St Teresa encourages her nuns to praise God because they "truly belong to our Lady." Teresa urges the nuns to imitate the Virgin, trusting in the merits of Christ and "of the Virgin, His Mother."
Reading time: 1 minutes, 228 words
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Quote of the day, 30 May: Brother Lawrence
Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection tells a nun, “you are not the only one who experiences distractions.” His remedy: be simple and brief in speaking to God; "strive to be attentive to God's presence.”
Reading time: 1 minutes, 247 words
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Marie du jour 2023, 29 May: St. Edith Stein
During her years in the Carmel of Cologne, St. Edith Stein composed an additional strophe for the famous sequence hymn, "Flos Carmeli." Fr. John Sullivan, OCD describes the hymn and Edith's addition, which is still sung today by the Carmelite nuns in Cologne.
Reading time: 2 minutes, 381 words
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Quote of the day, 29 May: Blessed Elia of St. Clement
Blessed Elia of St. Clement, whose memory is observed today by Italian Discalced Carmelites, has been called "useless," but the depth of her spiritual insight is vast. In this quote, she senses the "vastness" of her soul.
Reading time: 1 minute, 271 words
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Quote of the day, 28 May: St. Titus Brandsma
“We have to look more to God,” wrote St. Titus Brandsma in his lectures on the Richness of Pentecost. “Pray with Mary the Mother of the Lord. Turn your eye to God and ask Him what you should do.”
Marie du jour 2023, 28 May: Père Jacques
"The Holy Spirit knew the Virgin Mary in advance, for he taught her the rich lessons of prayer," says Père Jacques de Jésus. “The Holy Spirit inflamed Mary’s heart and swept her up into the bosom of the triune God.”
Reading time: 1 minute, 228 words
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Marie du jour 2023, 27 May: St. Louis Martin
For many years, St. Louis Martin participated in the annual pilgrimage to Chartres that was held at the end of May. Here we read his letter to Pauline, begging Carmelite prayers for the pilgrimage.
Reading time: 1 minute, 160 words
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Quote of the day, 27 May: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
St. Elizabeth of the Trinity lived to see the beatification of the Martyrs of Compiègne. Their story inspired her before she entered the monastery and now she was able to celebrate with her community.
Reading time: 1 minute, 248 words
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Marie du jour, 26 May: St. Mary of Jesus Crucified
“At the feet of Mary, I found life again” is the recurring theme in this meditation by St. Mary of Jesus Crucified. “You who say that I’m an orphan, see: I have a Mother in the heights of heaven.”
Reading time: 2 minutes, 320 words
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Quote of the day, 26 May: Venerable Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament
We recall the death of Venerable Margaret of the Blessed Sacrament on 26 May 1648. Her devotion to the "Little King of Grace" and his statue in the Carmel of Beaune inspired her unshakeable trust in the Infant Jesus.
Reading time: 1 minute, 133 words
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Marie du jour 2023, 25 May: St. Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi
The year 1587 was decisive in the spiritual life of St Mary Magdalen de' Pazzi. On 17 September the Blessed Virgin appeared to the Saint and assured her that she had never offended God.
Reading time: 2 minutes, 414 words
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Quote of the day, 25 May: St. Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi
St Mary Magdalen de’ Pazzi was half a century younger than St Teresa, yet Mary Magdalen was drawn to the same love of poverty. Read about her 1587 call to wear a patched habit and remove her shoes.
Reliquary Attribution? — Celebrating Margaret Rope – stained glass-artist
As we all know, the bland words “attributed to…” should always be treated with caution. When seen on a label in a gallery, these words often actually mean “…there’s a story about this work, but we don’t know if we can believe it…”The same problem applies, sadly, to a work “attributed to” Margaret Rope – […]... Continue Reading →
Marie du jour 2023, 24 May: Hermann Cohen
When the Discalced Carmelite friar Hyacinthe Loyson broke away from the Order in 1869, his friend Hermann Cohen wasted no time in writing to Loyson. The Servant of God pleaded for Loyson to return.
Reading time: 2 minutes, 334 words
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Quote of the day, 24 May: St. Teresa of Avila
St Teresa's youngest brother Agustín de Ahumada left with the Spanish armada on 24 May 1546, bound for Peru. Here Teresa writes to her brother Lorenzo: "I am very concerned about Agustín... I pray a great deal for him."
Reading time: 3 minutes, 652 words
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25 May: St. Mary Magdalen of the Incarnate Word de’ Pazzi
Born in Florence in 1566, Saint Mary Magdalen of the Incarnate Word de’ Pazzi had a religious upbringing and entered the monastery of the Carmelite nuns there. She led a hidden life of prayer and self-denial, praying particularly for the renewal of the Church and encouraging the sisters in holiness. Her life was marked by many extraordinary graces. She died in 1607.
Reading time: 11 minutes, 2122 words
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Marie du jour 2023, 23 May: St. Raphael Kalinowski
St. Raphael Kalinowski notes that as our culture rushes headlong to embrace technology, we can find a sure support in the midst of confusion: "devotion to the Most Holy Virgin" as we seek "the one thing necessary for salvation."
Reading time: 1 minute, 173 words
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Quote of the day, 23 May: St. Teresa of Avila
On 23 March 1575 St Teresa of Avila made a private vow of obedience to Father Jerónimo Gracián: "not to hide any fault or sin" and to do all that he might tell her. She admits that in the beginning, "keeping this promise was hard for her."
Reading time: 2 minutes, 293 words
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Marie du jour 2023, 22 May: Silvio José Báez, ocd
Bishop Silvio José Báez teaches us how the Virgin Mary is a tender mother to all of us, just as she was a tender mother to Jesus. Let these words from the bishop inspire you to love her more!
Reading time: 1 minute, 167 words
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Quote of the day, 22 May: St. Joachina de Vedruna
Love was a frequent theme in the life of St Joachina de Vedruna. In these sayings of the saint, one can see why she urged her Sisters on to practice "love, love, and more love, that never says, 'that's enough'."
Reading time: 1 minute, 96 words
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