In a time where distractions abound, St. Albert invites us to carve out moments for quiet reflection. This doesn’t mean escaping to a desert or a cloister—it’s about finding a small space of silence in our everyday lives. Whether it’s a few minutes in the morning for prayer, pausing to reflect during a busy afternoon, or winding down with Scripture at night, there are countless ways to live out St. Albert’s counsel.
The idea of “keeping watch at our prayers” reminds us that God is present in every part of our day. This isn’t limited to moments of formal prayer; it’s about staying connected to Him in all we do. Even our most mundane tasks can become grace-filled moments when we offer them to God, just as Brother Lawrence taught by practicing the presence of God in everything—from scrubbing pots to sweeping floors.
St. Albert’s message challenges us to bring prayer and reflection into the rhythm of our daily lives, no matter how busy or chaotic they may be. By doing so, we align ourselves more closely with God’s will and create space for Him to speak to our hearts.
Be sure to listen to the episode below for a deeper dive into St. Albert’s wisdom and how his Rule continues to shape the Carmelite way of life.
https://youtu.be/V_XroaLm7sE?si=SXAFm5-mBehYmtb3
Featured image: This is a detailed view of an icon depicting the founding of the Carmelites; on the right, we see the Latin Patriarch St. Albert of Jerusalem handing a scroll to Brocard, the Carmelite hermit known as “B.” in St. Albert’s Rule. Over Brocard’s shoulder, we see St. Teresa of Avila, who would reform the Order in Spain in the 16th century. Image credit: © Johan Bergström-Allen, British Province of Carmelites / Flickr (All rights reserved, used with permission)
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/09/16/s2ep23-albert/
#BrotherLawrenceOfTheResurrection #CarmeliteRule #Podcast #prayer #presenceOfGod #quiet #reflection #scripture #silence #StAlbertOfJerusalem
-
Discover the inspiring life of Saint Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest, professor, and martyr. Reflect on his deep spirituality through his poem, “Prayer Before an Image of Christ.”
Music credit: Sean BeesonI have never been so close to You
O Jesus, when I gaze on You
Once more alive, that I love You
And that your heart loves me too
Moreover as your special friend.Although that calls me to suffer more
Oh, for me all suffering is good,
For in this way I resemble You
And this is the way to Your Kingdom.I am blissful in my suffering
For I know it no more as sorrow
But the most ultimate elected lot
That unites me with You, O God.O, just leave me here silently alone,
The chill and cold around me
And let no people be with me
Here alone I grow not weary.For Thou, O Jesus, art with me
I have never been so close to You.
Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet,
Your presence makes all things good for me.Saint Titus Brandsma
Prayer Before an Image of Christ
Artist John Dons created this sketch of St. Titus Brandsma as he appeared during his imprisonment at Amersfoort Transit Camp March 12-April 28, 1942. Dons captures the complete sadness of the concentration camp yet sees in Titus a willing acceptance of pain and a profound inner peace. John Dons was later executed.
12–13 February 1942
Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut)Saint Titus Brandsma’s “Prayer Before an Image of Christ,” penned in February 1942 while imprisoned at Scheveningen, is a profound reflection of his unwavering faith and intimate union with Christ amidst great suffering.
The poem begins with Titus expressing his deep love for Jesus and recognizing the reciprocal love of Christ. This intimate relationship, characterized as a special friendship, calls him to participate in Christ’s suffering. In gazing upon Jesus, Titus enters into profound contemplation, where love and friendship transcend the physical confines of his prison cell.
Central to the poem is Titus’s embrace of suffering. He perceives suffering not as an evil to be shunned but as a means to imitate Christ and attain His Kingdom. This perspective transforms suffering into a source of spiritual joy, uniting him more closely with God and providing a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Titus also finds solace in solitude, appreciating the chill and cold of his cell as it brings him closer to Jesus. For him, solitude is not a burden but a cherished state where he does not grow weary. Jesus’ presence transforms his isolation into a space of divine companionship and comfort.
In the final lines, Titus eloquently expresses how Jesus’ presence makes all things good for him. Despite the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, the spiritual closeness he experiences with Christ brings him peace and strength. This transformative power of Christ’s presence attests to Titus’s deep faith and the profound consolation he finds in his relationship with Jesus.
“Prayer Before an Image of Christ” stands as a powerful testament to the strength of faith and the peace found in a life united with Christ. Saint Titus Brandsma’s unwavering trust in Jesus and his willingness to embrace suffering as a means of sharing in Christ’s Passion offer a powerful example of hope and resilience. His words continue to inspire and comfort the faithful, reminding us that even in the darkest times, we are not alone, and Christ’s presence brings solace and strength.
Lord our God, source and giver of life,
you gave to Saint Titus the Spirit of courage
to proclaim human dignity and the freedom of the Church,
even in the throes of degrading persecution and death.
Grant us that same Spirit
so that in the coming of your kingdom of justice and peace
we might never be ashamed of the Gospel
but be enabled to recognize your loving-kindness
in all the events of our lives.Learn more about Saint Titus Brandsma from the Carmelites
English translation of “O Jezus” by Susan Verkerk-Wheatley and Anne-Marie Bos © Titus Brandsma Instituut 2018. Used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/25/ep15-tituspoet/
#God #intimacy #Jesus #Podcast #poetry #prayer #presenceOfGod #prison #Scheveningen #solitude #StTitusBrandsma #suffering
-
Discover the inspiring life of Saint Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest, professor, and martyr. Reflect on his deep spirituality through his poem, “Prayer Before an Image of Christ.”
Music credit: Sean BeesonI have never been so close to You
O Jesus, when I gaze on You
Once more alive, that I love You
And that your heart loves me too
Moreover as your special friend.Although that calls me to suffer more
Oh, for me all suffering is good,
For in this way I resemble You
And this is the way to Your Kingdom.I am blissful in my suffering
For I know it no more as sorrow
But the most ultimate elected lot
That unites me with You, O God.O, just leave me here silently alone,
The chill and cold around me
And let no people be with me
Here alone I grow not weary.For Thou, O Jesus, art with me
I have never been so close to You.
Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet,
Your presence makes all things good for me.Saint Titus Brandsma
Prayer Before an Image of Christ
Artist John Dons created this sketch of St. Titus Brandsma as he appeared during his imprisonment at Amersfoort Transit Camp March 12-April 28, 1942. Dons captures the complete sadness of the concentration camp yet sees in Titus a willing acceptance of pain and a profound inner peace. John Dons was later executed.
12–13 February 1942
Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut)Saint Titus Brandsma’s “Prayer Before an Image of Christ,” penned in February 1942 while imprisoned at Scheveningen, is a profound reflection of his unwavering faith and intimate union with Christ amidst great suffering.
The poem begins with Titus expressing his deep love for Jesus and recognizing the reciprocal love of Christ. This intimate relationship, characterized as a special friendship, calls him to participate in Christ’s suffering. In gazing upon Jesus, Titus enters into profound contemplation, where love and friendship transcend the physical confines of his prison cell.
Central to the poem is Titus’s embrace of suffering. He perceives suffering not as an evil to be shunned but as a means to imitate Christ and attain His Kingdom. This perspective transforms suffering into a source of spiritual joy, uniting him more closely with God and providing a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Titus also finds solace in solitude, appreciating the chill and cold of his cell as it brings him closer to Jesus. For him, solitude is not a burden but a cherished state where he does not grow weary. Jesus’ presence transforms his isolation into a space of divine companionship and comfort.
In the final lines, Titus eloquently expresses how Jesus’ presence makes all things good for him. Despite the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, the spiritual closeness he experiences with Christ brings him peace and strength. This transformative power of Christ’s presence attests to Titus’s deep faith and the profound consolation he finds in his relationship with Jesus.
“Prayer Before an Image of Christ” stands as a powerful testament to the strength of faith and the peace found in a life united with Christ. Saint Titus Brandsma’s unwavering trust in Jesus and his willingness to embrace suffering as a means of sharing in Christ’s Passion offer a powerful example of hope and resilience. His words continue to inspire and comfort the faithful, reminding us that even in the darkest times, we are not alone, and Christ’s presence brings solace and strength.
Lord our God, source and giver of life,
you gave to Saint Titus the Spirit of courage
to proclaim human dignity and the freedom of the Church,
even in the throes of degrading persecution and death.
Grant us that same Spirit
so that in the coming of your kingdom of justice and peace
we might never be ashamed of the Gospel
but be enabled to recognize your loving-kindness
in all the events of our lives.Learn more about Saint Titus Brandsma from the Carmelites
English translation of “O Jezus” by Susan Verkerk-Wheatley and Anne-Marie Bos © Titus Brandsma Instituut 2018. Used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/25/ep15-tituspoet/
#God #intimacy #Jesus #Podcast #poetry #prayer #presenceOfGod #prison #Scheveningen #solitude #StTitusBrandsma #suffering
-
Discover the inspiring life of Saint Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest, professor, and martyr. Reflect on his deep spirituality through his poem, “Prayer Before an Image of Christ.”
Music credit: Sean BeesonI have never been so close to You
O Jesus, when I gaze on You
Once more alive, that I love You
And that your heart loves me too
Moreover as your special friend.Although that calls me to suffer more
Oh, for me all suffering is good,
For in this way I resemble You
And this is the way to Your Kingdom.I am blissful in my suffering
For I know it no more as sorrow
But the most ultimate elected lot
That unites me with You, O God.O, just leave me here silently alone,
The chill and cold around me
And let no people be with me
Here alone I grow not weary.For Thou, O Jesus, art with me
I have never been so close to You.
Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet,
Your presence makes all things good for me.Saint Titus Brandsma
Prayer Before an Image of Christ
Artist John Dons created this sketch of St. Titus Brandsma as he appeared during his imprisonment at Amersfoort Transit Camp March 12-April 28, 1942. Dons captures the complete sadness of the concentration camp yet sees in Titus a willing acceptance of pain and a profound inner peace. John Dons was later executed.
12–13 February 1942
Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut)Saint Titus Brandsma’s “Prayer Before an Image of Christ,” penned in February 1942 while imprisoned at Scheveningen, is a profound reflection of his unwavering faith and intimate union with Christ amidst great suffering.
The poem begins with Titus expressing his deep love for Jesus and recognizing the reciprocal love of Christ. This intimate relationship, characterized as a special friendship, calls him to participate in Christ’s suffering. In gazing upon Jesus, Titus enters into profound contemplation, where love and friendship transcend the physical confines of his prison cell.
Central to the poem is Titus’s embrace of suffering. He perceives suffering not as an evil to be shunned but as a means to imitate Christ and attain His Kingdom. This perspective transforms suffering into a source of spiritual joy, uniting him more closely with God and providing a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Titus also finds solace in solitude, appreciating the chill and cold of his cell as it brings him closer to Jesus. For him, solitude is not a burden but a cherished state where he does not grow weary. Jesus’ presence transforms his isolation into a space of divine companionship and comfort.
In the final lines, Titus eloquently expresses how Jesus’ presence makes all things good for him. Despite the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, the spiritual closeness he experiences with Christ brings him peace and strength. This transformative power of Christ’s presence attests to Titus’s deep faith and the profound consolation he finds in his relationship with Jesus.
“Prayer Before an Image of Christ” stands as a powerful testament to the strength of faith and the peace found in a life united with Christ. Saint Titus Brandsma’s unwavering trust in Jesus and his willingness to embrace suffering as a means of sharing in Christ’s Passion offer a powerful example of hope and resilience. His words continue to inspire and comfort the faithful, reminding us that even in the darkest times, we are not alone, and Christ’s presence brings solace and strength.
Lord our God, source and giver of life,
you gave to Saint Titus the Spirit of courage
to proclaim human dignity and the freedom of the Church,
even in the throes of degrading persecution and death.
Grant us that same Spirit
so that in the coming of your kingdom of justice and peace
we might never be ashamed of the Gospel
but be enabled to recognize your loving-kindness
in all the events of our lives.Learn more about Saint Titus Brandsma from the Carmelites
English translation of “O Jezus” by Susan Verkerk-Wheatley and Anne-Marie Bos © Titus Brandsma Instituut 2018. Used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/25/ep15-tituspoet/
#God #intimacy #Jesus #Podcast #poetry #prayer #presenceOfGod #prison #Scheveningen #solitude #StTitusBrandsma #suffering
-
Discover the inspiring life of Saint Titus Brandsma, a Carmelite priest, professor, and martyr. Reflect on his deep spirituality through his poem, “Prayer Before an Image of Christ.”
Music credit: Sean BeesonI have never been so close to You
O Jesus, when I gaze on You
Once more alive, that I love You
And that your heart loves me too
Moreover as your special friend.Although that calls me to suffer more
Oh, for me all suffering is good,
For in this way I resemble You
And this is the way to Your Kingdom.I am blissful in my suffering
For I know it no more as sorrow
But the most ultimate elected lot
That unites me with You, O God.O, just leave me here silently alone,
The chill and cold around me
And let no people be with me
Here alone I grow not weary.For Thou, O Jesus, art with me
I have never been so close to You.
Stay with me, with me, Jesus sweet,
Your presence makes all things good for me.Saint Titus Brandsma
Prayer Before an Image of Christ
Artist John Dons created this sketch of St. Titus Brandsma as he appeared during his imprisonment at Amersfoort Transit Camp March 12-April 28, 1942. Dons captures the complete sadness of the concentration camp yet sees in Titus a willing acceptance of pain and a profound inner peace. John Dons was later executed.
12–13 February 1942
Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut)Saint Titus Brandsma’s “Prayer Before an Image of Christ,” penned in February 1942 while imprisoned at Scheveningen, is a profound reflection of his unwavering faith and intimate union with Christ amidst great suffering.
The poem begins with Titus expressing his deep love for Jesus and recognizing the reciprocal love of Christ. This intimate relationship, characterized as a special friendship, calls him to participate in Christ’s suffering. In gazing upon Jesus, Titus enters into profound contemplation, where love and friendship transcend the physical confines of his prison cell.
Central to the poem is Titus’s embrace of suffering. He perceives suffering not as an evil to be shunned but as a means to imitate Christ and attain His Kingdom. This perspective transforms suffering into a source of spiritual joy, uniting him more closely with God and providing a profound sense of purpose and fulfillment.
Titus also finds solace in solitude, appreciating the chill and cold of his cell as it brings him closer to Jesus. For him, solitude is not a burden but a cherished state where he does not grow weary. Jesus’ presence transforms his isolation into a space of divine companionship and comfort.
In the final lines, Titus eloquently expresses how Jesus’ presence makes all things good for him. Despite the harsh conditions of his imprisonment, the spiritual closeness he experiences with Christ brings him peace and strength. This transformative power of Christ’s presence attests to Titus’s deep faith and the profound consolation he finds in his relationship with Jesus.
“Prayer Before an Image of Christ” stands as a powerful testament to the strength of faith and the peace found in a life united with Christ. Saint Titus Brandsma’s unwavering trust in Jesus and his willingness to embrace suffering as a means of sharing in Christ’s Passion offer a powerful example of hope and resilience. His words continue to inspire and comfort the faithful, reminding us that even in the darkest times, we are not alone, and Christ’s presence brings solace and strength.
Lord our God, source and giver of life,
you gave to Saint Titus the Spirit of courage
to proclaim human dignity and the freedom of the Church,
even in the throes of degrading persecution and death.
Grant us that same Spirit
so that in the coming of your kingdom of justice and peace
we might never be ashamed of the Gospel
but be enabled to recognize your loving-kindness
in all the events of our lives.Learn more about Saint Titus Brandsma from the Carmelites
English translation of “O Jezus” by Susan Verkerk-Wheatley and Anne-Marie Bos © Titus Brandsma Instituut 2018. Used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/25/ep15-tituspoet/
#God #intimacy #Jesus #Podcast #poetry #prayer #presenceOfGod #prison #Scheveningen #solitude #StTitusBrandsma #suffering
-
For the highest and most excelling #grace bestowed upon men is the grace of “attaining unto the #PresenceofGod” and of His #recognition, which has been promised unto all people.
Bahá’u’lláh, The Kitáb-i-Íqán
www.bahai.org/r/569728550
#bahai -
Novena to St. John of the Cross, Day 2: An open wound
Scripture
Let me ask you this. What would you do if you had a hundred sheep and one of them wandered off? Wouldn’t you leave the ninety-nine on the hillside and go look for the one that had wandered away? I am sure that finding it would make you happier than having the ninety-nine that never wandered off. That’s how it is with your Father in heaven.
Matthew 18:12-14
Reading
The shepherd says: I pity the one
who draws herself back from my love,
and does not seek the joy of my presence,
though my heart is an open wound with love for her.Poetry 7
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
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.
#carmel #carmelitas #carmelitasDescalzas #carmelite #christsPresence #godsPresence #heart #love #novena #presence #presenceOfGod #sacredHeart #secularCarmelites #shepherd #stJohnOfTheCross #woundOfLove #wounded
-
Cap 3000 a Valhalla blinding consumers
On my last day at the Cote d’Azur I at our walk in Saint Laurant du Var we also went walking in a huge shopping centre Cap 3000, opposite the airport Nice Cote d’Azur.
“Valhalla” (1905) by Emil Doeplera veritable institution at the heart of the French Riviera: a shopping mall in a fabulous location, standing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Located on the western edge of Nice, right next to the international airport
It offers an attractive and diversified range of shops for all the family, from major high-street names to small boutiques. There’s something for all tastes and all budgets! You can meander through the mall until 9pm from Monday to Saturday
At the moment it has 180 shops in a magnificent building, which is being made to a much bigger place, with an additional two floors full of shops. When walking through the beautiful shopping mall I felt in the Walhalla of mankind or Valhalla, a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening. They drink liquor that flows from the udders of a goat, and their sport is to fight one another every day. It is the grand place for lust and indulgence, where today is not thought of the Ragnarök or Doomsday.
So many people have to work hard for the wages they might get, but here it looks like all those walking around have enough money to spend for hours in hundreds of attracting shops.
For sure all those people seem to trust in all those things or gadgets beautifully presented in those places which cry to come in and feel as if you can be the honourable guest of fortune.
Having walked through that “Palace of abundance” or better “superabundance” I could not resist looking at a lot of people who have their heart sold to all those material products but have no eye for what can not be seen.
At the Biblestudents you can read how Jesus fed many people and shall be able to read (from 2018, October 19) about Jesus who once more was concerned about real hungry people (Matthew 15:32-39 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 4000 Fed). There too there was a material problem, food or something for the stomach. Though in the gospels we also receive the lesson for more important food, whereof not many seem to think about today. Most people are not hungering for the right things (James 4:3). Their eyes and heart are focused on the material things of this world. Consumption has become the new god today, after we had money as the new god entering our world from the golden 1960ies. Money and consumption are the male and female god who feel very nice together and who have a better marriage than most couples today. They are namely a very jealous couple which like to get people to want for more and more all the time,getting them into a state of never feeling to have enough.
The Mammon or god of this world has the Dollars and Euros flying in the air,many people jumping up to catch them, for soon going to spend them, often on things they really do not need or which pollute our world further. (Think of all those capsules of Nespresso for example.)
What is most important for many today is that they can enjoy their life with as many gadgets and handy tools as possible. Many go about their lives feeding on the thoughts of their own mind and of their greed. Anxieties, worries, and cares of this life creep in and rob us of the One Who Looks at this world and can see how man does not really want to see Who and what is important for their life and future. I wondered how many would feel His abiding presence.
If we feed on sports, worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia, is it no wonder that we hunger for those things rather than the things of God?
These days in the Provence I could enjoy beautiful countrysides, lovely small villages, like Tourettes sur Loup, Saint Paul de Vence, etc. and the lovely city Nice where like in many French places people did not take away their dog droppings. In those bigger places we could see many clustered at their phone or walking like they do not like the day, or are taken away from the world by the music from their earphones. Feeding themselves with worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia.
Clearly we could feel to be in a world where the hunger was or is on other things than the spiritual, though we encountered many Buddha sculptures and yoga places.
Wherever we look around us we can see that in this world many have grown cold by feasting on the things of the flesh and therefore no longer hunger for God. Lots of people love to be filled, but are focussing on things which pass or have limited value. They are filled with worldliness and are thus deceived into being comfortable and contented (Rev. 3:17-18).
When we see how at several occasions Jesus took care for the people around him, we notice how God was with Jesus and provided enough food for the crowd. Throughout history of mankind we can find examples where God was with His people and took care of them.
We should not be afraid. Even when we have not a filled purse, God shall take care that we would be able to manage. His Word and His blessings shall provide for those things we really need in life.
At all times we should not forget that He is the Maker and Provider, the Rock and our Protector.When people “rend their hearts” and turn back to God (Joel 2:13) God shall receive them with open arms. As any Father would do, He shall look for the best of His children. But as any Father He also would like to be recognised and respected as Father.
We must seek Jehovah God for who He is and not what He can provide. As we devote ourselves to prayer and His word, we will begin to sense His presence and draw near to Him.
From the gospels we learn that God provided a man,who not only could speak in the name of God but also act in the name of God. By believing in that sent one from God, as the scripture says, will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart. (John 7:38) If much more people would know the generosity of God and who Jesus is, they would be feeling much better and would appreciate others with the same fate with the knowledge or certitude that together they can count on Jesus giving us fresh, living water, so that we should not be thirsty any more. Because the water Jesus gives will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. (John 4:10; John 4:14) Therefore let us look for a better meal than the one offered by all those consumer needy tents. Let us remember that Jesus said,
“I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.
(John 6:35)++
Find also to read and think about
- A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made
- Life isn’t unfair
- Matthew 14:14-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 5,000 Fed
- Focusing on being a blessing
- Less… is still enough
- Selfishness can become our biggest ally for the Money Free Movement
- Being ‘broke’ a state of mind
- Listening to the lessons of the Bible and looking for ways to please God
- God should be your hope
- Ability (part 4) Thought about the ability to have ability
- True riches
- Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
- Count your blessings
- Not everything has to be reciprocated with money
- Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
- 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
- Greed more common than generosity
- How we think shows through in how we act
Rate this:
#1960s #Abundance #Anxiety #BelievingInJesus #BreadOfLife #Cap3000 #Consumption #CoteDAzur #CountOnJesus #Doomsday #Entertainment #Food #Fortune #FrenchRiviera #GadgetS_ #GenerosityOfGod #Greed #HungerForGod #Hungering #John410 #John414 #John738 #MakerGodAlmighty #Mammon #MaterialWealth #Money #Nice #PresenceOfGod #ProtectorGod #ProviderGod #RiversOfLivingWater #RockGod #SeekGod #SentOneFromGod #SocialMedia #Spending #ThingsOfGod #toDrawNearToGod #Unseen #Valhalla #Worldliness
-
Cap 3000 a Valhalla blinding consumers
On my last day at the Cote d’Azur I at our walk in Saint Laurant du Var we also went walking in a huge shopping centre Cap 3000, opposite the airport Nice Cote d’Azur.
“Valhalla” (1905) by Emil Doeplera veritable institution at the heart of the French Riviera: a shopping mall in a fabulous location, standing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Located on the western edge of Nice, right next to the international airport
It offers an attractive and diversified range of shops for all the family, from major high-street names to small boutiques. There’s something for all tastes and all budgets! You can meander through the mall until 9pm from Monday to Saturday
At the moment it has 180 shops in a magnificent building, which is being made to a much bigger place, with an additional two floors full of shops. When walking through the beautiful shopping mall I felt in the Walhalla of mankind or Valhalla, a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening. They drink liquor that flows from the udders of a goat, and their sport is to fight one another every day. It is the grand place for lust and indulgence, where today is not thought of the Ragnarök or Doomsday.
So many people have to work hard for the wages they might get, but here it looks like all those walking around have enough money to spend for hours in hundreds of attracting shops.
For sure all those people seem to trust in all those things or gadgets beautifully presented in those places which cry to come in and feel as if you can be the honourable guest of fortune.
Having walked through that “Palace of abundance” or better “superabundance” I could not resist looking at a lot of people who have their heart sold to all those material products but have no eye for what can not be seen.
At the Biblestudents you can read how Jesus fed many people and shall be able to read (from 2018, October 19) about Jesus who once more was concerned about real hungry people (Matthew 15:32-39 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 4000 Fed). There too there was a material problem, food or something for the stomach. Though in the gospels we also receive the lesson for more important food, whereof not many seem to think about today. Most people are not hungering for the right things (James 4:3). Their eyes and heart are focused on the material things of this world. Consumption has become the new god today, after we had money as the new god entering our world from the golden 1960ies. Money and consumption are the male and female god who feel very nice together and who have a better marriage than most couples today. They are namely a very jealous couple which like to get people to want for more and more all the time,getting them into a state of never feeling to have enough.
The Mammon or god of this world has the Dollars and Euros flying in the air,many people jumping up to catch them, for soon going to spend them, often on things they really do not need or which pollute our world further. (Think of all those capsules of Nespresso for example.)
What is most important for many today is that they can enjoy their life with as many gadgets and handy tools as possible. Many go about their lives feeding on the thoughts of their own mind and of their greed. Anxieties, worries, and cares of this life creep in and rob us of the One Who Looks at this world and can see how man does not really want to see Who and what is important for their life and future. I wondered how many would feel His abiding presence.
If we feed on sports, worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia, is it no wonder that we hunger for those things rather than the things of God?
These days in the Provence I could enjoy beautiful countrysides, lovely small villages, like Tourettes sur Loup, Saint Paul de Vence, etc. and the lovely city Nice where like in many French places people did not take away their dog droppings. In those bigger places we could see many clustered at their phone or walking like they do not like the day, or are taken away from the world by the music from their earphones. Feeding themselves with worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia.
Clearly we could feel to be in a world where the hunger was or is on other things than the spiritual, though we encountered many Buddha sculptures and yoga places.
Wherever we look around us we can see that in this world many have grown cold by feasting on the things of the flesh and therefore no longer hunger for God. Lots of people love to be filled, but are focussing on things which pass or have limited value. They are filled with worldliness and are thus deceived into being comfortable and contented (Rev. 3:17-18).
When we see how at several occasions Jesus took care for the people around him, we notice how God was with Jesus and provided enough food for the crowd. Throughout history of mankind we can find examples where God was with His people and took care of them.
We should not be afraid. Even when we have not a filled purse, God shall take care that we would be able to manage. His Word and His blessings shall provide for those things we really need in life.
At all times we should not forget that He is the Maker and Provider, the Rock and our Protector.When people “rend their hearts” and turn back to God (Joel 2:13) God shall receive them with open arms. As any Father would do, He shall look for the best of His children. But as any Father He also would like to be recognised and respected as Father.
We must seek Jehovah God for who He is and not what He can provide. As we devote ourselves to prayer and His word, we will begin to sense His presence and draw near to Him.
From the gospels we learn that God provided a man,who not only could speak in the name of God but also act in the name of God. By believing in that sent one from God, as the scripture says, will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart. (John 7:38) If much more people would know the generosity of God and who Jesus is, they would be feeling much better and would appreciate others with the same fate with the knowledge or certitude that together they can count on Jesus giving us fresh, living water, so that we should not be thirsty any more. Because the water Jesus gives will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. (John 4:10; John 4:14) Therefore let us look for a better meal than the one offered by all those consumer needy tents. Let us remember that Jesus said,
“I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.
(John 6:35)++
Find also to read and think about
- A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made
- Life isn’t unfair
- Matthew 14:14-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 5,000 Fed
- Focusing on being a blessing
- Less… is still enough
- Selfishness can become our biggest ally for the Money Free Movement
- Being ‘broke’ a state of mind
- Listening to the lessons of the Bible and looking for ways to please God
- God should be your hope
- Ability (part 4) Thought about the ability to have ability
- True riches
- Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
- Count your blessings
- Not everything has to be reciprocated with money
- Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
- 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
- Greed more common than generosity
- How we think shows through in how we act
Rate this:
#1960s #Abundance #Anxiety #BelievingInJesus #BreadOfLife #Cap3000 #Consumption #CoteDAzur #CountOnJesus #Doomsday #Entertainment #Food #Fortune #FrenchRiviera #GadgetS_ #GenerosityOfGod #Greed #HungerForGod #Hungering #John410 #John414 #John738 #MakerGodAlmighty #Mammon #MaterialWealth #Money #Nice #PresenceOfGod #ProtectorGod #ProviderGod #RiversOfLivingWater #RockGod #SeekGod #SentOneFromGod #SocialMedia #Spending #ThingsOfGod #toDrawNearToGod #Unseen #Valhalla #Worldliness
-
Cap 3000 a Valhalla blinding consumers
On my last day at the Cote d’Azur I at our walk in Saint Laurant du Var we also went walking in a huge shopping centre Cap 3000, opposite the airport Nice Cote d’Azur.
“Valhalla” (1905) by Emil Doeplera veritable institution at the heart of the French Riviera: a shopping mall in a fabulous location, standing on the shores of the Mediterranean Sea.
Located on the western edge of Nice, right next to the international airport
It offers an attractive and diversified range of shops for all the family, from major high-street names to small boutiques. There’s something for all tastes and all budgets! You can meander through the mall until 9pm from Monday to Saturday
At the moment it has 180 shops in a magnificent building, which is being made to a much bigger place, with an additional two floors full of shops. When walking through the beautiful shopping mall I felt in the Walhalla of mankind or Valhalla, a splendid palace, roofed with shields, where the warriors feast on the flesh of a boar slaughtered daily and made whole again each evening. They drink liquor that flows from the udders of a goat, and their sport is to fight one another every day. It is the grand place for lust and indulgence, where today is not thought of the Ragnarök or Doomsday.
So many people have to work hard for the wages they might get, but here it looks like all those walking around have enough money to spend for hours in hundreds of attracting shops.
For sure all those people seem to trust in all those things or gadgets beautifully presented in those places which cry to come in and feel as if you can be the honourable guest of fortune.
Having walked through that “Palace of abundance” or better “superabundance” I could not resist looking at a lot of people who have their heart sold to all those material products but have no eye for what can not be seen.
At the Biblestudents you can read how Jesus fed many people and shall be able to read (from 2018, October 19) about Jesus who once more was concerned about real hungry people (Matthew 15:32-39 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 4000 Fed). There too there was a material problem, food or something for the stomach. Though in the gospels we also receive the lesson for more important food, whereof not many seem to think about today. Most people are not hungering for the right things (James 4:3). Their eyes and heart are focused on the material things of this world. Consumption has become the new god today, after we had money as the new god entering our world from the golden 1960ies. Money and consumption are the male and female god who feel very nice together and who have a better marriage than most couples today. They are namely a very jealous couple which like to get people to want for more and more all the time,getting them into a state of never feeling to have enough.
The Mammon or god of this world has the Dollars and Euros flying in the air,many people jumping up to catch them, for soon going to spend them, often on things they really do not need or which pollute our world further. (Think of all those capsules of Nespresso for example.)
What is most important for many today is that they can enjoy their life with as many gadgets and handy tools as possible. Many go about their lives feeding on the thoughts of their own mind and of their greed. Anxieties, worries, and cares of this life creep in and rob us of the One Who Looks at this world and can see how man does not really want to see Who and what is important for their life and future. I wondered how many would feel His abiding presence.
If we feed on sports, worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia, is it no wonder that we hunger for those things rather than the things of God?
These days in the Provence I could enjoy beautiful countrysides, lovely small villages, like Tourettes sur Loup, Saint Paul de Vence, etc. and the lovely city Nice where like in many French places people did not take away their dog droppings. In those bigger places we could see many clustered at their phone or walking like they do not like the day, or are taken away from the world by the music from their earphones. Feeding themselves with worldly entertainment, social media, material wealth, creature comforts and trivia.
Clearly we could feel to be in a world where the hunger was or is on other things than the spiritual, though we encountered many Buddha sculptures and yoga places.
Wherever we look around us we can see that in this world many have grown cold by feasting on the things of the flesh and therefore no longer hunger for God. Lots of people love to be filled, but are focussing on things which pass or have limited value. They are filled with worldliness and are thus deceived into being comfortable and contented (Rev. 3:17-18).
When we see how at several occasions Jesus took care for the people around him, we notice how God was with Jesus and provided enough food for the crowd. Throughout history of mankind we can find examples where God was with His people and took care of them.
We should not be afraid. Even when we have not a filled purse, God shall take care that we would be able to manage. His Word and His blessings shall provide for those things we really need in life.
At all times we should not forget that He is the Maker and Provider, the Rock and our Protector.When people “rend their hearts” and turn back to God (Joel 2:13) God shall receive them with open arms. As any Father would do, He shall look for the best of His children. But as any Father He also would like to be recognised and respected as Father.
We must seek Jehovah God for who He is and not what He can provide. As we devote ourselves to prayer and His word, we will begin to sense His presence and draw near to Him.
From the gospels we learn that God provided a man,who not only could speak in the name of God but also act in the name of God. By believing in that sent one from God, as the scripture says, will have rivers of living water flowing from his inmost heart. (John 7:38) If much more people would know the generosity of God and who Jesus is, they would be feeling much better and would appreciate others with the same fate with the knowledge or certitude that together they can count on Jesus giving us fresh, living water, so that we should not be thirsty any more. Because the water Jesus gives will be an artesian spring within, gushing fountains of endless life. (John 4:10; John 4:14) Therefore let us look for a better meal than the one offered by all those consumer needy tents. Let us remember that Jesus said,
“I am the Bread of Life. The person who aligns with me hungers no more and thirsts no more, ever.
(John 6:35)++
Find also to read and think about
- A multifold of elements in creation and a bad choice made
- Life isn’t unfair
- Matthew 14:14-22 – The Nazarene’s Commentary: 5,000 Fed
- Focusing on being a blessing
- Less… is still enough
- Selfishness can become our biggest ally for the Money Free Movement
- Being ‘broke’ a state of mind
- Listening to the lessons of the Bible and looking for ways to please God
- God should be your hope
- Ability (part 4) Thought about the ability to have ability
- True riches
- Good to make sure that you haven’t lost the things money can’t buy
- Count your blessings
- Not everything has to be reciprocated with money
- Blow to legitimacy of the capitalist system
- 2013 Lifestyle, religiously and spiritualy
- Greed more common than generosity
- How we think shows through in how we act
Rate this:
#1960s #Abundance #Anxiety #BelievingInJesus #BreadOfLife #Cap3000 #Consumption #CoteDAzur #CountOnJesus #Doomsday #Entertainment #Food #Fortune #FrenchRiviera #GadgetS_ #GenerosityOfGod #Greed #HungerForGod #Hungering #John410 #John414 #John738 #MakerGodAlmighty #Mammon #MaterialWealth #Money #Nice #PresenceOfGod #ProtectorGod #ProviderGod #RiversOfLivingWater #RockGod #SeekGod #SentOneFromGod #SocialMedia #Spending #ThingsOfGod #toDrawNearToGod #Unseen #Valhalla #Worldliness
