November 14
ALL SAINTS OF OUR ORDER
Feast
The whole family of Carmel in the homeland, with Mary its Mother at its head, is the reason for our joy and praise to the Father on this day. We recall our brothers and sisters who once dedicated their lives to continual prayer on earth and now share in the worship of heaven. We unite ourselves spiritually to their glory, all the while journeying along the paths they traveled with courage, as they lived in obedience to Christ and followed in the footsteps of Our Lady.
Invitatory
Ant. Jesus, Son of Mary, is the source of all holiness; come, let us worship him.
Invitatory psalm, as in the Ordinary
Office of Readings
Hymn
Come, let us praise the Virgin Queen
Who called her sons from earthly strife
To Carmel, ever since the scene
Of silent eremitic life.
The special call of Christ they heard,
As Mary’s liegemen they lived there,
With her to ponder on God’s word
Absorbed in solitary prayer.
Our prophets flourished, faithful, strong;
Our martyrs stained the ground with blood,
While in their wake the virgin throng
Brought pure and spotless hearts to God.
Hail, flowers from Carmel’s mountainside
And from its vales the lilies white,
With mystic roses opened wide
Of equal fragrance and delight!
You followed Christ your King and Lord
As Mary’s faithful servants there
And pondered on God’s sacred word
In lives of solitude and prayer.
Grant that, on Carmel’s mount of prayer,
We may, from this all-hallowed place,
Spread Jesu’s fragrance everywhere
As we, too, blossom forth in grace.
Praise to the Father evermore
And to the Spirit who indwells,
To Jesus whom that Virgin bore
From whom all Carmel’s beauty wells.
L.M.
Laudemus omnes Virginem
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Psalm 1
Happy indeed is the man *
who follows not the counsel of the wicked;
nor lingers in the way of sinners *
nor sits in the company of scorners,
but whose delight is the law of the Lord *
and who ponders his law day and night.
He is like a tree that is planted *
beside the flowing waters,
that yields its fruit in due season †
and whose leaves shall never fade; *
and all that he does shall prosper.
Not so are the wicked, not so! †
For they like winnowed chaff *
shall be driven away by the wind.
When the wicked are judged they shall not stand, *
nor find room among those who are just;
for the Lord guards the way of the just *
but the way of the wicked leads to doom.
Ant. Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Ant. 2 The Lord has given his heritage to those who fear his name.
Psalm 61
O God, hear my cry! *
Listen to my prayer!
From the end of the earth I call; *
my heart is faint.
On the rock too high for me to reach *
set me on high,
O you who have been my refuge. *
my tower against the foe.
Let me dwell in your tent for ever *
and hide in the shelter of your wings.
For you, O God, hear my prayer, *
grant me the heritage of those who fear you.
May you lengthen the life of the king: *
may his years cover many generations.
May he ever sit enthroned before God: *
bid love and truth be his protection.
So I will always praise your name *
and day after day fulfill my vows.
Ant. The Lord has given his heritage to those who fear his name.
Ant. 3 I will bring them to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Psalm 84
How lovely is your dwelling place, *
Lord, God of hosts.
My soul is longing and yearning, *
is yearning for the courts of the Lord.
My heart and my soul ring out their joy *
to God, the living God.
The sparrow herself finds a home *
and the swallow a nest for her brood;
she lays her young by your altars, *
Lord of hosts, my king and my God.
They are happy, who dwell in your house, *
forever singing your praise.
They are happy, whose strength is in you, *
in whose hearts are the roads to Zion.
As they go through the Bitter Valley †
they make it a place of springs, *
the autumn rain covers it with blessings.
They walk with ever growing strength, *
they will see the God of gods in Zion.
O Lord, God of hosts, hear my prayer, *
give ear, O God of Jacob.
Turn your eyes, O God, our shield, *
look on the face of your anointed.
One day within your courts *
is better than a thousand elsewhere.
The threshold of the house of God *
I prefer to the dwellings of the wicked.
For the Lord God is a rampart, a shield; *
he will give us his favor and glory.
The Lord will not refuse any good *
to those who walk without blame.
Lord, God of hosts, *
happy the man who trusts in you!
Ant. I will bring them to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
V./ Everlasting light will shine upon your saints, Lord.
R./ And they will live forever.
First Reading
From the book of Revelation
Rev. 19:1-10; 21:1-7
The glory of the saints in the new Jerusalem
After this I heard what sounded like the roar of a large crowd of people in heaven, saying, “Praise God! Salvation, glory, and power belong to our God! True and just are his judgments! He has condemned the prostitute who was corrupting the earth with her immorality. God has punished her because she killed his servants.” Again they shouted, “Praise God! The smoke from the flames that consume the great city goes up forever and ever!” The twenty-four elders and the four living creatures fell down and worshiped God, who was seated on the throne. They said, “Amen! Praise God!”
Then there came from the throne the sound of a voice, saying, “Praise our God, all his servants and all people, both great and small, who have reverence for him!” Then I heard what sounded like a crowd, like the sound of a roaring waterfall, like loud peals of thunder. I heard them say, “Praise God! For the Lord, our Almighty God, is King! Let us rejoice and be glad; let us praise his greatness! For the time has come for the wedding of the Lamb, and his bride has prepared herself for it. She has been given clean shining linen to wear.” (The linen is the good deeds of God’s people.)
Then the angel said to me, “Write this: Happy are those who have been invited to the wedding feast of the Lamb.” And the angel added, “These are the true words of God.”
I fell down at his feet to worship him, but he said to me, “Don’t do it! I am a servant together with you and with other believers, all those who hold to the truth that Jesus revealed. Worship God!”
For the truth that Jesus revealed is what inspires the prophets.
Then I saw a new heaven and a new earth. The first heaven and the first earth disappeared, and the sea vanished. And I saw the Holy City, the new Jerusalem, coming down out of heaven from God, prepared and ready, like a bride dressed to meet her husband. I heard a loud voice speaking from the throne: “Now God’s home is with people! He will live with them, and they shall be his people. God himself will be with them, and he will be their God. He will wipe away all tears from their eyes. There will be no more death, no more grief or crying or pain. The old things have disappeared.”
Then the one who sits on the throne said, “And now I make all things new!” He also said to me, “Write this, because these words are true and can be trusted.” And he said, “It is done! I am the first and the last, the beginning and the end. To anyone who is thirsty I will give the right to drink from the spring of the water of life without paying for it. Those who win the victory will receive this from me: I will be his God, and he will be my son.”
Responsory
R./ All who are victorious shall be clothed in white garments, and I will not blot their names out of the book of life.
V./ To the thirsty I will give water without cost from the fountain of life, and I will not blot their names out of the book of life.
Second Reading
From the works of Saint Teresa of Jesus
Int. Cast., V, 1:2; Way, 11:4;
Found., 14:4; 4:6, 7; 29:33
We belong to a race of saints
All of us who wear this holy habit of Carmel are called to prayer and contemplation. This explains our origin; we are the descendants of those who felt this call, of those holy fathers on Mount Carmel who in such great solitude and contempt for the world sought this treasure, this precious pearl of contemplation that we are speaking about.
Let us remember our holy forebears of the past, those hermits whose lives we aim to imitate. We must remember our real founders, those holy fathers whose descendants we are. It was by way of poverty and humility, we know, that they came to the enjoyment of God.
On the subject of the beginnings of Orders, I sometimes hear it said that the Lord gave greater graces to those saints who went before us because they were the foundations. Quite so, but we too must always bear in mind what it means to be foundations for those who will come later. For if those of us who are alive now have not fallen away from what they did in the past, and those who come after us do the same, the building will always stand firm. What use is it to me for the saints of the past to have been what they were, if I come along after them and behave so badly that I leave the building in ruins because of my bad habits? For obviously those who come later don’t remember those who have died years before as clearly as they do the people they see around them. A fine state of affairs it is if I insist that I am not one of the first, and do not realize what a difference there is between my life and virtues, and the lives of those God has endowed with such graces!
Any of you who sees your Order falling away in any respect, must try to be the kind of stone the building can be rebuilt with—the Lord will help to rebuild it.
For love of our Lord I beg them to remember how quickly everything comes to an end, and what a favor our Lord has done us in bringing us to this Order, and what a punishment anyone who starts any kind of relaxation will deserve. They must always look at the race we are descended from—that race of holy prophets. What numbers of saints we have in heaven who have worn this habit of ours! We must have the holy audacity to aspire, with God’s help, to be like them. The struggle will not last long, but the outcome will be eternal.
Responsory
R./ I will make my home with them and walk among them;
I will be their God and they shall be my people.
V./ I will set up my dwelling among them.
I will be their God and they shall be my people.
Where the Vigil Office is celebrated:
CANTICLES
Ant. The beauty of Carmel has been given to them; they will see the glory of the Lord and the splendor of our God.
Canticle I
Wisdom 3:1-6
The souls of the just are in the hands of God
Blessed are the dead who die in the Lord. Now … let them rest from their labors (Revelation 14:13)
The souls of the just are in the hand of God, *
and no torment shall touch them.
They seemed, in the view of the foolish, to be dead; *
and their passing away was thought an affliction
and their going forth from us, utter destruction. *
But they are in peace.
For if to others, indeed, they seem punished, †
yet is their hope full of immortality; *
Chastised a little, they shall be greatly blessed,
because God tried them *
and found them worthy of himself.
As gold in the furnace, he proved them, *
and as sacrificial offerings he took them to himself.
Canticle II
Wisdom 3:7-9
The future glory of the just
The just shall shine forth as the sun in the kingdom of their Father (Matthew 13:43)
In the time of their visitation they shall shine *
and shall dart about as sparks through stubble;
They shall judge nations and rule over peoples, *
and the LORD shall be their King forever.
Those who trust in him shall understand truth, *
and the faithful shall abide with him in love:
Because grace and mercy are with his holy ones, *
and his care is with the elect.
Canticle III
Wisdom 10:17-21
God leads his people to deliverance
Those who had overcome the beast sang the canticle of Moses, the servant of God, and the canticle of the Lamb (Revelation 15:2, 3)
God gave the holy ones the recompense of their labors, *
conducted them by a wondrous road,
and became a shelter for them by day *
and a starry flame by night.
He took them across the Red Sea *
and brought them through the deep waters—
but their enemies he overwhelmed, *
and cast them up from the bottom of the depths.
Therefore the righteous despoiled the wicked; †
and they sang, O Lord, your holy name *
and praised in unison your conquering hand—
because Wisdom opened the mouths of the dumb, *
and gave ready speech to infants
Gospel
Mt 25:34-46
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew
In so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me
Jesus said to his disciples: “The King will say to those on his right hand, ‘Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take for your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food; I was thirsty and you gave me drink; I was a stranger and you made me welcome; naked and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me.’ Then the virtuous will say to him in reply, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you; or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome; naked and clothe you; sick or in prison and go to see you?’ And the King will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me.’ Next he will say to those on his left hand, ‘Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food; I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink; I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, naked and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me.’ Then it will be their turn to ask, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or naked, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?’ Then he will answer, ‘I tell you solemnly, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me.’ And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the virtuous to eternal life.”
Hymn, Te Deum
Prayer
Lord,
may the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
ever further the cause of your Church.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Morning Prayer
Hymn
O Jesus, source of endless life
Be near to help us and defend;
O Mary, Mother of our Lord,
Lead us to heaven in the end.
You angel hosts suffused with life,
You Patriarchs who heard God’s call,
You Prophets, knowing mysteries,
Obtain forgiveness for us all.
O Saints of Carmel, throned above
In Mary’s court, obtain this grace
That where you are in glory now
We too may find a resting place.
May hosts of martyrs intercede
For us on earth, confessors pray
And choirs of holy virgins plead
That God may wash our sins away.
O blessed saints of solitude,
And all the heavenly company,
Obtain for us that life in God
Which lasts for all eternity.
Praise to the Father evermore
And to the Spirit he bestows,
To Jesus whom that Virgin bore
From whom all Carmel’s beauty flows.
L.M.
Jesu, Salvator saeculi
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Your saints, Lord, as they watched in prayer, saw your strength and your glory.
Psalms and canticle from Sunday, Week I
Ant. 2 All you men and women, saints of God, O bless the Lord forever.
Ant. 3 Eye has not seen nor ear heard what God has prepared for those who love him.
Reading
1 Peter 2:9-10
You, however, are a “chosen race, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, a people he claims for his own to proclaim the glorious works” of the One who called you from darkness into his marvelous light. Once you were no people, but now you are God’s people; once there was no mercy for you, but now you have found mercy.
Responsory
R./ Rejoice in the Lord; * let the just shout for joy. Repeat R./
V./ Let the upright sing praise; * let the just shout for joy.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R./ Rejoice in the Lord; * let the just shout for joy.
Canticle of Zechariah
Ant. With such a cloud of witnesses around us, let us steadfastly run the race that lies before us, our eyes fixed on Jesus who inspires and perfects our faith.
Intercessions
Let us give thanks to God our Father, who gives us the joy of honoring our brothers and sisters, the saints of Carmel. United with them and with the Virgin Mary, our Mother, let us say:
R./ We glorify you, Lord.
Lord, you called your people into the desert to make with them a covenant of love, — renew your covenant with us in Jesus Christ. R./
You have made us brothers and sisters of Mary, to keep your word and treasure it in our hearts; — help us to be like her, serving Christ and sharing in his work of salvation. R./
You called us to follow Elijah in intimacy with you, — may we live continually in your presence, and burn with zeal for your glory. R./
You raised up our Order in the Church to live in dedication to you and to seek union with you in prayer and contemplation, — may we ever seek your face, and so teach others how to live as your friends. R./
You gave our saints such apostolic zeal and charity that they did not hesitate to lay down their lives for their brothers and sisters, — may we bear the death of Christ continually in our bodies, and so share his work of redemption, even at the cost of our lives. R./
Our Father…
Prayer
Lord,
may the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
ever further the cause of your Church.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Daytime Prayer
Antiphons and psalms from the current weekday
Midmorning
Reading
Ephesians 6:17-18
Take the helmet of salvation and the sword of the spirit, the word of God. At every opportunity pray in the Spirit, using prayers and petitions of every sort. Pray constantly and attentively for all in the holy company.
V./ Your word is a lamp for my feet.
R./ And a light on my path.
Midday
Reading
Ephesians 5:18b-20
Be filled with the Spirit, addressing one another in psalms and hymns and inspired songs. Sing praise to the Lord with all your hearts. Give thanks to God the Father always and for everything in the name of our Lord Jesus Christ.
V./ All your creatures praise you, Lord.
R./ Your saints shall bless your name.
Midafternoon
Reading
2 Corinthians 4:17-18
The present burden of our trial is light enough, and earns for us an eternal weight of glory beyond all comparison. We do not fix our gaze on what is seen but on what is unseen. What is seen is transitory; what is unseen lasts forever.
V./ My chosen ones shall not labor in vain.
R./ They are the offspring of those the Lord has blessed.
Prayer
Lord,
may the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
ever further the cause of your Church.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Evening Prayer
Hymn
On Carmel’s mount Our Lady tends
A living garden rich in flowers;
God’s Word has sown the seed of grace,
That grows in silent, prayer-filled hours.
In heaven’s glory Carmel’s saints
With Christ their King for ever reign;
The firstborn Son enfolds in joy
His brethren, born of Mary’s pain.
Dark night gives way to purest light,
The mystic sees with light unsealed;
The saints who bore Christ’s wounds of love
Now see Christ’s wounds in love revealed.
The white-robed martyrs sing the praise
Of Christ, the martyrs’ glorious Lord;
The lowly now are lifted high,
To gain at last their great reward.
Give thanks to God, the fount of grace,
Give thanks to God, our victim-priest,
Give thanks to God, the breath of life,
For Carmel’s saints on their great feast.
L.M.
James Quinn, S.J.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 In my Father’s house there are many mansions, says the Lord.
Psalm 15
Lord, who shall be admitted to your tent *
and dwell on your holy mountain?
He who walks without fault; *
he who acts with justice
and speaks the truth from his heart; *
he who does not slander with his tongue;
he who does no wrong to his brother, *
who casts no slur on his neighbor,
who holds the godless in disdain, *
but honors those who fear the Lord;
he who keeps his pledge, come what may; †
who takes no interest on a loan *
and accepts no bribes against the innocent.
Such a man will stand firm forever.
Ant. In my Father’s house there are many mansions, says the Lord.
Ant. 2 I no longer call you servants, but my friends, for I have shared with you everything I have heard from my Father.
Psalm 112
Happy the man who fears the Lord, *
who takes delight in all his commands.
His sons will be powerful on earth; *
the children of the upright are blessed.
Riches and wealth are in his house; *
his justice stands firm forever.
He is a light in the darkness for the upright: *
he is generous, merciful and just.
The good man takes pity and lends, *
he conducts his affairs with honor.
The just man will never waver: *
he will be remembered forever.
He has no fear of evil news; *
with a firm heart he trusts in the Lord.
With a steadfast heart he will not fear, *
he will see the downfall of his foes.
Open-handed, he gives to the poor; †
his justice stands firm forever. *
His head will be raised in glory.
The wicked man sees and is angry, †
grinds his teeth and fades away; *
the desire of the wicked leads to doom.
Ant. I no longer call you servants, but my friends, for I have shared with you everything I have heard from my Father.
Ant. 3 I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying: “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!”
Canticle: Rev 4:11; 5:9, 10, 12
O Lord our God, you are worthy *
to receive glory and honor and power.
For you have created all things; *
by your will they came to be and were made.
Worthy are you, O Lord, *
to receive the scroll and break open its seals.
For you were slain; †
with your blood you purchased for God *
men of every race and tongue, of every people and nation.
You made of them a kingdom and priests to serve our God, *
and they shall reign on the earth.
Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, *
to receive power and riches,
wisdom and strength, *
honor and glory and praise.
Ant. I heard what seemed to be the mighty voice of a great multitude in heaven, crying: “Alleluia! Salvation and glory and power belong to our God!”
Reading
Rom 8:28-30
We know that by turning everything to their good, God co-operates with all those who love him, with all those he has called according to his purpose. They are the ones he chose specially long ago and intended to become true images of his Son, so that his Son might be the eldest of many brothers. He called those he intended for this; those he called he justified, and with those he justified he shared his glory.
Responsory
R./ The just shall rejoice * and exult at the sight of God. Repeat R./
V./ They shall delight in holiness * and exult at the sight of God.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.
R./ The just shall rejoice * and exult at the sight of God.
Canticle of Mary
Ant. You have left all things and have followed me; you will be repaid a hundred times over, and gain eternal life.
Intercessions
Safe in the protection of Mary, our Mother, let us call upon Jesus, our Lord and Savior, through the intercession of the Saints of Carmel:
R./ Lord, make us holy in the truth.
You have called your faithful ones to Carmel, so that they might follow you more closely in the ways of love; — in love, may we perform the works of truth in your Church. R./
You have granted everlasting mutual love to those of our family who are with you in heaven; — grant your peace to our communities, and make us one in heart and mind. R./
It was your will that our saints, pledged to the service of the Blessed Virgin Mary, should reflect her virtues in their lives, — as we go forward each day in newness of life, may we be faithful to the spirit of our Order, endowed with your Mother’s name and patronage. R./
You raised up the Order of Carmel in your Church to seek union with you in prayer and self-denial, and to share the treasures of contemplation with others; — may we be attentive to the voice of your Spirit within us crying, “Abba, Father,” and ever invite the faithful to the life of prayer. R./
You are the crown and everlasting reward of our saints; — bring our departed brothers and sisters to share eternal joy with you in heaven. R./
Our Father…
Prayer
Lord,
may the patronage
of the Blessed Virgin Mary, our Mother,
and the prayers of all the saints of Carmel
help us to walk steadfastly in their footsteps,
and by our prayers and good works
ever further the cause of your Church.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, forever and ever.
Carmelite Quotes 
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