If the psalmist prayed “for God alone my soul waits,” then St. Thérèse repeated that heartfelt cry with greater fervor: “My only peace, my only happiness, my only love is you, Lord!”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena 2022, Day 6: Jesus alone
Quote of the day, 23 September: Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
"We cannot see God, but we can listen to Jesus who has revealed God to us with an existence full of goodness and forgiveness," writes Bishop Silvio José Báez. "The only way to see God is to listen to Jesus, follow him, and live in communion with him."
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena 2022, Day 1: Just for today
“Do not worry about tomorrow,” Jesus said. Thérèse took his advice and wrote, “if I think about tomorrow, I fear my fickleness. I feel sadness and worry rising up in my heart.” Her solution to this problem? Living “just for today.”
St. Thérèse of Lisieux Novena 2022: Introduction
In this, the 125th anniversary year of the death of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, each day we will share excerpts from her poetry that reveal her eminent doctrine and passionate desire "to love Jesus and to make him loved" as a Discalced Carmelite nun.
Quote of the day, 14 September: St. Edith Stein
For the renewal of vows at the Carmel of Echt in 1940, St. Edith Stein wrote a meditation for the prioress at her request. We share the final section of the meditation where Edith presents a striking response to the age-old complaint that God doesn't hear our prayers. "What right have we to be heard?" Edith asks. Her own answer is decisive: "The day on which God has unrestricted power over our hearts we shall also have unrestricted power over his."
Quote of the day, 10 September: Père Jacques de Jésus
Quote of the day, 10 September: Père Jacques devoted his Friday evening retreat conference at the Carmel of Pontoise to the Cross and suffering. Paraphrasing St Teresa, he said, “Life without suffering is a waste of time. Every hour not united to God's will is an hour squandered.”
Quote of the day, 8 September: Père Jacques de Jésus
For the feast day of the Nativity of the Blessed Virgin Mary on 8 September 1943, Père Jacques spoke of the Mary’s virginity that “wins her new graces, which enable her ever more consciously to realize her role as a total virgin.” This quote is Père Jacques at his best.
Quote of the day, 7 September: Père Jacques de Jésus
On the morning of the second day of his retreat in Pontoise, Père Jacques stresses this point: “we must truly see Christ.” He continues that our knowledge of the Lord must be vital, not verbal: “we must strive to love Christ passionately and prepare to see him face to face, when we die.”
Quote of the day, 6 September: Père Jacques de Jésus
Père Jacques de Jésus began his preached retreat for the Discalced Carmelite nuns at the Carmel of Pontoise on this date in 1943. He reminded the nuns, “Prayer is the reason why God has placed us on earth.”
Quote of the day, 4 September: St. Teresa of the Andes
Even at the tender age of 15, St. Teresa of the Andes comprehended the importance of taking up the cross and following Jesus. But He called her to "take up the cross with love and joy."
Quote of the day, 3 September: Hermann Cohen
Preaching in 1864 in Malines, Belgium on Catholicism in England, the Servant of God Hermann Cohen boldly spoke out against the so-called "progress" of the secularization he witnessed in England. "The great obstacle to progress is that the Master has been excluded from all Laws, Constitutions, and Governments..."
Through the Narrow Door — Silvio José Báez, o.c.d.
Bishop Silvio José Báez, o.c.d. reflects on Jesus's teaching about entering through the "narrow door". The Bishop reminds us that "it's necessary to make a daily effort to go through "the narrow door", which is nothing other than to shape our lives and orient our hearts to love with a love like that of the Father in Heaven."
Quote of the day, 7 August: St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa impresses upon her nuns, "Shouldn't we consider ourselves lucky to be able to repay something of what we owe Him for His service toward us? I say these words "His service toward us" unwillingly; but the fact is that He did nothing else but serve us all the time He lived in this world...."
Quote of the day, 28 July: Blessed John Soreth
Carmelite scholar Father François de Sainte-Marie shares several gems of wisdom from Blessed John Soreth concerning the Carmelite Rule. Here's one example" "Do you want to get to heaven? Embrace the baseness of poverty and it will be yours..."
Quote of the day, 24 July: St. Teresa of Avila
St. Teresa of Avila is overflowing with love and praise as she begins her commentary on the Lord's prayer. "O my Lord, how You do show Yourself to be the Father of such a Son; and how Your Son does show Himself to be the Son of such a Father! May You be blessed forever and ever!"
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2022: Day 7
Saint Titus Brandsma describes the most thrilling moment of Saturday evening devotions in the Church of the Carmelites: the solemn chanting of the Salve Regina. "All now stand before the altar of Mary... above which the statue of Mary glimmers in the light."
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2022: Day 2
"O Jesus, what a new and appalling suffering it must have been for You, to be forced to cause your beloved Mother to share in the suffering that You had taken on Yourself for our sake..."
Quote of the day, 30 June: St. Teresa of Avila
Writing about perfect love, St. Teresa says that a person "does everything he can for the other's benefit... O precious love that imitates the Commander-in-chief of love, Jesus, our Good!"
Quote of the day, 29 June: St. John of the Cross
"There is no assurance in God's revelations," writes St. John of the Cross. He cites examples from the lives of Saints Peter and Paul where they both need guidance and correction in their ministries.
Quote of the day, 25 June: St. Teresa of the Andes
St. Teresa of the Andes had a lively devotion to the Immaculate Heart of Mary. In this prayer from 1917, she writes, "may your Heart be my refuge, my hope, my consolation, my solitude."
Carmelite Quotes 
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