Carmelite wisdom to encourage & inspire
We recall the first profession of religious vows on this day of Blessed Marie-Eugene of the Child Jesus, and read his comments on dryness and distractions in the prayer of beginners: "it is natural enough that the devil should use his great power..."
Read more →
"The fundamental temptation, for Jesus as for us, is to set ourselves up as rivals of God our Father," writes Discalced Carmelite friar Antoine-Marie Leduc, who reflects on Jesus' temptation in the desert.
Read more →
“When the soul is clothed in faith the devil is ignorant of how to hinder her,” says St. John of the Cross, because “faith gives her strong protection” against that “most astute enemy,” the devil.
Continue reading →
On this feast day of St. Albert of Jerusalem, we recall that he gave the Rule of Life to Carmelite hermits who lived "near the spring on Mount Carmel." He urged them to clothe themselves with God's armor and to prepare for "the enemy's ambush". The enemy came in human form when the Mamluks who conquered the Crusader stronghold at Acre moved south unchallenged and massacred the hermits on Carmel.
"The soul must practice the following instructions if it wishes to attain in a short time holy recollection and spiritual silence, nakedness, and poverty of spirit, where one enjoys the peaceful comfort of the Holy Spirit," writes St John of the Cross in the introduction to The Precautions.
"I would desire all fears so as not to offend for an instant Him who in an instant can annihilate us, because it pleases His Majesty that there be no one against us whom He will not put to flight."
We celebrate the baptism of St. Teresa with an excerpt from the Book of Her Life: "He never tires of giving, nor can He exhaust His mercies. Let us not tire of receiving."
What is the Discalced Carmelite experience in Ukraine at the moment? Provincial Delegate Father Józef Kucharczyk explains: "This is what I feel: spiritual warfare! I don’t feel like a hero... The priests and the faithful don’t feel like heroes, but we are really fighting with the devil!"
Like our Lord in today's gospel reading, St. Teresa compares the soul to a tree that is planted by the fount of life. "There would be no freshness, no fruit, if it were not for this fount sustaining the tree, preventing it from drying up, and causing it to produce good fruit."
From the beginning of the Interior Castle, St. Teresa of Avila explains what it would mean for this "beautiful castle... to fall into mortal sin; there's no darker darkness nor anything more obscure and black...."
A soul depends on grace in proportion to its desire for greater perfection. God's help is necessary at every moment because, without it, the soul can do nothing.
Since man's life on earth is a time of trial, and all who would live devotedly in Christ must undergo persecution...
From 7th April to 10th May, the day on which the Blessed Virgin healed her, Therese remained in a sorry state
You must use every care to clothe yourselves in God's armour
In seeing itself rich, while not even deserving to eat the crumbs that fall from the table...
On St. Gregory Nazianzen's Day, May 9 they vowed not to leave
Only attachment to God makes us free
Those who trust in themselves are worse than the devil.
"She is Mother to us all in the order of grace"
!["I took for my advocate and lord the glorious St. Joseph and earnestly recommended myself to him. [...] I don’t recall up to this day ever having petitioned him for anything that he failed to grant."](https://scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t39.30808-6/336879821_1374507696727108_3000064146961560788_n.jpg?_nc_cat=102&ccb=1-7&_nc_sid=8ae9d6&_nc_ohc=GeKBPoaKfMcAX9shUqP&_nc_ht=scontent-iad3-1.cdninstagram.com&edm=ANo9K5cEAAAA&oh=00_AfDrfWUU45P4ozvDEXryS1x7VAQ2kKpuY7CQu61x-qE-zA&oe=64238CFB)
The Real News
Everyday Life
The latest news on WordPress.com and the WordPress community.
web de espiritualidad carmelitana
Antonio Mas Arrondo
Let nothing disturb you, Let nothing frighten you, All things are passing away: God never changes. Patience obtains all things. Whoever has God lacks nothing; God alone suffices. ~ St. Teresa of Avila
Monasterio de las Batuecas Carmelitas Descalzos
Carmelite Quotes 
Recent comments