A Day in a Life: The Carmel of St. Joseph, Ontario

This video is on the Carmelite nuns of St. Agatha's in Ontario, Canada.  They founded the Carmel of St. Joseph in Armstrong, British Columbia.  This is a wonderful video.

God Speaks....Listen, Pray

God Will Make a Way

I trust He will because I am in a deep need of a "way"!  A way to get to Carmel!  I have a house to sell and some debt to pay off before I can.  All sisters are waiting for me and I am waiting to be with them.  Please, make a way for me because there seems to be no way that I can see! 

But I have trust and confidence in You, my Beloved.   There are two sayings, similar that St. Therese and St. John of the Cross have said -

"One obtains from God as much as one hopes for."


"As we hope in God, so shall we receive."

So I practice daily having boundless trust, hope and confidence in Him!

Bishop Fulton Sheen

Happy feast day of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus!

                                  St. Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart,
                                                     Carmelite nun

From her writings:

"You know, my God, that my one desire is to be a victim of Your Sacred Heart, wholly consumed as a holocaust in the fire of Your holy love. Your Heart will be the altar on which I shall be consumed by You, my dear Spouse, and You will be the Priest who will consume this victim by the fires of Your most Sacred Heart. But, O my God, how ashamed I am to see how guilty is this victim and how unworthy to have her sacrifice accepted by You! But I am confident that all will be consumed by this divine fire!

By offering my whole self to You, I understand that I am giving You my free will, so that henceforth, You alone will be the Master of my heart, and Your will alone will regulate my actions. Therefore, dispose of me always according to Your good pleasure; I am content with everything, since I wish to love You with a love that is patient, mortified, wholly abandoned to You, an active love, a strong, undivided love and, what is more important, a persevering love." (St Teresa Margaret Redi)

A link to a page with a printable holy card to St. Teresa Margaret:

http://www.stteresamargaret.org/HolyCards.htm

June 13th, Feast Day of St. Anthony of Padua

LITANY AND PRAYER TO ST. ANTHONY OF PADUA

Prayer To St. Anthony the Wonder-Worker:

Saint Anthony, you are glorious for your miracles and for the condescension of Jesus who came as a little child to lie in your arms. Obtain for me from His bounty the grace which I ardently desire. You were so compassionate toward sinners, do not regard my unworthiness. Let the glory of God be magnified by you in connection with the particular request that I earnestly present to you. {mention your petition} As a pledge of my gratitude, I promise to live more faithfully in accordance with the teachings of the church, and to be devoted to the service of the poor whom you loved and still love so greatly. Bless this resolution of mine that I may be faithful to it until death. Saint Anthony, consoler of all the afflicted, pray for me. Saint Anthony, helper of all who invoke you, pray for me. Saint Anthony, whom the Infant Jesus loved and honored so much, pray for me. Amen. 

Litany of Saint Anthony of Padua

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God, the Father of Heaven, have mercy on us.
God, the Son, Redeemer of the world, have mercy on us.
God, the Holy Spirit, have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, one God, have mercy on us.
Holy Mary, pray for us.
St. Anthony of Padua, pray for us.
St. Anthony, glory of the Friars Minor, pray for us.
St. Anthony, ark of the testament, pray for us.
St. Anthony, sanctuary of heavenly wisdom, pray for us.
St. Anthony, destroyer of worldly vanity, pray for us.
St. Anthony, conqueror of impurity, pray for us.
St. Anthony, example of humility, pray for us.
St. Anthony, lover of the Cross, pray for us.
St. Anthony, martyr of desire, pray for us.
St. Anthony, generator of charity, pray for us.
St. Anthony, zealous for justice, pray for us.
St. Anthony, terror of infidels, pray for us.
St. Anthony, model of perfection, pray for us.
St. Anthony, consoler of the afflicted, pray for us.
St. Anthony, restorer of lost things, pray for us.
St. Anthony, defender of innocence, pray for us.
St. Anthony, liberator of prisoners, pray for us.
St. Anthony, guide of pilgrims, pray for us.
St. Anthony, restorer of health, pray for us.
St. Anthony, performer of miracles, pray for us.
St. Anthony, restorer of speech to the mute, pray for us.
St. Anthony, restorer of hearing to the deaf, pray for us.
St. Anthony, restorer of sight to the blind, pray for us.
St. Anthony, disperser of devils, pray for us.
St. Anthony, reviver of the dead, pray for us.
St. Anthony, tamer of tyrants, pray for us.
From the snares of the devil, St. Anthony deliver us.
From thunder, lightning and storms, St. Anthony deliver us.
From all evil of body and soul, St. Anthony deliver us.
Through your intercession, St. Anthony protect us.
Throughout the course of life, St. Anthony protect us.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, who takes away the sins of the world, have mercy on us.
V. St. Anthony, pray for us.
R. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.

LET US PRAY

O my God, may the pious commemoration of St. Anthony, your Confessor and Doctor, give joy to your Church, that she may ever be strengthened with your spiritual assistance and merit to attain everlasting joy. Through Christ our Lord. Amen.

June 12 – Optional Memorial for Bl. Alphonsus Mary Mazurek, Priest and companions, Martyrs

                                  (Bl. Alphonsus Mary of the Holy Spirit)

He was born in 1891 at Baranowka, near Lubartow, Poland. He entered the Order of Discalced Carmelites in 1908, taking the religious name Alphonsus Mary of the Holy Spirit. He was ordained a priest and appointed as a professor, while dedicating himself to the education of youth. Afterwards he served in his Order as prior and bursar. In 1944, after having been arrested by the troops that had invaded his country, he was shot on 28 August at Nawojowa Gora, near Krzeszowice. He was beatified by John Paul II on 13 June 1999, together with many other Polish martyrs.

Prayer

May the prayers of your martyrs
Blessed Alphonsus Mary and Companions,
prevail with you, Lord, on our behalf:
Let them strengthen us in our witness to your truth.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
one God, forever and ever.

"Embracing the Cross" poem by St. Teresa of Avila

Embracing the Cross                              

To heaven let us walk, 
Nuns of Carmel.

Embracing the cross,
Let us follow Jesus,
He is our way and light.
Abounding in consolations,
Nuns of Carmel.

Guard more than your eyes,
Your three vows professed
From a thousand distress,
Nuns of Carmel.
 
The vow of obedience,
Is of great wisdom,
Only in resisting it
Does harm come.
Heaven deliver you,
Nuns of Carmel.

Keep with great care
Chastity's vow;
Seek God alone,
Be cloistered in Him,
Look at nothing earthly,
Nuns of Carmel.

What is named poverty
If with purity kept
Is with riches overflowing
Opening Heaven's Gates,
Nuns of Carmel.

Opponents we conquer
In following this way,
At last we will rest in
The Maker of Heaven and Earth,
Nuns of Carmel.