Saint of the Day:

St. Ignatius

St. Ignatius was born in 1491. He spent his early years at court and as a soldier. Later he was converted to God and studied in Paris where he attracted his first followers, and afterward at Rome he joined them together as the first members of the Society of Jesus. He exercised a most fruitful apostolate both by his written works and in the forming of his disciples who won great praise for their renewal of the Church. He died at Rome in 1556.

St. Ignatius is well-known for his writings on the discernment of spirits. This is very important in the spiritual life, especially in regards to contemplative prayer. St. Teresa teaches us that we should be wary of consolations, She tells us that the devil can counterfeit these gifts. She also says it is good to have a spiritual director to help us discern the gifts. Beginners in the spiritual life, especially need help in discernment. Many times the Lord sends consolations to the soul in the beginning to keep the soul attracted to Him. Once the favors cease, testing our faith, many people give up the prayer life.

Let us pray for each other, that we follow St. John of the Cross and seek the Lord on the narrow road of prayer, a road that is dark, yet full of light, when we travel by faith alone.

Post Communion Prayer of St. Ignatius

Take, O Lord, and receive my entire liberty.

My memory, my understanding, and my whole will,

All that I am, all that I possess,

You have given me.

I surrender it all to You,

to be disposed of

According to Your will.

Give me only Your love

And Your Grace, with these

I shall be rich enough,

And desire nothing more.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

___________________

Saint of the Day:
St. Peter Chrysologus, bishop and doctor
(click on picture to learn more about this saint)
St. Peter was born around the year 380 at Imola in Emilia, and there entered the priesthood. He was elected bishop of Ravenna in 424 and instructed his flock by his learned sermons and writings. He died around the year 450.
Father, you made Peter Chrysologus an outstanding preacher of your incarnate Word. May the prayers of St. Peter help us to cherish the mystery of our salvation and make its meaning clear in our love for others.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. Amen.
_________________________________

Two wonderful websites I have discovered:


Carmelite Nuns in Denmark, Wisconsin. See beautiful pictures of a monastery built within the last few years.


http://holynamecarmel.org/indextwo.htm



An emerging religious community of sisters in Ohio:
The Children of Mary

http://www.childrenofmary.net/home.html


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
_______________________

Stained Glass Flowers-Little Accounts of the Miraculous

From the life of St. John of the Cross:

So, on September 22, 1591 he mounted the little mule a friend had procured for him and began the last journey of his life...

They proceeded very, very slowly. He spoke of God to the brother who accompanied him. When they had gone three miles; his companion suggested a halt at the banks of the Guadalimar. "In the shade of this bridge your Reverence can rest a little, and the joy of seeing the water will give you an appetite for a mouthful." John consented, "I will gladly take a rest for I need one; but as for eating, I cannot, because I have no appetite for any of the things that God has created, except asparagus, and that is out of season." The brother helped him to dismount and sit down. Then they noticed, on a stone, a bundle of asparagus, bound with an osier twig, as in the market. The brother believed it to be a miracle, but John would not hear of it. He sent the brother to look for the owner and when nobody could be found he had to put a cuarto on the stone as pavement.

From The Science of the Cross by Edith Stein

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

______________________

Answers to yesterday's quiz:

1). St. John of the Cross

2). Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection

3). 1925

4). 49

5). Piano

____________________

Carmelite Quiz

1. It is well-known that Pope John Paul II was a Carmelite Tertiary. In fact, he wrote his thesis on the writings of which Carmelite saint?


2. Who said, “That we should not weary of doing little things for the love of God who looks not at the grandeur of these actions but rather at the love with which they are performed.”


3. In what year was St. Therese of the Child Jesus canonized?


4. How hold was St. John of the Cross when he died?


5. Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity was a master of which musical instrument?

(Answers tomorrow)

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie

Sunday in the Year for Priests

The ordained ministry or ministerial priesthood is at the service of the baptismal priesthood. The ordained priesthood guarantees that it really is Christ who acts in the sacraments through the Holy Spirit for the Church.

Catechism #1120

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

___________________

Saturday of Our Lady

True Devotion to Mary

Praying the Magnificat

St. Louis de Montfort:

To thank God for the graces he has given to our Lady, her consecrated ones will frequently say the Magnificat...The Magnificat is the only prayer we have which was composed by our Lady, or rather, composed by Jesus in her, for it was he who spoke through her lips. It is the greatest offering of praise that God ever received under the law of grace. On the one hand, it is the most humble hymn of thanksgiving, and on the other, it is the most sublime and exalted. Contained in it are mysteries so great and so hidden that even the angels do not understand them.

The Magnificat:

My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord,
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant,
and from this day all generations will call me
blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me;
Holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm,
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things,
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers,
to Abraham and his children for ever.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

_________________________

Carmelite Quote

St. John of the Cross:

The necessity to pass through this dark night (the mortification of the appetites and denial of pleasure in all things) to attain divine union with God arises from the fact that all of a person's attachments to creatures are pure darkness in God's sight. Clothed in these affections, people are incapable of the enlightenment and dominating fullness of God's pure and simple light; first they must reject them. There can be no concordance between light and darkness; as St. John says:The darkness could not receive the light.
John 1:5

The Ascent of Mt. Carmel, Book 1, Chap. 4, No. 1

St. John of the Cross uses the term "clothed" to describe souls who are attached to creatures and worldly pleasures. This brings to mind the scripture verse of St. Paul who exhorts us to clothe ourselves with kindness, gentleness, and heartfelt mercy. These are the gifts of the Spirit that we should desire, be attached to and cling to with all our might. Life is so short...let us ask God to give us a great desire for the things of the Spirit.

In this "Year for Priests" we can look to the life of St. John Vianney if we want to learn about someone who mortified his senses for the sake of the Kingdom. St. John Vianney mortified his body through prolonged fasts and denied his body sleep and other pleasures. Of course he could not do this without God's grace. God saw his great desire for union with Him.

How often have we denied ourselves a few hours of sleep to pray?

How often have we denied ourselves some culinary pleasure?

How often have we denied ourselves the pleasure of seeking the approval of others?

How often have we denied some of our free time to perform an act of charity?

The lives of the saints give us hope and courage, that what God has done for them, He will do for us. If only we would desire true holiness, we would not have such a hard time of detaching ourselves from pleasures of the appetite.

Our Lord told us that we must enter through the narrow gate, and how few there are who find it. Carmel is a narrow gate. Let us call upon our Carmelite saints to help us in our desire for union with God.

St. John of the Cross, pray for us!

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

_____________________

Our Holy Father of Carmel-The Prophet Elijah

Happy Feast Day to all Carmelites!

Feast of St. Elijah

BREAD FOR THE JOURNEY

He left his servant there and went a day's journey into the desert, until he came to a broom tree and sat beneath it. He prayed for death: This is enough, O Lord! Take my life, for I am no better than my fathers." He lay down and fell asleep under the broom tree, but then an angel touched him and ordered him to get up and eat. He looked and there at his head was a hearth cake and a jug of water. After he ate and drank, he lay down again, but the angel of the Lord came back a second time, touched him, and ordered, "Get up and eat, else the journey will be too long for you!" He got up, ate and drank; then strengthened by that food he walked forty days and forty nights tot he mountain of God, Horeb.1 Kings 19:3-8


In our Carmelite tradition, the great prophet Elijah is our model of contemplative prayer who experienced God in the gentle whisper that spoke directly to his heart. The story in Kings of the angel bringing him bread for the journey is a prefigurement of the holy Eucharist.

We struggle in a spiritual desert because the Lord wishes to purify us, but sometimes we struggle simply because we try to do things on our own. We must always go back to the Lord in the Eucharist, to the sacraments, for the life of grace we need to sustain us in soul and body for this perilous journey in a wicked and depraved world. We must become holy beggars before the altar of the Lord. We are not worthy to have him enter our impure dwelling, but we know our great need for him. He alone satisfies the heart that longs for him. He alone can make us holy.

The Lord will give you the bread you need and the water for which you thirst. No longer will your Teacher hide himself,but with your own eyes you shall see your Teacher.
Isaiah 30:20

God sent his Son to be our Teacher and Lord. He provides his very body and blood to sustain us. In a miracle of mercy and incomprehensible grace he remains physically with us in this our physical world. Let us adore him in all the tabernacles of the world!

If you have never considered attending daily mass, I would ask you to please consider it and make it a part of your life. As Secular Carmelites, we strive to attend daily mass and receive Holy Communion. This is not just for Carmelites but for all Catholics--for all are called to holiness of life.

Our Lord doesn't come down from heaven every day just to wait there in a gold ciborium: He has found a much better heaven for His resting place; a Christian soul, made in His own image, the living temple of the Blessed Trinity.St. Therese of the Child Jesus

If you pray from the heart and receive Jesus in the Holy Eucharist on a regular basis he becomes your intimate friend and Teacher. A teacher who will share with you all things that the Father has shared with Him. Prepare yourself to receive secrets of great love!

Father, Lord of Heaven and Earth, to you I offer praise; for what you have hidden from the learned and the clever you have revealed to the merest children.
Matthew 12:25

Our Lady of the Most Blessed Sacrament, pray for us!

St. Elijah, pray for us!

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Sunday in the Year for Priests

The bishop receives the fullness of the sacrament of Holy Orders, which integrates him into the episcopal college and makes him the visible head of the particular Church entrusted to him. As successors of the apostles and members of the college, the bishops share in the apostolic responsibility and mission of the whole Church under the authority of the Pope, successor of St. Peter.

Catechism #1594

(Photo Copyright: Spirit Singing)

Prayer for Priests Based On the 10th Promise of Jesus to St. Margaret Mary

Sacred Heart of Jesus, Eternal High Priest, let Your love flow into the hearts of Your priests and transform them into living images of you. By Your grace, make them true apostles of your Sacred Heart.

I pray for the fulfillment of the promise You made to St. Margaret Mary: "I will give to priests the gift of touching the most hardened hearts."


May Your Kingdom come to the hearts of all through the ministry of holy priests! Amen.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
______________________

Saturday of Our Lady

True Devotion to Mary

An excerpt by St. Louis Marie DeMontfort

#118

As this devotion essentially consists in a state of soul,it will not be understood in the same way by everyone. Some--the great majority-- Will stop short at the threshold and go no further. Others--not many --will take but one step into its interior. Who will take a second step? Who will take third? Finally who will remain in it permanently? Only the one to whom the Spirit of Jesus reveals the secret. The Holy Spirit himself will lead this faithful soul from strength to strength, from grace to grace, from light to light, until he attains transformation into Jesus in the fullness of his age on earth and of his glory in heaven.

This excerpt reminds me of the spirituality in the Interior Castle as described by St. Teresa of Avila. She states that many souls do not even enter the castle because of worldly attachments. Then there are souls who enter who never make any progress in getting into the higher mansions.

For Secular Carmelites, Mary is the helper we need to escort us into the inner mansions-to lead us to her Son. She is the Gate of Heaven! Let us implore her to help us attain union with God. Let us implore her to lead us from strength to strength, from grace to grace, from light to light!

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS
___________________

Tabernacle of the Week

Poor Clare Monastery

Lourdes, France

1418 Because Christ himself is present in the sacrament of the altar, he is to be honored with the worship of adoration. "To visit the Blessed Sacrament is . . . a proof of gratitude, an expression of love, and a duty of adoration toward Christ our Lord" (Paul VI, MF 66).

Catechism of the Catholic Church

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

________________

OCDS Solemnity-Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Happy Feast Day to All Carmelites!

FLOS CARMELI

The Miraculous Prayer to Our Lady

of Mt. Carmel by St. Simon Stock

Most Holy Virgin, Beauty of Carmel! Virgin Flower forever in bloom! Bright Ornament of Heaven! Thous Virgin Mother of the Man-God! Mother of holy love! Mother of mercy and meekness! Mother honored above all mothers! Star of the sea! Be thou propitious to thy dear children of Carmel, and to all who have the happiness of wearing thy holy Scapular. Amen.

A Prayer Composed by St. John of the Cross

O Mary, Most Holy Mother of Carmel, Virgin of Virgins, Sanctuary of the Blessed Trinity, Mirror of Angels, assured Refuge of Sinners, have compassion on us in our sufferings, listen to our sighs with clemency, and appease the anger of thy Divine Son. Amen.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
_________________

Stained Glass Flowers-Little Accounts of the Miraculous

Reminder to all Secular Carmelites: Today is a day of fast and abstinence in preparation for the feast day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel tomorrow-July 16

The death of St. John of the Cross

An excerpt from The Science of the Cross

by Edith Stein

Between nine and ten o'clock that evening, when at the wish of the saint most had gone to rest, Brother Francisco Garcia had come to the head end of the bed to pray his rosary. As he was praying, the thought occurred to him that perhaps he might be able to have the joy of seeing something of what the saint beheld. While the psalms were being recited by the fathers, he suddenly saw a globe of light begin to shine between the ceiling of the cell and the foot end of the bed. It was so brilliant that it dimmed the fourteen of fifteen lamps of the friars and the five candles on the altar. As the saint expired without anyone noticing it, Brother Diego was holding him up in his arms. And he suddenly saw a great brightness over the bed. "It shone like the sun and moon, the lights on the altar and the two wax candles in the cell were covered as by a cloud and seemed to give no more light." Only then did Diego notice that the saint in his arms was lifeless. "Our Father went to heaven with that light," he told those present. Then when he and P. Francisco and Brother Mateo prepared the saint's body for burial a most sweet perfume emanated from it.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
_________________

Spiritual Life Dictionary

Today's Term:

The Illuminative Way

Once the soul is purified from past faults by a long and arduous penance, in keeping with the number and gravity of those faults, once it has been grounded in virtue through the practice of meditation , of mortification, and resistance to the disordered inclinations and to temptations, then it enters into the illuminative way. this stage of the spiritual life is thus named because the great aim of the soul is now the imitation, the following of Christ.

St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) describes the soul in the illuminative way. The soul that dwells in the Third Mansion of the Interior Castle is an advanced soul that can be described as:

*Possess an intense desire not to offend His Majesty

*They avoid venial sins

* Have a love for penance

*They are faithful to prayer

*They use their time well

*They perform works of charity towards their neighbor

*Everything about them is in perfect order: their words, their clothes, their homes.

The Spiritual Life, #961, Fr. Adolphe Tanquerey

I recently saw Fr. Groeschel on television and he gave his own description of a person in the Illuminative way. He said the person in this state finds it very easy to pray. You may see these people in church. They come early and stay late. They love to pray.

I think Fr. Groeschel's simple explanation says it well. As Secular Carmelites we can ask ourselves, "Do I love to pray?" Has prayer permeated my entire being to the extent that I am praying constantly? As Carmelites seeking union with God this should be our heart's desire: a more intimate union with Our Lord. Let us pray for each other that we be given the gift of true prayer that stems from purity of heart.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Feast Day-St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

Discalced Carmelite

Feast Day: July 13

Her motto: God is my joy!

(click on photo for official Andes website)

It seemed that from the time Juanita was young she had the presentiment or a certain interior illumination that she would die young...One day she pressed Fr. Blanch to tell her where she could be sanctified more quickly, because "Our Lord had made me understand that I would only live a short while."

In March of 1920, when Lent had already begun, Sister Teresa told her confessor--Father Avertano, a Discalced Carmelite--that she would die within a month...

But on the evening of Good Friday she was taken ill. It was discovered she had a violent form of typhus. On April 5 she requested the Sacrament of the sick which were administered that day and on the following one. On April 7, when her delirium ceased, thirty minutes after midnight, she was granted permission to make her religious profession because she was in danger of death. She did so with the greatest joy and gratitude.
On Monday, April 12, 1920 she died very sweetly , at seven fifteen at night.

St. Teresa told her family who were saddened that she was entering Carmel:

Don't be afraid. There will never be any separation between our souls. I will live in Him. Search for Jesus and in Him you'll find me, and there we three will carry on these intimate conversations that we must always carry on there for all eternity.

Excerpts from A New Hymn To God, compiled by Fr. Michael D. Griffin, OCD


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie

Sunday in the Year for Priests

Catechism #1577

"Only a baptized man validly receives sacred ordination." The Lord Jesus chose men to form the college of the twelve apostles, and the apostles did the same when they chose collaborators to succeed them in their ministry. The college of bishops, with whom the priests are united in the priesthood, makes the college of the twelve an ever-present and ever-active reality until Christ's return. The Church recognizes herself to be bound by this choice made by the Lord himself. For this reason the ordination of women is not possible.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

__________________

Saturday of Our Lady

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Feast Day: July 16

O Glorious Queen of Angels! Most pure and ever Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel! Powerful advocate of all those who wear your holy Scapular! Faithful Protectress of all the servants of thy Son Jesus Christ! I, an unworthy sinner, do this day, in the presence of your beloved son, my Savior, choose thee for my Patroness, that through your intercession, I may receive from Him whatsoever grace may be necessary and profitable for me now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
______________________

Stained Glass Scapulars-Reflections on the Secular Carmelite Rule

The Secular Order sets before its members ideals, based upon the charism and teachings of the Order's saintly Founders, which constitute their particular way in Christian holiness. These are: a deep sense of God's love; fidelity to contemplative prayer with the spirit of detachment it entails; and generosity in the practice of fraternal charity and the apostolate. They will place themselves under Our Lady's protection, and endeavor to live out these ideals in her presence.

The Nature of the Secular Order, Article 2

For the Secular Carmelite the ideals that are set before us are not unattainable goals. We must remember that with God's grace we can attain a blessed state in this life. This is the highest goal we seek: perfect charity.

Again, as stated above, the ideals are:

#1-A deep sense of God's love

If we are progressing in the spiritual life, God's love will permeate our being and our life.We become more patient, merciful and loving to our neighbor. We are eager to share the fruit of our prayer with others. We want to return "love for love" in the words of St. Therese.

#2-Fidelity to contemplative prayer

with the spirit of detachment it entails

This ideal is not some worldly goal we are seeking, that we will "never miss morning or evening prayer" in this ideal we seek to become a living prayer. We must become detached from all that distracts us and divides our heart. Detachment is a painful process on the road to union with God, but if we are sincere, He sees our efforts to please him. He gradually weans us away from worldly things, and even spiritual consolations.

#3-Generosity in the practice of fraternal charity

If we are sincere in our effort to please God, we do indeed produce good fruit of the Spirit, which manifests itself in love of neighbor. We only need to look at the lives of the saints to see the great lengths they went to, to show their love for God by their service to all those they met.

The Rule also states, "They will place themselves under the protection of Our Lady." We must have great confidence in the Mother of the Church, who loves each member of the Body of Christ as her own son or daughter. If we are faithful, she will not fail to defend us before her Son.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Carmelite Quote

You ask me to tell you about my daily schedule. We get up at five fifteen. At six we go to choir, where we have an hour of prayer. They close all the doors, and we see only the sanctuary lamp. It's really lovely. Then we say the Divine Office, praying the Hours. After that there is Mass and Communion, and we come with Rev. Mother to the novitiate a little before nine, reciting the "Miserere Mei." We ask for permission to leave our cells, to write letters, etc. We have a breakfast in a little room which is an oratory too. We put our cups on little benches and sit on the floor. At first I didn't know how to sit down, but now I am used to it...At ten forty five, the clappers sound to go to bed, and by 11 the lights are out so we can sleep. From Compline on we must keep the great silence.

St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

(Letter #108 to her sister Rebecca)

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

Sunday in the "Year for Priests"

All priests, who are constituted in the order of priesthood by the sacrament of Order, are bound together by an intimate sacramental brotherhood, but in a special way they form one priestly body in the diocese to which they are attached under their own bishop...

Catechism #1568

A Prayer for Priests

Almighty God, look upon the face of Him who is the eternal High Priest, and have compassion on Your priests in today's world. Remember that they are but weak and frail human beings. Stir up in them the grace of their vocation. Keep them close to You lest the enemy prevail against them, so that they may never do anything in the slightest degree unworthy of their sublime vocation.

O Jesus, keep them all close to Your heart and bless them abundantly in time and in eternity. Amen.

Excerpt from the Gold Book of Prayers

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie

Saturday of our Lady

Our Lady of Charity

An Act of Love

O my God, I love You above all things, with my whole heart and soul, because You are all-good and worthy of all love. I love my neighbor as myself for the love of You. I forgive all who have injured me, and I ask pardon of all whom I have injured.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie,OCDS

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Novena

Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel


O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succor me in this my necessity. There are none that can withstand your power. O show me herein that you are my Mother.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us that have recourse to thee. (3 times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands.

First Day


O most glorious and Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel! I, an unworthy wearer of your holy Scapular, confident however that the Church does not call you in vain the "Refuge of Sinners," do implore you to make me aware of the favors you have bestowed upon me, by promoting the welfare of your holy Order, that being truly contrite for past offenses, I may by your aid and assistance, break the chains of my slavery, and live from this day forward in the happy liberty of the children of God. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who with the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, world without end. Amen.



Second Day


O glorious Queen of Angels! Most pure and ever Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel! Powerful advocate of all those who wear your holy Scapular! Faithful Protectress of all the servants of your Son Jesus Christ! I, an unworthy sinner, do this day, in the presence of your beloved Son, my Savior, choose you for my Mother, that through your intercession, I may receive from Him whatsoever grace may be necessary and profitable for me now, and at the hour of my death. Amen.



Third Day


Remember, O most gracious Virgin Mary, that never was it known, that anyone who fled to your protection, implored your help, or sought your intercession, was left unaided. Inspired by this confidence, I fly unto you o Virgin of Virgins, my mother. Before you I stand sinful and sorrowful. O Mother of the Word Incarnate, despise not my petitions, but in your mercy, hear and answer me. Amen.



Fourth Day


O most Glorious and ever Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel! I, your unworthy child , aware of the favors you enjoy with God, humbly present myself before you, and beg that you would intercede and obtain for me true contrition and repentance, and undefiled purity of heart, and a conscience free from sin and all offense against God; direct me, I implore you, in all my actions during life, and in that awful moment when my poor soul departs from my body, conduct it into the presence of thy Son, there to sing His praises forever and ever. Amen.



Fifth Day


O most glorious Virgin Mother, who, by favor of your divine Son has so great power in heaven and on earth, enlighten my blindness and strengthen my resolution. The zeal you have in promoting the welfare of your sacred Order, and the part you take in seeing the grace of our Redeemer abound in us, give me a right to your interest in this my request; and when the hour of death approaches, be to me, I implore you, a tender Mother, and by your prayers dispose your Son Jesus Christ favorably in my regard. Amen.



Sixth Day


O most glorious and ever Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel, I offer to you this day, all my thoughts, words and actions: I am weak and sinful, dejected and cast down at every trial. O Mother of Mercy and refuge of sinners you will not reject a contrite and humble heart. Intercede for me, I implore you, that I may so live in this sinful world, that at the hour of death I may be worthy to be admitted into the presence of the Blessed. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, who , with the father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, world without end. Amen.



Seventh Day


O most Holy Mary of Mt. Carmel, pray for me, I implore you, that through the merits of your Son, I may enjoy perpetual health of mind and body, and that I may serve him faithfully in this life, and hereafter see, love, and enjoy Him in the kingdom of His glory. Who, with the Father and the Holy Spirit, live and reign, one God, forever and ever. Amen.



Eighth Day


O most glorious and ever Blessed Virgin Mary of Mt. Carmel, faithful Patron of all those who wear your holy Scapular, behold your poor servant humbly prostrate at your feet, imploring your prayers, and imploring you to protect her through the stormy ocean of this tempestuous world; hear my prayers then, O refuge of sinners, and after this our exile show unto us the Blessed Fruit of thy womb, Jesus, O most clement, O most loving, O most sweet Virgin Mary!



Ninth Day


O Blessed Finder of Grace, Mother of Life, Mother of Salvation! May we through you have access to your Son; and may He, Who was given us through you, receive us through you. May your integrity and innocence excuse before Him the stain of our corruption; may your abundant charity cover the multitude of our sins, and your glorious fruitfulness supply our want of merits. Our Mother, our Mediatrix, our Advocate, reconcile us to your Son, commend us to your Son, present us to your Son; by the grace with which you are honored, obtain that He, who through you put on our weakness, may, through you, make us partakers of His glory. Amen.

Stained Glass Flowers-Little Accounts of the Miraculous

From the life of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

(Known in the world as Edith Stein)

Edith Stein was born into a German Jewish family in 1891. A gifted student, she excelled in literature and languages and had a great love for poetry. When she was twenty years old she entered the University of Breslau where she studied Philosophy.


While in Frankfurt, she visited the Catholic cathedral and observed a woman enter the church, kneel down, and pray. This made a deep impression on Edith.


Later when visiting friends she needed to occupy herself while the couple went away. She chose a book from their library: St. Teresa of Avila's Autobiography. It is said she read the entire book without a break. When she was finished, she remarked, "This is the truth." The following morning she bought a Catholic catechism and a missal. This began her conversion to the Faith. Her feast day is August 9.

Excerpts from The Science of the Cross by Edith Stein. Introduction by Kieran Kavanugh, OCD.





Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS