Carmelite wisdom to encourage & inspire
Ana Garcia was born at Almendral, Castille, in 1549. In 1572 she made her profession as a Carmelite in the hands of St Teresa at Saint Joseph’s, Avila. The Saint later chose her as her companion and nurse, and she subsequently brought the Teresian spirit to France and Belgium, where she proved herself, like Teresa, a daughter of the Church in her great zeal for the salvation of souls.
Reading time: 4 minutes, 752 words
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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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St John of the Cross describes the inauguration of the friars' new foundation in Córdoba, Spain: “All the streets were beautifully decorated [....] This took place on the Sunday after Ascension Thursday.”
Reading time: 1 minute, 256 words
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Carmel desired to bring together in one single memorial its own martyrs who, in different locations in Spain, bore witness during the long and bloody Civil War (1936-1939). Mentioned in this memorial are Father Angel Maria Prat Hostench, O. Carm., killed with his community in Tarrega in 1936, and Father Lucas of St. Joseph O.C.D., killed with his fellow friars in Barcelona, also in 1936. In this memorial, we also remember the groups from Lérida, Tarragona, Toledo, Olot, Terrasa, etc. The entire group of bishops, diocesan priests, religious from various orders, and laity was beatified partly (498 martyrs) by Benedict XVI on October 28, 2007, and partly (522 martyrs) by Francis on October 13, 2013.
Reading time: 5 minutes, 970 words
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The Carmelite family celebrates the beatification of Thérèse of the Child Jesus on 19 April 1923. In this excerpt from the Apostolic Brief "Quod Ioannes vidit" we read Pope Pius XI laud the sanctity and virtues of Thérèse.
Reading time: 2 minutes, 467 words
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Barbe Avrillot was born in Paris in 1566. At the age of sixteen, she married Pierre Acarie, by whom she had seven children. In spite of her household duties and many hardships, she attained the heights of the mystical life. Under the influence of St. Teresa's writings, and after mystical contact with the Saint herself, she spared no effort in introducing the Discalced Carmelite nuns into France. After her husband's death, she asked to be admitted among them as a lay sister, taking the name of Mary of the Incarnation; she was professed at the Carmel of Amiens in 1615. She was esteemed by some of the greatest men of her time, including St. Francis de Sales; and she was distinguished by her spirit of prayer and her zeal for the propagation of the Catholic faith. She died at Pontoise on April 18th, 1618.
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St. Elizabeth of the Trinity described for her family the 1903 Easter celebration in the Carmel of Dijon. “It seemed our Master was going to appear to us... as He once did to Mary Magdalene.”
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Our growth in silent prayer leads us from “thinking much” to “loving much,” as St. Teresa of Avila says. Thus, the next stage of prayer “means focusing a loving gaze on Jesus,” writes Antoine-Marie Leduc, o.c.d.
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On 15 March 1899 after a conference at her parish's Lenten mission, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity wrote, “I met a confessor like I have never found before, and I thank God. The priest found all the signs of a true vocation in me.”
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The right method for prayer is “one that will allow us not to miss the moment when the Lord passes by,” writes Antoine-Marie Leduc, ocd; our focus is to “welcome what is happening deep within.”
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“To have the attitude of a child of God means knowing how to take the time for this intimate relationship,” writes Antoine-Marie Leduc, ocd; “because what we receive is so much greater than what we can give.”
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"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.
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On 20 February 1263, Pope Urban IV published the bull, "Quoniam ut ait," which is one of the first documents that mention "the Order of the Blessed Mary of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land." We explore this Marian identity in today’s Constitutions of the Discalced Carmelite Friars.
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Saint Kuriakos Elias Chavara, co-founder and first prior general of the congregation of the Carmelites of Mary Immaculate, was born at Kainakary in Kerala, India, February 10, 1805. He entered the seminary in 1818, and was ordained priest in 1829. He made his religious profession in 1855, in the congregation he founded. In 1861, he was named vicar general for the Syro-Malabar church; in this capacity he defended ecclesial unity threatened by schism when mar Tomas Rochos was sent from Mesopotamia to consecrate Nestorian bishops. Throughout his life he worked for the renovation of the church in Malabar. He was also co-founder in 1866 of the congregation of the Sisters of the Mother of Carmel. Above all, he was a man of prayer, zealous for the Eucharistic Lord, and devoted to the Immaculate Virgin Mary. He died at Koonammavu on January 3, 1871. His body was transferred to Mannanam in 1889.
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In honor of the 150th anniversary of St. Thérèse's birth on 2 January 2023, Discalced Carmelite friars from the Washington Province met to discuss the impact her spirituality has had on the Church throughout the last century. Join Fr. Pier Giorgio, Fr. Michael-Joseph, and Br. John-Mary for this lively discussion on the CarmelCast podcast.
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John was born at Fontiveros in Spain about 1542. He entered the Carmelites and with the permission of his superiors began to live a stricter life. Afterward, he was persuaded by Saint Teresa to begin, together with some others, the Discalced reform within the Order; this cost him much hard work and many trials. He died in Ubeda in 1591, outstanding in holiness and wisdom, to which his many spiritual writings give eloquent witness.
Maria Maravillas was born at Madrid in 1891. She entered the El Escorial Carmel, Madrid on 12th October 1919. In 1924 she was inspired to found a Carmel at Cerro de los Angeles, alongside the monument to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. From this foundation followed nine others in Spain and one in India. She always gave first place to prayer and self-sacrifice. She had a true, passionate zeal for the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Even while living a life of poverty in the cloister she helped those who were in need, initiating apostolic, social and charitable works. In a particular way, she helped those of her own order, priests, and other religious congregations. She died in the monastery of La Aldehuela, Madrid, on 11th December 1974. She was canonized on 4th May 2003 in Madrid.
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Denis of the Nativity, a priest, called in the world Pierre Berthelot, was born in Honfleur in France in 1600. He was a cartographer and naval commander for the kings of Portugal and France before he joined the Discalced Carmelites in Goa in 1635. It was also at Goa that the Portuguese lay brother, Thomas Rodriguez da Cunha, born in 1598, had made his profession in 1615, taking the name Redemptus of the Cross. They were sent to the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), where, in the town of Achen (Aceh), they received the martyr’s crown on November 29, 1638.
St. Teresa teaches us that to watch expectantly for the One who is to come is to be attentive to the presence of the One who is already there. Her catechesis on prayer provides keys to help us be attentive.
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On 17 November 1991, St. John Paul II presided at the Rite of Canonization for Raphael Kalinowski. A 7-year-old boy from Wadowice who was struck by a car and suffered massive brain trauma, experienced an astonishing miracle of healing. We have his story.
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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
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