Carmelite wisdom to encourage & inspire
What gives God joy? St. John of the Cross explains that he rejoices to find "the humility and the nakedness of our heart and in our contempt of worldly things for love of him." Not with sour faces, but with the joy that it gives him.
In her autobiography, St. Teresa of Avila writes about "the good that one who practices prayer possesses... I mean mental prayer—glory be to God for this good! If it were not for this good, even though I have little humility, I should not be so proud as to dare speak about mental prayer."
St. Edith Stein examines woman's sins and defects of character that are as old as the fall of Adam and Eve.
In the translated works of St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi, we find this meditation on our Lord's resurrection: "Thou didst wish to appear to Mary first because she had conceived Thee..."
"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."
St. Teresa begins her commentary on the Song of Songs by mentioning a homily from one Holy Thursday: "I recall hearing a priest who was a religious preach a very admirable sermon, most of which was an explanation of those loving delights with which the bride communed with God... He was speaking about love since the sermon was on Maundy Thursday when one shouldn't be speaking of anything else..."
Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d. explores the theological depths of Christ's death on the cross: "The cross of Jesus is the cathedra of infinite love, limitless forgiveness, and mercy that can change the world."
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."
We celebrate the birth of St. Mary Magdalene de' Pazzi with an excerpt from the English translation of Father Fabrini's biography concerning the grace of Easter 1590. We also explore the story of the translator, Father Antonio Isoleri, pastor of the first Italian National parish in the USA, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi Church in Philadelphia.
One may kneel down and make a plea with words from book or breviary... But some day, hidden by His will, if this meek child is waiting still, God will take out His mercy-key and open up felicity, where saltiest tears are given right to seas where sapphire marries light
The chief among Teresa’s virtues was the love of God, which our Lord Jesus Christ increased by means of many visions and revelations. She not only submitted all her exterior actions to the judgment of her superiors with the greatest humility of spirit but also all her thoughts.
Even when His Majesty desires to raise it to very lofty contemplation, as I have said, it is aware of its unworthiness, saying with St. Peter: Depart from me, Lord, for I am a sinful man.
If we beg the grace to be profoundly humble [...] then everything in our souls will become pleasing to the Lord.
When I read in the Gospel “that Mary went in haste to the hill country of Judea” to perform her loving service for her cousin Elizabeth, I imagine her passing by so beautiful, so calm and so majestic
Now, until God gives us this good in heaven... resemble somewhat in suffering this great God of ours...
I have understood that what most keeps me from God is my pride. From now on I desire and propose to be humble.
God is spirit and we must adore him in spirit and in truth, that is, with humble, authentic adoration of spirit in the depths and center of our souls.
St. John of the Cross reminds us that "God’s purpose is to exalt the soul". That is why he came down, "so profound is the humility and sweetness of God".
A priest has to approach God with a humble heart because he has received everything from God.
Jesus wants to eradicate three deadly verbs from our daily life: to have, to ascend, and to command; and in their place he proposes that we should cultivate these three life-giving verbs: to give, to descend, and to serve.
Carmelite Quotes 
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