Beatitudes - a Carmelite Perspective: Blessed are They who Mourn

"Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comforted."

Mourning! What causes people to mourn and how are they comforted? Why would Jesus say that it is blessed to mourn? Why is it included in the Beatitudes along with Mercy, Justice, Meekness, and clean of heart? What kind of virtue would assist and compliment mourning? These caused much soul-searching and prayer to the Holy Spirit - the "Comforter" - forguidance.

One thing that I believe to be true, is that the mourning to which this Beatitude refers goes far beyond minor disappointments or temporary grief. It is surely a matter of the deepest sorrow that rends our very soul, and is not likely to be relieved by anything in this life. When loved ones die, we mourn. However, time eventually heals as that love once shared is channeled into others.

We see poverty and starvation in the world and mourn, but often we feel so helpless about this and simply pray for their comfort and turn our thoughts elsewhere. We mourn because of the greed and corruption and thoughtlessness of the nations of the world, always on the verge of war; but we are so caught up in the day-to-day struggle of our own personal lives and hope that no one will push the button of destruction before we can accomplish our own goals. So, what could cause such deep sorrow and mourning and how is it comforted? (NOTE: I believe that type of mourning is the deep and penetrating sorrow for our sins, brought on not by our own meditations but by the Grace of God, so that He in turn sees our "sorrow unto death" which then elicits his great Mercy upon us.)

It wasn't just to the Jews of Jesus' time that He speaks of mourning since all mankind has been mourning over various things from the beginning of creation. Through Old Testament trials and captivities, through the long wait for the Messiah, through Christian persecutions, through the Dark Ages of ignorance, through the unjust ward of our times, all creation mourns for its Creator until creation itself is no more. This Beatific mourning is inborne and a vital force in our spiritual life, because it creates the constant longing, conscious or unconscious, for perfection, for finding good, feeling love, and experiencing the sacred and holy which can only be found in God, Himself. It is to this mourning which I believe Jesus was referring to and promising the Holy Spirit, His Comforter, to see us through this mourning period. Every human being has some deep subconscious yearning for something perfect, always loving, ever giving, that can be grasped forever and not just fade away in a few moments or days.

Much of humanity never really knows or understands what this yearning is about. But we who have been gifted with Faith in the God of Creation, who have been bestowed with the Love of His son, now Hope for the Comfort of His Spirit. Therefore, the virtue that stands out to me to be nurtured in this Beatitude is Hope. Hope that the mourning we endure for our Creator now will one day be comforted in His Beatific Vision.

Hope was one thing our Carmelite Saints spoke of in all their works. Many of our contemporary contemplatives also wrote of this Hope that changes mourning to comfort. I will list several and comment on they're relation to the Beatitude and our daily lives.

First, we will quote St. Teresa of Avila, the "Way of Perfection," Chapter 30, Part 6: "And to those whom He gives here below the kingdom we ask for, He gives pledges so that through these they may have great hope of going to enjoy perpetually what here on earth is given only in sips." She means that the joys of the graces and consolations God grants us here below are meant to enhance our yearning and hope for what He will give us who persevere in perpetual Union with Him in the next life.

And in the "Interior Castle," Third Mansion, Chapter 2: "So it is better to carry out what our rules says, to strive to live always in silence and hope, for the Lord will take care of those souls." St. Teresa of Avila here encourages us to always strive to do what is right in our lives and/or vocations knowing with all hope that the Lord will assist us along the way.

In St. Teresa's "Life," Chapter 40, Part 18: "Once in comforting me, He told me with much love that I shouldn't be anxious, that in this life we cannot always be in a stable condition, ...that sometimes it will have disturbances and at other times have quiet, ...but that we should hope in Him and not be afraid." Here she relates how periodical trials in our life may make us anxious, a mourning for a quieter time, but that we should continue to hope and He will give us comfort.

St. John of the Cross also had some comments on mourning, comfort, and hope. In "The Ascent of Mt. Carmel," Chapter II, he writes: "We have given proof that a soul must renounce all possession of the memory in order to reach union with God in hope. The soul, therefore, must live in the nakedness and forgetfulness, ...so as not to impede union of the memory with God through perfect hope."

Only a soul that is naked and forgetful of its worthiness can have the perfect hope that leads to union with its Comforter. By renouncing the memory of all previous graces and consolations, the memory becomes naked and open to the hope of perfect union. In his "Dark Night," Book II, Chapter 9, St. John writes: "These are the effects produced in the soul by this dark night which enshrouds the hopes one has for the light of day...the spiritual suffering is intimate and penetrating because the love to be possessed by the soul will also be intimate and refined."

This is the reason why God permits this "dark night" to come upon us, the dark night being the soul mourning within itself, an intimate and penetrating mourning after the Love by which it hopes to be possessed.

Lastly, in his "Spiritual Canticle," Stanza 20 in which he speaks of "swift-winged birds" and "winds and ardors," he explains "The winds allude to the emotions of hope, for like the wind they fly toward the absent object. David also says, 'I opened the mouth of my hope and drew in thebreath of my desire because I longed for your commandments."

St. John is using the Psalms to explain how the absent object, which was the Beloved, caused such yearning that hope was all he had to drive him on to find the Beloved. David, too, uses hope to give the breath of life to his desire and longing for the commandments which are the Word of God, or God Himself.

The Psalms, themselves, are full of messages of mourning over favors lost and hope for renewed grace. St. Therese, the Little Flower, suffered this mourning of the dark night in the final year of her life and her continued hope brought her to the Eternal Comforter. It was the yearning and mourning for this Loving Comforter from her childhood on that helped her develop the Little Way as a guide for others.

Then there is Luis M. Martinez, the late Archbishop of Mexico, from his book, "The Sanctifier," concerning the Third Beatitude: "The soul feels emptiness and darkness all around it. The concept that it formerly had of human things is overthrown. Knowledge, wealth, honor, affections, without their old adornment are sad ruins that inspire only fear. The very depths of the soul have been transformed by the light."

This confirms what was spoken of earlier that this detachment of the previous Beatitude has now brought about a sadness over the things of this world and a mourning is felt in the very depths of the soul.

Archbishop Martinez further states, "Then it sees its own misery clearly as well as the vanity of all that is created. ...so repugnant does the spectacle of human life in its sad nakedness appear, so intolerable the sight of the soul itself, that it seems as impossible to live such a life as to live in a tomb. For, in truth, it has died mystically, it has died to earth,...to rise afterward to a new and transfigured life where God will dry its tears and attach other delicate and celestial wings that will take it soaring to the very summit."

I feel that in this paragraph, Archbishop Martinez was giving his own commentary based on St. John of the Cross's Spiritual Canticle. Stanza 20, that was quoted earlier. After the mourning and death of all that keeps us from the Beloved, we are given swift-wings of hope that fly us to the summit of the Comforter.

Lastly, Archbishop Martinez states: "But the day of eternity begins already in exile; it is like a beautiful dawn for happy souls. The solace of tears is a prelude to eternal joy. The fundamental consolation (God) encourages the just in the combat of life and at times makes them forget the miseries of exile (in this valley of tears) and gives them a supernatural strength to work without tiring, to suffer without failing; for their eyes and heart are fixed on that paradise whose substance they penetrate by faith, whose reality they already possess through hope, and whose joy they begin to taste through love."

So, you can see that although it is part of our human nature to experience life and death, love and hate, good and bad, happiness and sorrow, trials and successes, sickness and health, these are all just the training ground for our spiritual lives within. They teach us patience, perseverance, understanding, and mostly hope for something deeper and lasting. The fleetingness of these experiences brings about a restless mourning for the eternal. Like St. Augustine said once, "Our hearts will find no rest until they rest in Thee." This longing and sighing deep in our souls is the ultimate hope that the Beloved will take us from this valley of tears and comfort us in His eternal love.

- Excerpted in part from the writings of Sr. Patricia of Mary Magdalene

Monthly Spiritual Retreat - August

Theme: Obedience

Obedience to God: Obedience on the part of my soul, which should be closely in union with God’s will, and cling to it amid difficulties, in spite of suffering, discouragement, and spiritual dryness; lovingly and without any consolation, welcoming the accomplishment of God’s designs in or through me, precisely as He makes them known to me. Such obedience is a complete, generous, and joyful gift of the soul to Him who is our Father, Friend, and Master.

Obedience on the part of my body, which must be made altogether subject to my soul, and become a willing servant, and instrument for my soul to use, just as my soul is an instrument for God to use.

Obedience to superiors: To spiritual superiors: the Holy Father, bishops, and priests, insofar as I am dependent upon them; complete, humble, joyful, and ready obedience to my spiritual director. To temporal superiors: my husband, my mother, and all toward whom I owe respect, submission, and consideration. In everything that is not a matter of conscience, I must allow their interests, wishes, and pleasures to take precedence of my own, and treat them with that tender consideration which is the outward manifestation of my earnest affection for them. I must be careful to show them little attentions, and to display my love, seeking to make myself pleasant.

Obedience to the special resolutions that I have formed, to what is strictly my vocation, that is, God’s call to me. Not to neglect the smallest things, the most trifling duties of religion or of my state in life. To observe strictly my rule for the arrangement and employment of my days, but to do this in a quiet, broadminded way, following the example of the Sacred Heart of our Savior and the love of God. I must redouble my personal austerities, my outward kindness, gentleness, and courtesy. I must not seek for myself any sensible consolation, but try to lavish on others happiness and spiritual light. I must give a great deal, and continue, until I receive further orders, to take nothing except from God. This means a great deal – in fact, everything!

From “The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: the Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest,” Sophia Institute Press®, Manchester, New Hampshire, © 2002

Beatitudes - a Carmelite Perspective: Blessed Are The Poor In Spirit

INTRODUCTION
The Carmelite Promises include, above all, that one "will seek evangelical perfection with all my might, in the spirit of Our Lord’s counsels and beatitudes, according to the Rule of the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order."

We will begin our search of the eight Beatitudes and their relationship to this Carmelite Promise to seek evangelical perfection. These Beatitudes, then, will be our guide to building virtue and the principles that better help us on our way to Union with God. We will also see how the Beatitudes may be applied to our daily lives, and how we may respond more directly to our contemplative call.

Please pray that God grants us insight and guidance in our search of the Good Shepherd’s Sermon on the Mount

Our study of the Beatitudes will take a formative approach. The Beatitudes are placed in groups according to Purgative, Illuminative, and Unitive:

The Purgative Beatitudes:
Blessed are they who mourn, for they shall be comfortedBlessed are they who hunger and thirst for justice...Blessed are they who suffer persecution for justice sake...

The Illuminative Beatitudes:
Blessed are the Merciful for they shall obtain mercyBlessed are the Meek, for they shall inherit the earthBlessed are the Peacemakers, for they will be called...

The Unitive Beatitudes:
Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of GodBlessed are the pure in heart, for they shall see God

CHAPTER I

"Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of Heaven."

All Carmelites promise to practice the "spirit of poverty." This does not mean they sell everything to become poor in the monetary sense, but that spiritually they "sell" or rid themselves of everything that stands between them and their goal, the Lord.

It is not easy to become poor in spirit. However, Jesus promised to those who are poor in spirit the Kingdom of Heaven as their reward for so doing. He did not refer to a distant kingdom, or presence, in the next life but a kingdom of peace and tranquility and contentment in the here and now.

The virtue practiced and attained in this beatitude is "detachment." The practice of detachment to things produces the fruits of peace and contentment in our daily lives. The practice of detachment does not mean a deprivation of those things that are necessary to daily living, i.e., food, clothing, transportation, a home. The practice of detachment involves more an attitude of "holy indifference" to material goods, to make use of goods as a means and not an end in itself. The moment we begin to take pleasure in "things" we are attached to them. Detachment is a moderation of our desires, obtaining only what is necessary or good for ourselves and our families. Detachment is also a willingness to "let go" and "let God." Accepting wealth or poverty with the same holy indifference; both as the self same blessing from God.

Should a person find themselves blessed by God with wealth, this "holy indifference" would detach a soul whereby their blessing may be turned to virtue through acts of charity. But for wealth to become a real virtue it requires acts of charity without recognition or public attention, with not thought of recompense.

We have spoken only regarding worldly goods, but being "poor in spirit" must go beyond worldly for the contemplative soul. It has to do with our very attitudes about ourselves and God. Detachment and poverty in this sense requires being at peace and contended with God’s will for us at each stage of our development. Then truly is the Kingdom of Heaven within us.
We will speak of poverty and detachment as viewed by contemplative saints and discuss their purpose and meaning for us:

St. Teresa of Avila in the story of her "Life - Chapter II" says: "But it seems to us that we are giving all to God, whereas the truth of the matter is that we are paying God the rent or giving Him the fruits and keeping for ourselves the ownership and the root. We resolve to be poor - and this is very meritorious - but then very often turns back to being anxious and diligent about possessing not only the necessities but superfluities as well and about winning friends who might provide these things for us."

This deals with what we have mentioned before. Our human nature never changes - not from the beginning of time until the end - there is the constant battle of wanting, of taking, of hoarding. Even friendships are sometimes counted as "the more I have the better I am." We have to even learn to accept friendship as a gift, not to be possessed, but free to come and go, to move on when the spirit leads. Sometimes having no friends is true spiritual poverty.

St. John of the Cross in the "Ascent of Mount Carmel - Cook II, Chapter 7" says: "Oh, who can make this counsel of Our Savior understandable, and practicable, and attractive that spiritual persons might become aware. They are of the opinion that any kind of withdrawal from the world or reformation of life suffices. Some are content with a certain degree of virtue, perseverance in prayer, and mortification, but never achieve the nakedness, poverty, selflessness, or spiritual purity that the Lord counsels here. For they still feed and clothe their natural selves with spiritual feelings and consolations instead of divesting and denying themselves of these for God’s sake. They think a denial of self in worldly matters is sufficient without an annihilation and purification of spiritual possessions."

Spiritual poverty is far more important to us than worldly poverty. For it is our spirit that lives on forever and this world and our flesh will fade away. If we keep this in mind, we will see how unimportant it really is to have material goods that count as nothing in the next life.

St. John of the Cross developed the idea of "nada" - "nothing" - and this is what we must become to be poor in spirit. Being "nada" does not mean degrading ourselves or constantly putting ourselves down. It means not placing too much pride of importance on the little good we do, and keeping in mind the good we must learn to do.

St. Therese, The Little Flower, said in a letter to her sister Celine, "He became poor so that we could be charitable to Him. Like a beggar, he stretches out His hand to us. He it is who wants and begs for our love. He doesn’t wish to take anything unless we give it to Him and the smallest trifle is precious in His divine eyes."

Herein lies the secret of being "poor in spirit." To have all and yet be willing to utterly disregard it for the sake of another. To surrender all love to our fellow man, so as to be empty and open to the love of God. Asking for nothing so that even the smallest trifle of life becomes a precious consolation. To be overflowing with the love of God within us, and yet to delight Him by begging for more. A spirit of poverty that seeks nothing but the glory of God in all things.

St. Therese of Lisieux writes in her "Story of a Soul:" "Jesus does not want me to lay claim to what belongs to me; and this should seem easy and natural to me since nothing is mine. I have renounced the goods of this earth through the Vow of Poverty, and so I haven’t the right to complain when one takes a thing that is not mine. On the contrary, I should rejoice when it happens that I feel the pinch of poverty. Formerly, it seemed to me that I was attached to nothing, but every since I understood the words of Jesus, I see on occasions that I am very imperfect. For example, in my work of painting there is nothing that belongs to me, I know. But if, when I am preparing for some work, I find that the brushes and the paints are in disorder, if a rule or a penknife has disappeared, patience is very close to abandoning me and I must take courage in both hands in order to reclaim the missing object without bitterness. We really have to ask for dispensable things, but when we do it with humility, we are not failing in the commandment of Jesus; on the contrary, we are acting like the poor who extend their hand to receive what is necessary for them; if they are rebuked they are not surprised, as no one owes them anything."

We may be both surprised and heartened to find that the beautiful saint like St. Therese of Lisieux suffered the same irritations that we do today, and yet she utilized them for the glory of God. It is interesting to note that the above passage was included in her writings on "charity," and how her handling of her own defects was an act of love.

Lastly - we turn to Thomas Merton - a contemporary but saintly man - in his New Seeds of Contemplation, Chapter 28. He said, "There are aspects of detachment and refinement of interior purity that even the majority of sincerely holy men never succeed in discovering. Even the strictest monasteries and in places where people have seriously dedicated their lives to the search for perfection, many never come to suspect how much they are governed by unconscious forms of selfishness, how much their virtuous acts are prompted by a narrow and human self-interest. In fact, it is often precisely the rigidity and unbending formalism of some pious men that keep them from becoming truly detached."

Here we are getting to the core and essence of poverty in the spiritual sense - finding and eliminating those interior faults which are hidden and illusive, but can still hinder us from the Kingdom of Heaven. And how difficult it is to do this because often we don’t notice or realize our true motives for doing things, even virtuous things. However, we should not become overly scrupulous on this account, but again offer even our virtues, for whatever they are worth, to God begging Him to make them worthy and to help us to be poor in spirit so we will not recognize or take pride in the virtue itself, but strive onward as unworthy servants.
Another point Father Merton mentions is rigidity and formalism in some pious people. This is not only a detriment to the person themselves, but a scandal to holiness. Whenever adhering to a rule, tradition, or any system which makes or promotes its law at all cost even when it goes against charity or the law of God, then it is bordering on sinfulness and is a scandal to the truly poor in spirit who are free in love and charity. Furthermore, persons who are rigid and unbending frighten and turn off others who may be seeking charity and holiness in their own lives. Some instances of this are as follows:

1) It is important to contemplative prayer and spirituality to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, attend daily Mass, and devote at least half an hour each day to meditation (Carmelite obligations), but if someone in your family or a close friend calls or comes to see you and needs your assistance or even your companionship at that moment, then charity demands that you be their helpmate and companion then, and come back to the devotion later if possible.

2) If you were in the middle of a personal fast day but - say - your mother-in-law called or came over and wanted you to go to lunch or dine with her, then for the sake of charity and good will, it is better to drop the fast for that day and do it another time. The blessings will be more for this act of charity than for the fast.

3) Or if you have promised God to do a certain penance - or even a most virtuous deed - but in the process of doing these you are interrupted by a person who would not understand your intentions or misinterpret the act, it is better to put off the penance or virtuous deed if scandal against your faith will occur. Even a virtuous deed done aggressively and obviously in front of others can become a source of the sin of pride. Poorness is humility, too. Making ourselves appear "less" virtuous in some instances is the "most" virtuous thing to do.

A final word from Father Thomas Merton: "Sometimes, for instance, a monk can develop an attachment to prayer or fasting, or to a pious practice or devotion, or to a certain penance, or to a book or system of spirituality, or even to a method of meditation and contemplation itself, and on to the highest graces of prayer and virtue, things that are in themselves marks of heroism and sanctity. And men who seemed to be saints have let themselves be blinded by their inordinate love for such things."

Another final point with regard to being "poor in Spirit" is that it means even divesting ourselves of inordinate desires for holy things. Because clinging to the richness of consolations can prevent us from being empty and open to God’s graces in other areas of our lives. If we hold on to the richness of consolations because of the good feelings it gives us, we will never be able to get through the Dark Night that leads us to Heavenly Union.

So, let us be truly poor in spirit, emptied of all desires for worldly and spiritual pleasures, so our God can fill us with His Heavenly Kingdom.

- Excerpted in part from "The Beatitudes and Carmelite Spirituality," by Sr. Patricia of Mary Magdalene, with permission

Suggestions for group discussion:
1) The Carmelite Promises include this sentence: "I will seek evangelical perfection with all my might, in the spirit of our Lord's counsels and beatitudes." With regard to the Beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit," how do you think that this may be used as a guide to this promise?

2) What does it mean to practice of the spirit of poverty, to spiritually sell everything that stands between us and the goal of Union with God?

3) Share your insight on what it means to practice detachment. How is this related to the Beatitude, "blessed are the poor in spirit?" How may it be applied to the contemplative experience?

4) Think about your life and think of what you have, what you can give to God. When something happens you think is terrible, how do you respond?

5) With regard to fasting, St. John of the Cross said that if you have food in your house you can fast and offering your fast to God. But if you have no food you cannot really offer that fast. This being so, what then are the other ways one may "fast?"

6) St Teresa of Avila said that many souls give God the "rent," but we want to keep the ownership of their lives. Torn by our "want" of money, things, and position, how do you give God the "ownership" of your life?

7) Carmelite contemplation. What is it really? Whatever answer you may give, it will fall short of what meditation actually is for it is something entirely different. Contemplation is truly a "dark night." If you are seriously practicing meditation, this is good. But the minute it becomes boring and fruitless, you need to seek a spiritual director. It is then that you will come to a deeper contemplation. The question then is, do you feel you need more guidance in your contemplation, if so, how are you dealing with it?

Lectio Divina: a Living Program of Prayer

Seek in reading (lectio)
And you will find in meditation;
Knock in prayer,
And it will be opened to you in contemplation.
-- St. John of the Cross

READING

“Lectio (reading) has been called a ‘methodless method’ of prayer. The description alludes to the fact that it is less a learned way of prayer than one which spontaneously ‘flows’ toward contemplation as its destination…”[1]

The first step of Lectio Divina is reading, or more accurately listening to the Word of God. It is my active faith in the Spirit, present in the word and in me, which when brought to the reading and hearing of Scripture “in-spires” or “breathes into” it the living reality of the Speaker. A text is chosen, preferably a short one, and it is read slowly, listening to it interiorly with full attention, the text to “touch” the heart.

MEDITATION

“The word meditation refers to a discursive reasoning process in which words, events, etc., are prayerfully pondered and reflected on with the object of drawing from them some personal meaning or moral. It is basically an activity of the intellect and reason, aided by grace.”[2]

--for the intuitive person: “Savor” some insight or truth. Allow the words of Scripture to repeat and resonate in you.

--for the imaginative person: Imagine the scene in all its aspects. You may even identify yourself with some person in the text.

After reading the text, “identify with one of the onlookers and describe the action from his or her point of view. Do this as if the event were unfolding right now in front of your eyes. [Next], insert yourself into the event by identifying with one of the active participants in the scene. As you experience what is happening in the gospel scene, be aware of what you are thinking, sensing, and feeling—your entire subjective response.

The value of this approach is that it can plunge us so deeply into a Gospel mystery that we get caught up in a personal encounter with the Lord. As often happens in a play, there can come a time when…the artificiality of the put-on identity slips away and the Gospel character comes to life in us.”[3]

ORATIO: PRAYER OF THE HEART

Prayer of the heart is an interior longing for God, which is itself prayer. We allow ourselves to be vulnerable and to put aside our defenses and masks, standing before God in our naked need and creaturehood. Oratio is the active effort we make to keep our hearts open to him and to put ourselves at the disposal of His Spirit, preparing a way for God’s action to supersede our own. Over a long period of time we find ourselves moving between meditation and this prayer of the heart, but eventually a gradual simplification takes place.

CONTEMPLATION

Contemplation is variously described as a “resting in God,” or “a loving gaze” upon Him, or a “knowing beyond knowing” or “a rapt attention” to God. All such attempts at verbalizing the experience necessarily fail to express the reality, for the simple reason that contemplation transcends thinking and the reasoning of meditation, as well as transcending the emotions and “feelings” of the affective faculties. It is basically a prayer experience of pure faith.

“In His humanity, Jesus experienced the contemplation of His Father, and invites us, through the gift of His Spirit, to enter into that experience. It is available to us in the measure of our faith and love, which are the proximate means, in this life, or ‘seeing’ God, of touching and being touched by Him, i.e., of experiencing Him.”[4]

“The disposition which opens and readies us for the gift of contemplative prayer is already a response to a given desire to ‘see’ God and to be one with Him in love. But it is a desire which sets us on a painful path of emptying ourselves of the self-orientation which is the major obstacle of its fulfillment.”[5]

TO SUMMARIZE:
1. Receive, and place no obstacles to the Holy Spirit.
2. Follow any attraction to interior silence and remain in loving attentiveness.
3. Allow yourself to be drawn into the darkness of God’s love, and gently let go of worrying about yourself.
4. When it becomes possible to meditate again, do so until and unless interior silence becomes habitual.

[1] Thelma Hall R.C., TOO DEEP FOR WORDS Rediscovering Lectio Divina, (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1980), p.9
[2] Ibid., p.9
[3] Willie Au, S.J., BY WAY OF THE HEART, (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1989), p.100
[4] Thelma Hall R.C., TOO DEEP FOR WORDS Rediscovering Lectio Divina, (New York/Mahwah: Paulist Press, 1988), p.13
[5] Ibid., p.14

A Nine Day Novena Honoring Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Each day, for nine days, you petition our Heavenly Mother for all your very special needs. It is a time of prayer and reflection that will bring you closer to her heart and to the heart of Jesus, her Son.

Trust in Our Lady’s motherly love and compassion. Go to her with confidence!

FIRST DAY

The prayer Flos Carmeli (Flower of Carmel) was composed by Saint Simon Stock, and in answer he received the Scapular from Our Blessed Mother.

O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor
Of Heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever
remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity! O Star of the Sea, help
and protect us! Show us that you are our Mother!
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

SECOND DAY

Most Holy Mary, Our Mother, in your great love for us you gave
Us the holy Scapular of Mount Carmel, having heard the prayers of your
chosen son Saint Simon Stock. Help us now to wear it faithfully and with
devotion. May it be a sign to us of our desire to grow in holiness.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

THIRD DAY

O Queen of Heaven, you gave us the Scapular as an outward sign by
which we might be known as your faithful children. May we always wear it
with honor by avoiding sin and imitating your virtues. Help us to be faithful to
this desire of ours.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

FOURTH DAY

When you gave us, Gracious Lady, the Scapular as our Habit, you
called us to be not only servants, but also your own children. We ask you
to gain for us from your Son the grace to live as your children in joy, peace
and love.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

FIFTH DAY

O Mother of Fair Love, through your goodness, as your children, we
Are called to live in the spirit of Carmel. Help us to live in charity with one
Another, prayerful as Elijah of old, and mindful of our call to minister to God’s
people.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

SIXTH DAY

With loving provident care, O Mother Most Amiable, you covered us
with your Scapular as a shield of defense against the Evil One. Through your
assistance, may we bravely struggle against the powers of evil, always open to
your Son Jesus Christ.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

SEVENTH DAY

O Mary, Help of Christians, you assured us that wearing your Scapular
worthily would keep us safe from harm. Protect us in both body and soul with
your continual aid. May all that we do be pleasing to your Son and to you.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

EIGHTH DAY

You give us hope, O Mother of Mercy, that through your Scapular
promise we might quickly pass through the fires of purgatory to the Kingdom
of your Son. Be our comfort and our hope. Grant that our hope may not be
in vain but that, ever faithful to your Son and to you, we may speedily enjoy after
death the blessed company of Jesus and the saint.
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

NINTH DAY

O Most Holy Mother of Mount Carmel, when asked by a saint to grant
Privileges to the family of Carmel, you gave assurance of your Mother love and
Help to those faithful to you and to your Son. Behold us, your children. We
Glory in wearing your holy habit, which makes us members of your family of
Carmel, through which we shall have your powerful protection in life, at death
and even after death. Look down with love, O Gate of Heaven, on all those now
in their last agony! Look down graciously, O Virgin, Flower of Carmel, on all
those in need of help! Look down mercifully, O Mother of our Savior, on all those
who do not know that they are numbered among your children. Look down
tenderly, O Queen of All Saints, on the poor souls!
(pause and mention petitions)
Recite: Our Father, Hail Mary, Glory, etc.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us.

(© 1995 National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Middletown, New York 10940)

Monthly Spiritual Retreat - July

Theme: Detachment of Soul

This somewhat odd heading occurred to me this morning, while I was reading a chapter of the Imitation (of Christ – Thomas a Kempis).

The soul, created by God, is united by Him with a body, and this body clings to the soul by bonds more or less strong, according to our will and divine grace. The chief of these bonds, with which no human being has any right to tamper, will be loosened by Divine Providence at the hour appointed by the eternal will. But there are many other bonds, formed either by evil or our own frailty, which are not in conformity with God’s design, and render the soul the slave of the body. I desire to devote myself particularly to the task of setting my soul free, a task that, by divine grace, I have already begun

It behooves me, therefore, to bring my body more and more into subjection to my soul, and my soul more and more into subjection to God. By means of unflinching and persevering effort, I must day by day break these numerous fetters, which bind my soul too closely to my body.

Freedom must be restored to my soul, and my body forced to resume its position as servant – a position that will gradually become easy and even pleasant.

Of course, I ought to treat my body with consideration and even with respect, because it is destined to live again and share in the eternal happiness promised to me; nevertheless, in this world it is only an instrument of which my soul ought to make use freely, just as my soul itself is only an instrument in God’s hands. It is necessary for the soul to escape as far as possible from the trammels of the body, and to control and govern it, however great may be the body’s weakness or weariness, and however much it may rebel.

It goes without saying that there must be nothing here that savors of the false spirituality. I am not a pure spirit, and I am bound to accept in all humility this companion, which is so often burdensome to me. Here there is an opportunity for very wholesome and sanctifying mortifications. These penances, accepted and offered up in silence, will be hidden under outward smiles and a gentle manner. Austerity must be within, attractiveness without.

O God, how far I am from all this! Help me, Lord, and in spite of my frequent faults and many imperfections, make use of me in dealing with the souls that Thou lovest. May others see enough of my frailty to render me humble, and enough of the graces that Thou has bestowed on me to be led to glorify Thee and marvel at Thy great and amazing goodness.


From “The Secret Diary of Elisabeth Leseur: the Woman Whose Goodness Changed Her Husband from Atheist to Priest,” Sophia Institute Press®, Manchester, New Hampshire, © 2002

Replica of Veronica's Veil on Display in Albany Church

by Roberta Olson

What has been termed "a tremendous third class relic" resides in a place of honor in The Church of the Seven Dolors in Albany, and it has been there for so long that, until recently, its significance, and even its presence had been forgotten.

The relic is a framed silk replica of Veronica's Veil, located on a side altar in the Catholic church which was built more than 100 years ago.

Seven Dolors' pastor, Fr. Corwin Collins, OSB, notes that the Albany parish was begun in 1868, and the original church was remodeled and added on to its present 60x150 foot cross-shaped structure in 1898.

A plaque attached above the framed relic, and translated from the Latin by retired priest, Fr. Arthur Hoppe of St. Rose of Lima Parish in St. Rosa, bears the date of July 12, 1896.
The information tells that the enshrined replica of Veronica's Veil at Albany is a true image of the Veil of Veronica that has been touched to the head cloth of Jesus from the tomb, the lance that pierced Jesus' side, as well as the "life-giving cross," which is a relic of the cross upon which Jesus Christ was crucified.

Fr. Hoppe says, "It seems when the Arch Confraternity of the Holy Face was formed copies were made of the veil. At least one church in every diocese of the world was to have a copy of this."

Installation of the relic at Albany was to be for the use of the entire Diocese of St. Cloud for the reparation of the blasphemy of the Holy Name, and to restore the sanctity of Sundays and holy days.

Since more than a century has passed, the significance of the relic had been lost through the years, until it became just a part of the church furnishings.

Fr. Collins, who has served the parish for 19 years, says even he was unaware of the significance of the Veronica's Veil replica until last year, when a local woman re-discovered the relic and has been promoting it in the parish, the diocese, and even around the state and nation.
Fr. Collins emphasized that people should realize that the veil is just a copy, though it has been touched to the true relics.

"It's one of many different things that people can become acquainted with and use to grow in their faith," Fr. Collins said.

He welcomes visitors to the church to observe the relic and to revere it.
One of the methods of revering it is to pray a nine-day novena to the Holy Face in reparation. Reports are circulating of favors granted through the novena.

Taking a personal interest in the relic has been Linda Mader, Freeport, who has been distributing colored photos of the veil, printed on linen paper. Fr. Hoppe has also distributed copies of the photo at the church at Flensburg where he celebrates the Latin Mass.
"If people see it is a valuable thing," Fr. Hoppe said, "people might be interested in doing it."

VERONICA'S VEIL
Much has been written in religious circles over the centuries since Jesus' crucifixion and death about the Veronica's Veil relic, which is one of just a few believed to be authentic and mysterious reproductions of the face of Jesus: this veil; the veil that covered His face in the tomb, along with the Shroud which is kept at Turin; and several other copies of Veronica's Veil which resulted when the original veil was folded and imprinted onto the blank portion of the veil.

Veronica, who is not named in the Holy Scriptures, is believed by tradition to be the woman with an issue of blood (Luke 8:43-48) who was cured after she touched the hem of Jesus' garment.
The woman's name may not have been Veronica, but Seraphina, and because her name was associated with the imprinted cloth, it evolved into Vera Icon, or True Image, and to Veronica, which means literally bearing the True Image.

Veronica or Seraphina, was recorded as a noble woman, who attached herself to Jesus like Mary Magdalene and the other holy women of Judea, who accompanied Him from place to place.
The woman, in spite of the danger of offering any sympathy or help to the condemned Jesus, stepped out of the crowd at about the point where the procession stopped to enlist the aid of Simon to carry the cross, and wiped Jesus' face of the sweat, spittle and blood on it.
The act is portrayed in the Stations of the Cross, in the sixth station, and can be seen in the movie, "The Passion."

In gratitude for this act of mercy, Jesus imprinted his face on the veil. "It is a gift of Jesus Christ to his church; a sacred relic destined for the centuries," says a report on the veil in "From the Housetops" magazine for the first quarter of 2005.

Veronica kept the veil in her possession. She was summoned by Emperor Tiberius, who had heard of the veil's healing qualities. Historians report that Tiberius was restored to health by touching the veil. He had suffered from leprosy. In addition, the messenger who accompanied Veronica to see Tiberius was also miraculously cured of a health problem upon touching the veil.
Tiberius became a supporter of Jesus, and wished to declare Jesus a "god of Rome." The local politicians did not allow that to happen, but Tiberius erected a statue of Jesus in the interior of his palace.

Veronica finally entrusted the veil to Pope Clement, who was the co-adjutor of St. Peter, and later his third successor.

The original Veronica's Veil remains in a chapel in the Basilica of St. Peter, kept under lock and key, along with the other true relics, the sword that pierced Jesus' side, and a piece of the true cross.

MIRACLE IN ROME
Over the centuries Veronica's Veil has been put on display for short periods of time. It is made of silk and is said to be very fragile.

In 1849, Pope Pius IX placed the veil, called "The Sacred Effigy," on display, between Christmas and Epiphany. On the third day the veil became transfigured and the features of Jesus appeared life-like and surrounded by a mild halo. The phenomenon lasted three hours and was documented by church historians.

Several white silk veils touching Veronica's Veil were imprinted with Jesus' countenance.

COPIES ARE AUTHORIZED
After the miracle, the pope authorized printed copies of the sacred picture to be made on linen or silk. They were touched to the true relics.

These were impressed with a Cardinal's seal and were touched to the true relics and furnished with a guarantee. When the word "Gratis" appears printed on the picture, it means it has been touched to the original veil, the wood of the true cross, and the lance. Innumerable miracles have been attributed to the prayers said before the images, according to "From the Housetops."
The Albany icon carries the red seal and the word "Gratis."

The incident of the miracle of Veronica's Veil in 1849 interested two people. One, a Discalced Carmelite nun, Sister Marie of St. Peter, who began having visions of Jesus in 1885, and the other, an acquaintance of hers and the legal lay representative of the Carmelite convent, Louis Dupont, of Tours, France, who read Sr. Marie's writings, and began a chapel to worship a copy of the Holy Face imprint which had been touched to the original veil on the day of miracles in Rome in 1849.

As a result of their devotion, and the increasing number of miracles attributed to the veil, Pope Leo XII approved the visions and messages given to Sister Marie, and founded the Arch Confraternity of the Holy Face. Devotion to the face of Jesus as it appears on Veronica's Veil, spread around the world.

Sister Marie's writings
According to the approved writings of Sister Marie, Jesus told her "My name is everywhere blasphemed, even children blaspheme it. This frightful sin, more than all others, grievously wounds My Divine Heart; through blasphemy the sinner curses Me to My face, attacks Me openly, annihilates My redemption and himself pronounces his own condemnation and his judgment. Blasphemy is a poisoned arrow, continually wounds My heart. I am giving you a golden arrow wherewith to wound it delightfully and to heal the wounds inflicted on it by the malice of sinners."

Sister Marie was given a prayer, which is called "The Golden Arrow," which is to be repeated for the reparation of blasphemy to the Holy Face of Jesus.

THE GOLDEN ARROW
The passage is from the revelations of Sister Marie St. Pierre.
"Forever praised, blessed, loved, adored and glorified be the most holy, most sacred, most adorable, unknown and ineffable Name of God, in heaven, on earth and in hell, by all creatures, who have come forth from the hands of God, and by the Sacred Heart of our Lord Jesus Christ in the most Blessed Sacrament of the Altar."

This wording is taken from the Little Manual of the Confraternity of the Holy Face, revised 1973. The Confraternity is headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, and the Little Manual is distributed through the Monastery of St. Therese, Discalced Carmelite Nuns, 35750 Moravian Dr., Clinton Twp., MI 48035.

For more information on Veronica's Veil, and the replica located in the Church of the Seven Dolors in Albany, contact Linda Mader, rural Freeport, at 320-573-4442.

A certified replica of Veronica's Veil is on display at The Church of the Seven Dolors in Albany. The framed veil is enshrined in the altar, below the statue of Mary and Jesus called the Pieta.
The Veronica's Veil replica enshrined in the Albany Catholic Church is pictured here in a close-up which was submitted. Copies of it are available by contacting Mayfor Statuary and Repair in rural Freeport.
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