Deacon Mark Danis, OCDS shares a reflection on how to accept our own weaknesses and obstacles to our union with God. Deacon Mark quotes the book Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird.

During this homily given by Fr. John MacQuarrie, the spiritual assistant for our Secular Carmelite Community, discusses the outward sign of Carmel as he welcomes three members of our community who were clothed with the ceremonial brown scapular. He also reflects on the Constitutions of the Secular Carmelites and our Christian roles as priests, prophets, and kings.

If you feel as though you have reached a plateau in your prayer life, or after many years of active prayer, you feel as though you are suddenly stuck, it may be the Lord is calling you to a deeper encounter with Him. The spiritual life is not static, it moves through different phases. And, like any relationship, if it is going to continue to grow, there must be changes in the way we approach prayer. There eventually comes a time in our prayer life when the Lord takes a more active role, and He needs us to begin to detach ourselves from our usual way of finding Him in prayer. This is a process of the Lord moving from our more comfortable and active practice of meditation, to a more destabilizing but interior practice of contemplation. Our primary response must be surrender and receptivity. In this next phase of the journey to God, we must be willing to allow Him to draw us toward Himself, into a place of quiet serenity. This conversation outlines both the prerequisites for this movement and the disposition the soul must develop in order to continue to make progress.

 

Books: 

“Saint John of the Cross:  Master of Contemplation” by Fr. Donald Haggerty; Ignatius Press.

“The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross” by John of the Cross; ICS Publications.

 

 

 

Paul Adams, OCDS, provides insights on St. Pope John Paul II and the Blessed Virgin Mary.

In this talk, Deacon Rusty Baldwin, OCDS, discusses how to maintain our Carmelite identity.

Carmelites are well aware of the spiritual journey climbing Mt. Carmel to grow in union with our Lord.  What may be passing under our radar is the Mystical Union with our Blessed Virgin Mary. This program addresses what that union is, what Marian souls experience in it, and how we may prepare ourselves to be open for such a great grace. The main source was the book by Fr. Emile Neubert called “Life of Union with Mary.”

Many of us are homebound right now due to the pandemic of the coronavirus. The whole world is experiencing this scourging. What are we as Secular Discalced Carmelites called to do. Mark highlights some aspects of our Carmelite Charism that are particularly potent right now, in this period of Lent and the pandemic.

Since most of us, all over the world, are not able to physically go to Mass and received Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament, due to the pandemic coronavirus, we have a unique opportunity to intensify our spiritual practice of spiritual communions. St. Teresa of Avila gives us some wise counsel on this topic. Additionally, St. Therese of Lisieux, wrote a poem, “My Desires Near Jesus Hidden in His Prison of Love,” that will help inflame any loving heart.

Deacon Russell Baldwin, OCDS, gave a homily on The Well-Ordered Life at our March 2020 Community meeting and holy Hour.

 

Marika Zimmerman, OCDS, gave this presentation at our March 2020 Community meeting.

 

Bibliography

Nine Themes in Carmelite Spirituality - 6. Carmel is Marian

by Fr. Patrick Thomas McMahon, O.Carm.

https://ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/nine-themes-carmelite-spirituality-6-carmel-marian

Liturgy of the Hours Lenten/Easter Season Volume II for Solemnity the

Annunciation  Psalm Prayer Divine office for 25 March Psalm prayer after Psalm45 not in the four volume but found on line.  

http://www.ibreviary.com/m2/breviario.php?s=ufficio_delle_letture

St Teresa of Avila The Way of perfection Study Edition by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD Page 368

Bible References from the USCCB web site

http://www.usccb.org/bible/colossians/1

Catechism of the Catholic Church Part 1 The Profession of - Section 2 Chapter 2 Article 3  Paragraph 2 I. CONCEIVED BY THE POWER OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. . .

http://www.vatican.va/archive/ccc_css/archive/catechism/p122a3p2.htm

Novena in Honor of Mary Mother Thrice Admirable and Queen of Schoenstatt booklet

By Sister M. Gunthildis, S.A.C.  Translated from German by Ulric J. Proeller, S.T. L.  The Schoenstatt Sister of Mary, New –Schoenstatt W. 284 N. 404 Cherry Lane, Waukesha, Wisconsin 53188   1986 pages 8-10

Divine Intimacy Meditations on the Interior Life for every day of the Liturgical Year by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, O.C.D. Tan Publishers Rockford Illinois © 1964 Pages 1133-1136 (The Annunciation)

Material and spiritual attachments are BIG roadblocks to our growing union with the Lord. This presentation by Deacon Baldwin, himself a Secular Discalced Carmelite, helps one ponder how to live out the Evangelical Counsel of Poverty in one’s own life. In a way, it is even harder for Seculars as the temptations are greater since they live in the world and use material possessions daily. Deacon Baldwin refers to the “Four Degrees of Poverty” of St. Alphonsus Liguori from the book, The Spouse of Christ. This is a very helpful reflection, especially for anyone considering making a promise or vow of Evangelical Poverty.

 

For 2020, our OCDS Community in Dayton, Ohio, has the theme of "Mary, Our Mother” for all of our community presentations. This month’s presentation is on “Mary in Scripture.” There are some eye-opening analogies and topologies presented in this talk that will bolster the faith of many. Additionally, many scriptural passages are referenced for your benefit. The presentation is by Chris Cotter, OCDS. 

It’s no surprise to learn of the great devotion St. Therese of Lisieux had for our Mother Mary. She was immersed in Marian devotion from her birth, being born into a family that all loved Mary. The focus of this presentation is on four aspects of Therese’s love for Mary: 1) the Ordinary/Simple Mary, 2) the Healing Mother/Child of Mary, 3) Being Under the Mantle/Veil of Mary, and 4) Mary’s Maternal Love: More Mother than Queen. At the end of the reflection, Therese’s poem “Why I Love You, O Mary” (from “The Poetry of Saint Therese of Lisieux” translated by Donald Kinney, OCD; ICS Publications) is recited. Take time to ponder this poem. It summarizes Therese’s love for Mary!

What is like to enter into the 7th Dwelling Place?  What was it like for St. Teresa?  Then we turn to a discussion about spiritual marriage.  We focus on what this experience/union with God was like for St. Teresa.  These chapters truly help us to have Holy Amazement!

 

RESOURCES:

•  “Interior Castle, Study Guide, 2nd Edition” by St. Teresa of Avila; Translated and Prepared by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD; ICS Publications.
• “The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila,” Vol. 1 (includes “The Book of Her Life, Spiritual Testimonies, Soliloquies”) by St. Teresa of Avila, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD; ICS Publications.
• “The Ordinary Path to Holiness” by R. Thomas Richard, PhD; St. Pauls, 2003.
• “Journey into Divine Intimacy with St. Teresa of Avila” by Sr. Leslie Lund, OCDH; Carmelite Sisters of Mary Publishers, 2019.
• “The Interior Journey Toward God:  Reflections from Saint Teresa of Avila,” by John Paul Thomas; My Catholic Life! Inc., 2022.
• “I Want to See God” by P. Marie Eugene, OCD; Christian Classics.
• “The Spiritual Life:  A Treatise on Ascetical and Mystical Theology” by Adolph Tanquerey, SS, DD; Tan Books.
• “Divine Intimacy” by Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen, OCD; Tan Books.

 

 

This is a reflection given on the feast of the Baptism of our Lord that focuses on the sacrament of Baptism itself as well as our own Baptism in light of our vocation to Carmel.

What would it be like to fully experience the Trinity dwelling in you at all times.? What might it be like to live with continual spiritual guidance and direction, to experience rest and consolation, to know that you are confirmed in reality of an eternal destiny of unimaginable peace, and, most importantly, what would it be like to live in continual peace?   If any or all of these conditions of existence sound intriguing to you, then this specific podcast on the Prayer to the Trinity, of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is worth a listen. Here in this Carmelite Conversation, Mark and Frances walk you through Elizabeth's prayer to the Trinity, with assistance of a commentary on the prayer written by a Mother Amabel of the Heart of Jesus, a French Carmelite Nun.   There are a number of striking observations from the prayer, and also expanded upon in the commentary. The first is the call to become utterly forgetful of self. This is a message that often sounds strange to the modern generation, but it is a first prerequisite to anyone who desires to embark on the path to holiness and transformation in Christ. By beginning to place Christ first in our life, we will begin to understand how it is that He will be able to eventually take over our life and begin to literally live His life through us.   Another equally important requirement for us to begin to encounter the Trinity, is that we must be at peace in our own hearts and souls. This is not something we can achieve on our own, we must pray, indeed, we must plead with the Lord to give us this peace. For it is nothing other than the peace He promised us when He told His disciples He would give them a peace the world could not give. (John 14:27)   When we come to experience this peace, we need to be prepared to abandon everything in favor of remaining with the Lord, deep in the interior of our souls. We need to be prepared to offer Christ our very souls as His shelter, His place of repose and His dwelling place. He desires this from each of us.   We must also know that though we are powerless to offer ourselves in this way, we can rely on the fire of the Holy Spirit to prepare our souls for this coming, in exactly the same way the Holy Spirit prepared the Blessed Mother to both receive and later give birth to, or Incarnate Christ into the world through us.   Finally, we must learn to surrender ourselves to this complete absorption into the Three Persons of the Trinity, where we will discover infinite Solitude and the beginnings of an eternal Beatitude, which is nothing less than the promise of eternal life.    If you are looking for a guide to this journey to the interior of your soul, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity and her powerful prayer, along with the commentary, are a very good place to look.

 

Frances Harry, OCDS, interviews poet Tim Bete, OCDS, about the link between contemplative prayer and poetry, including the "secret wisdom" discussed by St. John of the Cross the the concept of "creative intuition" discussed by Jacques Maritain.

Books of poetry by Tim Bete: The Raw Stillness of Heaven, Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim

Primary source material: The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross (includes The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, The Living Flame of Love, Letters, and The Minor Works) [Revised Edition]. ICS Publications.

The Range of Reason by Jacques Maritain https://maritain.nd.edu/jmc/etext/range01.htm

 

Fraces Harry, OCDS, interviews poet Tim Bete, OCDS, about the poetry of St. John of the Cross. Below are resources and links to things mentioned in the podcast.

Books of poetry by Tim Bete: The Raw Stillness of Heaven, Wanderings of an Ordinary Pilgrim

Primary source material: The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross (includes The Ascent of Mount Carmel, The Dark Night, The Spiritual Canticle, The Living Flame of Love, Letters, and The Minor Works) [Revised Edition]. ICS Publications.

The Living Flame of Love by St. John of the Cross

1 O living flame of love that tenderly wounds my soul in its deepest center! Since now you are not oppressive, now consummate! if it be your will: tear through the veil of this sweet encounter!

2 O sweet cautery, O delightful wound! O gentle hand! O delicate touch that tastes of eternal life and pays every debt! In killing you changed death to life.

3 O lamps of fire! in whose splendors the deep caverns of feeling, once obscure and blind, now give forth, so rarely, so exquisitely, both warmth and light to their Beloved.

4 How gently and lovingly you wake in my heart, where in secret you dwell alone; and in your sweet breathing, filled with good and glory, how tenderly you swell my heart with love.

Spanish 1 ¡Oh llama de amor viva, que tiernamente hieres de mi alma en el más profundo centro! Pues ya no eres esquiva, acaba ya, si quieres; ¡rompe la tela de este dulce encuentro!

2 ¡Oh cauterio suave! ¡Oh regalada llaga! ¡Oh mano blanda! ¡Oh toque delicado, que a vida eterna sabe, y toda deuda paga! Matando, muerte en vida la has trocado.

3 ¡Oh lamparas de fuego, en cuyos resplandores las profundas cavernas del sentido, que estaba oscuro y ciego, con extraños primores calor y luz dan junto a su Querido!

4 ¡Cuán manso y amoroso recuerdas en mi seno, donde secretamente solo moras y en tu aspirar sabroso, de bien y gloria lleno, cuán delicadamente me enamoras!

 

The Living Flame of Love in song

In Spanish https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rjvx3dx8RNI

Living Flame of Love (Marcus Steer) Malone University Chamber Choir https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GqLgA5cX0R0

Love's Living Flame sung by a choir (text by St. John of the Cross) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xx6PP954Dh8

John Michael Talbot (song) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFdI6JMQuqg

O Living Flame of Love (song by Karl Kohlhase) https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OOaE2U0xljQ

 

Fr. Bonaventure Sauer's talk about poetry

https://drive.google.com/file/d/0BxECpvpN_K6BU3U0cXRucDF2WDQ/view

 

 

 

Tammy Jetton, OCDS, gives a talk about St. Joseph during a meeting of the Dayton Secular Community's monthly meeting.

This is an episode in the monthly series of talks by Deacon Rusty Baldwin, a Secular Discalced Carmelite who gives a presentation to our Community in Dayton each month. These are recorded live during our Holy Hours. In this program, Deacon Baldwin discusses the language of God.

Reflecting on St. Teresa of Avila’s devotion to St. Joseph, we see that it comes from her own personal life experience and intercession with St. Joseph. This reflection is based on an except from St. Teresa’s: “The Book of Her Life.” Join in at the end by praying the Litany to St. Joseph.

 

Rarely do we get an overview of St. Teresa of Avila’s life, since we most frequently focus on specific teachings from her. This is a refreshing overview with a little bit of trivia.

Our OCDS community had a special celebration for St. Therese on her feast day, Oct. 1st. We had a guest do a presentation on St. Therese. This podcast is that presentation given at St. Peter’s Church in Dayton, OH. Many people have a stereotypical idea that St. Therese, the Little Flower, had it easy growing up and then living in the Carmelite Convent. This presentation clearly lays out many ways that St. Therese suffering and how she dealt with suffering. One ends feeling hopeful that our own suffering offered to God is worthwhile and will aid in saving souls.

This conversation is with Michael Vanderburgh, the Executive Director of the St. Vincent de Paul Society in Dayton, Ohio. This may immediately raise the question as to what the Society of St. Vincent de Paul has to do with Carmelite Spirituality. Well, honestly, as the Scripture verse below indicates, we are all called to practice charity to some degree. However, in addition, it turns out that St. Therese of Lisieux's Father, Louis Martin, was a very active member of the St. Vincent de Paul Society. No doubt, young Therese was exposed, at a young age, to her father's commitment to the poor. This likely contributed to her own early desire to become a missionary and travel to foreign lands to both save souls and serve the poor. Again, this affinity to the poor is something we are all called to, whether members of the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, Carmelites or any baptized Christian.

(Matthew 25:35-40) For I was hungry and you gave Me something to eat; I was thirsty and you gave Me something to drink; I was a stranger and you took Me in; I was naked and you clothed Me; I was sick and you took care of Me; I was in prison and you visited Me. “Then the righteous will answer Him, ‘Lord, when did we see You hungry and feed You, or thirsty and give You something to drink? When did we see You a stranger and take You in, or without clothes and clothe You? When did we see You sick, or in prison, and visit You? “And the King will answer them, ‘I assure you: Whatever you did for one of the least of these brothers of Mine, you did for Me.’

It is with this thought in mind that we chose to speak with Michael about the great work being done by one of the many St. Vincent de Paul Society districts. We also wanted to hear Michael's own vision for the building on the success of the spiritual charism that is so central to the St. Vincent de Paul Society, and how it is, in fact, the central theme for the foundation of the Society.

In this conversation you will hear about the more traditional work of the Society, including food pantries and clothing and housing goods that are distributed and sold, at significantly reduced prices, in the societies retail stores. But you will also hear about the significant number of people who are provided both short- and long-term shelter and housing in the City in Dayton. Finally, Mark and Michael discuss the Society's recent and significant and on-going support to survivors of the tornados that devastated the Dayton area over Memorial Day weekend in 2019. Finally, and most importantly, Michael shares his vision for the spiritual growth of the Society in Dayton, which will be built on the foundation of a new chapel within the Administrative Building in Dayton, and the beginning of Eucharistic Adoration. This is a very good program if you are looking for an opportunity to both better understand, and perhaps participate in one of the most prominent charitable ministries in the history of the Church.

Deacon Mark Danis, OCDS, shares ways to prepare during Advent for the birth of our Lord. He provides suggestions specific for Secular Carmelites. This talk was given during a Holy Hour.

St. Therese’s famous prayer, “The Act of Oblation to Merciful Love” is rich with spiritual concepts for us to ponder, especially the recognition of our poverty and weakness, yet pulsating desire to console Jesus in every way. Knowing souls were rejecting His love, St. Therese offers herself as a victim of his merciful love so that the love others souls rejected would come to her. She vehemently desires to be a saint but is not the great eagle that they are…so she implores God Himself to be her sanctity!! She displays her great confidence in God’s transforming fire of love. How may we imitate her? How may we make her prayer our own? This program carefully considers the duties of a victim of love, the obstacles to be overcome, the soul’s attitude toward suffering, and in what a “death of love” involves. Let us remember that St. Therese prayed for a “legion of little victims worthy of His love” to be raised up. Are you willing to be one?

If you read St. Therese's Act of Oblation to Merciful Love, you will no doubt discover some terminology that might sound a little harsh to the modern ear. Terms like victim, holocaust, and martyr are not words that are cast about lightheartedly these days. But in order to fully appreciate St. Therese's use of these terms in her personal prayer to Jesus Christ, we must also understand what St. Therese is sacrificing or, to use a more familiar term, consecrating herself to. Therese understands that what God wishes to do in her soul, and indeed in each of our souls, is to both ignite the internal fire of love that will consume everything that is inconsistent with His Love, while, at the same time, God wishes to consume the very soul that is burning with this interior love for Him. This is not possible, Therese well knows, unless she make the ultimate sacrifice of herself to God, to His merciful love. In this program, Mark goes through each of these terms, and others, and he describes the context in which St. Therese is using them. He also explains how each of these terms is a perfectly appropriate description of the very action of the Holy Spirit within the soul. He then goes on to explain both some of the cautions related to a soul's adoption of the mindset of oblation to God, and he also describes the remarkable benefits that can accrue from a soul making and living such a sacrifice. Finally, Mark goes on to explain the remarkable benefit such a committed soul can have on the Church as a whole. This is a very valuable presentation for anyone who desire to gain a deeper understanding of just what the Lord is inviting each of us to, what is required of us to respond, and what eternal benefits are available for ourselves and the Church, if we only respond with great fidelity.

This is the second episode in a new monthly series of talks by Deacon Rusty Baldwin, a Secular Discalced Carmelite who gives a presentation to our Community in Dayton each month. These are recorded live during our Holy Hours. In this program, Deacon Baldwin discusses Carmel and the Evangelical Counsels.

August 26 is the day the Discalced Carmelite Order celebrates the supernatural grace of the “Transverberation of the Heart” of St. Teresa of Avila.  What does that entail?  To what purpose can it be associated with?  How do you discern this grace?  St. Teresa gives us a detailed explanation of the first time she experienced the transverberation of her heart.  God has given us a great grace through the incorrupt body of St. Teresa, with an incorrupt heart, which may be seen today in a special reliquary.  What phenomena are associated with St. Teresa’s heart?  What does it mean?  How can we share in this grace in a natural, ordinary way?  What was St. Padre Pio’s experience of the transverberation of the Heart?  Understanding their experiences helps us to realize another way in which God is present and how it affects the whole world.

Prayer is to the soul what air is to the lungs.  If we don’t pray, we die spiritually.  St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, a Discalced Carmelite Mystic, talked about how we can be a “cell for Jesus”  and how Jesus wants to come to you.  In the depths of prayer, the Lord sometimes grants supernatural graces, which leads us to the deep prayer of 3 great Carmelites:  St. John of the Cross, St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, and St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila).  One great grace that both St. Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam, the Little Arab) and St. Teresa of Avila experienced was the transverberation of the heart, a wound of the heart.  St. John of the Cross gives us a great explanation of this grace, then the descriptions of this experience from St. Mary of Jesus Crucified and St. Teresa of Avila is given. It is interesting to compare their accounts.  Then we turn to some quotes on the Blessed Mother and a meditation on the Virtues of Mary from St. Mary of Jesus Crucified.

Recently canonized, St. Mary of Jesus Crucified is a Discalced Carmelite nun and mystic who received incredible supernatural charismatic gifts from God for the Church.  She is like the “Padre Pio” of the Carmelite world.  This conversation touches briefly on some highlights of her life and on some of her gifts. Her famous prayer to the Holy Spirit is also prayed on this podcast.

We quote St. Mary of Jesus Crucified on her “Prayer in Time of Desolation.”  When we suffer temptations of desolation, this prayer helps us to keep focused on God and to persevere on this spiritual journey. It has many metaphors and analogies that we can easily relate to.

If you are looking for a deeper understanding of the nature of the Lord's call to all baptized souls, and you want to discover the depth of commitment and devotion to which a soul can be carried, then you will want to listen to this series. Mark and Frances present here a Catechism on St. Therese of Lisieux's Act of Oblation to Merciful Love. It is the Saint's formal written expression and promise of abandonment to Jesus Christ. The conversation begins by laying the groundwork for the benefits St. Therese received by drafting and continually praying this Act of Oblation. It then presents the significant events, over the course of about five years, that led up to Therese's decision to put into words what she was experiencing in her heart. The Act itself is filled with the language and sentiments that St. Therese wanted to communicate in what is essentially her Love Letter to the Lord. Having read the entire Act, Mark and Frances then begin to analyze some of the more challenging terms for the modern ear. They explore and explain phrases like victim, oblation, holocaust and even martyrdom. These are striking terms to be found in a love letter, but what soon becomes clear, as one reads and prays St. Therese's document, is that her Act is less an offering and more an acceptance of what she understands the Lord wishes to offer her, which is nothing other than His complete self. It is her acceptance of the Lord's offer of merciful love that allows the Lord to complete His work in this well-known Saint. St. Therese's Act is also an invitation to each one of us, not to simply adopt her words, but rather, and more importantly, to open ourselves to the transforming work of sanctification that the Lord wishes to complete in all of us. If you want to truly understand the language of love, then this is a wonderful series for you.

Continuing with the series on the life of the Discalced Carmelite mystic, St. Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this program delves into the depths of aridity that caused this Saint to view her religious duties and devotions with repugnance; yet, because of her insatiable desire to love God, she obediently continues with the utmost charity for the other nuns, who never had any inkling of the depths of aridity, darkness, and coldness the Lord permitted her to go through.  There are many counsels given to her that will help other souls experiencing the trials of the Dark Night of the Spirit.  Her offer to be a victim soul was accepted by Heaven and she was intensely tested.  St. Teresa Margaret courageously went forth in a pure faith, a dark faith, an arid faith.  In the end, she died of love as the force of her love burst through the veil separating her from the one she loved with all her heart, mind, body and strength.  As she glorified the Lord on earth, so the Lord glorified His faithful servant in Heaven.  Many prodigies occurred at her death and afterwards.  Her body still lies incorrupt in Florence, Italy today. Up to the very end, she lived the hidden life in imitation of Jesus, and now, the Lord is bringing her to the fore for us as an example of a pure soul who battled bravely and was purified to an eminent degree.

In this conversation, the battle of scrupulosity and aridity in the Dark Night of St. Teresa Margaret are examined.  What is it like to be in the midst of these battles?  What is the cause of scrupulosity and aridity?  What are some good counsels and strategies we can use to overcome these trials? How does God uses these battles to purify and perfect us?  What virtues are most needed? 

After the great grace of “Deus Caritas Est/God is Love,” the Discalced Carmelite St. Teresa Margaret Redi of the Sacred Heart of Jesus enters a stage of marked passivity in which God is purifying her soul.  This stage is referred to as the Dark Night of the Spirit and falls in the 6thMansion of the Interior Castle of St. Teresa of Avila.  How does this purification through the dark rays of contemplation occur?  Why is it so painful?  St. John of the Cross uses the analogy of the log of wood and the fire to describe the process of purification of this more interior, darker night.  He also portrays the journey in this Dark Night of Spirit as going up a Secret Mystical Ladder of Love made up of 10 steps.  What are those steps? How do they differ from each other?  How is a soul in this darkest of nights described?  What kind of language does St. Teresa Margaret use to describe her interior sufferings?  What can we learn from all of this?

In the final rooms of the 6th Dwelling Place of the Interior Castle, St. Teresa teaches us about some special favors our Lord gives to prepare the soul with wedding garments for entrance into His Kingly Chambers, the Throne Room.  The Lord gives us the light to know we are in God and God is in us and how damaging it is for us to sin in God.    In order to go forward, the soul must also understand that God is Truth, the Light of Truth.  St. Teresa clarifies that to walk in truth is to walk in humility.  In the final chapter of the 6th Dwelling Place, we enter the room of the Fire of Love and the ardent anguish souls experience in their uncontainable desires for full union with God in Spiritual Marriage.  Despite the great pain, much joy and great benefits are experienced.

 

RESOURCES:

 “Interior Castle, Study Guide, 2nd Edition” by St. Teresa of Avila; Translated and Prepared by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD; ICS Publications.

“The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila,” Vol. 1 (includes “The Book of Her Life, Spiritual Testimonies, Soliloquies”) by St. Teresa of Avila, Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD; ICS Publications.

“The Ordinary Path to Holiness” by R. Thomas Richard, PhD; St. Pauls, 2003.

“Journey into Divine Intimacy with St. Teresa of Avila” by Sr. Leslie Lund, OCDH; Carmelite Sisters of Mary Publishers, 2019.

“The Word of the Lord:  Reflections on the Sunday Mass Readings, Year A” by John Bergsma; Emmaus Road Publishing.

 

An important Marian celebration associated with the Order of Discalced Carmelites is the Memorial of ”Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace,” celebrated on July 23.  What connection does this title have to “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel?”  What other connections are present?  How is it important for all of us?  What is “grace” and what kinds of grace are available to us?  How do we obtain more grace?  What unique role does the Blessed Mother play?  What application does that have to the beginning words of the Angelic Salutation: “Hail, full of grace,” directed to Mary?  How can knowing that help us to pray more fervently?

What exactly is required of us in the spiritual journey? How do we make progress? What disposition of heart is necessary for us to be drawn into the heart of the Lord? These are important questions. If we are truly seeking the Lord and we genuinely desire to be transformed into the persons we were created to be, then these are questions we need to explore for ourselves. It is always nice, however, to have a picture, to learn from the experience of someone else who may have already traveled down a similar path. In this conversation, Mark and Frances delve into the secrets of sainthood. While looking through the lens of the life of someone who, for many, is a hidden Saint. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus' own writings, and the reflections of her personal spiritual director, provide us remarkable insight into what is required of that soul who would be raised to the very heights of divine union or spiritual marriage. This exploration into the life of this Saint will look at both her total abandonment to the Lord, what she herself describes as her complete detachment from all things worldly, but it also examines her complete devotion to the glory of God and the salvation of souls. Perhaps most importantly, especially for those of us who live in the world day to day, this Saint will reveal to us her secret for the practice of Recollection, and how it is that she is able to enter into herself and communicate with the Lord, even in the midst of her busy daily activities. This is an important conversation for anyone who struggles in understanding exactly what it is the Lord desires from us, if we truly desire to enter into a deeper relationship with Him.

 

After the Blessed Virgin Mary, St. Joseph was the greatest Saint ever! In pondering the “glories” of St. Joseph, we are made aware of how God prepared him and used him for the lofty mission of being the Spouse of Mary and the foster father of Jesus. In this “live” presentation given to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Dayton, OH at their general meeting, Frances pinpoints a few of the “glories” of St. Joseph from the beginning to the end of his life.  These will surely help the listener to appreciate St. Joseph ever more deeply and to imitate him in loving Jesus and Mary.

We are beginning a new monthly series of talks by Deacon Rusty Baldwin, a Secular Discalced Carmelite who gives a presentation to our Community in Dayton each month. These are recorded live during our Holy Hours. In this program, Deacon Baldwin compares the God-given gifts we have to flowers in a spiritual bouquet. How are we using our gifts? What does St. Therese, the little flower, say about our gifts?

It is often convenient for us to imagine that the Saints all had a continuing series of mystical experiences throughout their lives. It is believed then, that these experiences are what drew them to holiness, complete transformation and ultimately union with Christ. It is simply easier for many of us to imagine that the Saints were just special people, and by consequence, we could not really be expected to be raised to their degree of holiness. However, in the case of the young Saint from Florence, Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, this is simply not the case. It is true that she heard an interior voice early in her life that she later believed to have been St. Teresa of Avila, and that voice communicated to her that she would one day join a Carmelite convent. But it is also true that Teresa Margaret had been preparing herself for some years to listen to the spiritual voices who may wish to speak with her. We can all do the same. The final, if we want to use the word mystical, experience Teresa Margaret had, was to experience deep within her spirit the reality of the words: Deus Caritas est, which in Latin means, God is Love. Again, Teresa Margaret had been preparing and dedicating her life in the convent to be prepared for just such an experience of the internal communication from God. Her heart was well tilled to receive the seed of God's flowering love within her soul. This preparation on her part included prayer, silence, simplicity, humility, practicing the presence of God and yes, even accepting suffering, most especially the mortification of her own will. None of these practices are extraordinary, and indeed, they may all be practiced, to some degree, by all of us. And it is to that degree that we will have prepared our hearts to receive whatever it is that God, in His wisdom, wishes to communicate to us, individually.

One of the single most important disciplines we can adopt is the continual practice of the presence of God in our lives. This practice is not achieved by simply thinking about God be everywhere, though certainly He is all around us as well as in us, and we should take great comfort in this reality. Beyond this, however, we should recognize that the real challenge of the practice of the presence of God, is for us to make ourselves present to Him. It is for us to be continually aware that He is looking at us with His loving gaze, and that we should constantly be desiring to respond to the promptings of the Holy Spirit dwelling within us. In this program, France Harry takes us through the very practical means St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart used to keep herself continually aware of and present to God. The central focus of Teresa Margaret's practice was her devotion to the Blessed Sacrament. In this regard, she not only fulfilled all of the communities requirements for adoration, but she also remained constantly disposed to a state of adoration whenever she was anywhere near where the Blessed Sacrament was retained. She would literally genuflect towards the room where the tabernacle was kept, whenever she entered the hallway outside that room. She was known to rest her head on the wall, while sitting on a bench, just outside the same room. Just as important as these physical gestures directed toward the Blessed Sacrament, were Teresa Margaret's charitable commitment to her sisters in the convent. She realized that because she herself could not actually serve Christ in a physical way, she would have to find Christ in all the individuals she came in contact with in her life in Carmel. Regardless of whether these individuals responded to her with equal charity, Teresa Margaret always labored to be as kind and patient towards everyone as she could. Indeed, if there were some who may have treated her with disdain, and some did, then Teresa Margaret sought to serve these women all the more. She always maintained the guidance provide to her by our Lord: ‘Truly I tell you, just as you did it to one of the least of these who are members of my family,] you did it to me.’ (Matthew 25:40-45)

If you are seeking a little guidance, some encouragement, and a model for how to advance in the practice of the presence of God, then this is a very valuable program to help provide you all three.

Do you have a loved one who was raised Catholic and is no longer practicing their faith? Do you wish there was something you could do to help bring them “home?” Carmelite Conversations host, Frances Harry, interviews Teresa Gooding, a Secular Order Discalced Carmelite, on the “St. Monica Ministry” that she was inspired to introduce to her parish, in Beavercreek, OH. What is the St. Monica Ministry? Here is the answer as quoted from the book, St. Monica Ministry, by Dr. Jack Buchner: “The St. Monica Ministry is a pastoral outreach to all those adults who have friends and relatives who are not active in their practice of the Catholic faith at this time. Through the virtues of faith and persistent prayer, we hope to become more like St. Monica in our conviction that the grace of Christ will change hearts and lives. We hope to draw closer to God, thereby placing our trust and faith in God and His timing as it relates to our loved ones.” We continue the conversation discussing the basis of the formation of this ministry (in the life of St. Monica and her son, St. Augustine), what happens at a St. Monica Ministry meeting, and what are the guiding principles governing this ministry. What sources are used? What are the fruits of this ministry? For anyone who has fallen to their knees in prayer regarding a prodigal Catholic, this podcast will be helpful. “St. Monica, intercede for us!”

At some point in our individual spiritual journey, most of us will decide to make a more formal, firm and specific commitment to the Lord. It may be, like many Saints, that we will choose to write out our commitment, or our oblation. This is exactly what St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus chose to do. She even went so far, with the approval of her spiritual director, to write out her oblation in her own blood. In looking at Teresa Margaret's own words, and more importantly, the details of her life, we can come to discover very practical ways for forming our own commitment to the Lord. Her own commitment included three critical elements that we would expect to find in any genuine act of oblation in the spiritual journey. They included her total commitment to Jesus, a decision to forgo any consideration of the cost associated with her decision, and an acknowledgement that there would be difficult even repugnant (in her own words) things she would have to suffer, but that she would be willing to endure them all for the Lord. In this conversation, Mark and Frances discuss the principle elements of Teresa Margaret's personal sacrifice to Jesus. They also continue the discussion on Teresa Margaret's remarkable commitment to living a life of humility, her difficult struggle with the ongoing process of self-knowledge, and her unflinching efforts to overcome her own will, in favor of God's will for her life. All of this progress in Teresa Margaret's spiritual journey was based on her commitment and the practice of becoming utterly forgetful of self. In addition to her practice of remaining silent to whatever circumstances the Lord saw fit to bring her into in her life. No matter where you might be on the spiritual journey, this particular broadcast will help to provide insight and perhaps a good deal of consolation for those who may also find themselves in a difficult phase in the midst of their own spiritual journey.

 

n honor of the upcoming feast day of Corpus Christi Sunday, Frances pulls together thoughts and teachings on how to improve one’s preparation for the reception of Jesus in the Eucharist. Many approach Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament in a routine way. This is so sad! Let’s get fired up and ignite the fire of divine love by considering what some of our Carmelites and others say in their own love of Jesus in the Eucharist. We need to refine our thoughts, feelings, affections and attitudes as we approach our Lord in Communion. What are some of the ways that even those souls closest to Jesus wound His Heart when receiving Him in the Eucharist? What are the teachings of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi on receiving Jesus in communion? How might we become more intimate with Jesus in the reception of His Most Holy Body and Blood? What were some of the experiences of Holy Mother St. Teresa of Avila? Let us find ways to eagerly approach Jesus in the Eucharist. Let us prepare well NOW!

Sources (books):

“Bread of Heaven: A Treasury of Carmelite Prayers and Devotions on the Eucharist” compiled by Penny Hickey, OCDS.

“Eucharistic Colloquies” by Mother [now Blessed] Maria Candida of the Eucharist, OCD (1884-1949).

“Hidden Riches: the Eucharist in the Carmelite Tradition” edited by Eltin Griffin, OCarm..

Following her entry into Carmel, at the young age of 17, the future St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, committed herself unflinchingly to two great Carmelite practices for those who aspire to holiness. In this program, Mark and Frances discuss how these ascetical (which in the Greek means exercise) contributed to Teresa Margaret being raised to such a high degree of union with the Lord in such a brief period of time - only five years in her case. These practices, or exercises were detachment and recollection. Consistent with the teachings of her great patron, St. Teresa of Avila, Teresa Margaret would later add the practice of humility to her program of discipline. She of course practiced many of the better known means of detachment, including fasting, praying at night, sleeping on a hard surface and always attempting to deny her own desires. But she would soon come to understand that the greatest challenge is in detaching ourselves from our own will. As for recollection, Teresa Margaret was already well schooled in this art of prayer, one which requires us to re-collect our faculties and enter within ourselves to commune with the Lord who never leaves us. Indeed, the Lord is constantly waiting in the little Bethany of our Heart for us to come and spend time with Him. Teresa Margaret perfected this practice to such a degree that she was known to lose herself, like St. Teresa of Avila before her, even in the midst of her busy chore. The prayer of recollection is absolutely essential for anyone who wishes to make progress in the spiritual journey, and Mark and Frances provide a perfect model for this practice in their discussion of the life of St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. Finally, this conversation explores St. Teresa Margaret's deep understanding and devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In many ways, her insights and practice of this devotion preceded and even informed Popes who would later write about and institute the formal celebrations dedicated to the Sacred Heart. This devotion, and St. Teresa's motto to "Return Love for Love," represent the very center of her great progress in the spiritual journey, and is the main reason she is so important for us to study today.

On the Solemnity of St. Teresa of Avila, Deacon Mark Danis gave an inspiring reflection.  His focus was on the famous quote of St. Teresa:  “You must have a very determined determination.”  He then asks what are we to be so determined about.  Secondly, he asks how do we reconcile our determined determination with our total abandonment to God’s will.  This is a very fruitful and inspiring reflection which also ties into the sixth mansion of St. Teresa’s great work, “The Interior Castle.”

Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart is known as the forgotten Saint of Carmel. This is unfortunate as she has much to offer all of us in our spiritual journey. As sometimes happens when we read the lives of the saints, we can be put off by what we perceive to have been special graces or benefits they were granted by God. And we can become discouraged that we could never hope to attain to their degree of holiness. St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart will not leave us with this impression. Her spirituality was based on simplicity, a constant state of recollection and a desire to remain hidden in her perpetual loving gaze of the Lord. Her life was not filled with numerous mystical experiences, she did not seek her understanding of spiritual matters in academic pursuits and her life does not present us with a challenge of great and heroic acts as a requirement for sanctity. She simply took what little is required to become holy: simplicity, prayer, abandoning her own will and seeking to please and love the Lord in all her actions, and then she did her best to fulfill these requirements in every single element of her life. Hers is a spirituality for the common person, something we can all replicate in our own lives. And if we learn from her and apply her simple approach, if we dispose ourselves, as she did, to the work the Holy Spirit desires to do in each of us, then we too can become saints.   References:

God is Love, Saint Teresa Margaret: Her Life, by Margaret Rowe ICS Publications.

From the Sacred Heart to the Trinity: The Spiritual Itinerary of Saint Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart, by Father Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalene ICS Publications

June is the month the Church dedicates to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. This is a very rich and powerful devotion, and one all Catholics should take the time to learn more about. In this conversation, Mark and Frances discuss the importance of devotion to the Sacred Heart and how it can serve as an avenue into deeper union with God. The discussion begins by discussing the image of the narrow door, found in Luke 13:24 (also in Matthew 7 where it is referred to as a gate). Then Mark and Frances explore the image of Christ as this door into the state of union with Lord. Jesus refers to Himself as the door through which the sheep must enter (John 10:7). The analogy to Christ's heart then is discussed from the perspective of our invitation to conform ourselves to the image of Christ, specifically, that our hearts are to love in exactly the same way as Christ loves us. For it is through our transformation in love that we will fulfill the entire purpose of our human existence. We were created in love, by love, that we might become love itself. The most necessary practice for us to dispose ourselves to this work of transformation, is to be before the Lord in prayer. It is in refusing to "conform ourselves to this world" (Romans 12:32), placing our greatest desire on the treasure that resides within our hearts, and focusing less and less on self, so that Christ might "increase in us" (John 3:30), that we will allow the Holy Spirit the room to work this transformation of our hearts into the Sacred Heart of our Savior. If you desire to draw rich spiritual fruit out of this devotion to the Sacred Heart, this conversation is a good place to start."

Two references:

The Devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Fr. John Crosiet S.J., Tan Publishers

Imitation of the Sacred Heart of Jesus by Fr. Peter J. Arnoudt S.J., Tan Publishers

Carmel is privileged to have the “Refulgent Flower of Florence, St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi” as a beacon of light of the love of God.  Though she was a mystic and stigmatic with many extraordinary supernatural gifts, it was her love of God and purity of soul that were the primary impetus for her canonization.  What was her motto?  What were her dying words?  What connection did she have with other “Flowers of Florence?”  These questions are answered as well as a sampling of some of her quotes and maxims for spiritual growth.  May she intercede for us all and enflame our love for God and souls.

 This was an impromptu podcast done by Frances Harry alone in honor of St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi.

“Prayer ought to be humble, fervent, resigned, persevering, and accompanied with great reverence.  One should consider that he stands in the presence of a God, and speaks with a Lord before whom the angels tremble from awe and fear.”

~ St. Mary Magdalen de Pazzi