Reflections for the major feasts celebrated in the Catholic Church, with emphasis on Carmelite spirituality.
Saint John of the Cross was born on June 24, 1542 at Fontiveros, Old Castile and died on December 14, 1591 in Úbeda, a city in the province of Jaén, Andalusia. He was a Spanish Catholic priest, mystic, and a Carmelite friar. He is a major figure of the Counter-Reformation in Spain, and he is one of the thirty-seven Doctors of the Church.
Easter Sunday Reflection. He is the One who covered death with shame and cast the devil into mourning, as Moses cast Pharaoh into mourning. He is the One who smote sin and robbed iniquity of offspring, as Moses robbed the Egyptians of their offspring. He is the One who ...
“Chalking the door” is a way to celebrate and literally mark the occasion of the Epiphany and God’s blessing of our lives and home. With time the chalk will fade. As it does we let the meaning of the symbols written sink into the depths of our heart and be manifest in our words and actions the Latin words, Christus mansionem benedictat, “May Christ bless the house.”
On this commemoration of All Carmelite Souls, we call to mind all Carmelites who have gone before us and their part in the heritage that has been handed down to us. These brothers and sisters of ours may not have been famous spiritual writers nor renowned for extraordinary experiences of prayer, but they made their mark on the Order and on each of us through their own efforts to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ in service to the Order and to the Church. Whether as priests or brothers, nuns or sisters, consecrated lay or third order members, they brought the spirit of Carmel to their daily lives and to all those around them.
