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

Carmelite Quote

St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes

"I feel He is united to me so intimately that I cannot desire more this side of the beatific vision in heaven.
I feel I'm filled with Him. There is nothing that separates us. Everywhere I go, He is with me, within my poor heart. He is the little home where I dwell...He is my heaven on earth. I live with Him, and even going out walking, the two of us converse without anyone surprising us or being able to interrupt us."

This statement by our Carmelite sister and saint was made about a year before she entered Carmel. And already she is describing the spiritual marriage that St. John of the Cross speaks about:

One does not reach this garden of full transformation, which is the joy, delight, and glory of spiritual marriage, without first passing through the spiritual betrothal and the loyal and mutual love of betrothed persons. For after the soul has been for some time the betrothed of the Son of God in gentle and complete love, God calls her and places her in his flowering garden to consummate this most joyful state of marriage with him. (Spiritual Canticle, Stanza 22, #4)

From St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)
As I have already said, one makes these comparisons because there are no other appropriate ones, yet it must be realized that the betrothal has no more to do with the body than if the soul were not in the body, and were nothing but spirit. Between the Spiritual Marriage and the body there is even less connection, for this secret union takes place in the deepest center of the soul, which must be where God Himself dwells. (Interior Castle, Seventh Mansion, Chapter II)

St. Teresa of the Andes clearly talks about this holy dwelling (of union/spiritual marriage)where she abides completely with the beloved. She was about 18 years old when she wrote of this deep union with God. She entered Carmel at 19 and lived only 11 months in the cloister before contracting and dying of Typhus. Pope John Paul lifted her up as a model of holiness for our youth.
Each Carmelite saint has a unique charism. St. Teresa's charism was joy. Her constant theme: God is my joy!
May God be our love, our light, and our joy!

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Our Lady of the Rosary

Our Lady of the Most Holy Rosary, pray for us!

From the Office of Readings of the Liturgy of the Hours:


This commemorative feast was established by St. Pius V on the anniversary of the naval victory by the Christian fleet at Lepanto. The victory was attributed to the help of the holy Mother of God whose aid was invoked through praying the rosary. The celebration of this day invites all to meditate upon the mysteries of Christ, following the example of the Blessed Virgin Mary who was so singularly associated with the incarnation, passion and glorious resurrection of the Son of God.


Prayer
Lord, fill our hearts with your love,
and as you revealed to us by an angel
the coming of your Son as man,
so lead us through his suffering and death
to the glory of his resurrection,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

Catechism Quote

Catechism of the Catholic Church

#2628

Adoration is the first attitude of man acknowledging that he is a creature before his Creator. It exalts the greatness of the Lord who made us and the almighty power of the Savior who sets us free from evil. Adoration is homage of the spirit to the "King of Glory," respectful silence in the presence of the "ever greater" God. Adoration of the thrice-holy and sovereign God of love blends with humility and gives assurance to our supplications.

St. Teresa of Jesus instructs her nuns (and we lay Carmelites) in the Way of Perfection to acquire true humility by dying to ourselves, because she says we love ourselves so dearly!
She says that humility and detachment from self go together.


We can see in the life of our holy mother St. Teresa her great humility. She always referred to God as "His Majesty" and was intent on pleasing him.


She also makes the point and we have probably observed this for ourselves in other individuals; the person who is truly humble does not know it! If you tell the person that you admire their humility or see humility in them, they will not believe it. And according to St. Teresa, they will strive to obtain this great virtue even though they possess it. This shows how this is truly a gift of God and that he keeps us humble by hiding these virtues from the one who possesses them.


True humility is a total gift of God. Let us pray for each other that we seek the things of heaven-virtues like humility which foster true adoration.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

Tabernacle of the Week

Pope Pius X Underground Basilica

Lourdes, France

The tabernacle is to be situated in churches in a most worthy place with the greatest honor. The dignity, placing, and security of the Eucharistic tabernacle should foster adoration before the Lord really present in the Blessed Sacrament of the altar.

Catechism of the Catholic Church #1183

Today Spirit Daily http://www.spiritdaily.com/ has reported that You Tube has pulled videos of a person desecrating the Holy Eucharist in horrific ways. But some reports are not clear, the videos may still be posted on You Tube. I urge all readers of this site to sign the petition against these videos at http://www.americaneedsfatima.org/

and to make reparation by making a holy hour in the presence of the Blessed Sacrament when time permits.

Please pray for this person who promises to desecrate the Eucharist daily.

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

Novena Prayer to St. Therese of Lisieux, the Little Flower

Novena Prayer to St. Therese

St. Therese, Flower of fervor and love, please intercede for me. Fill my heart with your pure love of God. Make me more aware of the goodness of God and how well he tends His garden. Instill in me your "little way" or doing ordinary things with extra-ordinary love. Give me the heart of a child who wonders at life and embraces everything with loving enthusiasm. Teach me your delight in God's ways so that divine charity may blossom in my heart.

Little Flower of Jesus, bring my petitions (mention here) before God our Father. With your confidence, I come before Jesus as God's child, because you are my heavenly friend.

Amen.