Tabernacle of the Week

TABERNACLE OF THE WEEK

Sts. Peter and Paul ChurchDoylestown, OhioEstablished in 1827

Oldest parish in the Diocese of Cleveland, Ohio

The Jubilee Year of St. Paul

June 28-2008 through June 29-2009


In our Diocese of Cleveland, Bishop Lennon has designated certain parishes as official pilgrimage sites to gain a Plenary Indulgence for the Jubilee of St. Paul.

Sts. Peter & Paul Church in rural Wayne County is one of the parishes. Here is their website
http://www.stspeterpaul-doylestown.4lpi.com/




Now focusing on Carmelite Spirituality, let's turn to Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity who was fondly called "Sabeth" by her family. She is well-known for her "Pauline" spirituality.


Here is an excerpt from her retreat called Heaven in Faith.

"Remain in Me." It is the word of God who gives this order, expresses this wish. Remain in Me,not for a few moments, a few hours which must pass away, but "remain..." permanently, habitually, Remain in Me, pray in Me, adore in Me, love in Me, suffer in Me, work and act in Me. Remain in Me so that you may be able to encounter anyone or anything; penetrate further still into these depths. This is truly the "solitude into which God wants to allure the soul that He may speak to it," as the prophet sang.

In order to understand this very mysterious saying, we must not, so to speak, stop at the surface, but enter ever deeper into the divine Being through recollection. "I pursue my course," exclaimed St. Paul: so must we descend daily this pathway of loving confidence. Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Heaven in Faith

Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity's writings are full of the spirituality of St. Paul. In the year of his Jubilee, I would highly recommend her writings as a way of honoring St. Paul. Carmelites throughout the world will honor her on Nov. 8, her feast day. Let us pray for a miracle so that she may be canonized soon.

Bl. Elizabeth found her mission within the Church from St. Paul's writings: "We have been predestined by the decree of Him who works all things according to the counsel of his will, so that we may be the praise of His glory." She desired to be a Praise of His Glory!

Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, Pray for us!


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Beatification of Louis & Zelie Martin-Parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus

Louis and Zelie Martin

Parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, virgin, doctor

Beatified in France

A day of rejoicing for the Carmelite Order-The parents of St. Therese of the Child Jesus, Louis & Zelie Martin are beatified on October 19,2008 in Lisieux, France.
Here is the link to an article from Zenit news.http://www.zenit.org/article-23997?l=english

The Te Deum:

You are God: we praise you;
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father:
All creation worships you.

To you all angels, all the powers of heaven,
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might,
heaven and earth are full of your glory.

The glorious company of apostles praise you.
the noble fellowship of prophets praise you.
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.

Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you:
Father, of Majesty unbounded,
your true and only son, worthy of all worship,
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.

You, Christ, are the King of glory,
the eternal son of the Father.

When you became man to set us free
you did not spurn the virgin's womb.

You overcame the sting of death,
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.

You are seated at God's right hand in glory.
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.

Come then, Lord, and help your people,
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints
to glory everlasting.

From the Liturgy of the Hours -Office of Readings

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Tabernacle of the Week

St. Sebastian Church

Akron, Ohio

May Jesus Christ be praised, loved and adored in all the tabernacles of the world, even unto the end of time!

This beautiful church is the location for our monthly

lay Carmelite meeting. We meet in the lower level
for formation classes and then gather in the beautiful
church for the chanting of Evening Prayer before we
depart.

For readers in our area- Catholic men and women, you are most welcome to attend our meetings! We meet from 1-4pm on the first Sunday of the Month.

The Pastor of this church, Fr. John Valencheck has a blog
called Adam's Ale. Please visit my blog roll for the link.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

St. Teresa of Jesus-OCD Carmelite Solemnity

Solemnity of our Holy Mother St. Teresa of Jesus






St. Teresa's Bookmark

Let nothing trouble you.
Let nothing scare you.
All is fleeting.
God alone is unchanging.
Patience
Everything obtains.
Who possesses God
Nothing wants.
God alone suffices

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Holy Fasting

Today, Carmelites throughout the world are fasting in preparation for the great feast tomorrow of our holy mother, St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila).

Carmelites take this obligation very seriously. As our rules states:

"In addition to the days of fasting and of abstinence proper to the Church in the United States and in response to the encouragement of our bishops 'to prepare for each Church festival by a day of particular self-denial, penitential prayer and fasting' and to our Carmelite traditions, our members, unless excused by reason of illness, will fast on the vigils of the following feast days:"

1. Our Blessed Lady of Mount Carmel (July 16)

2. Our Holy Mother St. Teresa of Jesus (October 15)

3. Our Holy Father St. John of the Cross (December 14)

4. The Prophet Elijah (July 20)

5. All the Saints of the Order (November 14)

For sufficient reason, the above special fast days may be anticipated.

The Life of FastingSt. John Chrysostom

Do you fast? Give me proof of it by your works.

If you see a poor man, take pity on him.

If you see a friend being honored, do not envy him.

Do not let only your mouth fast, but also the eye and the ear and the feet and the hands and all the members of our bodies.

Let the hands fast, by being free of avarice.

Let the feet fast, by ceasing to run after sin.

Let the eyes fast, by disciplining them not to glare at that which is sinful.

Let the ear fast, by not listening to evil talk and gossip.

Let the mouth fast from foul words and unjust criticism.

For what good is it if we abstain from birds and fishes, but bite and devour our brothers?

May He who came to the world to save sinners strengthen us to complete the fast with humility, have mercy on us and save us.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Keeping Holy The Lord's Day

Could you not watch one hour with me?

This scripture passage is usually used when a parish is trying to promote Eucharistic adoration. But not long ago, I was at a funeral luncheon and I heard a group of people speaking about where one could go for the "shortest Mass." One man in particular was enthused that he recently found a church where he could be out in less than 45 minutes on Sunday.This mentality brought to my mind this scripture passage. Is not Our Lord asking people today if they cannot spend one hour on a Sunday with him? It's sad to see people leaving immediately after communion. Recently, the website Spirit Daily had a very good article on Padre Pio's

lesson on one's comportment at mass. Here is the link for the article
http://www.spiritdaily.net/index923.htm

Here is what the Holy Father says about the Lord's Day. Let us pray that the Holy Spirit inspire in our hearts a true devotion and love for the mass.


THE LORD'S DAY
Pope Benedict XVI, Shepherd of Truth

Notable quotations from Pope Benedict XVI and official teachings of the Roman Catholic Church

"FERTILE FOUNDATION"
Sunday remains the fertile foundation and ... the fundamental nucleus of the liturgical year which originated in Christ's Resurrection, thanks to which the features of eternity were impressed on time. Thus, Sunday is ... a fragment of time imbued with eternity, for its dawn saw the Crucified and Risen Christ enter victorious into eternal life.

"JOYFUL EXPECTATION"
For the first Christians, participation in the Sunday celebrations was the natural expression of their belonging to Christ, of communion with His Mystical Body, in the joyful expectation of His glorious return.

CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT SUNDAY EUCHARIST
This belonging was expressed heroically in what happened to the martyrs of Abitene, who faced death exclaiming,...without gathering together on Sunday to celebrate the Eucharist, we cannot live.

EVEN MORE NECESSARY
How much more necessary it is today to reaffirm the sacredness of the Lord's Day and the need to take part in Sunday Mass!

"AN INEXHAUSTIBLE SOURCE"
The cultural context in which we live, often marked by religious indifference and secularism that blot out the horizon of the transcendent, must not let us forget that the People of God, born from "Christ's Passover, Sunday", should return to it as to an inexhaustible source, in order to understand better and better the features of their own identity and the reasons for their existence.

"SUNDAY IS THE DAY"
Sunday is the day on which the Risen Lord makes Himself present among His followers, invites them to His Banquet and shares Himself with them so that they too, united and configured to Him, may worship God properly.

SUNDAY AND SANCTIFICATION
...At every Sunday Eucharistic celebration, the sanctification of the Christian people takes place as it will take place until the Sunday that never sets, the day of the definitive encounter of God with His creatures.

AUTHENTIC GROWTH
May the "Day of the Lord" ... regain all its importance and be perceived and lived to the full in the celebration of the Eucharist, from which the Christian community grows authentically and on which it depends....

(Source: Letter to Cardinal Arinze of the Congregation of Divine Worship, dated 11/27/06)

Used with permission from Presentation Ministries

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, OCDS

Saturday of Our Lady

Mary's Ten Principle Virtues according to
 St. Louis de Montfort

1. Deep Humility

2. Lively Faith

3. Blind Obedience

4. Unceasing Prayer

5. Self-Denial

6. Purity

7. Ardent Love

8. Heroic patience

9. Angelic kindness

10. Heavenly Wisdom

Mary is our spiritual Mother. She will lead us on the path of spiritual childhood. A holy path of total trust and confidence in God's merciful love. St. Louis de Montfort's teaching of "To Jesus through Mary" will help us to live our Carmelite vocation in a deeper and more profound manner. Mary will help us in our quest for holiness. As our community studies De Montfort's True Devotin to Mary may we all experience a deeper love for Our Lady under the title of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.


In the words of our late Holy Father, John Paul II who was a secular Carmelite:

"The reading of this book was a decisive turning-point in my life. I say "turning-point," but in fact it was a long inner journey...This "perfect devotion" is indispensable to anyone who means to give himself without reserve to Christ and to the work of redemption."


"It is from Montfort that I have taken my motto: "Totus tuus" (I am all thine).


May the Holy Spirit descend upon us with his grace and give us a share of the virtues that Our Lady possessed.

As Secular Carmelites, may we belong totally to Christ, by belonging totally to Mary, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds