The Beauty of the Papacy

"Now when Jesus came into the district of Caesare'a Philip'pi, he asked his disciples, "Who do men say that the Son of man is?" And they said, 'Some say John the Baptist, others say Eli'jah, and others Jeremiah or one of the prophets." He said to them, "But who do you say that I am?" Simon Peter replied, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."  -Matthew 16:13-19

If we look back in history to Jesus' time, we would see that Caesare'a Philip'pi was a place of worship of the Greco-Roman god, Pan, and also, later on, of the worship of Tiberius Caesar who considered himself a god. It is here that Jesus asks the question, "Who do you say that I am?"


In front of all of these other "gods" Simon Peter makes the bold proclamation, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." In a place teeming with worship of pagan gods, Simon Peter is the one who is not afraid to speak the truth. He is not deceived by the falsehoods being spoken or practiced around him. Simon Peter makes this declaration without Jesus telling him; it was through the inspiration of the Divine. Because of this, Jesus says,

"And Jesus answered him, "Blessed are you, Simon Bar-Jona! For flesh and blood has not revealed this to you, but my Father who is in heaven. And I tell you, you are Peter, and on this rock I will build my Church, and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it."

Jesus calls Simon Peter. In Greek, Peter means Petros, meaning rock. He continues to say that on this "rock",  Petros, Peter, He will build his Church, "and the gates of Hades shall not prevail against it." If we go back 9 chapters in Matthew's Gospel to Chapter 7, verses 24-25,  Jesus tells us that the wise man builds his house on rock, but not just on any rock. He says, "this rock".  When we build our "house", our foundation for life and all that we stand for on the rock, the Church, the Bride of Christ, when the rains come and the winds blow, our "house" will NOT fall!


The beauty of the Church is all in all the Eucharist, for it is our "source and summit"! (CCC 1324) Another beautiful aspect of our faith is the papacy. Jesus himself implemented it. Up until the profession of faith by Peter, Jesus has avoided occasions of danger (Rf. John 7:30, 7:44, 8:59, 10:39), but now that the Church has a foundation, Peter, His time for offering up the one Sacrifice for all has come. (See Matthew 16:21) Jesus entrusts all that He taught and did to Peter to continue to hand on in His place. It is up to the Holy Father to "watch[] over the transmission of the true faith." (YOUCAT 141)


This is the beauty of the Papacy! We have, as a guide, a man to whom Jesus Himself has entrusted His Church. If Jesus has entrusted this to him, we should, in turn, trust and follow the guidance of the Holy Father; for his mission is to continue the work of Jesus and to lead the faithful towards their heavenly home! 


Let us pray for our Holy Father, Pope Benedict XVI, that he may continue to guide us through the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, and that he may be protected from all harm so as to bring glory and honor to Our Lord Jesus Christ! 

O God, the Shepherd and Ruler of all Your faithful people, mercifully look upon Your servant Pope Benedict XVI, whom You have chosen as the chief Shepherd to preside over Your Church. We beg You to help him edify, both by word and example, those over whom he has charge, that he may reach everlasting life together with the flock entrusted to him. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm.

Praise

     What are reasons for praise? Do we praise God in moments of joy? Do we praise God in moments of peace and contentment? Do we praise God in moments of weakness or in moments of sorrow and suffering? Praise is due to God in moments of happiness and joy just as David shows us in 2 Samuel 6 when he dances before the Lord, however, it is not our only reason for praise. In our moments of weakness, we must praise! "'My grace is sufficient for you, for my power is made perfect in weakness.' I will all the more gladly boast of my weaknesses, that the power of Christ may rest upon me. For the sake of Christ, then, I am content with weaknesses, insults, hardships, persecutions and calamities; for when I am weak, then I am strong." (2 Corinthians 12:9-10) In moments of sorrow and suffering, our souls must praise! Job, after losing everything he owned and all of his children, "arose, and rent his robe, and shaved his head, and fell upon the ground, and worshipped. And he said, 'Naked I came from my mother's womb, and naked I shall return; the Lord gave, and the Lord has taken away; blessed be the name of the Lord.'" (Job 1:20) There is beauty in praising God in moments of pure joy and freedom in praising God in times of sorrow and suffering.

     Praise allows us the opportunity to realize our place in relation to Him who created us. "Praise is the form of prayer which recognizes most immediately that God is God. It lauds God for his own sake and gives him glory...simply because HE IS" (CCC 2639). It teaches us humility and graciousness like Our Lady. Mary is a woman of praise! "My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant...." (Luke 1:46-48) When we seek to live a life of praise, we seek to live a life modeled after that of Our Lady and of the saints.
     We were created for praise! This praise, which finds it's climax in the celebration of the Mass, should permeate our daily lives! Praise is so much more than routine monotonous recitation of prayers. Praise moves the soul; sometimes even to tears. More than that, praise is not about what we can receive from it but what we have to offer to Him who gave us everything! Praise isn't about what you're feeling while you're praising. It's about what you offer up to God even in moments when you get nothing in return. Praise is beautiful in moments of pure elation when a soul is moved to tears for love of the Savior and beautiful even in moments when there is no feeling, just praise.
     There are so many forms of praise. Vocal. Silent. Visible. Invisible. All of these forms of praise are crucial to the spiritual life. We experience these types of praise in every Mass (GIRM 39-45) and should strive to live these types of praise in our everyday lives for they stretch us and push us beyond ourselves! They free us from the limitations we place upon our selves and allow us to elevate to union with the Divine!

Consoling the Heart of Jesus

"Come to me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest." -Matthew 11:28

     I recently had the opportunity to spend some time with a very wise three year old. She was in the kitchen making milkshakes with her grandmother for the rest of the family on a particularly hot day. The noise of the ice cream maker scared her. As she came running towards me and I leaned over to scoop her into my arms, I heard, "I want to hold you! I want to hold you!" Which, translated, meant, 'I want you to hold me!' As I held her in my arms, she squeezed me tight and I gladly returned the squeeze and all the love that her little squeeze entailed. 
     Reflecting back on the preciousness of that moment, I realized that as much consolation as I had brought to her sweet heart in that moment, she, in turn, brought much consolation to my heart. When we love someone, we desire to console their hearts in moments of fear and sorrow. It is, naturally, the way God created us. It was consoling to my heart that she felt security in my arms. It was consoling that I had the opportunity to hold her and reassure her that even though the ice cream maker was loud, the whole family was safe. If I felt this way, I can only imagine how her mother and father feel! The same is with the Lord! This thought amazed me. In our moments of fear and anxiety, because of his great love for us, he longingly waits for us to run into his arms, seeking shelter from the trials of this world. How consoling must it be to Jesus' heart when we run to him with our fears and anxieties, and how he must love the opportunity to just hold us in his merciful arms! 
     Let us pray this week for the grace to run, more often, to his arms in moments of uncertainty!


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Mary Ark of the New Covenant: Extending to All Generations

Mary is the New Eve sent to crush the head of the serpent. Mary is the Mother of all Generations given to us at the foot of the Cross through the beloved disciple John. Mary is the new Ark of the Covenant more precious than the golden ark of old, carrying within herself the divine Treasure, the New Covenant Himself. It is in this way that she ascends the hills of the countryside to meet her older cousin Elizabeth.

Salvation history reminds us of the broken reality of our human nature. God created us with hearts to love and intellects to choose Him or another, from covenant to covenant. God is a God of mercy, restoring covenant after covenant until sending His own Son to restore and renew all covenants in the new covenant for all ages. 

We begin in Genesis. God made a covenant in the Garden of Eden; humanity rejected the covenant[1]. God makes a covenant with Noah and restores the covenant demolished by man in the Garden.  After the flood Noah breaks the covenant and gets drunk and falls asleep naked in his tent[2]. God makes a covenant with the Israelites. They get impatient while Moses is on Sinai and worship a false god. Moses smashes the covenant and goes back up the mountain to have it restored.  This covenant is contained in part by the Ten Commandments and is later concealed in an ark as a place of glory and respect. Even as this covenant is stored in an elevated place, God continues to fulfill and establish covenants with humanity that are thrown away, such as with David and his infidelity and murderous act.

God, in His great mercy, once and for all sends His own Son, concealed in a new Ark, to establish the new and final covenant that cannot be broken. It cannot be broken by humanity because Christ will both establish this new covenant at the Last Supper and carry out this new covenant in His passion, death, and resurrection.

When we close our eyes and meditate on the image of the Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, we see a young girl with an older woman, sharing in a celebration of life deep within them. If we look deeper we see an expression of love extended from the infant Lord to all generations from infants to elders. Mary makes haste to see Elizabeth in the hill country. We see in this image the likeness of the hastening of David to that same region to the ark and upon his arrival he dances before the Lord.[3] Mary hastens and the infant John, the new Elijah sent to prepare the way of the Lord, dances within the womb before the new Ark.

 Here we have the restoration and beginning of the new covenant in the new Ark, the womb of Mary.  “The Ark is the place par excellence of the presence of God, being kept therein the tablets of the Law, the flowering rod of Aaron, and a vase full of manna. Now, the Blessed Virgin Mary is the reality of all that the ark contained in figure, because Mary is she ‘who bears in herself not the word of God written ‘on stone’ (the tablets of the Law), but the very word of God, the Logos, made flesh, become her son; who carries in herself not the ‘flowering rod of Aaron, but the flower of Jesse’; who carries in herself not the manna, figure of the Eucharist, but the very Body, Blood, Soul, and Divinity of the Eucharistic Christ, adorned by the golden cherubim!”[4]

In His great love and mercy, the Father extends His grace in the womb of the new Ark, to all generations from covenant to covenant. How beautiful the new Ark—more pure than any gold or silver, containing within Her an infinite treasure!

Written by Nicolette, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm, used with permission

---

[1] Genesis 2-3

[2] Genesis 9

[3] 1 Sam 6

[4] Manelli, Fr. Stephano. & Miravalle, Mark. Mariology. (Goleta: Queenship Publishing, 2007), 36

Youth Today (World Youth Day)

 "The youth of today, with weakened existential roots due to a rampant spiritual and moral relativism, "imprisoned by the dominant power" (Benedict XVI. Message for WYD 2011, 1), and can find no solid foundation on which to build your life in today’s culture and society, even sometimes, in the family. You are tempted to your absolute limit to lose your way in life: How could your faith not be sometimes shaken?

Youth of the 21st century need, even more than previous generations, to find the Lord through the only path that has proven spiritually effective: that of a humble and simple pilgrim seeking God’s face. The youth of today need to see Jesus Christ when He comes to meet them in the Word, the sacraments, “as well, and most importantly, in the Eucharist and the Sacrament of Penance, the poor and the sick, in those brothers experiencing difficulty and in need of help” (Benedict XVI. Message, 4). They need to see and enter into an intimate dialogue with Him, who loves them without asking anything in return except that you answer with your own love.

The intention of the Pope who loves you so much, is to guide you in this very way: that you may experience in the communion of the Catholic Church the truth and the urgency of making the theme of World Youth Day 2011your life: "rooted and built upin Christ, firm in the faith” (cf. Col 2.7)."

- An excerpt from Cardinal Rouco's Homily at World Youth Day 2011 

HOMILY OF JOHN PAUL II FOR THE CANONIZATION OF EDITH STEIN

 1. “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Gal 6:14).
St Paul’s words to the Galatians, which we have just heard, are well suited to the human and spiritual experience of Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, who has been solemnly enrolled among the saints today. She too can repeat with the Apostle: Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ.
 The Cross of Christ! Ever blossoming, the tree the Cross continues to bear new fruits of salvation. This is why believers look with confidence to the Cross, drawing from its mystery of love the courage and strength to walk faithfully in the footsteps of the crucified and risen Christ. Thus the message of the Cross has entered the hearts of so many men and women and changed their lives.

The spiritual experience of Edith Stein is an eloquent example of this extraordinary interior renewal. A young woman in search of the truth has become a saint and martyr through the silent workings of divine grace: Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, who from heaven repeats to us today all the words that marked her life: “Far be it from me to glory except in the Cross of our Lord Jesus Christ”.

2. On 1 May 1987, during my Pastoral Visit to Germany, I had the joy of beatifying this generous witness to the faith in the city of Cologne. Today, 11 years later, here in Rome, in St Peter's Square, I am able solemnly to present this eminent daughter of Israel and faithful daughter of the Church as a saint to the whole world.

Today, as then, we bow to the memory of Edith Stein, proclaiming the indomitable witness she bore during her life and especially by her death. Now alongside Teresa of Avila and Thérèse of Lisieux, another Teresa takes her place among the host of saints who do honour to the Carmelite Order.

Dear brothers and sisters who have gathered for this solemn celebration, let us give glory to God for what he has accomplished in Edith Stein.

3. I greet the many pilgrims who have come to Rome, particularly the members of the Stein family who have wanted to be with us on this joyful occasion. I also extend a cordial greeting to the representatives of the Carmelite community, which became a “second family” for Teresa Benedicta of the Cross.

I also welcome the official delegation from the Federal Republic of Germany, led by Helmut Kohl, the outgoing Federal Chancellor, whom I greet with heartfelt respect. Moreover, I greet the representatives of the states of North Rhine-Westphalia and Rhineland-Palatinate and the Mayor of Cologne.
An official delegation has also come from my country, led by Prime Minister Jerzy Buzek. I extend a cordial greeting to them.

I would particularly like to mention the pilgrims from the Dioceses of Wroclaw (Breslau), Cologne, Münster, Speyer, Kraków and Bielsko-Zywiec who have come with their Cardinals, Bishops and pastors. They join the numerous groups of the faithful from Germany, the United States of America and my homeland, Poland.

4. Dear brothers and sisters! Because she was Jewish, Edith Stein was taken with her sister Rosa and many other Catholic Jews from the Netherlands to the concentration camp in Auschwitz, where she died with them in the gas chambers. Today we remember them all with deep respect. A few days before her deportation, the woman religious had dismissed the question about a possible rescue: “Do not do it! Why should I be spared? Is it not right that I should gain no advantage from my Baptism? If I cannot share the lot of my brothers and sisters, my life, in a certain sense, is destroyed”.

From now on, as we celebrate the memory of this new saint from year to year, we must also remember the Shoah, that cruel plan to exterminate a people — a plan to which millions of our Jewish brothers and sisters fell victim. May the Lord let his face shine upon them and grant them peace (cf. Nm 6:25f.).

For the love of God and man, once again I raise an anguished cry: May such criminal deeds never be repeated against any ethnic group, against any race, in any corner of this world! It is a cry to everyone: to all people of goodwill; to all who believe in the Just and Eternal God; to all who know they are joined to Christ, the Word of God made man. We must all stand together: human dignity is at stake. There is only one human family. The new saint also insisted on this: “Our love of neighbour is the measure of our love of God. For Christians — and not only for them — no one is a ‘stranger’. The love of Christ knows no borders”.

"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45)

By Jesus washing their feet at the Last Supper, the Apostles become both sacrifices and priests. In Jesus' time priests had to wash their feet, and one had to wash the feet of animal sacrifices. By washing their feet, Jesus equips the Apostles to be poured out in sacrifice as offerings to the Father, and to themselves make this offering both in the Eucharist and in the daily offering of their lives for love of God. This washing of the Apostles' feet is related to the sacrament of Baptism, which draws its power from the Cross, the ultimate sign of service. By Baptism, the whole community of the faithful is a priestly people. "'...by regeneration and the anointing of the Holy Spirit, [they] are consecrated to be a spiritual house and a holy priesthood, that through all the works of Christian men they may offer spiritual sacrifices.' Incorporated in Jesus Christ, the baptized are united to him and to his sacrifice in the offering they make of themselves and their daily activities (cf. Rom 12:1,2) (Christifideles Laici, 14) and in their fulfillment of their call to be poured out in sacrifice--"...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:24).
     As priestly people by virtue of our Baptism, we are called to service, to take our example from that of the Cross, to serve our brothers and sisters out of selfless love, to "...walk the road Christ Himself walked, a way of poverty and obedience, of service and self-sacrifice even to death, a death from which he emerged victorious by his resurrection" (CCC 852). Service reminds us of our dependence on one another and of our need for community. It reminds us that we are not self-sufficient, but that we need each other, enrich each other, complete each other and exist in the service of each other (CCC 340). No creature is self-sufficient. "God wills the interdependence of creatures. The sun and the moon, the cedar and the little flower, the eagle and the sparrow:.....their countless diversities and inequalities tells us that no creature is self-sufficient. Creatures exist only in dependence on each other, to complete each other, in the service of each other" (CCC 340).
     The mutual dependence seen throughout all of creation is poignantly seen in the mutual dependance linking the different generations, the young and the old (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). "The elderly help us to see human affairs with greater wisdom...[and they] are able to offer young people precious advice and guidance" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). Likewise, youth offer the elderly their enthusiasm and spirit, helping to preserve their youth and vitality. "...[There is a] mutual dependence and indispensable solidarity which link the different generations, inasmuch as every person needs others and draws enrichment from the gifts and charisms of all" (Pope John Paul II's Letter to the Elderly, 10). There is an old Jewish tale in which a young woman says to an old woman, "what is life's heaviest burden"? And the old woman answers, "to have nothing to carry" (Franciscan Prayer by Ilia Delio, O.S.F.). A love that is truly life-giving and transforming, bringing out in us who we are truly created to be, is one that serves the other, helps us carry the other's burdens, and ultimately empties us of self.
     In the call of service is a call to humility. As instruments of the Holy Spirit, we must empty ourselves so that the Holy Spirit can come and work through us. The true definition of humility is that of living in truth before God. Humility is truth. As we learn from Jesus the way of the Cross, we also learn humility from Him who is "meek and humble of heart." Jesus is totally emptied of and free from preoccupation with self. He, the King of the Universe, is born in a stable, washes the feet of His followers, and freely gives up His life on the cross. He shows us the true meaning of humility, that it is not having a low opinion of oneself or admitting wrongdoing, but that it is "readiness to abase oneself, to lower oneself and serve the brothers and sisters; it is having the will to serve. This is done out of love, not out of any other motives" (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Roniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.).
     True service means serving others out of humility without self-interest or calculation, as in the parable about the dinner guests, "But when you give a banquet, invite the poor, the crippled, the lame, and the blind. And you will be blessed, because they cannot repay you" (Luke 14:13-14). It means pouring ourselves out freely and not living only for ourselves (2 Corinthians 5:15). It condemns our instinct to elevate ourselves above our neighbors, realizing that we are dependent on each other. It means we don't use our gifts for ourselves or to dominate others, but we use them for the service of others (Sober Intoxication of the Holy Spirit by Raniero Cantalamessa, O.F.M., Cap.)--" ...not to be served but to serve..." (Mark 10:45).


Written by Kristen, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Trust and Surrender

"Therefore I tell you, do not be anxious about your life, what you shall eat or what you shall drink, nor about your body, what you shall put on. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air: they neither sow nor reap nor gather into bards, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not of more value than they? And which of you by being anxious can add one cubit to his span of life? And why are you anxious about clothing? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they neither toil nor spin; yet I tell you, even Solomon in all his glory was not clothed like one of these. But if God so clothes the grass of the field, which today is alive and tomorrow is thrown into the oven, will he not much more clothe you, O you of little faith? Therefore, do not be anxious, saying, 'What shall we eat?' or 'What shall we drink?' or 'What shall we wear?' For the Gentiles seek all these things; and your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things shall be yours as well. Therefore do not be anxious about tomorrow, for tomorrow will be anxious for itself. Let the day's own trouble be sufficient for the day."  -Matt. 6:25-34

There is something to be said about the concepts of surrender and trust. These words are not really welcomed in today's society. To surrender in today's terms is to give up. To trust is to be weak and foolish. If we truly look at these two words in the light of Truth and what they encompass, then we begin to see that these words require a complete gift of self. To surrender and trust is to put aside our own wants and desires and seek those of another: the Lord. In this passage from Matthew's Gospel, Jesus tells us not to be anxious about anything, but rather, to trust that our heavenly Father knows our needs and desires. When we simply surrender and trust, we submit ourselves to a will more perfect than our own and our lives will be flooded with an unshakable peace. It is when we seek first His kingdom and His righteousness that our confidence and trust in the Lord begin to grow in unexpected ways. Let us open up our hearts to Him in a new way and begin to see the different ways that the Lord takes care of us. 


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sister for the Aged and Infirm

Glory! Honor! Praise!

"So, whether you eat or drink, or whatever you do, do all to the glory of God."  - 1 Corinthians 10:31

What is our motivation each day? Is our motivation the Lord? Is everything thing we speak, think, and do for the greater honor and glory of God? Is our life continual praise to the Most Holy Trinity? As we finish out this week, let us pray that we do so in honor, glory and praise of the Holy Trinity!

"Let my praise be the life I live for you!" -Lyrics by Sarah Kroger, "Let My Praise"


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

"We are a Eucharistic People"

We are a Eucharistic people. The Eucharist - cleanses and separates us from sin[1], is our spiritual food,[2] is an increase of the grace received at Baptism[3], is the source of conversion and penance[4], and commits us to the poor[5]. The Eucharist is the source and summit of our faith[6].  Through our participation in the Eucharistic feast we establish a community of believers[7], are transformed through Christ[8], are united in Christ[9], are united as Christians[10], are united to the heavenly liturgy[11], and experience a foretaste of the life to come[12]. We are a Eucharistic people from age to age, united as one body in Love of Christ.

From the very beginning of the Church we have been a Eucharistic people. In Acts 2:42 our life as a Eucharistic people and the outline of our faith is present: “They devoted themselves to the apostles’ teaching and fellowship, to the breaking of the bread and the prayers. . . Day by day attending the temple together and breaking bread in their homes, they partook of food with generous hearts.”[13]

The Eucharist, through the power of Christ’s great mercy and love, unifies us with all those present at the institution at the Last Supper, with the Church Fathers, with the martyrs of the early Church, with the great saints of the Middle Ages, with the Carmelite Order, with the Seraphic Order, with all the holy angels and saints from generation to generation, and on all the altars throughout the world. This unity transcends the barriers of time and space and provides for us not only strength, but also a comfort.  It provides a strength in numbers united fully to the Church Militant and the Church Triumphant, to withstand and combat the attacks of the devil so as to win souls. It provides a comfort in such an unbreakable unity that provides for the hearts of all the faithful the opportunity and great privilege of developing, fostering, and witnessing to others an authentic Christian life saturated in mercy, grace, Eucharistic zeal, and charity.

Service

"When they had finished breakfast, Jesus said to Simon Peter, "Simon, son of John, do you love me more than these?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Feed my lambs." A second time he said to him, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" He said to him, "Yes, Lord; you know that I love you." He said to him, "Tend my sheep." He said to him the third time, "Simon, son of John, do you love me?" Peter was grieved because he said to him the third time, "Do you love me?" And he said to him, "Lord, you know everything; you know that I love you." Jesus said to him, "Feed my sheep. Truly, truly, I say to you, when you were young, you fastened your own belt and walked where you would; but when you are old, you will stretch out your hands, and another will fasten your belt for you and carry you where you do not wish to go." (This he said to show by what death he was to glorify God.) And after this he said to him, "Follow me."  -John 21:15-19

This Gospel reading,  I believe, is a beautiful example of what it takes for true service in the Church. If we look at this passage closely in the Greek text, we can see that there are two kinds of love spoken about. The first two times Jesus asks Peter if he loves him, Jesus speaks of Agape love. Agape love being the highest form of love. Peter, however, because of everything that previously has happened with his betrayal of Christ, is hesitant to respond with that kind of love. Instead, he responds with Philia love, which is a devoted familial love. The last time that Jesus asks Peter, he asks him with Philia love and Peter responds in Philia love.

What is so beautiful about this Gospel reading is that Jesus meets Peter where he is at. He simply asks Peter if he loves him. Jesus doesn't ask Peter if he would be a great Pope and leader, teaching all truth without fault, guiding souls closer to Heaven without losing a single one. He simply asks, "Do you love me?" That's all that is required in service, true service in and of Church, love. It's not required that we perform miracles or do great works but rather that we love in all we do. It is in and through our movements of love that we truly follow Christ and that souls experience and witness Him, who first loved us!

Let us pray for the grace to simply love in all that we do, think, say, and pray!

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

The Holy Spirit

The Holy Spirit is beautiful! As we prepare for the great Feast of Pentecost, let us reflect on the role of the Holy Spirit in our lives. Cardinal Luis Aponte Martinez, in his book, True Devotion to the Holy Spirit, gives us a wonderful reflection on such a topic. He says,

"The Holy Spirit's teaching is unction. He teaches us by pouring himself into us gently and penetratingly. His teaching is as a divine caress of love. He teaches us as mothers teach their children, with kisses of love, with an indefinable outpouring of tenderness. We learn from him as we perceive the fragrance of a perfume, as we savor the sweetness of a fruit or enjoy the caress of a breeze that enfolds us. 

The light of the Holy Spirit is the fruit of love; it is the happy consequence of union. United intimately to divine things through the work of the Holy Spirit, the soul tastes them by a direct divine experience. How profoundly do the words of St. John express this: "His anointing teaches you concerning all things."

The true director of souls, the intimate master, the soul of the spiritual life, is the Holy Spirit. Without him...there is no sanctity. The perfection of a soul is measured by its docility to the movement of the Spirit, by the promptitude and fidelity with which its strings produce the divine notes of the song of love. A soul is perfectly holy when the spirit of love has taken full possession of it, when the divine artist finds no resistance or dissonance in the strings of that living lyre, but only celestial strains coming forth from it, limpid, ardent, and delightfully harmonized."

As Pentecost approaches, may we be open and docile to the teachings of the Holy Spirit, the master of the spiritual life, so as to fully live out our Christian life in complete charity.

Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Holy Spirit, Amen!

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

UPDATE!!

We have extended Early Bird Registration to July 2nd! Don't miss out on this great deal! We hope to see you all there!

Silence

"Silence is Golden."

Most everyone is familiar with this phrase. As I was walking through Manhattan on Saturday, I was thinking about how loud everything around me was. It didn't matter where I went: into a cafe, down into the subway, into the Museum of Natural History, or even on the deck of the Staten Island Ferry, I could not get away from the noise to hear myself think. I would often loose my own train of thought because I could hear so many other conversations around me. I heard the familiar phrase, "Silence is Golden". As I began to meditate with it, I realized how true these words are. It is important, not only, to maintain silence in the movie theaters out of respect for the people around you or at night while people are sleeping, but also in our daily lives. We desperately need the silence! There is so much noise around us that we often get distracted from our own day-to-day thoughts and it is crucial to have a place and some quiet time to hear what the Lord is saying to us.

If we cannot hear ourselves think, how can we expect to hear what the Lord is saying to us?

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Easter Joy!

As we begin this fourth week of Easter, let us maintain the joy of Christ’s Resurrection in our hearts.  As Pope John Paul II has said, “Do not abandon yourselves to despair.  We are the Easter people and hallelujah is our song.”  We are the Easter people and Hallelujah is our song.  What does this mean for us?

This statement means that we are a people who are defined by Easter. It means we are defined by joy. One of the greatest arguments for Christianity is Christians themselves.  It is their joy through suffering, their love that is defined by sacrifice, their joy because of suffering.  This is what it means to be an Easter people!  It means looking at the cross and seeing pure love and joy. It means looking at the cross and seeing Jesus’ personal love for us and all mankind.  This love is all sacrifice, and it’s all beauty. We cannot look at the cross without the Resurrection because it is not merely the suffering that appears to our naked eye.  Likewise, we cannot look at the Resurrection without the cross.  They are unbreakably united and joined. We must never lose sight of the Resurrection when we experience hurt, suffering, and struggle in our lives.  We can choose, as St. Paul says, to rejoice in our sufferings, and in our flesh fill up what is lacking in the afflictions of Christ on behalf of the Church. The risen Christ still bears His wounds and the nail marks in His hands and feet.  Being an Easter people does not mean that we are free from woundedness, sorrow, or brokenness, but it means that we are not defined by our suffering, but by a loving God who loves us tenderly not despite, but because of our wounds.  How is our suffering transformed in this way?  How do we live as Easter people in the midst of pain and hurt?  To do this, we must choose to be people of Faith, of Hope, and of Love.

The Mercy of God

"You must believe in mercy to the point of believing that you are joy for Jesus" (I Believe in Love (IBIL), p. 96). 


Yesterday we, the Church, celebrated the beautiful feast of Divine Mercy! It is a feast to celebrate His great joy - the joy at being our Savior! 


St. Faustina, in her Dairy, states, "O my Jesus, Your goodness surpasses all understanding, and no one will exhaust Your mercy. Damnation is for the soul who wants to be damned; but for the one who desires salvation, there is the inexhaustible ocean of the Lord's mercy to draw from. How can a small vessel contain the unfathomable ocean?" (paragraph 631).


The beauty of mercy is that even though we are feeble and weak, the glory of God is manifested in and through us. St. Therese of Lisieux said, "We would like to suffer generously. We would like to never fall - what an illusion!" We will fall and stumble, but the mercy of God is so great that in a moment of humble confidence through the Sacrament of Reconciliation, our sins are forgiven! What a gift! The God of Heaven and Earth, out of love, created us, loved us into existence. Regardless of the sins we have committed, when we return like the Prodigal Son, we console the Heart which loves us so much! 


"You must believe in mercy to the point of believing that you are a joy for Jesus!"


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

ALLELUIA!!!

"Christ is risen from the dead, trampling over death by death. Come awake! Come awake! Come and rise up from the gave! Christ is risen from the dead! We are one with Him again! Come awake! Come awake! Come and rise up from the grave!" ('Christ is Risen' by Matt Maher)

The Lord is risen as He has promised! Sin has lost it's power! We have just spent 40 days fasting and praying. Now let us rejoice and celebrate the great mystery of our faith! United with all of Heaven, may we sing the praises of Him who died for our sins! As we enter into this joyous Easter season, may we immerse ourselves into the Love that was shed for our salvation!

We ARE an Easter people and Alleluia IS our song!!!

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm.

Vocation of Love

God, at His very essence, is Love. Made in His image and likeness, we too, are called to imitate that love. "[Man] is 'the only creature on earth that God has willed for [his] own sake,' and he alone is called to share, by knowledge and love, in God's own life. It was for this end that he was created..." (CCC 356). Each person is called to this vocation of Love and all other vocations stem from this first vocation.

The model of this vocation is Jesus Himself. From the Incarnation to the Resurrection, Jesus never ceased to love. He walked the streets of Bethany and Judea. He saw the stains of sin on souls, but those stains never held Him back. He healed the eyes of the blind. He helped the lame walk and sinners to return to the Father. It wasn't fear that brought them back to union with God. It was Love. "[Love] is a unity" (I Believe in Love (IBIL), 156). It is love which draws souls into union with God and into union with one another. We are together in the Body of Christ and our source is Love.

Our greatest devotions are often times our greatest struggles. If you look at any devotion in the Church, whether it be to the Sacred Heart, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Divine Mercy or the Cross, it's source is Love. Often times we struggle to love. We struggle to love ourselves and those around us. But when we take a step back, pray for the grace to see souls the way that the Lord sees them, then, we truly begin to love. However, we must remember that the "desire to love is already to love." We would not have a desire to love if we did not already love in the first place. And the Lord, as great as He is, "cannot fail to fulfill, beyond even our greatest hopes, a desire that He himself has inspired" (IBIL, 117 & 118).


"Truly to love someone is sincerely to will good for him, whatever feelings we may have at the moment" (IBIL, 153).


To truly foster first a vocation of love and secondly a vocation to the married life or religious life, we must set aside ourselves and our own will. For it is not ourselves who know best what will aid our brothers and sisters in Christ, but the Lord. We are simply vessels and must see ourselves as such. To do so, we must humble ourselves, remembering that we are dust and to dust we shall return. "Humility is an abyss which attracts torrents of grace, which attracts Jesus Himself into a soul" (IBIL, 126). When we humble ourselves, we simplify our lives. "Simplicity creates an agreeable atmosphere for everyone, put people at their ease, brings hearts back together. This is because it presupposes a true forgetfulness of self" (IBIL, 130). The more we are empty of ourselves, the more we can be full of Love.

The Lord grants us the desires of our hearts. He will not call us to a vocation which we do not desire. Truth be told, we desire to love and to be loved. Actually, we long for it. Our hearts seek it everyday and how that longing is fulfilled reveals where the Lord is calling us.

Whether we are in our permanent vocation or still seeking one, we must foster vocations. First and foremost a vocation to love. If you look to Our Lady or any of the great saints, you will see that their lives permeated love and it was from that love that their vocations sprang forth. When we foster a vocation of love, we foster a love relationship with Him who created us. It is our obligation to foster a vocation of love. If we fail to do so, we inadequately live out the faith we profess. We do a great disservice to our brothers and sisters when Love is not the forefront of our lives. Let us radiate Love to and be edified by one another so as to build up the Kingdom of God.

From fostering vocations of Love we foster vocations to the Church. Each vocation in its fullness fosters love and promotes all other vocations, whether it be to the priesthood, religious life, married life, or single life. May we constantly speak of vocations and discernment, for these things are universal and are asked of us every day.

We are together in the Body of Christ and our source is Love.

When awake in the morning, our source is Love. When we discern our vocation, our source is Love. As we foster vocations, our source is Love. As we go throughout our day, our source is Love. As we unite generations, our source is Love. As we blend traditions, our source is Love. And as we journey to our eternal glory, our source is Love.

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Via Dolorosa

"Suffering is a great grace; through suffering the soul becomes like the Savior; in suffering love becomes crystallized; the greater the suffering, the purer the love." - St. Faustina (The Diary, pg. 29)

This quote reminds us of the importance of meditating on the Via Dolorosa (Stations of the Cross). The more we meditate on the sufferings of Christ, the more we, too, can embrace that suffering which won our salvation. The Via Dolorosa allows us to walk with Christ step by step, embracing the Cross and the sufferings of our lives and offer them, out of love, to the Father, in reparation for our sins.

When presented with an opportunity to bear our crosses, may we say, "Rejoice my heart! Rejoice my soul! My Savior God has come to thee!" (Lyrics from "O Love That Will Not Let Me Go" by Robbie Seay Band)


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

Update!

REGISTRATIONS ARE OPEN!


Due to the popularity of this conference we encourage you to register early as space is limited! 

Sacrifice

"I urge you therefore, brothers, by the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God, your spiritual worship. Do not conform yourselves to this age but be transformed by the renewal of your mind, that you may discern what is the will of God, what is good and pleasing and perfect."    -Romans 12:1-2 

This Lenten Season, may our lives be a living sacrifice, transformed by the unconditional Love of the Cross.

Leniency of God

"When you fail to measure up to your Christian privilege, be not discouraged for discouragement is a form of pride. The reason you are sad is because you looked to yourself and not to God; to your failing, not to his love. You will shake off your faults more readily when you love God than when you criticize yourself.... You have always the right to love him in your heart even though you do not love him in your acts.... Do not fear God for perfect love casts [out] fear.  God is biased in your favor.... God is more lenient than you because is perfectly good and, therefore, loves you more. Be bold enough, then, to believe that God is on your side, even when you forget to be on his."

           -Fulton J. Sheen, Lent and Easter: Wisdom from Fulton J. Sheen

United in Conversion

"Call a solemn assembly; gather the people. Sanctify the congregation; assemble the aged; gather the children..."(Joel 2)

During the holy season of Lent we unite as brothers and sisters in Christ from every time and place, generation with generation, in acts of fasting, prayer and almsgiving. Together we turn from sin to grace. Together we enter into Christ's suffering and death that we may also rise with Him. Lent is a particular time of penance, a particular time of conversion, and a particular time of grace. It reveals to us the beauty of being one united Church, united in suffering and united in our need for conversion. There is need for conversion in every time and every place, and in every generation. We are united in our longing for heaven, and we help one another to get there. We are sharers not only in Christ's, but in one another's sufferings. We "Rejoice with those who rejoice, weep with those who weep" (Romans 12:15). Lent calls us to reject selfishness in our relationship with God and in our relationship with others. It is a time to deny ourselves and return to the Lord, bringing our brothers and sisters with us. Let us bring the aged, the youth and the children before the Lord, and "rend our hearts, and not our clothing."

Lent is one of the "intense moments of the Church's penitential practice" (CCC 1438). It calls us to become more sensitive to the role of sin in our lives and its effects within our personal surroundings and our larger society and culture (Lent and Easter Wisdom from Fulton J. Sheen (Liguori, MO: Liguori Publications, 2004) ix). A major part of conversion, of turning away from sin and back to God includes some form of penance. Without penance we are unlikely to advance in holiness. Time and time again we hear Jesus say in the Gospel, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand'" (Matthew 4:17). Through the holy season of Lent, we immerse ourselves into the death of Christ so that we may also rise with Him. By the grace of our Baptism we are moved everyday to immerse ourselves into this death and resurrection. "You were buried with him in baptism, in which you were also raised with him." (cf. Col 2:12) Through the grace of our Baptism, we realize "the great mystery in which man dies to sin, is made a sharer in the new life of the Risen Christ and receives the same Spirit of God who raised Jesus from the dead (cf. Rom. 8:11). This free gift must always be rekindled in each one of us, and Lent offers us a path" (Message of His Holiness Benedict XVI for Lent 2011 [ML], 1).

We Are Dust

In 2005, at 6:30 on a frigid Saturday morning, Fr. Augustine "Gus" Donegan, T.O.R. was saying Mass for a chapel crammed with college students preparing to go pray at an abortion clinic. When he reached the pulpit, he paused, surveyed the students and said as sincerely and seriously as anyone could have ever said, "A love without sacrifice is a love that is going to die."


Think about it. Love, true love, without any form of sacrifice, is doomed to die.


What a blessing this Lenten season will be for all the Christian faithful! A time to grow in and intensify our love for God and purify our hearts and minds from all that holds us back from full union with Him whom our souls love!

Let us remember that we are dust and to dust we shall return.


Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm

UPDATE!

Check out our newly added schedule, list of talk descriptions and speakers!

Filial Abandonment

"Enter the church in silence and with great respect, considering yourself unworthy to appear before the Lord's majesty [present in the Sacrament of the Eucharist]. Among other pious considerations, remember that our soul is the temple of God and, as such, we must keep it pure and spotless before God and His angels. Let us blush for having given access to the devil and his snares many times -- with his enticements to the world, his pomp, his calling to the flesh -- by not being able to keep our hearts pure and our bodies chaste. Let us blush for having allowed our enemies to insinuate themselves into our hearts, thus desecrating the temple of God which we became through holy baptism.                                                              Then take holy water and make the sign of the cross carefully and slowly. As soon as you are before God in the Blessed Sacrament, devoutly genuflect. Once you have found your place, kneel down and render the tribute of your presence and devotion to Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament. Confide all your needs to Him along with those of others. Speak to Him with filial abandonment, give free rein to your heart, and give Him complete freedom to work in you as He thinks best.                                              ...In short, behave in such a way that all present are edified by it and, through you, are urged to glorify and love the heavenly Father.                          Never forget Jesus, this divine Model. Try to see a certain lovable majesty in His Presence [in the Blessed Sacrament]. Try to hear a certain pleasant authority in His manner of speaking [to your heart].... Imagine His extremely composed and sweet expression with which He drew the crowds, making them leave cities and castles, leading them to the mountains, to the forests, and to the solitude of the deserted beaches of the sea. Imagine the crowds totally forgetting food, drink, and their domestic duties in order to follow Him.                                                                 Let us do our utmost to be, as far as possible, similar to Him on this earth, in order that we might be more perfect and more    similar to Him for the whole of eternity in the heavenly Jerusalem.                                             ...On leaving the church, you should be recollected and calm. First, take your leave of Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament by asking His forgiveness for the shortcomings committed in His divine Presence. Last, do not leave Him without asking for and receiving His paternal blessing."

From: Praying In the Presence of Our Lord with Padre Pio by Eileen Dunn Bertanzetti, Meditation 14

Padre Pio, Pray for us!

Follow One Master Only

"What a sad life does he lead who wants both to please the world and to serve God! It is a great mistake to make, my friends. Apart from the fact that you are going to be unhappy all the time, you can never attain the stage at which you will be able to please the world and please God. It is as impossible a feat as trying to put an end to eternity. Take the advice that I am going to give you now and you will be less unhappy: give yourself wholly to God or else wholly to the world. Do not look for and do not serve more than one master, and once you have chosen the one you are going to follow, do not leave him. You surely remember what Jesus Christ said to you in the Gospel: you cannot serve God and Mammon; that is to say, you cannot follow the world and the pleasures of the world and Jesus Christ with His Cross. Of course you would be quite willing to follow God just so far and the world just so far! Let me put it even more clearly: you would like it if your conscience, if your heart, would allow you to go to the altar in the morning and the dance in the evening; to spend part of the day in church and the remainder in the cabarets or other places of amusement; to talk of God at one moment and the next to tell obscene stories or utter calumnies about your neighbor; to do a good turn for your next-door neighbor on one occasion and on some other to do him harm; in other words, to do good and speak well when you are with good people and to do wrong when you are in bad company."  -St. John Vianney

From "The Sermons of the Cure of Ars", Translated by Una Morrissy, pg. 25

Mary: Mother Transcending All Generations

"The knot of Eve's disobedience was untied by Mary's obedience. What Eve bound through her unbelief, Mary loosed by her faith." - St. Irenaeus of Lyons 

From the beginning of time God chose Mary as the Mother of Christ, the Mother of every Generation.  At the moment of her Immaculate Conception she is preserved from all stain of sin and her heart is made ready to bear our Salvation. At the moment of the Annunciation, her motherhood begins. At her proclamation of the Magnificat, Mary consents to the covenant, (Ex. 19:5ff, 2 Samuel 2:1-10) and addresses her children in love, "From this day all generations will call me blessed: the Almighty has done greater things for me, and holy is his Name." (Lk 1:48,49)
     From the first moment we encounter Mary in the Gospel and throughout, she is the Mother of all Generations. The Angel Gabriel reveals to Mary at the Annunciation that her "kinswoman Elizabeth in her old age has also conceived a son, and this is the sixth month of her who was called barren." (Lk 1:36) Mary immediately "arose and went with haste to the hill country." (Lk 1:39) The Generation of Elizabeth and that of Mary met when the "child leapt in her womb!" (Lk 1:41) The Generations of social class are untied through Mary at the birth of Christ, spanning across the deserts of Persia, Babylonia, Arabia, and Bethlehem. For in the manger we see together the Magi (Matthew 2:1-12) and the Shepherds (Lk 2:8ff). The heart of the Sorrowful Mother is pierced for the first time by the prophecy of Simeon (Lk 2:22-38); it is here she joins the suffering Generations of the dying, and prays with them "Lord, now let your servant go in peace your word has been fulfilled." (Lk 2:29)
     "Mary's finest motherly care was revealed at the moment when she noticed the wine would not suffice for the duration of the wedding feast. Wine was the heart of the banquet. Lack of wine would have meant humiliation beyond measure for the two young spouses and the ruin of the feast, which would end in great bitterness. The vigilant eyes of the Mother of Jesus did not fail to assess that situation, whereas the spouses, quite unaware of what is about to transpire, together with their guests, continue to enjoy the festive" banquet (Manelli, Stefano. All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed. (New Bedford: Academy of the Immaculate, 2005). 330). At the Wedding Feast of Cana, Mary through her loving intercession (Jn 2:1-11) meets the Generation of the Youth. Mary's faithfulness as a Mother to all Generations continues as we meet her in the Gospel of John at the foot of the Cross. (John 19:25-27) It is at the foot of the Cross that Mary bears the pangs of childbirth for the whole of humanity in and through her spiritual, universal motherhood (Manelli, Stefano. All Generations Shall Call Me Blessed. (New Bedford: Academy of the Immaculate, 2005). 330). The disciples after the Ascension and until the first Pentecost "with one accord devoted themselves to prayer, together with the women and Mary, the Mother of Jesus, and his brethren" (Acts 1:14). Here in prayer Mary meets the Generations of the Priesthood.
     Mary, Co-Redemptrix and New Eve, in the universality of her love, reaches out to all of her children through every Generation spanning time, continent and age. She has left us affections of her love through our brothers and sisters in Christ from the early Church, the writings of the Fathers, the Holy Saints, to today.

Mary as Model for a Christocentric Life

Everyone shares the universal call to holiness. With a call such as this, our lives need to be Christocentric (Christ-centered) and therefore, should be modeled after holiness Himself, God. To help us achieve this, God has given us a model that some often forget.


She is a woman of gentleness and grace.


With motives always pure, she loves all without reservation, completely docile to God's will.


...And her name is Mary.


Dr. Mark Miravalle, a renowned Mariologist, in his book, Introduction to Mary says that "love of Mary is an essential aspect of the imitation of Christ." (pg. 51)


Mary's example is an incredible witness to us of a Christocentric life, fully willing to serve God unreservedly and without hesitation. Mary is the perfect example of what it means to be Christocentric. We can see this clearly when we look at the Four Marian Dogmas: The Mother of God (Theotokos), The Perpetual Virginity, The Immaculate Conception, and The Assumption of Mary. A dogma, as defined by the Catechism of the Catholic Church, is a point of faith which the Church has formally defined as true. (CCC 88)

Universal Call to Holiness

"You did not choose me, but I chose you." (John 15:16)

As human beings, we have a specific call from the Lord. It matters not where we come from or what kind of past we have, we are ALL called by the Lord.

"And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too.'" (Matthew 20:3-4)

Although called to different vocations and ministries within the Church, we all share one call, the universal call to holiness. John Paul II, in his post-synodal apostolic exhortation Christifideles Laici, said that holiness is an "undeniable requirement" of the Christian faithful. (CFL 16) Holiness is an undeniable requirement because we are called to "be perfect just as [our] Heavenly Father is perfect" (Matthew 5:48) and therefore must seek perfect charity and the highest levels of sanctity above all things. We share this call through the gift of our baptism which makes us heirs to the Kingdom of God and sharers in Christ's three fold mission of priest, prophet and king.

• We share his priestly mission as we continually offer ourselves and our daily activities to him and his sacrifice.
• We share his prophetic mission as we "accept the gospel in faith and proclaim it in word and deed, without hesitating to courageously identify and denounce evil." (CFL 14)
• We share his kingly mission "in the spiritual combat in which [we] seek to overcome in [our]selves the kingdom of sin and then make a gift of [our]selves so as to serve, ...Jesus who is himself present in all his brothers and sisters, above all the very least." (CFL 14)

And "thus it is evident to everyone, that all the faithful of Christ of whatever rank or status, are called to the fullness of the Christian life and to the perfection of charity." (Lumen Gentium 40)  Therefore, as we progress in our spiritual lives and persevere in our journey towards heaven, we seek continual growth in holiness. John Paul II states, very profoundly, that "holiness is the greatest testimony of the dignity conferred on a disciple of Christ." (CFL 16) The very essence of God is bestowed upon us and it is in Him that we receive our dignity.

This week, let us reflect on the words of Pope St. Gregory the Great:

"Keep watch over the manner of life, dear people, and make sure that you are indeed the Lord's laborers. Each person should take into account what he does and consider if he is laboring in the vineyard of the Lord."

May our every action, thought, word and prayer be a reflection of the Holy One who created us!

Colossians 3:17

Written by Alycia, Special Events Coordinator for the Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm