December 25, 2009

SILENT NIGHT

The Song Heard ‘Round The World

by Bill Egan, Christmas Historian

180 years ago the carol “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht” was heard for the first time in a village church in Oberndorf, Austria. The congregation at that Midnight Mass in St. Nicholas Church listened as the voices of the assistant pastor, Fr. Joseph Mohr, and the choir director, Franz Xaver Gruber, rang through the church to the accompaniment of Fr. Mohr’s guitar. On each of the six verses, the choir repeated the last two lines in four-part harmony.

On that Christmas Eve, a song was born that would wing its way into the hearts of people throughout the world. Now translated into hundreds of languages, it is sung by untold millions every December from small chapels in the Andes to great cathedrals in Antwerp and Rome.

Today books, films and Internet sites are filled with fanciful tales purporting to tell the history of “Silent Night.” Some tell of mice eating the bellows of the organ creating the necessity for a hymn to be accompanied by a guitar. Others claim that Joseph Mohr was forced to write the words to a new carol in haste since the organ would not play. A recent film, created for Austrian television places Oberndorf in the Alps and includes evil railroad barons and a double-dealing priest, while a recent book by a German author places a zither in the hands of Franz Gruber and connects Joseph Mohr with a tragic fire engulfing the city of Salzburg. You can read claims that “Silent Night” was sung on Christmas Eve in 1818 and then forgotten by its creators. Of course, the latter are easily discounted by manuscript arrangements of the carol by both Mohr and Gruber which were produced at various times between 1820 and 1855.

In this age of tabloid journalism, it’s not surprising that some feel it necessary to invent frivolous anecdotes and create fables for a story that is quite beautiful in its simplicity.

The German words for the original six stanzas of the carol we know as “Silent Night” were written by Joseph Mohr in 1816, when he was a young priest assigned to a pilgrimage church in Mariapfarr, Austria. His grandfather lived nearby, and it is easy to imagine that he could have come up with the words while walking thorough the countryside on a visit to his elderly relative. The fact is, we have no idea if any particular event inspired Joseph Mohr to pen his poetic version of the birth of the Christchild. The world is fortunate, however, that he didn’t leave it behind when he was transferred to Oberndorf the following year (1817).

On December 24, 1818 Joseph Mohr journeyed to the home of musician-schoolteacher Franz Gruber who lived in an apartment over the schoolhouse in nearby Arnsdorf. He showed his friend the poem and asked him to add a melody and guitar accompaniment so that it could be sung at Midnight Mass. His reason for wanting the new carol is unknown. Some speculate that the organ would not work; others feel that the assistant pastor, who dearly loved guitar music, merely wanted a new carol for Christmas.

Later that evening, as the two men, backed by the choir, stood in front of the main altar in St. Nicholas Church and sang “Stille Nacht! Heilige Nacht!” for the first time, they could hardly imagine the impact their composition would have on the world.

Karl Mauracher, a master organ builder and repairman from the Ziller Valley, traveled to Oberndorf to work on the organ, several times in subsequent years. While doing his work in St. Nicholas, he obtained a copy of the composition and took it home with him. Thus, the simple carol, began its journey around the world as a “Tyrolean Folk Song.”

Two traveling families of folk singers from the Ziller Valley, similar to the Trapp Family Singers of “The Sound of Music” fame, incorporated the song into their repertoire. According to the Leipziger Tageblatt, the Strassers sang the song in a concert in Leipzig in December 1832. It was during this period, several musical notes were changed, and the carol evolved into the melody we know today. On another occasion, according to an historical plaque, the Rainer Family sang the Christmas carol before an audience which included Emperor Franz I and Tsar Alexander I. In the year 1839, the Rainers performed “Stille Nacht” for the first time in America, at the Alexander Hamilton Monument outside Trinity Church in New York City.

Joseph Bletzacher, the Court Opera singer from Hannover, reported that by the 1840s, the carol was already well known in Lower Saxony. “In Berlin,” he says, “the Royal Cathedral Choir popularized it especially. It became in fact the favorite Christmas carol of the artistically appreciative King Frederick William IV of Prussia, who used to have the Cathedral Choir sing it for him during the Christmas season each year.”

By the time the song had become famous throughout Europe, the Joseph Mohr had died and the composer was unknown. Although Franz Gruber wrote to music authorities in Berlin stating that he was the composer, the melody had been assumed to be the work of Haydn, Mozart or Beethoven at various times and these thoughts persisted even into the twentieth century. The controversy was put to rest four years ago when a long-lost arrangement of “Stille Nacht” in the hand of Joseph Mohr was authenticated. In the upper right hand corner of the arrangement, Mohr wrote, “Melodie von Fr. Xav. Gruber.”

During his lifetime, Franz Xaver Gruber produced a number of orchestral arrangements of his composition. The original guitar arrangement is missing, but five other Gruber manuscripts of the carol exist. The manuscript by Joseph Mohr (ca. 1820) is for guitar accompaniment and is probably the closest to the arrangement and melody sung at Midnight Mass in 1818.

Later in his life, the Gruber family moved to Hallein, now the site of the Franz Xaver Gruber Museum. It contains several furnished rooms in his former home along with outstanding exhibits dealing with the history of “Silent Night,” including Joseph Mohr’s guitar. Gruber’s grave is outside the home and is decorated with a Christmas tree in December.

Fr. Joseph Mohr’s final resting place is a tiny Alpine ski resort, Wagrain. He was born into poverty in Salzburg in 1792 and died penniless in Wagrain in 1848, where he had been assigned as pastor of the church. He had donated all his earnings to be used for eldercare and the education of the children in the area. His memorial from the townspeople is the Joseph Mohr School located a dozen yards from his grave. The overseer of St. Johann’s, in a report to the bishop, described Mohr as “a reliable friend of mankind, toward the poor, a gentle, helping father.”

In 1998 it was discovered that Joseph Mohr was not born in the building once thought to be his birthplace at 9 Steingasse in Salzburg. Research into the census records indicates that Mohr and his mother resided at 31 Steingasse. At the same time the Governor of Salzburg, Franz Schausberger, announced a new initiative to promote the cultural sites related to the carol and its composers. It seems that Austria has finally realized that their national treasure has a very special significance outside its birth nation and has become “The Song Heard ‘Round The World.”

Perhaps this is part of the miracle of “Silent Night.” The words flowed from the imagination of a modest curate. The music was composed by a musician who was not known outside his village. There was no celebrity to sing at its world premiere. Yet its powerful message of heavenly peace has crossed all borders and language barriers, conquering the hearts of people everywhere.

(Christmas historian Bill Egan, a retired Navy photojournalist and resident of Flagler Beach, Florida, is a staff writer for Year ‘Round Christmas Magazine and provides Christmas research for Charles Osgood of “The Osgood File” on the CBS Radio Network. He is the producer of the annual “Adventsingen” concert in Daytona Beach and lectures on Christmas topics throughout the Eastern U.S. Bill has visited the various “Stille Nacht” locations to research the history of the world famous carol for the Austrian National Tourist Office (ANTO) and Austrian Information. Gabriele Wolf of ANTO Media Relations says that Bill Egan is the foremost “Silent Night” scholar in the U.S. and the Daytona Beach News-Journal says that he is one of the world’s leading experts on the origins of the carol.)




Silent Night

Silent night Holy night

All is calm all is bright

'Round yon virgin Mother and Child

Holy infant so tender and mild

Sleep in heavenly peace;

Sleep in heavenly peace.

Silent night, holy night,
Shepherds quake at the sight.
Glories stream from heaven afar,

Heav'nly hosts sing Alleluia;

Christ the Savior is born;

Christ the Savior is born.


Silent night, holy night,
Son of God, love's pure light.

Radiant beams from Thy holy face,

With the dawn of redeeming grace,
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth;
Jesus, Lord, at Thy birth.

November 30, 2009

Growing through the Beatitudes: Seeking True Humility



Using Matthew 5:3-10 © 1997 + 2000 by Terry A. Modica


In the scene set by Matthew, Jesus first notices the crowd. We can imagine that He feels a great concern for each person. He understands their needs, and He wants to help them. The best teaching He can give them is one that will guide them into a more love-filled life, in which they are closer to God than ever before. Picture yourself in the crowd. He is speaking to you. He is addressing the needs you have today.
The first set of Beatitudes (verses 3-6) focuses on our relationship with God. The rest of them will center on our relationships with each other. This pattern reflects Jesus' core message: first love God with all your heart and soul and mind, and the second commandment is to love your neighbor as yourself (Matt. 22:37).
The first four beatitudes tell us that God is the source of our happiness. When we accept into our daily lives the values of God's kingdom, we grow into a fuller relationship with Him.

Beatitude #1:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
I am a wretch, because I do not want to fully empty myself to become poor in spirit. I want to be in control of my life, my desires, and the people around me. I want to be important, applauded, admired, listened to and believed. I want the glory to go to me, not just to God. I want more than God's approval ~ I want the approval of people, too. Lord, help me! I belong more to this world than to heaven.
We are "poor in spirit" when we stop placing our confidence in material security or other false gods (the kingdom of the world). By depending instead on God (the kingdom of heaven), we experience His power and love and faithfulness. Think of a time when you died to yourself by choosing to be poor in spirit, trusting in God when it seemed easier or more sensible to trust in the things of this world. Remember how much closer to God you felt!

Beatitude #2:
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted.
I am a wretch; because I'm not sad about the control my flesh-nature has over my spirit. Rather, I mourn when I can't have things my way, and so I gain no comfort. Lord help me! Help me see my sins as they really are ~ harmful to my spirit.
We "mourn" or "sorrow" when our flesh-nature wants to take the easy path that leads to sin but our spirit chooses to resist and to take the holy path. God comforts us while we struggle and suffer. His ability to comfort us is limitless. Recall an experience you had fighting against yourself because you didn't want to do something God's way. Did you feel like crying in frustration? Did your flesh-nature mourn when you refused to give in to it? How did God comfort you?

Beatitude #3:
Blessed are the meek, for they will inherit the land.
I am a wretch, because I am not meek; I do not control my desire to get riled up over situations that don't go my way. I get upset over people who oppose me. I get mad at them and try to make them change. I want them to believe I'm wonderful while behaving in a most un-wonderful way. Lord help me! Help me get my focus off of myself.
We are "meek" or "lowly" when we are submissive to God and obedient to His commands. Inheriting the "land" means becoming one of God's royal children in the kingdom of heaven. What are some rules of the Church that people don't like to obey? Is there a rule that you first disobeyed then obeyed? Why did you change? What effect did it have on you?

Beatitude #4:
Blessed are they who hunger and thirst for righteousness, for they shall be satisfied.
I am a wretch, because I hunger more for the comfort of my flesh than I hunger for righteousness. I spend more time making myself feel good ~ watching TV, doing work I enjoy, socializing with people I enjoy, avoiding work and people that are difficult ~ than I do spending time in prayer and spiritual nourishment. Lord, help me! Reverse this!
We "hunger and thirst for holiness" when we choose to live morally, i.e., when we conform our will to God's will. This hunger will be satisfied because God helps us achieve righteousness. What may seem impossible for us is not impossible for God. Reflect on how you have grown in righteousness. What activities have purified you? Have you ever experienced growth in your ability to love or to be stronger morally because you were tested?

The second half of the Beatitudes focuses on our relationships with each other. The first three of these deal with how to live like Christ, the remaining ones show the results from that kind of living. The second half of the Beatitudes also reflects the spiritual growth that is produced by the first half.

Beatitude #5:
Blessed are the merciful, for they shall be shown mercy.
I am a wretch, because I am quicker to complain about people than I am to give them mercy. Even if I think that I have given up being angry at them, I remain frustrated because they don't change the way I want them to. Lord, though I don't deserve it, give me Your mercy and help me be at peace with others.
When we are poor in spirit and place our trust in God's mercy (verse 3), the next step is to give His mercy to others, and this results in the blessing of receiving even more of God's mercy (verse 7). Call to mind some of the contrasts between the world and Christianity; for example, lying versus honesty. When you have chosen the Christian way, see how this shows the purity of your heart!

Beatitude #6:
Blessed are the pure of heart, for they will see God.
I am a wretch, because I have a heart that is far from pure; it is full of deception and manipulation, insistence on my own way, impatience, pride, self-interest, quickness to judge others, the desire to be pitied, and love for what is easy, fun and immediately rewarding. Lord help me! I see me more than I see You! Help me to stop focusing on myself and every problem in my life and to focus more on You.
When we've wanted to sin but we've chosen instead to live God's way even though it makes our flesh-nature mourn (verse 4), we become pure in our hearts and we can see God more fully, i.e., we dwell in the presence of God (verse 8). This purity allows the light of Christ in us to shine more brightly onto others, and they are brought closer to God through the witness of our lives.

Beatitude #7:
Blessed are the peacemakers, for they will be called children of God.
I am a wretch, because I am more interested in fighting than in making peace ~ fighting for the truth, fighting to be heard, fighting to be understood, fighting to make someone else cater to me and give me attention. Lord help me! I'm fighting against You! I'm fighting against my inheritance of love! Help me to believe and trust that You will take care of everything that I think needs fighting for, Your way, which is the way of peace and love.
When we are meek (verse 5), we become peacemakers (verse 9), because we no longer fight and argue with others. Consider how God deals with us when we choose the path of sin. Does He fight against us? Sometimes it seems like we're wrestling with Him, but it's not God who's arguing: We're the ones who do all the complaining and yelling and struggling. Being peacemakers means we live as His children by handling conflicts the same way He does. We love our "enemies" unconditionally. We turn the other cheek. Reflect on a time when you served as a peacemaker. How did it reveal Jesus to the people with whom you dealt? Did you have the opportunity to see the difference it made in their spiritual lives?

Beatitude #8:
Blessed are those who are persecuted, for their reward will be great in heaven.
I am a wretch, because I don't want to be persecuted. I do not agree to suffering with joy. I want everyone to like me and approve of me. And when I suffer at the hands of others, I want ot make them stop hurting me. I do not want to offer the other cheek. I do not want to allow people to nail me to the cross. Lord help me! Help me to want to be like Jesus. Only You can achieve this ~ without You it is impossible, because I try so hard to be unlike Jesus!
When we live this way, we become more like Christ than those who don't, and for this reason they persecute us. They convince themselves that they are better than we are, to avoid realizing that they should give up their old ways and be converted. If we're not experiencing persecution, we're not really living the Beatitudes. When was the last time you were persecuted because of your relationship with God? Perhaps someone misunderstood your faith or rejected you or deliberately caused problems for you. Did you feel blessed by it? Did you feel closer or further from Jesus when it happened? Did you grow spiritually or did you loose some faith because of it? Why?

Suddenly, I realize something. I have entered into the first beatitude! Lord, I have emptied myself before You; I have become poor in spirit. And now I can just about feel that sense of mourning, too. Thank You, Lord, I am on my way to purification, because You are answering my pleas for help!

November 29, 2009

Carmelite TimeLine,

Starting with the Prophet Elijah...
900 BC - Prophet Elijah, lives on Mt. Carmel, experiences God in a deep, personal way, instructs first hermits of Mt. Carmel. Motto on Carmelite Crest: WITH ZEAL I HAVE BEEN ZEALOUS FOR THE LORD GOD OF HOSTS (1Kings 19:10 + 14).
1-33 AD - Jesus lives--tie-in of Elijah and the Blessed Mother, our Patroness, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel.
4th CENTURY AD - St. Helena, Queen and Mother Emperor Constantine, constructs the Basilica of Elijah in Palestine.
614 AD - Persians invade Palestine, destroy the Basilica of Elijah--many Jews and Christians flee the Holy Land.
1095 - 1291 - The time of the Crusades.
1155 - St. Berthold, Italian priest-monk, settles with 10 ex-Crusaders on Mt. Carmel, living in the caves as hermits.
1190 - Hermits on Mt. Carmel construct/dedicate the 1. chapel to Our Lady-demonstrate the Marian character of the Order.
1238 - Muslims in the Holy Land cause problems for the Carmelite Brothers living on Mt. Carmel. The Carmelites migrate to Sicily, England, Cyprus, France... Most begin to live a more communal life, but a few houses follow the true hermit life.
1242 - Sir Richard de Grey returns from the Crusades in the Holy Land and brings Carmelite brothers to England.
1247 - English Carmelite Simon Stock is elected Prior General.
1432 - Pope Eugene IV approved a mitigation of the Rule, theresult of a desire for less strictness in the rule.
July 16, 1251 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel appears to St. Simon Stock and gives him the scapular promise: "Whosoever dies clothed with this habit shall be saved from Eternal fire."
1478 - 1834 - Spanish Inquisition--religious + political - drive out 2 specific hereies, but grew in proportion.
1517 - Luther starts the Protestant Reformation
August 24, 1562 - St. Teresa of Jesus of Avila begins her reform of Carmel, returning to the original, unmitigated Rule. She establishes the convent of St. Joseph, the first of 17 Discalced Carmelite Convents and many Discalced Carmelite Friaries.
1580 - Pope Gregory XIII separated them into two Orders. St Teresa's followers (unmitigated rule) are "Discalced" meaning "without shoes" while the original order is known as the "Calced" (mitigated rule).
Today - throughout the world there are about 2,200 Carmelite friars on five continents. There are 72 communities of cloistered nuns, 13 Congregations of sisters, a Lay Missionary Family, a Secular Institute, three communities of hermits, and numerous Third Order Lay members and Confraternities of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
1247 - St. Simon Stock (English) became Carmelite Prior General.
July 16, 1251 - Our Lady appears to St. Simon Stock and gives him the scapular promise, "Whosoever dies in this habit, shall be saved from Eternal death."

1238 - Migration of Carmelites to Cyprus, Sicily, France, England

November 28, 2009

Quote Basket

Print this list; Cut each one seperately; Fold each one; & put it into a basket; Take to your Community & before you leave for the day; Pass the Basket around & let everyone select a Quote.
Each person can meditate on that quote until the next meeting...
(Nun's can meditate on 1 quote per day or week)

"Behold the handmaid of the Lord;
be it done unto me according to your word."
- Our Lady, Queen of Mount Carmel

"I made the resolution never to consider whether
the things commanded me appeared useful or not...
 it is love alone that counts.
Forget about whether something is needed or useful;
see it (the demand, rule, obligation, etc.) as a whim of Jesus."
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face

It is not so essential to think much as to love much.
- St Teresa of Jesus, OCD

Mine are the heavens and mine is the earth; mine are the people, the righteous are mine and mine are the sinners; the angels are mine and the Mother of God, and all things are mine; and God Himself is mine and for me, for Christ is mine and all for me. What then do you ask for and seek, my soul? Yours is all this, and it is all for you.
- St. John of the Cross - OCD
(from Prayer of a Soul Taken in Love)

How happy I am to see myself imperfect and be in need of God's mercy.
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

The more lofty the degree of loving union to which God destines the soul, so much more profound and persistent must be its purification.
- St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD
(Edith Stein, Science of the Cross 77)

To be taken with love for a soul, God does not
look on its greatness, but the greatness of its humility.
- St John of the Cross, OCD

Always remember to love your neighbor; always prefer the one who tries your patience, who test your virtue, because with her you can always merit: suffering is Love; the Law is Love.
- Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"

It is certain that the love of God does not consist in
experiencing sweetness or tenderness of heart
but in truly serving God in Justice, strength and humility.
- St Teresa of Jesus, OCD

We can never have too much confidence in the
good God who is so powerful and so merciful.
We obtain from him as much as we hope for.
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

I abyss myself in His magnificence and His
wisdom but when I ponder His goodness,
my heart can say nothing - I can only Adore.
- St Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, OCD

I desire to suffer always and not to die.
I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination.
It is sweet to think of Jesus; but it is sweeter to do His will.
- Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"

Trials are nothing else but the forge that
purifies the soul of all its imperfections.
- St Mary Magdalen de'Pazzi, OCD

God Himself teachs us to go foward with
our hand in His by means of the Church's liturgy.
- St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD (Edith Stein)

It is not the soul that makes the progress,
but it is Christ, who carries her as a child is carried.
- Bl Mary of Jesus of Toledo, OCD

Wisdom enters through love, silence, and mortification.
It is great wisdom to know how to be
silent and to look at neither the remarks,
nor the deeds, nor the lives of others.
- St John of the Cross, OCD

Look for Christ Our Lord in everyone and
you will then have respect and reverence for all.
- St Teresa of Jesus, OCD

God desires the smallest degree of purity
of conscience in you more than all the works you can perform.
- St. John of the Cross, OCD

One cannot desire freedom from the Cross
when one is especially chosen for the Cross.
- St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, OCD (Edith Stein)

For my heart is always with Him, day and night
it thinks unceasingly of its heavenly and divine Friend,
to whom it wants to prove its affection.
Also within it arises this desire:
not to die, but to suffer long, to suffer for God,
to give Him its life while praying for poor sinners.
- Bl Elisabeth of the Trinity, OCD

A soul enkindled with love is a gentle, meek, humble, and patient soul.
- St John of the Cross, OCD

You know that our Lord does not look at
the greatness or difficulty of our action,
but at the love with which you do it.
What, then, have you to fear?
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

The proud person is like a grain of wheat thrown into water:
it swells, it gets big. Expose that grain to the fire:
it dries up, it burns. The humble soul is like a grain
of wheat thrown into the earth: it descends,
it hides itself, it disappears, it dies; but to revive in heaven.
- Bl Mary of Jesus Crucified "The Little Arab"

Prayer is a cry of gratitude and love,
in the midst of trial as well as in joy.
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

You will be consoled according to the greatness
of your sorrow and affliction; the greater
the suffering, the greater will be the reward.
- St Mary Magdalen de'Pazzi, OCD

So dearly does His Majesty love us that He will
reward our love for our neighbor by increasing the love,
which we bear to Himself, and that in a thousand ways.
- St Teresa of Jesus, OCD

What we need most in order to make progress is to be
silent before this great God with our appetite and with
our tongue, for the language he best hears is silent love.
- St John of the Cross, OCD

The goal of all our undertakings should be not so much a task
perfectly completed as the accomplishment of the will of God.
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

Oh my God, You have surpassed all my expectations.
- St Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, OCD

Faith; is not believing God is real;
Faith is the Peace which comes from knowing God IS on your side.
- Christina Whale, OCDS

You have a Beautiful Life, because God designed it! Believe in yourself & Enjoy what God has given you! There is a special plan for your life, which the Lord has designed especially for you! Live it, because what you make of your life is your gift back to God...
- Christina Whale, OCDS

Whatever did not fit in with my plan did lie within the plan of God.
I have an ever deeper and firmer belief that nothing
is merely an accident when seen in the light of God,
that my whole life down to the smallest details has been
marked out for me in the plan of Divine Providence
and has a completely coherent meaning in
God's all-seeing eyes. And so I am beginning to rejoice
in the light of glory wherein this meaning will be unveiled to me.
- Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

God is there in these moments of rest and can
give us in a single instant exactly what we need.
Then the rest of the day can take its course,
under the same effort and strain, perhaps, but in peace.
And when night comes, and you look back over the day
and see how fragmentary everything has been,
and how much you planned that has gone undone,
and all the rasons you have to be embarrassed and ashamed:
just take everything exactly as it is,
put it in God’s hands and leave it with Him.
Then you will be able to rest in Him really rest
and start the next day as a new life.
- St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Learn from Saint Thérèse to depend on God alone and serve Him with a wholly pure and detached heart. Then, like her, you will be able to say ‘I do not regret that I have given myself up to Love’.
- Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

O my God, fill my soul with holy joy, courage and strength to serve You. Enkindle Your love in me and then walk with me along the next stretch of road before me. I do not see very far ahead, but when I have arrived where the horizon now closes down, a new prospect will prospect will open before me, and I shall meet it with peace.
- Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross

Everything passes here on earth. What are we?
Nothing but dust, nothingness,
and God is so great, so beautiful,
so lovable and He is not loved.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

Holy Spirit, inspire me. Love of God; consume me. Along the true road, lead me. Mary, my good mother; look down upon me. With Jesus bless me; from all evil, all illusion, all danger, preserve me.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

Always remember to love your neighbor; always prefer the one who tries your patience, who test your virtue, because with her you can always merit: suffering is Love; the Law is Love.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

I desire to suffer always and not to die.
I should add: this is not my will, it is my inclination.
It is sweet to think of Jesus;
but it is sweeter to do His will.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

The proud person is like a grain of wheat thrown into water: it swells, it gets big. Expose that grain to the fire: it dries up, it burns. The humble soul is like a grain of wheat thrown into the earth: it descends, it hides itself, it disappears, it dies; but to revive in heaven.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

Observance of the rule is of more value than all extraordinary states, more than the stigmata and the gift of miracles.
- Blessed Mary of Jesus Crucified

JESUS LOVES YOU!! This I know,
For the Bible tells me so!
Love Him back for by treating others the way
you would want them to treat you! Be Honest, Don’t Lie!
If you don’t have anything Nice to say about someone,
don’t say anything at all…
- Christina Whale, OCDS

Going to Carmelite Community Meetings,
doesn’t make you a Carmelite.
Just like, if you spend all day in the garage,
it won’t make me a Car!
It takes effort to be a Carmelite!
- Christina Whale, OCDS

Peace Be With You!

November 27, 2009

The Vigil...


written by: Angie Monnens

When I awake I take the time
to meditate and pray,
And call upon Your love to help
Sustain me through the day.

I come to You with tarnished soul
And a mind to do Your will,
But need someone to show me how
This wish I might fulfill.

As the sheperd of Your flock
You keep a watchful eye,
And fill our lives with blessings
On which we rely.

I long to stay within Your flock,
To be Your little lamb;
Let me be a part of You...
And love me as I am.

Wouldn't it be wonderful, if every single one of us,
would stop to meditate & pray, for help to get us through the day!
We would all be better off you know!

November 26, 2009

Thankful for the Thorns


Sandra felt as low as the heels of her Birkenstocks as she pushed against a November gust and the florist shop door. Her life had been easy, like a spring breeze. Then, in the fourth month of her second pregnancy, a minor automobile accident stole her ease. During this Thanksgiving week she would have delivered a son. She grieved over her loss. As if that weren't enough, her husband's company threatened a transfer. Then her sister, whose holiday visit she coveted, called saying she could not come. What's worse, Sandra's friend infuriated her by suggesting her grief was a God-given path to maturity that would allow her to empathize with others who suffer. "Had she lost a child? No - she has no idea what I'm feeling," Sandra shuddered. - - Thanksgiving? "Thankful for what?" she wondered. For a careless driver whose truck was hardly scratched when he rear-ended her? For an airbag that saved her life but took that of her child? "Good afternoon, can I help you?" The flower shop clerk's approach startled her. "Sorry," said Jenny, "I just didn't want you to think I was ignoring you." "I . . . . I need an arrangement." "For Thanksgiving? Sandra nodded. "Do you want beautiful but ordinary, or would you like to challenge the day with a customer favorite I call the "Thanksgiving Special." Jenny saw Sandra's curiosity and continued, "I'm convinced that flowers tell stories, that each arrangement insinuates a particular feeling. Are you looking for something that conveys gratitude this Thanksgiving?" "Not exactly!" Sandra blurted. "Sorry, but in the last five months, everything that could go wrong has." Sandra regretted her outburst but was surprised when Jenny said, "I have the perfect arrangement for you." The door's small bell suddenly rang. "Barbara! Hi, "Jenny said. She politely excused herself form Sandra and walked toward a small workroom. She quickly reappeared carrying a massive arrangement of green bows, and long-stemmed thorny roses. Only, the ends of the rose stems were neatly snipped, no flowers. "Want this in a box?" Jenny asked. Sandra watched for Barbara's response. Was this a joke? Who would want rose stems and no flowers! She waited for laughter, for someone to notice the absence of flowers atop the thorny stems, but neither woman did. "Yes, please. It's exquisite," said Barbara. "You'd think after three years of getting the special, I'd not be so moved by its significance, but it's happening again. My family will love this one. "Thanks." Sandra stared. "Why so normal a conversation about so strange an arrangement?" she wondered. "Ah, said Sandra, pointing. "That lady just left with, ah . . . " - "Yes?" "Well, she had no flowers!" "Yep. That's the Special. I call it the "Thanksgiving Thorns Bouquet." "But, why do people pay for that?" In spite of herself she chuckled. "Do you rally want to know?" "I couldn't leave this shop without knowing. I'd think about nothing else!" "That might be good," said Jenny. "Well," she continued, "Barbara came into the shop three years ago feeling very much like you feel today. She thought she had very little to be thankful for. She had lost her father to cancer, the family business was failing, her son was into drugs, and she faced major surgery." "Ouch!" said Sandra. "That same year, I lost my husband. I assumed complete responsibility for the shop and for the first time, spent the holidays alone. I had no children, no husband, no family nearby, and too great a debt to allow any travel." "What did you do?" "I learned to be thankful for thorns." Sandra's eyebrows lifted. "Thorns?" "I'm a Christian, Sandra. I've always thanked God for good things in life and I never thought to ask Him why good things happened to me. But, when bad stuff hit. Did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the flowers of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. Your know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others." Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their attention. "Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop. She softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under his side for a warm hug. "I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily. "I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready." She lifted a tissue-wrapped arrangement form the refrigerated cabinet. "Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them." Sandra could not resist asking, "These are for your wife?" Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, Why thorns?" "In fact, I'm glad you asked, "He said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through, problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage - our love, really. Last year, at Thanksgiving, I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose stems -- stems! --- As a reminder of what she learned from 'thorny' times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems, My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition." Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life, " Sandra said to Jenny. "Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not resent thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns, please." "I hoped you would, " Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then, every time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times. We grow through both." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it first. Go ahead, read it." But, when bad stuff hit. Did I ever ask! It took time to learn that dark times are important. I always enjoyed the flowers of life but it took thorns to show me the beauty of God's comfort. Your know, the Bible says that God comforts us when we're afflicted and from His consolation we learn to comfort others." Sandra gasped. "A friend read that passage to me and I was furious! I guess the truth is, I don't want comfort. I've lost a baby and I'm angry with God." She started to ask Jenny to "go on" when the door's bell diverted their attention. "Hey, Phil!" shouted Jenny as a balding, rotund man entered the shop. She softly touched Sandra's arm and moved to welcome him. He tucked her under his side for a warm hug. "I'm here for twelve thorny long-stemmed stems!" Phil laughed, heartily. "I figured as much," said Jenny. "I've got them ready." She lifted a tissue-wrapped arrangement form the refrigerated cabinet. "Beautiful," said Phil. "My wife will love them." Sandra could not resist asking, "These are for your wife?" Phil saw that Sandra's curiosity matched his when he first heard of a Thorn Bouquet. "Do you mind me asking, Why thorns?" "In fact, I'm glad you asked, "He said. "Four years ago my wife and I nearly divorced. After forty years, we were in a real mess, but we slogged through, problem by rotten problem. We rescued our marriage - our love, really. Last year, at Thanksgiving, I stopped in here for flowers. I must have mentioned surviving a tough process because Jenny told me that for a long time she kept a vase of rose stems -- stems! --- As a reminder of what she learned from 'thorny' times. That was good enough for me. I took home stems, My wife and I decided to label each one for a specific thorny situation and give thanks for what the problem taught us. I'm pretty sure this stem review is becoming a tradition." Phil paid Jenny, thanked her again and as he left, said to Sandra, "I highly recommend the Special!" "I don't know if I can be thankful for the thorns in my life, " Sandra said to Jenny. "Well, my experience says that thorns make roses more precious. We treasure God's providential care more during trouble than at any other time. Remember, Sandra, Jesus wore a crown of thorns so that we might know His love. Do not resent thorns." Tears rolled down Sandra's cheeks. For the first time since the accident she loosened her grip on resentment. "I'll take twelve long-stemmed thorns, please." "I hoped you would, " Jenny said. "I'll have them ready in a minute. Then, every time you see them, remember to appreciate both good and hard times. We grow through both." "Thank you. What do I owe you?" "Nothing. Nothing but a pledge to work toward healing your heart. The first year's arrangement is always on me." Jenny handed a card to Sandra. "I'll attach a card like this to your arrangement but maybe you'd like to read it first. Go ahead, read it."



Happy Thanksgiving!

Things I am Thankful for...

that Christ died for our sins, He's raised from the dead, & is waiting for us!
that I have a Wonderful Husband & 3 Great Sons!
that we have a solid roof over our heads!
that I was given a second family through the Carmelites!
that I was called to Carmel, with all its treasures and traditions.
that I live in the USA, land of the free, home of the brave!
that I have few - but treasured friends.
that I can sing and worship God.
that I live in the age of the internet!
Blood Donors!
that we have Wonderful Little Dogs!
all the experienced Doctors & Nurses!
all the problems we've had throughout our lives,
because they make us who we are!
the quiet times & the noisy times!
my Faith, which gets me through each day!
the technology throughout my life.
my siblings, who love me.
the times we can spend with our children.
our wonderful future Daughter-in-laws!
Oh...
There are So Many things we can all be thankful for...
What do you Appreciate?
Who would you like to Acknowledge?
What are you Greatful for?
Who are you Indebted to?


Note: One of the Most Wonderful things I did a while ago, was to purchase a cheap journal & to write in it everyday, the things I am thankful for! In the beginning, it'll be really Easy, then after the first few pages it will get quite interesting, & by the time you reach page 20 or so - Wow! I guess the best way to explain it to you, is to tell you to do it! You'll love it! - Trust Me!!!

God Bless!

November 22, 2009

Sr. Mary Ann's Gasoline...


Sister Mary Ann,
who worked for a home health agency,
was out making her rounds visiting the
church's homebound patients when she ran out of gas.
As luck would have it,

a Texaco gas station was just a block away.
She walked to the...

station to borrow a gas can and buy some gas.
The attendant told her that the only gas can

he owned had been loaned out,
but she could wait until it was returned.
Since Sr. Mary Ann was on the way to see a patient,
she decided not to wait and walked back to her car.

She looked for something in her car that she could fill with gas

& spotted the bedpan she was taking to the patient.
Always resourceful, Sister Mary Ann
carried the bedpan to the station,

filled it with gasoline,
and carried the full bedpan back to her car.
As she was pouring the gas into her tank,

two Baptists watched from across the street.
One of them turned to the other and said,






"If it starts, I'm turning Catholic."


"Yippy! More Wonderful Catholics!"