Tú me apareces, Virgen, en lo alto del Calvario,
de pie junto a la Cruz, cual preste ante el altar,
ofreciendo a Jesús, tu Hijo, el Emmanuel,
a fin de la justicia de su Padre aplacar…
Un profeta dijo, ¡oh, Madre desolada ! :
« ¡No hay dolor que se pueda al tuyo comparar ! »
¡Oh, Reina de los mártires !, ¡desterrada prodigas
por nosotros tu sangre, corazón maternal !
Mary, at the top of Calvary standing beside the Cross
To me you seem like a priest at the altar,
Offering your beloved Jesus, the sweet Emmanuel,
To appease the Father’s justice…
A prophet said, O afflicted Mother,
“There is no sorrow like your sorrow!”
O Queen of Martyrs, while remaining in exile
You lavish on us all the blood of your heart!
Jesús, no puedo ir más allá en mi petición, temería verme aplastada bajo el peso de mis audaces deseos…
La excusa que tengo es que soy una niña, y los niños no piensan en el alcance de sus palabras. Sin embargo sus padres, cuando ocupan un trono y poseen inmensos tesoros, no dudan en satisfacer los deseos de esos pequeñajos a los que aman tanto como a sí mismos; por complacerles, hacen locuras y hasta se vuelven débiles…
Pues bien, yo soy la HIJA de la Iglesia, y la Iglesia es Reina, pues es tu Esposa, oh, divino Rey de reyes…
No son riquezas ni gloria (ni siquiera la gloria del cielo) lo que pide el corazón del niñito… El entiende muy bien que la gloria pertenece a sus hermanos, los ángeles y los santos… La suya será un reflejo de la que irradia de la frente de su madre.
Lo que él pide es el amor… No sabe más que una cosa: amarte, Jesús…
Las obras deslumbrantes le están vedadas: no puede predicar el Evangelio, ni derramar su sangre… Pero ¿qué importa?, sus hermanos trabajan en su lugar, y él, como un niño pequeño, se queda muy cerquita del trono del Rey y de la Reina y ama por sus hermanos que luchan…
¿Pero cómo podrá demostrar él su amor, si es que el amor se demuestra con obras? Pues bien, el niñito arrojará flores, aromará con sus perfumes el trono real, cantará con su voz argentina el cántico del amor…
Jesus, I cannot fathom the depths of my request; I would be afraid to find myself overwhelmed under the weight of my bold desires.
My excuse is that I am a child, and children do not reflect on the meaning of their words; however, their parents, once they are placed upon a throne and possess immense treasures, do not hesitate to satisfy the desires of the little ones whom they love as much as they love themselves. To please them they do foolish things, even going to the extent of becoming weak for them.
Well, I am the Child of the Church and the Church is a Queen since she is Your Spouse, O divine King of kings.
The heart of a child does not seek riches and glory (even the glory of heaven). She understands that this glory belongs by right to her brothers, the angels and saints. Her own glory will be the reflected glory which shines on her Mother’s forehead.
What this child asks for is Love. She knows only one thing: to love You, O Jesus.
Astounding works are forbidden to her; she cannot preach the Gospel, shed her blood; but what does it matter since her brothers work in her stead and she, a little child, stays very close to the throne of the King and Queen. She loves in her brothers’ place while they do the fighting.
But how will she prove her love since love is proved by works? Well, the little child will strew flowers, she will perfume the royal throne with their sweet scents, and she will sing in her silvery tones the canticle of Love.
You will allow me a few words, won’t you? If you should now cancel your trip, or postpone it, and if you thought that being with me would do you good, then I ask you sincerely to make use of me–until the 28th, for then I must go away for a bit (until January 7).
In any case, I think most warmly of you and your little one, and I will do so especially on Christmas Eve, at the creche which I would love to show to your children.There one is united with all who are scattered throughout the world and also beyond the world. That is such a consoling mystery.
Stein, E. 1993, Self-Portrait in Letters, 1916-1942, Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Discalced Carmelite, translated from the German by Koeppel, J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Once again Yahweh spoke to Ahaz and said, “Ask Yahweh your God for a sign for yourself coming either from the depths of Sheol or from the heights above.” “No,” Ahaz answered, “I will not put Yahweh to the test.” Then he said:
Listen now, House of David: are you not satisfied with trying the patience of men without trying the patience of my God, too? The Lord himself, therefore, will give you a sign. It is this: the maiden is with child and will soon give birth to a son whom she will call Emmanuel.
The holy time of Advent is here; it seems to me that it is very especially the season of interior souls, those who live unceasingly and through everything wholly “hidden with Christ in God” (Col. 3:3) at the center of themselves.
In expectation of the great mystery, I love to go deeply into that beautiful psalm XVIII, which we often say at Matins, and particularly these verses:
There he has placed his tent in the sun, and this star comes forth like a bridegroom coming from his bed, rejoices like a champion to run its course. At the end of the sky is the rising of the sun; to the furthest end of the sky is its course; nothing is concealed from its burning heat (Ps. 19:4-7).
Let us empty our soul so He can come forth in it and communicate the eternal life (cf. Jn. 17:2) that is its own; the Father has given Him “power over all flesh” (Jn. 17:2) for that purpose, as we are told in the Gospel.
And then, in the silence of prayer, let us listen to Him, for He is the “Source” (Jn. 8:25) who speaks within us and who has said: “He who sent me is true, and I tell all I have heard from Him” (Jn. 8:26).
Let us ask Him to make us true in our love, to make us sacrificial beings, for it seems to me that sacrifice is only love put into action: “He loved me, He gave Himself for me” (Gal. 2:20).
I love this thought, that the life of the priest (and of the Carmelite) is an Advent that prepares for the Incarnation in souls.
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Letter 250 to Abbé Chevignard
Around 29 November 1905
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, translated from the French by Nash, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC
Mi Amado, las montañas,
los valles solitarios nemorosos,
las ínsulas extrañas,
los ríos sonorosos,
el silbo de los aires amorosos,
la noche sosegada
en par de los levantes del aurora,
la música callada,
la soledad sonora,
la cena que recrea y enamora.
San Juan de la Cruz
Cántico Espiritual (Redacción B)
Canciónes entre el alma y el esposo
Canciónes 14-15
St. John of the Cross, enlightened by the Holy Spirit | Credit: Discalced Carmelites
My Beloved, the mountains,
and lonely wooded valleys,
strange islands,
and resounding rivers,
the whistling of love-stirring breezes,
the tranquil night
at the time of the rising dawn,
silent music,
sounding solitude,
the supper that refreshes and deepens love.
Saint John of the Cross
The Spiritual Canticle (Redaction B)
Songs between the soul and the Bridegroom
Stanzas 14-15
John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Mi alma exiliada a la tierra
Aspira a la felicidad eterna
Nada la satisfaría
que ver a su Dios en el cielo.
Pero antes de verlo sin sombra
Quiero luchar por Jesús…
para ganar almas sin número
¡Quiero amarlo más y más!…
Mi vida pasará como un día
Pronto sin vela, sin nube
Veré a Jesús, mi amor
Por allí… En la orilla celestial
¡Me besará para siempre!
Pasaron por ti en los días de la victoria…
Y el honor
Ya tus enemigos quieren ocultar tu gloria
En su furia
Pronto te tomarán, te harán prisionero…
Una mazmorra negra
Se convertirá en tu refugio, te quedarás sin luz…
Pero cada noche
Bajando a ti, Juana, dulce martirio…
Nosotros que te amamos
Para encantarte, al sonido de nuestra lira
Cantaremos.
Pobre niña, no tengas miedo, te consolarás.
En tu desgracia
Te prometemos que te entregaremos…
Por el Señor!….
Thérèse de l’Enfant Jésus, 1895 | Credit: Discalced Carmelites
My soul in earthly exile
Aspires to eternal happiness.
Nothing can satisfy it
But to see its God in Heaven.
But before seeing Him clearly,
I want to fight for Jesus…
To win Him countless souls.
I want to love Him more and more! …
My life will pass like a single day
And soon without veil or cloud
I will see Jesus, my love. There….
On that Heavenly shore,
He will embrace me forever!!!
They have passed for you, the days of victory
And honor.
Already your enemies seek to hide your glory
In their rage.
Soon they will take you and make you a prisoner.
A dark dungeon
Will become your shelter, you will be without light.
But every evening
Descending to you, Joan, sweet martyr,
We who love you
Will sing to the tune of our lyre
To delight you.
Do not fear, poor child, you will be consoled
In your sorrow.
We promise you, you will be delivered
By the Lord!….
¡Bienaventurada alma que la trae el Señor a entender verdades! ¡Oh, qué estado éste para los reyes! ¡Cómo les valdría mucho más procurarle, que no gran señorío! ¡Qué rectitud habría en el reino! ¡Qué de males se excusarían y habrían excusado! Aquí no se teme perder vida ni honra por amor de Dios. ¡Qué gran bien éste para quien está más obligado a mirar la honra del Señor, que todos los que son menos, pues han de ser los reyes a quien sigan!
Por un punto de aumento en la fe y de haber dado luz en algo a los herejes, perdería mil reinos, y con razón. Otro ganar es. Un reino que no se acaba. Que con sola una gota que gusta un alma de esta agua de él, parece asco todo lo de acá. Pues cuando fuere estar engolfada en todo ¿qué será?
Santa Teresa de Jesús Libro de la Vida: Capítulo 21
Santa Teresa de Jesús por Gerardo Lopez Bonilla / Fuente: Carmelitas Descalzos
Blessed is the soul the Lord brings to the understanding of truth! Oh, how fit a state this is for kings! How much more worthwhile it would be for them to strive for this stage of prayer rather than for great dominion! What righteousness there would be in the kingdom! What evils they would avoid and have avoided! In this stage one does not fear to lose one’s life or honor for the love of God! What a great blessing this is for anyone who has a greater obligation to look after the honor of God than do all those who are subordinate, since these latter must follow their kings!
For one fraction of an increase in faith and for having given some light to the heretics such a king would be willing to lose a thousand kingdoms — and rightly so; for the gain would be far greater: a kingdom without an end, which when the soul tastes only one drop of its water, makes everything here below seem repulsive. How much more if the soul be immersed in this water?
Saint Teresa of Avila The Book of Her Life: Chapter 21
Kieran Kavanaugh, K, Rodriguez, O, and Teresa 1976, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Vol. 1ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Si hablamos de la sobrenatural, según se puede en esta vida, de potencia ordinaria no tiene el entendimiento disposición ni capacidad en la cárcel del cuerpo para recibir noticia clara de Dios, porque esa noticia no es de este estado, porque, o ha de morir, o no la ha de recibir.
Y ésta es la causa por que Moisés en la zarza, como se dice en los Actos de los Apóstoles (7,32), no se atrevió a considerar, estando Dios presente; porque conocía que no había de poder considerar su entendimiento de Dios como convenía, conforme a lo que de Dios sentía.
San Juan de la Cruz Subida del Monte Carmelo: Libro 2 Capítulo 8
17th c. Spanish, Carmel of Brescia | Credit: Discalced Carmelites
If we speak of supernatural knowing, insofar as one can in this life, we must say that the intellect of its ordinary power, while in the prison of this body, is neither capable of nor prepared for the reception of the clear knowledge of God. Such knowledge does not belong to our earthly state; either one must die or go without this knowledge.
This is why Moses, as affirmed in the Acts of the Apostles (7:32), did not dare to look at the bush while God was present. He knew that his intellect was powerless to consider God in an appropriate way, a way that conformed to what he felt about him.
Saint John of the Cross The Ascent of Mount Carmel: Book Two, Chapter 8
John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
La sabiduría entra por el amor, silencio y mortificación. Grande sabiduría es saber callar y no mirar dichos ni hechos ni vidas ajenas.
San Juan de la Cruz Puntos de amor, reunidos en Beas, No. 29
17th c. Spanish, Carmel of Brescia | Credit: Discalced Carmelites
Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification. It is great wisdom to know how to be silent and to look at neither the remarks, nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.
Saint John of the Cross Sayings of Light and Love, No. 109
Edith Stein was at home in the conventual family from the beginning. She used to laugh and joke like a child with the other Sisters until the tears ran down her cheeks. She used to declare that she had never laughed so much in all her life as during recreation in Carmel.
Everyone was at their ease with her. Soon after she herself had entered the Cologne Carmel she was given the wonderful experience of bringing in one of her young friends through her own example. This is what she wrote about it.
When we now stand facing each other in choir or walk together in procession I am struck more than ever by the wonderful ways of God. Naturally, in our seclusion we have a beautiful and silent Advent. How much one longs to send some of it to very many of those in the world… I believe that it would do them untold good to learn more of the peace of Carmel.
Teresia Renata Posselt, O.C.D.
Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite Chapter 14: In the School of Humility
Rose vestments for Gaudete Sunday
Posselt, T 2005, Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite, translated from the German by Batzdorff S, Koeppel J, and Sullivan J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he preached in the wilderness of Judaea and this was his message: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand.” This was the man the prophet Isaiah spoke of when he said:
A voice cries in the wilderness: prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.
Here is a small bird cast as John the Baptist
who from my treetops is inspired to say:
I come from heaven to prepare the way.
Now in the east approach the feet of day.
Day will reward you well, my little bird,
who make his coming such enchanting news,
who with the sweetest music I have heard
unloose the golden lachet of his shoes.
Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD (Jessica Powers)
In the winter of 1932 we had a celebration for St. Nicholas
Edith Stein biographer Sr. Teresia Renata Posselt, OCD—Edith’s former prioress in the Carmel of Cologne—writes of her experiences as a member of the faculty of the German Institute for Scientific Pedagogy at Münster, a position she accepted in early 1932. She resided at the Collegium Marianum in Münster.
Sr. Teresia Renata tells us that she took her meals with the students and made a deep impression on all she met, “basing her way of life, as always, on simplicity. (…) She would be the first in the chapel… her life was all prayer and work.” (Posselt 2005, p. 102)
One of Edith’s students shared a personal anecdote concerning Nikolaustag, the typical German celebration of the feast day of St. Nicholas that forms a significant part of German culture. Sr. Teresia Renata includes this lovely story in her biography, which testifies to the personal warmth and affection that Edith Stein bore not only for her students but also in later years for her sisters in Carmel.
Her personality had a much stronger effect in a small group. She loved to join in our small parties and celebrations in the house and at the students’ association. In the winter of 1932 we had a celebration for St. Nicholas. After a visit by St. Nicholas, played by one of us, we sat down together in our common room in front of a plate and an innocent glass of punch. She had put a small card of the Immaculate Conception from Beuron beside each plate. It was December 8th. We sang Advent songs, and she was just like one of us. (Posselt 2005, p. 104)
St. Martin’s Archabbey Church, Beuron, Germany | Andreas Praefcke / Wikimedia Commons
Posselt, T 2005, Edith Stein: The Life of a Philosopher and Carmelite, translated from the German by Batzdorff S, Koeppel J, and Sullivan J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
The word that Isaiah son of Amoz saw concerning Judah and Jerusalem.
In days to come
the mountain of the Lord’s house
shall be established as the highest of the mountains,
and shall be raised above the hills;
all the nations shall stream to it.
Many peoples shall come and say,
“Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord,
to the house of the God of Jacob;
that he may teach us his ways
and that we may walk in his paths.”
For out of Zion shall go forth instruction,
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Isaiah 2:1-3
READING
Let us rejoice, Beloved,
and let us go forth to behold ourselves in your beauty
to the mountain and to the hill,
to where the pure water flows,
and further, deep into the thicket.
to the mountain and to the hill,
That is: to the morning and essential knowledge of God, which is knowledge in the divine Word, who in his height is signified here by the mountain. That they may know the Son of God, Isaiah urges all: Come, let us ascend to the mountain of the Lord (Is. 2:3); in another passage: The mountain of the house of the Lord shall be prepared (Is. 2:2).
“And to the hill,” that is, to the evening knowledge of God, which is God’s wisdom in his creatures, works, and wondrous decrees. The hill suggests this wisdom because it is not as high as the morning wisdom. Yet the soul asks for both the evening and the morning wisdom when she says: “To the mountain and to the hill.”
Saint John of the Cross
The Spiritual Canticle: Stanza 36 (excerpts)
New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition scripture references provided by biblegateway.com
John of the Cross, St. 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K and Rodriguez, O with revisions and introductions by Kavanaugh, K, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Dear friends, here we are once again to invite you to live this Advent in a spirit of communion through an online retreat prepared especially for you by the Discalced Carmelite friars.
If you are already registered and have received the meditations from one of the previous retreats, you do not need to register again and it is not too late to register even though Advent has begun.
However, don’t hesitate to extend an invitation to your friends and acquaintances so that they can register using the form on the websitewww.retreat-online.karmel.at
We suggest that you download the A4 poster and distribute it to your Christian community, parish, ecclesial movement, association, or prayer group. You also can promote this initiative through social media.
Inviting others to pray through the retreat is an excellent way to evangelize and witness to your faith.
This Advent we will be guided by the writings of Father François de Sainte-Marie, a Discalced Carmelite friar from the Paris province who consecrated his brief life (1910-1961) to pass on the treasures of the Carmelite heritage. His best-known project was the publication of the autograph manuscripts of Thérèse of Lisieux, under the title Autobiographical Manuscripts, which today is published under the title Story of a Soul. It brings to light his knowledge of the doctrine of little Thérèse, his scientific mind, and at the same time a great human sensitivity.
At the end of November, you will receive the first introductory text of this Advent retreat. Then you will receive the meditations for each of the 4 weeks of Advent, with the following themes:
– 1st Sunday:Return to the Gospel
– 2nd Sunday:Outstanding educator
– 3rd Sunday:Delight of the little ones
– 4th Sunday:Abyss of grace
– Christmas:“True Marian devotion”
The content will be available so that you may organize your moments of meditation during the week. The texts were prepared by Discalced Carmelite friars from Avon, France, and the translation into English was prepared by Secular Carmelites from North America.
The online retreat is free of charge. You can register or unsubscribe at any time.
If you have any difficulty in receiving the meditations, please send an email to: webretiro@karmel.at
With this invitation to the online retreat, we extend our sincere wishes for a blessed Advent!
Carmelite Quoteson behalf of —
fr. Roberto Maria OCD and the Discalced Carmelites in Austria
Oh, my soul! Let the will of God be done; this suits you. Serve and hope in His mercy, for He will cure your grief when penance for your faults will have gained some pardon for them. Don’t desire joy but suffering. O, true Lord and my King! I’m still not ready for suffering if Your sovereign hand and greatness do not favor me, but with these, I shall be able to do all things.
Soliloquies 6: Painful Longing For God
Christ revealing Himself to Saint Teresa Quito School (Ecuador, 17th c.) Mural painting, c. 1653 Upper cloister, Convento del Carmen Alto, Quito, Ecuador
¡Oh ánima mía! Deja hacerse la voluntad de tu Dios; eso te conviene. Sirve y espera en su misericordia, que remediará tu pena, cuando la penitencia de tus culpas haya ganado algún perdón de ellas; no quieras gozar sin padecer. ¡Oh verdadero Señor y Rey mío!, que aun para esto no soy, si no me favorece vuestra soberana mano y grandeza, que con esto todo lo podré.
Mary, at the top of Calvary standing beside the Cross
To me you seem like a priest at the altar,
Offering your beloved Jesus, the sweet Emmanuel,
To appease the Father’s justice…
A prophet said, O afflicted Mother,
‘There is no sorrow like your sorrow!”
O Queen of Martyrs, while remaining in exile
You lavish on us all the blood of your heart!
The Crucifixion Master of the Dominican Effigies (active c.1328–1350) The Ashmolean Museum of Art and Archaeology
Te me apareces, Virgen, en la sombría cumbre del Calvario, de pie junto a la cruz,
igual que un sacerdote en el altar,
ofreciendo tu Víctima, tu Jesús amadísimo, nuestro dulce Emmanuel,
para desenfadar la justicia del Padre.
Un profeta lo dijo, ¡oh Madre desolada!:
¡No hay dolor semejante a tu dolor!»
¡Oh Reina de los mártires, quedando en el destierro,
prodigas por nosotros toda la sangre de tu corazón!
And then we will go on to the high caverns in the rock
The rock mentioned here, as St. Paul says, is Christ (1 Cor. 10:4). The high caverns of this rock are the sublime, exalted, and deep mysteries of God’s wisdom in Christ, in the hypostatic union of the human nature with the divine Word, and in the corresponding union of human beings with God, and the mystery of the harmony between God’s justice and mercy with respect to the manifestations of his judgments in the salvation of the human race. These mysteries are so profound that she very appropriately calls them high caverns: high, because of the height of the sublime mysteries; and caverns, because of the depth of God’s wisdom in them. As caverns are deep and have many recesses, so each of the mysteries in Christ is singularly deep in wisdom and contains many recesses of his secret judgments of predestination and foreknowledge concerning the children of the earth. She then adds:
which are so well concealed;
They are so well concealed that however numerous are the mysteries and marvels that holy doctors have discovered and saintly souls understood in this earthly life, all the more is yet to be said and understood. There is much to fathom in Christ, for he is like an abundant mine with many recesses of treasures, so that however deep individuals may go they never reach the end or bottom, but rather in every recess find new veins with new riches everywhere. On this account St. Paul said of Christ (Col. 2:3):
In Christ dwell hidden all treasures and wisdom.
The Spiritual Canticle: Stanza 37
Mesa Arch, Arches National Park, Utah | Robbie Shade
Y luego a las subidas cavernas de la piedra nos iremos.
La piedra que aquí dice, según dice san Pablo (1 Cor. 10, 4) es Cristo. Las subidas cavernas de esta piedra son los subidos y altos y profundos misterios de sabiduría de Dios que hay en Cristo sobre la unión hipostática de la naturaleza humana con el Verbo divino, y en la respondencia que hay a ésta de la unión de los hombres a Dios y en las conveniencias de justicia y misericordia de Dios sobre la salud del género humano en manifestación de sus juicios, los cuales, por ser tan altos y profundos, bien propiamente los llama subidas cavernas, por la alteza de los misterios subidos y cavernas por la hondura y profundidad de la sabiduría de Dios en ellos; porque así como las cavernas son profundas y de muchos senos así cada misterio de los que hay en Cristo es profundísimo en sabiduría y tiene muchos senos de juicios suyos ocultos de predestinación y presciencia en los hijos de los hombres. Por lo cual, dice luego:
Que están bien escondidas.
Tanto, que por más misterios y maravillas que han descubierto los santos doctores y entendido las santas almas en este estado de vida, les quedó todo lo más por decir, y aun por entender; y así hay mucho que ahondar en Cristo: porque es como una abundante mina con muchos senos de tesoros, que, por más que ahonden, nunca les hallan fin ni término, antes van en cada seno hallando nuevas venas de nuevas riquezas acá y allá. Que, por eso, dijo san Pablo (Cl. 2, 3) del mismo Cristo, diciendo:
En Cristo moran todos los tesoros y sabiduría escondidos
comments on the breeze