Blessed Chiquitunga led an active apostolic life in Paraguay's Catholic Action movement prior to entering Carmel. In this prayer, she pleads with God: "let this ardor of my heart change into an intense life of union with You, beloved Master, of intense apostolate for Your glory..."
Quote of the day, 22 June: Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
"Do whatever he tells you" (Jn 2:5), were the instructions from the Mother of the Lord to the servants at the wedding banquet. Bishop Silvio José Báez reminds us that if we put his gospel into practice, our lives will be transformed in unexpected ways...
Marie du jour 2022, May 17: Père Jacques
The Servant of God Père Jacques de Jésus offers a reflection on John 19:27, "This is your mother". Père Jacques writes, "While the other apostles traveled across the then known world on their missionary journeys, John’s unique apostolate was to remain close to the Virgin Mary, whom Christ had entrusted to him."
Quote of the day, 28 April: Blessed Chiquitunga
During her most active apostolic years with Catholic Action, Blessed Chiquitunga wrote, "I want everything to be saturated with Christ, and, wherever I am, I can leave a little ray of His light"...
Quote of the day, 24 February: St. John Paul II
We have translated an excerpt from St. John Paul II's homily at the beatification of Josefa Naval Girbés in 1988, where he praises her heroic virtues and her status as a lay woman in the local church.
Quote of the day, 27 January: St. John Paul II
From the hand of Teresa of Jesus, Henry de Ossó understands that love for Christ has to be the center of his work: a love of Christ that captivates and attracts people, winning them to the Gospel.
Quote of the day, 27 July: Blessed Titus Brandsma
So there is no opposition of the contemplative life to the active. The former is the great support of the latter.
Quote of the day, 2 June: Père Jacques de Jésus
Père Jacques of Jesus died on this date, 2 June 1945 in St. Elizabeth Hospital in Linz, Austria following 70 weeks in Nazi prison camps
Marie du jour 2021, May 9: Père Jacques
John’s unique apostolate was to remain close to the Virgin Mary, whom Christ had entrusted to him
Elijah: Man of crystalline faith — Pope Francis
Scripture presents Elijah as a man of crystalline faith
Our 2000th blog post
We thank our faithful followers and all of our readers for their kind comments and loyal sharing of the wisdom of the Carmelites.
Carmelite spirituality: apostolic or contemplative?
Carmelite spirituality is not contemplative and apostolic. It is apostolic because it is contemplative
Marie du jour 2020: 7 May
I told the little girl all that Mary inspired me to say
Quote of the day: 5 March
Apostolate and love dwell in perfect harmony
Quote of the day: 14 November
Our saints have likewise been zealous to save souls
Quote of the day: 23 October
I am asking Him that you may be not only a good missionary but a saint
Quote of the day: 25 September
A singular characteristic of Josefa was her secular status
Marie du jour: 24 May
Pray to the Virgin Mary to help you attain your goal
Quote of the day: March 22
Wherever the soul is enkindled, that soul itself longs for action
Action and Contemplation: Beginning to Pray Blog
The greatest mystics never saw a tension between apostolic service and contemplative prayer -- for them, it would be impossible to have one without the other. How is it that these prayerful people did more than those who feel they are too busy for prayer?
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