



Instructions on Easter Monday
Easter Monday Carmel meditation Read whole post......
This blog is to propagate genuine Catholic devotions in the spirit of Traditional Carmel by providing texts useful for spiritual readings and meditations. "The devil knows that he has lost the soul that perseveringly practices mental prayer" - St Teresa of Avila. "For we preach not ourselves, but Jesus Christ our Lord; and ourselves your servants through Jesus" (2Cor 4:5). Soli Deo honor et gloria. The blog is lovingly dedicated to the Infant Jesus of Prague and under His Patronage
Whenever something distastful or unpleasant comes your way, remember Chirst crucifies and be silent. St John of the Cross, Letter 20, 1590
Have a great love for those who contradict and fail to love you, for in this way love is begotten in a heart that has no love. God so acts with us, for he loves us that we might love by means of the very love he bears toward us.St. John of the Cross. Letter 33 to the unknown nun, Ubeda 1591
The drawing represent the drawing of the vision St John of the Cross experienced during prayer in the monastery of the Incarnation in Avila where he was a chaplain between 1574-1577.
Read whole post......Rejoice heart and soul, daughter of Zion! Shout with gladness, daughter of Jerusalem! See now, your king comes to you; he is victorious, he is triumphant, humble and riding on a donkey, on a colt, the foal of a donkey (Zechariah, 9.9).
The picture represent Assisi fresco by Pietro Lorenzetti fragment from Lower Basilica, southern transept, see link
http://diglib.library.vanderbilt.edu/act-imagelink.pl?RC=55432 Read whole post.........In prayer you shall find faith, hope and love. You are sufficiently instructed and experienced in the exercise of these virtues and the main preoccupations and errors you had have been eradicated. This is why you find the acts of union easy, sweet and satisfying, and without recognizing nor seeing the union, you feel it, you are at east with God, you deal easily and amicably with him and readily make friends with him. Well, I have nothing to tell you about this at present except that you must keep on and taking advantage of this interior ease with God, you must ask for graces, confirm and strengthen your moral virtues, and making yourself strong in this interior castle, you must fight your moods of sadness and their causes, uproot your unfounded sorrows aand get ready (My paper got over for hand not planned to write so extensively. But since I am at it I will go on) on the dreadful battles that the three enemies wage against this divine union. Live united with God and see to it that nothing, whether hunger or thirs, the sword, fortune or misfortune, nothing wahtever disturbs your heart. Live united with God and everything else vanish like smoke. From the letter to Juana Gratias. Quote after Bless life blog
Read whole post......
St Patrick "Confession" part 1
"Confession" part 2
Andrew Corsini was born at the beginning of the 14th century in Florence, Italy, where he later became a Carmelite. He was elected provincial of Tuscany at the general Chapter of Metz. On October 13, 1349 he became Bishop pf Fiesole, and in governing his diocese he showed outstanding charity, apostolic zeal, and prudence, together with great love for the poor. he died on January 6, 1374.
It is important that a man who set is set up as a model of how to live should be one....who is so well versed in the art of prayer that he can obtain anything he asks for from the Lord; it is as though he were singled out by a prophetic voice saying to him: 'While you are still speaking I will say, "See, I am here". Fragment from The Pastoral Rule of the Pope St Gregory the Great, The Office of Readings of the Proper offices.
God our Father, you revealed that those who work for peace will be called your sons, through the prayers of St Andrew Corsini, who excelled as a peacemaker, help us to work without ceasing for that justice which brings true and lasting peace, we ask this through our Lord. Concluding prayer of the Morning Prayer, Discalced Carmelite Proper offices.
Read whole post......Born about 1350 in southern Perigord, France, he entered the Carmelite order at the age of twenty. He was elected Procurator General of the Order to the Papal Court at Avignon in 1345. In 1354 he was made Bishop of Patti and Lipari, and thereafter often acted as Papal Legate in the cause of peace and of union with the Eastern Churches. He was translated to the see of Corone in the apeleponnesus, and made Papl Legate for the east, in 1359, in 1363 he was made Archbishop of Crete. In these offices he distinguished himself as an apostle of Christian unity. He died at Famagosta in Cyprus in 1366. St Peter Thomas lived as a devout Carmelite and was a diplomatic healer and reconciler, reminding us that finding common ground and bringing reconciliation are always possible with God's help. After Discacled Proper Offices and Universalis.
Lord, You inspired in your bishop, Saint Peter Thomas, an intense desire to promote peace and Christian unity. Following his example may we live steadfast in the faith and work perseveringly for peace, We ask this through our Lord. After Concluding Prayer for Morning Prayer.
Read whole post......The word Epiphany means "manifestation", and it has passed into general acceptance throughout the universal Church, from the fact that Jesus Christ manifested to the eyes of men His divine mission on this day first of all, when a miraculous star revealed His birth to the kings of the East, who, in spite of the difficulties and dangers of a long and tedious journey through deserts and mountains almost impassable, hastened at once to Bethlehem to adore Him and to offer Him mystical presents, as to the Ding of kings, to the God of heaven and earth, and to a Man withal feeble and mortal. The second manifestation was when, going out from the waters of the Jordan after having received Baptism from the hands of St. John, the Holy Ghost descended on Him in the visible form of a dove, and a voice from heaven was heard, saying, "This is My beloved Son, in Whom I am well pleased." The third manifestation was that of His divine power, when at the marriage-feast of Cana He changed the water into wine, at the sight whereof His disciples believed in Him. The remembrance of these three great events, concurring to the same end, the Church has wished to celebrate in one and the same festival. Reflection.--Admire the almighty power of this little Child, Who from His cradle makes known His coming to the shepherds and magi--to the shepherds by means of His angel, to the magi by a star in the East. Admire the docility of these kings. Jesus is born; behold them at His feet? Let us be little, let us hide ourselves, and the divine strength will be granted to us. Let us be docile and quick in following divine inspirations, and we shall then become wise of the wisdom of God, powerful in His almighty power. After Butler's Lives of the Saints.
Thirsting for God
The Magi opened their treasures and offered the Lord gifts of gold, frankincense and myrrh, alleluia.
O God, you are my God, I watch for you from the dawn. My soul thirsts for you, my body longs for you. I came to your sanctuary, as one in a parched and waterless land, so that I could see your might and your glory. My lips will praise you, for your mercy is better than life itself. Thus I will bless you throughout my life, and raise my hands in prayer to your name; my soul will be filled as if by rich food, and my mouth will sing your praises and rejoice. I will remember you as I lie in bed, I will think of you in the morning, for you have been my helper, and I will take joy in the protection of your wings. My soul clings to you; your right hand raises me up. Morning Prayer Psalm 62(63)
Read whole post......V. Angelus Domini nuntiavit Mariae.
R. Et concepit de Spiritu Sancto.
Ave, Maria...
V. Ecce ancilla Domini,
R. Fiat mihi secundum verbum tuum.
Ave, Maria...
V. Et Verbum caro factum est,
R. Et habitavit in nobis.
Ave, Maria......
V. Ora pro nobis, sancta Dei Genetrix,
R. Ut digni efficiamur promissionibus Christi.
Oremus:
Gratiam tuam, quaesumus,
Domine, mentibus nostris infunde;
ut qui, Angelo nuntiante,
Christi Filii tui incarnationem cognovimus,
per passionem eius et crucem
ad resurrectionis gloriam perducamur.
Per eumdem Christum Dominum nostrum.
R. Amen.