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Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
____________________

Novena Prayer to St. Therese

(For complete Novena

click on right sidebar)

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" of 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.


Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
_____________________

Novena Prayer to St. Therese

(For complete Novena

click on right sidebar)

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" of 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.



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

_________________

TABERNACLE OF THE WEEK

Here are a few more photos from my pilgrimage to Lourdes. Here are photos of tabernacles from the various churches at the shrine.

Underground Basilica Tabernacle

Underground Basilica

The Upper Basilica

St. John Vianney Chapel

Adoration Chapel

Tabernacle is the large

"Pillar of Fire"

Rosary Basilica

Altar of St. Bernadette

Rosary Basilica

Interior side altar of Our Lady

Village of Bartres

Parish Church

St. Bernadette lived here

as a shepherdess

Crypt Church-Lourdes

St. Bernadette's Relics

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds
____________________

CARMELITE QUOTE

A poem by Saint. Elizabeth of the Trinity

written Sept. 24, 1906

Peaceful was the night and deep the silence
When my boat set sail on the open sea.
Gilding over the boundless ocean on the loveliest
of journeys.

All was hushed beneath the vault of heaven
As if listening to the voice of the Eternal.
Suddenly the waves arose, engulfing my light
barque--


It was the Trinity opening out to me:
In that divine abyss I found my deepest center.
No more will you find me at the water's edge;
I have plunged into infinity, where I belong.
With my Three I live at peace, in the wide
freedom of eternity.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie,ocds
______________________

SATURDAY OF OUR LADY

Images of Our Lady

 and the Grotto at Lourdes, France

The rain produced some unusual effects

The Lourdes theme for this year:

The Sign of the Cross

John Paul II's

Prayer to Our Lady of Lourdes

Hail Mary, poor and humble Woman, Blessed by the Most High! Virgin of hope, dawn of a new era, We join in your song of praise, to celebrate the Lord’s mercy, to proclaim the coming of the Kingdom and the full liberation of humanity.

Hail Mary, lowly handmaid of the Lord, Glorious Mother of Christ! Faithful Virgin, holy dwelling-place of the Word, Teach us to persevere in listening to the Word, and to be docile to the voice of the Spirit, attentive to his promptings in the depths of our conscience and to his manifestations in the events of history.

Hail Mary, Woman of sorrows, Mother of the living! Virgin spouse beneath the Cross, the new Eve, Be our guide along the paths of the world. Teach us to experience and to spread the love of Christ, to stand with you before the innumerable crosses on which your Son is still crucified.

Hail Mary, woman of faith, First of the disciples! Virgin Mother of the Church, help us always to account for the hope that is in us, with trust in human goodness and the Father’s love. Teach us to build up the world beginning from within: in the depths of silence and prayer, in the joy of fraternal love, in the unique fruitfulness of the Cross.

Holy Mary, Mother of believers, Our Lady of Lourdes, pray for us.
Amen.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie,ocds
____________________

Stained Glass Scapulars-Reflections on the Secular Carmelite Rule

Photo: R. Massaro

From the Constitution of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites:

Taking into account the origins of Carmel and the Teresian charism, the fundamental elements of the vocation of Teresian Secular Carmelites can be summariezed as follows:

( I have skipped point a to comment on point b).

b): To seek a mysterious union with God; by way of contemplation and apostolic activity, indissolubly joined together, for service to the Church.

The above point of our Constitution says concisely what we as Secular Carmelites are seeking: spiritual marriage through love of God and neighbor by way of contemplation.  Yes, the Constitution is very clear, this union is most mysterious, indeed!  Many saints have tried to explain this mysterious union. Our holy Carmelites St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and St. Therese of the Child Jesus, have been proclaimed doctors of the Church because of their marvelous teaching on the mysterious union between the soul and God. As Carmelites we must turn to them again and again for help and direction on the road of prayer.

We may first ask ourselves, even though we are Secular Carmelites, are we seeking this mysterious union with God?  Have we settled for less--something other than becoming a saint?

We must not be discouraged when we are experiencing the mysterious union of God in the dark night of faith. We cannot and will not understand everything in this life.  St. John of the Cross clearly teaches that our minds cannot understand God. We will experience great peace when we surrender as little children and trust that he will lead us to him safely if we are obedient to those in authority over us: the Magisterium, our Carmelite doctors and saints, our Carmelite provincial and our local council.

St. Therese, one of the greatest saints of modern times was led by the dark night of faith. She did not experience visions or revelations, nor did she desire these things.  Her way of spiritual childhood of trust in the loving Father whom we know loves us requires the pure heart of a child of God. Only He can purify and sanctify us. Let this be our desire: a pure heart that experiences the mysterious union of love between God and the soul and lives out this love in service to our neighbor by acts of charity and mercy.

Let us pray for each other.

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS
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