Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit"O Lord, may I come to you by the straight road of truth and simplicity! Grant me a right intention, that single-minded regard of the soul that desires only to please you and is not concerned about how others interpret its actions.
In my dealings with my neighbor, may I always follow the straight road of pure good-will, loving you in your creatures without seeking any natural satisfaction. Let my relationships be inspired by sincerity, sisterly charity and holy freedom.
In the vicissitudes and unexpected events of life, make me know how to walk straight toward wherever you call me without any lingering or disctractions. Teach me to follow the way of the love that does not know procrastination, and of the simplicity which knows no deviation, and of the trugh that knows no subterfuge.
This is the way that pleases you, O Jesus, for you wanted to be called "the straightest way," the way that leads to the Father, for you said; "No one comes to the Father but by me." It is the way by which the Holy Spirit guides us, for he "leads the just along the straight road." Therefore, O God, I beg you with all fervor and desire: "create a pure heart within me and renew your Spirit within me."4 minutes

Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949)
Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

Date: April 28, 2008

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St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 36
To Mother Angelica Teresa
Santiago, September 7, 1918
"I keep myself closely united to Our Lord within the home of my soul. Whenever I go out on the street or to the theater or to take a walk, I tell Our Lord: "My Jesus, although perhaps no one here is thinking about You, but here is a heart that belongs completely to you. I adore You, I love You. Make me Yours always." In this way I keep myself recollected and removed from worldly things and every time we must go out, we must promise to remain united to Our Lord in the cells of our souls."
Time 3:00
Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: April 13, 2008

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Teresa de los Andes
111
Letter to her Aunt Juana Solar De Dominguez
June 23, 1919
"What shall I tell you of my heavenly life? Every day I thank God more for my vocation; which, the more I delve into it, the more beautiful it becomes to me. If I could let you experience the happiness felt when one has no other task in this life than loving and contemplating. When the soul is engulfed in the ocean of Divinity, it loses sight of the world's shores, of that world that is homeland of sorrow and evil! How happy I am living as a prisoner of the Divine Prisoner, consoling Him with my tears, helping Him save souls, praying and suffering! I've begun my eternity already. I have everything. The only thing I lack is to see God face to face.
Let us love Him greatly. He thirsts for our love, because the angels' love isn't enough for Him. And after giving us His Father and His Divinity, Jesus gave us His Mother. He suffered from Bethlehem to Calvary. Shouldn't we have a little bit of love for this Divine Beggar…? May everything we do be done for loves' sake, and let's live forever at the foot of the tabernacle, be it only in spirit, consoling Our Lord in His agony. I'll say more: live in the Heart of Jesus. There, united with Jesus prayer, love and praise offer your works, both perfect and imperfect, to the Most Blessed Trinity. May your soul, be a host of praise and a host of love, sacrificing itself perpetually for the glory of the most Holy Trinity to make known the infinite love and mercy of the God who is Love."Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: April 06, 2008

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St. Therese of Lisieux - Story of a Soul

"With me prayer is an uplifting of the heart; a glance towards
heaven; a cry of gratitude and love, uttered equally in sorrow and in joy. In a word, it is something noble, supernatural, which
expands my soul and unites it to God. Sometimes when I am in such a state of spiritual dryness that not a single good thought occurs to me, I say very slowly the "Our Father" or the "Hail Mary," and these prayers suffice to take me out of myself, and wonderfully refresh me."

Time 2:30

Date: March 31, 2008

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“What will be our joy when we communicate eternally in the dwelling of the King of Heaven? It will be undimmed by the grief of parting, and will know no end. His House will be ours for all eternity, and there will be no need to covet fragments from the walls hallowed by the Divine Presence. He will not give us His earthly Home--He only shows it to us to make us love poverty and the hidden life. What He has in store for us is the Palace of His Glory, where we shall no longer see Him veiled under the form of a child or the appearance of bread, but as He is, in the brightness of His Infinite Beauty.”

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul CHAPTER VI A PILGRIMAGE TO ROME

Date: March 16, 2008

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"O Holy Spirit, you will be the one who will inspire not only my prayer, but by actions as well, who will rule over my relations with my neighbor, and who will produce within me those wonderful fruits which are your gifts, just as all the virutes are your gifts, since we act in a human way, but in a divine way through you, O Holy Spirit, who are within us. "Those who are moved by the Spirit of God are children of God". This is the true life, the life of the children of God. Oh, make this my life!"Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949) Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

Date: March 10, 2008

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Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle Chapter 2: 1-4 "I want to say that you should consider what it would mean to this so brilliantly shining and beautiful castle, this pearl from the Orient, this tree of life planted in the very waters of life �" that is, in God �" to fall into mortal sin; there's no darker darkness nor anything more obscure and black. You shouldn't want to know anything else than the fact that, although the very sun that gave the soul so much brilliance and beauty is still in the center, this soul is as though it were not there to share n these things. Yet, it is as capable of enjoying Hi Majesty as is crystal capable of reflecting the sun's brilliance. Nothing helps such a soul; and as a result all the good works it might do while in mortal sin are fruitless for the attainment of glory. Since these works do not proceed from that principle, which is God, who is the cause of our virtue being really virtue, and are separated from Him, they cannot be pleasing in His sight. Since, after all, the intention of anyone who commits a mortal sin is to please the devil, who is darkness itself, not God, the poor soul becomes darkness itself.
I know a person to whom our Lord wanted to show what a soul in moral sin was like. That person says that in her opinion if this were understood it would be impossible to sin, even though a soul would have to undergo the greatest trials imaginable in order to flee the occasions. So the Lord gave her a strong desire that all might understand this. May He give you, daughters, the desire to beseech Him earnestly for those who are in this state, who have become total darkness, and whose works have become darkness also. For just as all the streams that flow from a crystal-clear fount are also clear, the works of a soul in grace, because they proceed from this fount of life, in which the soul is planted like a tree, are most pleasing in the eyes of both God and man. There would be no freshness, no fruit, if it were not for this fount sustaining the tree, preventing I from drying up, and causing it to produce good fruit. Thus in the case of a soul that through its own fault withdraws from this fount and plants itself in a place where the water is black and foul-smelling, everything that flows from it is equally wretched and filth.
It should be kept in mind here that the fount, the shining sun that is in the center of the soul, does not lose its beauty and splendor; it s always present in the soul, and nothing can take away its loveliness. But if a black cloth is placed over a crystal that is in the sun, obviously the sun's brilliance will have not effect on the crystal even though the sun is shining on it.
O souls redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! Understand and take pity on yourselves. How is it possible that in realizing these things you don't strive to remove the pitch from this crystal? See that if your life comes to an end you will never again enjoy this light. O Jesus, how sad a thing it is to see a soul separated from this light! May God in His mercy deliever us from so great an evil."
Time 6:30
The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume II Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD, and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD ICS Publications

Date: March 02, 2008

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Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit come to me, become my interior Master…Prompt me in everything, remind me of all that Jesus said, guide me take the direction of my whole being, help my weakness, provide for my insufficiency…

Teach me to appreciate every least inspiration of yours! It is more precious than the entire world �" even if it were but a very small inspiration such as holding back a word or a glance �" because it is a little "calling" an invitation to enter more deeply into divine intimacy; if I correspond to it faithfully, I grow in grace and love … Help me to avoid every slightest infidelity, every little hesitation to refuse nothing … then the light will go on growing, and love will become an abyss that cannot be sounded. But I know that in practice I shall often fall and often be lacking �" O God, let it not be willingly! - But you, teach me that even in that case I must recover myself quickly and put myself at once under you influence with an act of love, without letting myself get troubled, or discouraged, since your Spirit is sweet: "Oh how sweet is your Spirit O Lord!

Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949)

Time 4:00

Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

Date: February 17, 2008

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PRAYER TO OBTAIN HUMILITYWritten for a Novice“And yet, dear Lord, Thou knowest my weakness. Each morning I
resolve to be humble, and in the evening I recognize that I have
often been guilty of pride. The sight of these faults tempts me to
discouragement; yet I know that discouragement is itself but a
form of pride. I wish, therefore, O my God, to build all my trust
upon Thee. As Thou canst do all things, deign to implant in my
soul this virtue which I desire, and to obtain it from Thy
Infinite Mercy, I will often say to Thee: "Jesus, Meek and Humble
of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine."
TIME: 2:30
St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul.

Date: January 29, 2008

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St. Therese of Liseiux - interior lights

"I unconsciously received many interior lights on the best means of pleasing God, and practicing virtue. I have often observed that Our Lord will not give me any store of provisions, but nourishes me each moment with food that is ever new; I find it within me without knowing how it has come there. I simply believe that it is Jesus Himself hidden in my poor heart, who is secretly at work, inspiring me with what He wishes me to do as each occasion arises."Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul CHAPTER VIII PROFESSION OF SOEUR THERESETime 2:00

Date: January 21, 2008

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Saint Teresa of Avila - Spiritual Testimonies #59
(written in Seville, 1576)
The degrees of infused prayer
Part 2 (13, 14, 15.16)

An impulse is what I call a desire that sometimes come upon the soul, and even very habitually, without any preceding prayer. But suddenly there comes to it a remembrance of its separation from God, or of some word it hears that refers to this separation. This remembrance is so powerful and has such force sometimes that in an instant the soul seems to be beside itself. It's as though you were suddenly given some unknown and very painful news, or like a great and sudden shock that takes away the mind's discursive power to console itself; the mind remains as if absorbed. So it is here, except that the pain serves such a purpose that the soul comes to know that the purpose is worth dying for.

The fact is that it seems everything the soul understands then adds to its pain, and that the Lord doesn't want it to profit in its entire being from anything else. Nor does its will appear to be alive, but it seems to be in so great a solitude and so forsaken by all that this abandonment cannot be described in writing. For the whole world and its affairs give it pain, an no created thing provides it with company, nor does it want any company but only the Creator; and it sees that having such company is impossible unless it dies. Since it must not kill itself, it so dies with the longing to die that there is true danger of death; an it finds itself at though hanging between heaven and earth. It doesn't know what to do with itself. And from time to time God gives it a knowledge of Himself in a strange and indescribable way so that it might see what it is missing. There is no knowledge on earth, at least of what I have received, equal to this divine knowledge. In the half hour this prayer lasts, there is sufficient time to leave the body so disjoined and the arms so straight that the hands can't even write; and the pains are most severe.

Nothing of this is felt until that impulse passes. The soul has enough to do in experiencing what is happening interiorly. Nor do I believe it would feel heavy bodily torments. Yet it is in possession of its senses, and it can speak an even see �" but no walk because the forceful blow of love prostrates it. But unless God gives this impulse nothing is gained even were one to die for it. It leaves the greatest effect and improvement in the soul. Some learned men explain it one way, others another way; none of them condemns it. The soul understands clearly that this impulse is a great favor of the Lord. Were it very frequent one's life would no last long.

In the ordinary impulse there comes this extremely tender desire to serve God, along with tearful wishes to leave this exile. But since there is freedom for the soul to consider that it is the Lord's will that it go on living, it is consoled by this though and offers Him its own life, begging Him that it be fore no purpose other than His glory.


The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume I. Spiritual Testimonies Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 1)

Date: January 13, 2008

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Saint Teresa of Avila
#59 (Seville, 1576)
The degrees of infused prayer (part I 1,2,3,4,5,6)These inner spiritual experiences are difficult to speak about, and still more so when one wants to speak of them intelligible.
From the beginning I will start with supernatural experiences, for there is already understanding of the devotion, tenderness, tears and meditations we can ourselves, with the help of the Lord, procure here below.
The first prayer I experienced that in my opinion was supernatural (a term I use for what cannot be acquired by effort or diligence, however much one tries, although one can dispose oneself for it which would help a great deal) is an interior recollection felt in the soul. For it appears that just as the soul has exterior senses it also has other interior senses through which it seems to want to withdraw within, away from the outside noise. So, sometimes this recollection draws these exterior senses after itself, for it give the soul the desire to close its eyes and not hear or see or understand anything other than that in which it is then occupied, which is communion with God in solitude. In this state none of the senses or faculties are lost, for all are left intact. But they are left that way so that the soul may be occupied in God. And this explanation will be easy to understand for anyone to whom the Lord has granted this prayer; and for those to whom He has not, there will be need at least for many words and comparisons.
A very pleasing interior quiet and peace sometimes flow from this recollection, so that it doesn't seem to the soul it is lacking in anything. Even speaking tires it, I mean reciting vocal prayer and meditating. All it wants is to love. This quiet lasts a short while, and even a longer while.
From this prayer there usually proceeds what is called a sleep of the faculties, for they are neither absorbed nor so suspended that the prayer can be called a rapture. Although this prayer is not complete union, the soul sometimes, and even often, understands that the will alone is united, and this is known very clearly; I mean it is clear in the soul's opinion. The will is completely occupied in God, and it sees it lacks the power to be engaged in any other work. The other two faculties are free for business and works of service of God. In sum, Martha and Mary walk together.
When there is union of all the faculties, things are very different because none of them is able to function. The intellect is as though in awe; the will loves more than it understands, but it doesn't understand in a describable way whether it loves or what it does; there is no memory at all, in my opinion, nor thought; nor even during that time are the sense awake, but they are as though lost, that the soul might be more occupied in what it enjoys. This union passes quickly. But the wealth of humility and other virtues and desires left in the soul, one discerns the great good that comes to one through that favor. But what the union is cannot be described, for even though the soul is given understanding, it doesn't know how it understands or how to describe it. In my opinion, if this experience is authentic, it is the greatest favor our Lord grants along this spiritual path, at least among the greatest.
The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume I. Spiritual Testimonies Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-

Date: January 06, 2008

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Novena to St. John of the Cross,
begins Dec. 5
Day OneBeginning Prayer to be said each day:O glorious St. John of the Cross, through a pure desire of being like Jesus crucified, you longed for nothing so eagerly as to suffer, to be despised, and to be made little of by all; and your thirst after sufferings was so burning that your noble heart rejoiced in the midst of the cruelest torments and afflictions. Grant, I beseech you, O dear Saint, by the glory which your many sufferings have gained for you, to intercede for me and obtain from God for me a love of suffering, together with strength and grace to bear with firmness of mind all the trials and adversities which are the sure means to the happy attainment of all that awaits me in heaven. Dear Saint, from your most happy place in glory, hear, I beseech you, my prayers, so that after your example, full of love for the cross I may deserve to be your companion in glory. Amen.
First Day: Unwavering FaithPrayer:
My glorious father St. John of the Cross; overflowing with love for Mary and for the cross of her divine Son by which you merited to become the protector of afflicted souls, obtain for me from Jesus and Mary, I beseech you, an unwavering faith and a love of the cross so deep and so valiant that no possible misfortune will ever be able to separate me from the love of my
God. Obtain for me also the special grace I ask through your intercession during this novena if it be for the glory of God and for my salvation (make request).
Three Our Fathers and three Hail Marys.Read the entire Novena HEREDay 1 mp3Day 2 mp3Day 3 mp3Day 4 mp3Day 5 mp3Day 6 mp3Day 7 mp3Day 8 mp3Day 9 mp3

Date: December 05, 2007

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Inner Life and Outer Form and ActionThe work of salvation takes place in obscurity and stillness. In the heart's quiet dialogue with God the living building blocks out of which the kingdom of God grows are prepared, the chosen instruments for the construction forged. The mystical stream that flows through all centuries is no spurious tributary that has strayed from the prayer life of the church it is its deepest life. When this mystical stream breaks through traditional forms, it does so because the Spirit that blows where it will is living in it, this Spirit that has created all traditional forms and must ever create new ones. Without him there would be no liturgy and no church. Was not the soul of the royal psalmist a harp whose strings resounded under the gentle breath of the Holy Spirit? From the overflowing heart of the Virgin Mary blessed by God streamed the exultant hymn of the "Magnificat." When the angel's mysterious word became visible reality, the prophetic "Benedictus" hymn unsealed the lips of the old priest Zechariah, who had been struck dumb. Whatever arose from spirit-filled hearts found expression in words and melodies and continues to be communicated from mouth to mouth. The "Divine Office" is to see that it continues to resound from generation to generation. So the mystical stream forms the many- voiced, continually swelling hymn of praise to the triune God, the Creator, the Redeemer, and the Perfecter. Therefore, it is not a question of placing the inner prayer free of all traditional forms as "subjective" piety over against the liturgy as the "objective" prayer of the church. All authentic prayer is prayer of the church. Through every sincere prayer something happens in the church, and it is the church itself that is praying therein, for it is the Holy Spirit living in the church that intercedes for every individual soul "with sighs too deep for words." This is exactly what "authentic" prayer is, for "no one can say 'Jesus is Lord' except by the Holy Spirit." What could the prayer of the church be, if not great lovers giving themselves to God who is love!
The unbounded loving surrender to God and God's return gift, full and enduring union, this is the highest elevation of the heart attainable, the highest level of prayer. Souls who have attained it are truly the heart of the church, and in them lives heart attainable, the highest level of prayer. Souls who have attained it are truly the heart of the church, and in them lives Jesus' high priestly love. Hidden with Christ in God, they can do nothing but radiate to other hearts the divine love that fills them and so participate in the perfection of all into unity in God, which was and is Jesus' great desire. This was how Marie Antoinette de Geuser understood her vocation. She had to undertake this highest Christian duty in the midst of the world. Her way is certainly a very meaningful and strengthening model for the many people who, having become radically serious about their inner lives, want to stand up for the church and who cannot follow this call into the seclusion of a monastery. The soul that has achieved the highest level of mystical prayer and entered into the "calm activity of
divine life" no longer thinks of anything but of giving itself to the apostolate to which God has called it.
This is repose in orderliness and, at the same time, activity free of all constraint. The soul conducts the battle in peace, because it is acting entirely from the viewpoint of eternal decrees. She knows that the will of her God will be perfectly fulfilled to his greater glory, because though the human will often, as it were, sets limits for divine omnipotence that
divine omnipotence triumphs after all by creating something magnificent out of whatever material is left. This victory of divine power over human freedom, which he nevertheless permits to do as it pleases, is one of the most wonderful and adorable aspects of God's plan for the world....
When Marie Antoinette de Geuser wrote this letter, she was near the threshold of eternity. Only a thin veil still separated her from that final consummation that we call living in glory.
For those blessed souls who have entered into the unity of life in God, everything is one: rest and activity, looking and acting, silence and speaking, listening and communicating, surrender in loving acceptance and an outpouring of love in grateful songs of praise. As long as we are still on the way and the farther away from the goal the more intensely we are
still subject to temporal laws, and are instructed to actualize in ourselves, one after another and all the members complementing each other mutually, the divine life in all its fullness. We need hours for listening silently and allowing the Word of God to act on us until it moves us to bear fruit in an offering of praise and an offering of action. We need to have traditional forms and to participate in public and prescribed worship services so that our interior life will remain vital and on the right track, and so that it will find appropriate expression. There must be special places on earth for the solemn praise of God, places where this praise is formed into the greatest perfection of which humankind is capable. From such places it can ascend to heaven for the whole church and have an influence on the church's members; it can awaken the interior life in them and make them zealous for external unanimity. But it must be enlivened from within by this means: that here, too, room must be made for silent recollection. Otherwise, it will degenerate into a rigid and lifeless lip service. And protection from such dangers is provided by those homes for the interior life where souls stand before the face of God in solitude and silence in order to be quickening love in the heart of the church.
However, the way to the interior life as well as to the choirs of blessed spirits who sing the eternal Sanctus is Christ. His blood is the curtain through which we enter into the Holiest of Holies, the Divine Life. In baptism and in the sacrament of reconciliation, his blood cleanses us of our sins, opens our eyes to eternal light, our ears to hearing God's word. It opens our lips to sing his praise, to pray in expiation, in petition, in thanksgiving, all of which are but varying forms of adoration, i.e., of the creature's homage to the Almighty and All-benevolent One. In the sacrament of confirmation, Christ's blood marks and strengthens the soldiers of Christ so that they candidly profess their allegiance. However, above all, we are made members of the Body of Christ by virtue of the sacrament in which Christ himself is present. When we partake of the sacrifice and receive Holy Communion and are nourished by the flesh and blood of Jesus, we ourselves become his flesh and his blood. And only if and insofar as we are members of his Body, can his spirit quicken and govern us. "It is the Spirit that quickens, for the Spirit gives life to the members. But it only quickens members of its own body.... The Christian must fear nothing as much as being separated from the Body of Christ. For when separated from Christ's Body, the Christian is no longer his member, is no longer quickened by his Spirit...." However, we become members of the Body of Christ "not only through love..., but in all reality, through becoming one with his flesh: For this is effected through the food that he has given us in order to show us his longing for us. This is why he has submerged himself in us and allowed his body to take form in us. We, then, are one, just as the body is joined to the head....." As members of his Body, animated by his Spirit, we bring ourselves "through him, with him, and in him" as a sacrifice and join in the eternal hymn of thanksgiving. Therefore, after receiving the holy meal, the church permits us to say: "Satisfied by such great gifts, grant, we beseech you, Lord, that these gifts we have received be for our salvation and that we never cease praising you."
I. 2 THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH - 3. Inner Life and Outer Form and Action Saint Teresa Benedicta. The Hidden Life �" The Collected Works of Edith Stein Edited by Dr. L Gelber and Michael Linssen, O.C.D. Translated by Waltraut Stein, PhD
ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite StudiesWashington, D.C. 1992 Volume 4

Date: December 02, 2007

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Spiritual Testimonies #59 (Seville, 1576)
The degrees of infused prayer (part I 1,2,3,4,5,6) “These inner spiritual experiences are difficult to speak about, and still more so when one wants to speak of them intelligible.
From the beginning I will start with supernatural experiences, for there is already understanding of the devotion, tenderness, tears and meditations we can ourselves, with the help of the Lord, procure here below.
The first prayer I experienced that in my opinion was supernatural (a term I use for what cannot be acquired by effort or diligence, however much one tries, although one can dispose oneself for it which would help a great deal) is an interior recollection felt in the soul. For it appears that just as the soul has exterior senses it also has other interior senses through which it seems to want to withdraw within, away from the outside noise. So, sometimes this recollection draws these exterior senses after itself, for it give the soul the desire to close its eyes and not hear or see or understand anything other than that in which it is then occupied, which is communion with God in solitude. In this state none of the senses or faculties are lost, for all are left intact. But they are left that way so that the soul may be occupied in God. And this explanation will be easy to understand for anyone to whom the Lord has granted this prayer; and for those to whom He has not, there will be need at least for many words and comparisons.
A very pleasing interior quiet and peace sometimes flow from this recollection, so that it doesn't seem to the soul it is lacking in anything. Even speaking tires it, I mean reciting vocal prayer and meditating. All it wants is to love. This quiet lasts a short while, and even a longer while.
From this prayer there usually proceeds what is called a sleep of the faculties, for they are neither absorbed nor so suspended that the prayer can be called a rapture. Although this prayer is not complete union, the soul sometimes, and even often, understands that the will alone is united, and this is known very clearly; I mean it is clear in the soul's opinion. The will is completely occupied in God, and it sees it lacks the power to be engaged in any other work. The other two faculties are free for business and works of service of God. In sum, Martha and Mary walk together.
When there is union of all the faculties, things are very different because none of them is able to function. The intellect is as though in awe; the will loves more than it understands, but it doesn't understand in a describable way whether it loves or what it does; there is no memory at all, in my opinion, nor thought; nor even during that time are the sense awake, but they are as though lost, that the soul might be more occupied in what it enjoys. This union passes quickly. But the wealth of humility and other virtues and desires left in the soul, one discerns the great good that comes to one through that favor. But what the union is cannot be described, for even though the soul is given understanding, it doesn't know how it understands or how to describe it. In my opinion, if this experience is authentic, it is the greatest favor our Lord grants along this spiritual path, at least among the greatest.”
Time: 7:00
The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume I. Spiritual Testimonies Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 1)

Date: November 18, 2007

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Teresa de los Andes
Letter 112 to Her Sister LuciaJune 29, 1919
I want to tell you about my happiness. Yes, I want you to feel for just a moment, the happiness of belonging entirely to God, but there's no human language that can express the divine feelings in which my soul finds itself submerged. I've given Him everything, it's true, but I've also come to posses the One who is Everything. If your love and sacrifices make you love Him more, what can I tell you, when in God love knows no limit and His immolation of self can never be greater since His Wisdom has exhausted every possibility.
Oh, though I want to love Him in an infinite degree; I feel more and more my inability and my flaws. I wish I could exhaust myself and die very quickly in order to love Him. But the sight of the sinful world, of the glacial coldness surrounding the altar keeps me back. Seeing it I would rather "suffer and not die." Yes, to suffer and not die that I may weep with the Divine Prisoner and console Him in His exile. I wish I could help people understand that the Eucharist is a heaven. Given that "heaven in only a tabernacle without doors, a Eucharist without veils," heaven is a never-ending Communion.
TIME: 4:00Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: November 11, 2007

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ChapterVI pg 32-33 “It is not because I am good that our Lord granted me these favors, but that His goodness might be made manifest. Although I was so unworthy of grace, this Adorable Master sought me out that even when I was least occupied with the thought of Him, in order that I might not be lost, and that His kindness might cause admiration. I performed labors with great consolation, when obedience ordained them. I had no merit in this; without thinking of the wickedness which must be in me and the numerous faults which escaped my attention, I found consolation in these labors, and it seemed to me I did all for the love of God. As my Adorable Master saw this, and because He loved me, He took car to send me certain trials, that I might see my self-love, and in order to temper my ardor…
One time I was seated near the door, as I was portress. I was feeling somewhat hurt, as it seemed to me the older Sisters were not satisfied that the Prioress had placed me at the Turn, because I was still young, and I thought that they were right under the present circumstances. In this mood I saw in spirit our Lord showing me a withered rosebush in the courtyard, all covered with red and white roses; as it was dried up and it was not the season of roses, the Divine Master said to me: "these roses cannot be gathered without encountering the thorns." He wished to make me understand, by that, that it is by suffering and contradictions that virtue is acquired.
I will say here, for the glory of our Lord, that He always gave me consolations when I did good to my neighbor, when the occasion presented itself, and when I aided them in their need. I inconvenienced myself, it is true, on these occasions, but I found instead of an inconvenience it was a real consolation. It is to the good Master I owe it, and it has remained so with me until this day. May His holy Name be blessed!”Autobiography of the Blessed Mother Anne of Saint Bartholomew Inseparable Companion of Sainit Teresa of Avila and Foundress of the Carmels of Pontoise, Tours and Antwerp: French Translation of the Unpublished Autograph of the Vernerable Servant of God, Preserved by the Carmelites of Antwerp, with Commentary and Historical Notes. By Reverend Marcel Bouis, S.J.: Trnaslated from the French by a Religious of the Carmel of St. Louis, MO., U.S.A. Imprimatur: Joannes Josephus, Archiepiscopus, Sti. Ludovici. 20 December, 1916

Date: November 04, 2007

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Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew
Chapter IX (zeal for souls) page 71 “On the eve of the Feast of St. Denis, the Areopagite, for whom I had great devotion, while in prayer, our Lord granted me the favor to visit my soul, and transform it into His by a wonderful union. Through this visit lasted but a short time, its effects were very great. I became so spiritual in soul and body that it seemed I no longer performed any natural action, or made the least natural movement. The following day, the Feast of St. Denis, our Lord granted me the same favor after Holy Communion. Although this visit was short, as I have already said, the fruits which I experienced and the dispositions in which it placed my souls, lasted more than fifteen days. Although I saw nothing, I felt within myself, in the depths of my soul, the Sovereign Majesty, as if I saw the Most Holy Trinity. I saw nothing, but the realization I had of His presence within me was more striking than if I had seen Him. During these days I had, indeed, some cause for trouble, but my mind did not allow one distracting thought to enter and lost non of its simplicity; I make use of this expression, because the vision I had of God was simple, quiet and undisturbed.
After these days had passed, it was no longer so. It is true this grace was not entirely taken from me, but it was not granted me in such perfection as I have just described. The fruit it continued to produce in me was greater courage of soul, more intense fervor, a more ardent desire to see God and to employ myself in His service according to His good pleasure. In this state there is greater activity and less of that simple looking towards God. The movements being, in all cases, more energetic, greater care is required in order not to commit faults, whereas one is preserved from them when made firm by the power of the prayer spoken of, that is to say, the simple looking towards God. The difference between these two states is easy to be understood. The soul who enjoys this simple sight of God resembles a person who is satiated and has an abundance of all the dishes possible to desire, without even the trouble of seeking them or even sitting down to the table. The soul which no longer has this simple sight of God is like a hungry man, who desires dishes according to his taste, but must procure them by labor, and if he must be solicitous in order to procure them, he must also be the same in order to preserve them. The soul must act in the same manner regarding the virtues, the knowledge of God and self; this exercise is so important, that who ever does not seriously enter into it will always be poor in soul. The knowledge of truth gives repose to the heart and causes a soul to be resigned in great and little things to all God asks of her.”TIME 6:00
Autobiography of the Blessed Mother Anne of Saint Bartholomew Inseparable Companion of Sainit Teresa of Avila and Foundress of the Carmels of Pontoise, Tours and Antwerp: French Translation of the Unpublished Autograph of the Vernerable Servant of God, Preserved by the Carmelites of Antwerp, with Commentary and Historical Notes. By Reverend Marcel Bouis, S.J.: Trnaslated from the French by a Religious of the Carmel of St. Louis, MO., U.S.A. Imprimatur: Joannes Josephus, Archiepiscopus, Sti. Ludovici. 20 December, 1916

Date: October 22, 2007

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Blessed Anne of St. Bartholomew
Chapter VII (Method of Prayer) pg 66
The kind of prayer I practiced at that time, on certain days, was a consciousness accompanied by deep reverence, of a light which was in my soul. All my faculties were so penetrated by it that they seemed to have no existence but that which they received from this light. It was not a vision of Jesus Christ as I saw Him usually, nor any other presence; but it was as if the Most Holy Trinity Itself dwelt in me; and though my soul perceived nothing, I felt for the Adorable Trinity the same reverence as if I saw it present.
On other days my soul was like a silkworm. It is treated with the greatest care by those who raise it. They feed it on tender leaves; having reached maturity it commences to spin with its mouth a thread of very delicate silk and makes its cocoon. It finds so much pleasure and comfort in this, it does not realize it will ever cease to exist; finally its strength being exhausted, it remains fastened up in its cocoon and dies there. I saw, or rather was shown, something similar in my soul With the like sweetness and the same silence the soul goes on spinning silk and giving to God what she has received from Him. After the example of the little silkworm, she shuts herself within herself as in a tomb, which separates her from creatures, and with tender love, which she draws unceasingly from the depths of her heart, she longs to leave this life. Death is the true life of such a soul, and she would wish to have a thousand lives to sacrifice for God and thus merit greater favors from Him. Everything then disquiets and wearies her; nothing can satisfy her except to give her life for the Well-Beloved.

TIME 4:30Autobiography of the Blessed Mother Anne of Saint Bartholomew Inseparable Companion of Sainit Teresa of Avila and Foundress of the Carmels of Pontoise, Tours and Antwerp: French Translation of the Unpublished Autograph of the Vernerable Servant of God, Preserved by the Carmelites of Antwerp, with Commentary and Historical Notes. By Reverend Marcel Bouis, S.J.: Trnaslated from the French by a Religious of the Carmel of St. Louis, MO., U.S.A. Imprimatur: Joannes Josephus, Archiepiscopus, Sti. Ludovici. 20 December, 1916

Date: September 30, 2007

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Solemn Novena in honor of the Little Flower,
St. Therese of the Child Jesus
September 23nd - October 1stSt. Therese, beautiful flower of the Garden of Carmel, we thank God for your life on earth and embrace you as our sister and advocate in Heaven. We beseech you, do not forget us for whom you offered your life, prayers, and penance.
Watch over our needs. Beg grace for us from the merciful hand of God especially for this, our most heart-felt petition ...................
Seek protection for all sinners and beg for them the grace of repentance. Watch over us that we may always do what is pleasing to God. Let your Roses shower upon us as a blessing for those we remember in love and prayer.
Amen
This novena is presented by the Carmelite nuns at the Carmel of St. Joseph, in St. Louis, MissouriTime 6:00

Date: September 23, 2007

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Saint Teresa Benedicta - Solitary Dialogue with God as the Prayer of the Church

See how the offertory, communion, and the praise of God [in the Divine Office] are internally related. Participation in the sacrifice and in the sacrificial meal actually transforms the soul into a living stone in the city of God in fact, each individual soul into a temple of God.
The individual human soul a temple of God this opens to us an entirely new, broad vista. The prayer life of Jesus was to be the key to understanding the prayer of the church. We saw that Christ took part in the public and prescribed worship services of his people, i.e., in what one usually calls "liturgy." He brought the liturgy into the most intimate relationship with his sacrificial offering and so for the first time gave it its full and true meaning that of thankful homage of creation to its Creator. This is precisely how he transformed the liturgy of the Old Covenant into that of the New.
But Jesus did not merely participate in public and prescribed worship services. Perhaps even more often the Gospels tell of solitary prayer in the still of the night, on open mountain tops, in the wilderness far from people. Jesus' public ministry was preceded by forty days and forty nights of prayer. Before he chose and commissioned his twelve apostles, he withdrew into the isolation of the mountains. By his hour on the Mount of Olives, he prepared himself for his road to Golgotha. A few short words tell us what he implored of his Father during this most difficult hour of his life, words that are given to us as guiding stars for our own hours on the Mount of Olives. "Father, if you are willing, take this cup away from me. Nevertheless, let your will be done, not mine." Like lightning, these words for an instant illumine for us the innermost spiritual life of Jesus, the unfathomable mystery of his God-man existence and his dialogue with the Father. Surely, this dialogue was life-long and uninterrupted. Christ prayed interiorly not only when he had withdrawn from the crowd, but also when he was among people. And once he allowed us to look extensively and deeply at this secret dialogue. It was not long before the hour of the Mount of Olives; in fact, it was immediately before they set out to go there at the end of the last supper, which we recognize as the actual hour of the birth of the church. "Having loved his own..., he loved them to the end." He knew that this was their last time together, and he wanted to give them as much as he in any way could. He had to restrain himself from saying more. But he surely knew that they could not bear any more, in fact, that they could not even grasp this little bit. The Spirit of Truth had to come first to open their eyes for it. And after he had said and done everything that he could say and do, he lifted his eyes to heaven and spoke to the Father in their presence. We call these words Jesus' great high priestly prayer, for this talking alone with God also had its antecedent in the Old Covenant. Once a year on the greatest and most holy day of the year, on the Day of Atonement, the high priest stepped into the Holy of Holies before the face of the Lord "to pray for himself and his household and the whole congregation of Israel." He sprinkled the throne of grace with the blood of a young bull and a goat, which he had previously to slaughter, and in this way absolved himself and his house "of the impurities of the sons of Israel and of their transgressions and of all their sins." No person was to be in the tent (i.e., in the holy place that lay in front of the Holy of Holies) when the high priest stepped into God's presence in this awesomely sacred place, this place where no one but he entered and he himself only at this hour. And even now he had to burn incense "so that a cloud of smoke...would veil the judgment throne...and he not die." This solitary dialogue took place in deepest mystery.
The Day of Atonement is the Old Testament antecedent of Good Friday. The ram that is slaughtered for the sins of the people represents the spotless Lamb of God (so did, no doubt, that other chosen by lot and burdened with the sins of the people that was driven into the wilderness). And the high priest descended from Aaron foreshadows the eternal high priest. Just as Christ anticipated his sacrificial death during the last supper, so he also anticipated the high priestly prayer.
He did not have to bring for himself an offering for sin because he was without sin. He did not have to await the hour prescribed by the Law and nor to seek out the Holy of Holies in the temple. He stands, always and everywhere, before the face of God; his own soul is the Holy of Holies. It is not only God's dwelling, but is also essentially and indissolubly united to God. He does not have to conceal himself from God by a protective cloud of incense. He gazes upon the uncovered face of the Eternal One and has nothing to fear. Looking at the Father will not kill him. And he unlocks the mystery of the high priest's realm. All who belong to him may hear how, in the Holy of Holies of his heart, he speaks to his Father; they are to experience what is going on and are to learn to speak to the Father in their own hearts.
The Savior's high priestly prayer unveils the mystery of the inner life: the circumincession of the Divine Persons and the indwelling of God in the soul. In these mysterious depths the work of salvation was prepared and accomplished itself in concealment and silence. And so it will continue until the union of all is actually accomplished at the end of time. The decision for the Redemption was conceived in the eternal silence of the inner divine life. The power of the Holy Spirit came over the Virgin praying alone in the hidden, silent room in Nazareth and brought about the Incarnation of the Savior. Congregated around the silently praying Virgin, the emergent church awaited the promised new outpouring of the Spirit that was to quicken it into inner clarity and fruitful outer effectiveness. In the night of blindness that God laid over his eyes, Saul awaited in solitary prayer the Lord's answer to his question, "What do you want me to do?" In solitary prayer Peter was prepared for his mission to the Gentiles. And so it has remained all through the centuries. In the silent dialogue with their Lord of souls consecrated to God, the events of church history are prepared that, visible far and wide, renew the face of the earth. The Virgin, who kept every word sent from God in her heart, is the model for such attentive souls in whom Jesus' high priestly prayer comes to life again and again. And women who, like her, were totally self-forgetful because of being steeped in the life and suffering of Christ, were the Lord's preferred choice as instruments to accomplish great things in the church: a St. Bridget, a Catherine of Siena. And when St. Teresa, the powerful reformer of her Order at a time of widespread falling away from the faith, wished to come to the rescue of the church, she saw the renewal of true interior life as the means toward this end. Teresa was very disturbed by the news of the continually spreading movement of apostasy:
...As though I could do something or were something, I cried to the Lord and begged him that I might remedy so much evil. It seemed to me that I would have given a thousand lives to save one soul out of the many that were being lost there. I realized I was a woman and wretched and incapable of doing any of the useful things I desired to do in the service of the Lord. All my longing was and still is that since He has so many enemies and so few friends that these few friends be good ones. As a result I resolved to do the little that was in my power; that is, to follow the evangelical counsels as perfectly as I could and strive that these few persons who live here do the same. I did this trusting in the great goodness of God.... Since we would all be occupied in continual prayer for those who are the defenders of the Church and for preachers and for learned men who protect her from attack, we could help as much as possible this Lord of mine who is so roughly treated by those for whom He has done so much good; it seems these traitors would want Him to be crucified again.... O my Sisters in Christ, help me beg these things of the Lord. This is why he has gathered you together here. This is your vocation.


I. 2 THE PRAYER OF THE CHURCH -- 2. Solitary Dialogue with God as the Prayer of the Church
Saint Teresa Benedicta.
The Hidden Life �" The Collected Works of Edith Stein
Edited by Dr. L Gelber and Michael Linssen, O.C.D.
Translated by Waltraut Stein, PhD
ICS Publications, Institute of Carmelite StudiesWashington, D.C. 1992 Volume 4

Date: September 15, 2007

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Pere Jacques Conference 4
We cannot see Christ and remain as we are. We cannot exchange a look with Christ and not be overcome with a total conversion.
This is what I would like to help you to do: to lead you to Christ so that you might, in the silence of retreat, exchange that glance with Christ; a true, living, and real contact that is not the fruit of the imagination, but rather reaches the heart of things as they are. Christ is a living being who is here, there, and everywhere. To see Christ, we must become poor. Riches drag down the soul. One has to become small in stature, that is, detached from the goods of this world, for such riches foster earthly desires. As you are well aware, Saint john of the Cross warns: "Whether one is attached to earth by a silken thread or a old cable, the result is the same: one cannot soar to the heights." One attachment, however small, that violates obedience, poverty, or chastity, and draws us away from God, may be nothing by worldly standards. Nonetheless, that attachment comes between God and ourselves and impedes our ascent toward sanctity.
Christ is all in all. Through him, all is made; through him all comes to us. Therefore, we must see Christ. I stress this point; we must truly see Christ. I sometimes think that we should define the term Christian as "Someone who has seen Christ." There are only a few genuine Christians, because only a few souls have seen Christ. Countless baptized persons, including even ordained priests and professed religious, remain lukewarm in spirit. Such tepid souls do not pulsate with life nor are they enthusiastic enough to give their life for Christ. They have never seen Christ. Their knowledge of the Lord is verbal, not vital. However, we must strive to love Christ passionately and prepare to see him face to face when we die. The soul that neither misses Christ now nor longs to see him at life's end does not honestly love him. To make such a claim would be a lie. When we love someone, we long to see that person, even at the risk of death. All the more so, given him limitless love, we want to long to see Christ face to face.
Let us now turn our attention to Saint John of the Cross. In his splendid writings, he explains how the person who loves God gradually pierces the veil that keeps us from seeing the Lord. Eventually, the moment comes, when that veil is totally sundered and the person goes forth to our beloved God.
When I speak of seeing Christ, I mean the mysterious, misty vision of faith, which is the fruit of the prayer of simple regard and not the result of any activity on our part. I mean the experience of being "Swept up" by Christ himself. When we have diligently devoted ourselves to charity, obedience, service, and self-control, and when Christ has seen the constancy of our commitment, then he himself comes to us. On that day, we become enveloped in the divine being and ecstatically discover the presence of God himself. We know that the Lord is there. He speaks to us, but not in words. The human heart communicates directly with the heart of Christ in the blissful adoration of simple regard. This heartfelt vision of Christ compels the soul so to love Christ and so to make him loved that nothing else on earth can inspire greater love than the Lord. Wealth then is as nothing and poverty is prized precisely because is allows us greater intimacy with Christ. NO other comfort, no other countenance and no other solace suffices. Christ alone provides satisfaction.
How glorious is this intimacy with Christ!Time- 7:00From:
Conference III
To See Christ
Listen to the Silence A Retreat with Pere Jacques Translated and Edited by Francis J. Murphy ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies Washington, D.C. 2005 This work is taken from and original typescript Translatioin authorized by Discalced Carmelties, Province of Paris ICS Publications

Date: September 09, 2007

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St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 96
to her brother LuisMay 12, 1919
“Let me speak to your, heart to heart, to show you what is the motive of our life, what is the prime goal of every person, of every Christian: "To know, to love and to serve God here on earth to gain heaven." What does every thing on earth, science, glory, honors matter, if all of them come to an end? Death does away with everything. Only a single knowledge, only one truth will not be taken away, because it is based on what is immutable. Only one good, one love can never be destroyed, because it's eternal and infinite. Everything passes away in life but our good deeds. We too will pass away. Only one Being will remain always the same: God. Let's love Him, even before knowing Him. God alone is worthy of being known, because He is infinite. Why not seek that Being, the only necessary One? Let's love Him and we'll be happy, because God is the object of our understanding and will.
“The way to know God is humility. Let's humble ourselves before Him. With our hearts, let's ask Him to reveal Himself to our souls infinitely. He will not despise us, because God loves souls. Let's seek Him by means of prayer. Even though we don't feel drawn to it, our minds must see how much profit this knowledge brings us, and our wills must seek the means that make it happen. Let's seek Him by means of the Sacraments. Our Lord left the Sacraments to us in order to unite us more with His Divine Person. Let's go to Communion as often as possible in order to love Him more. One who draws near the fire becomes warm."
time: 4:00Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: September 02, 2007

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Teresa of Avila - Chapter 36 Way of Perfection - forgivenessHow the Lord must esteem this love we have for one another! Indeed, Jesus could have put other virtues first and said: forgive us, Lord, because we do a great deal of penance or because we pray much and fast or because we have left all for You and love You very much. He didn't say forgive us because we would give up our lives for You,. But He said only, "forgive us because we forgive." Perhaps he said the prayer and offered it on our behalf because He knows we are so fond of this miserable honor and that to be forgiving is a virtue difficult for us to attain by ourselves but most pleasing to His Father.The Way of Perfection, Chapter 36. The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume Two. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 2)

Date: August 26, 2007

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St. Teresa of Avila - The Way of Perfection Chapter 32
“I am amused by persons who don't dare ask for trails from the Lord, for they suppose that in doing so they will be given them at once. It would not be right for us to fail to do what Jesus has offered on our behalf; if we don't want to do it we shouldn't say these words.
Now, let me put it another way. His will must be done whether we like this or not, and it will be done in heaven and on earth. Believe me, take my advice, an make a virtue of necessity. O my Lord, what a great comfort this is for me, that you didn't want the fulfillment of Your will to depend on a will as wretched as mine! I'd be in a fine state, Lord, if it were up to me as to whether or not Your will were to be done! Now I freely give mine to You, even though I do so at a time in which I'm not free of self-interest. For I have felt and have had great experience of the gain that comes from freely abandoning my will to Yours. O friends, what a great gain there is here! Oh, what a great loss there is when we do not carry out what we offer to the Lord in the Our Father!

Before I tell you about what is gained, I want to explain the great deal you offer so that afterward you won't take back what you gave, claiming that you hadn't understood. Don't be like some religious who do nothing but promise; and when we don't follow through, we make an excuse saying we didn't understand what we were promising. And this could be so, because to say that we abandon our will to another's will seems very easy until through experience we realize that this is the hardest thing one can do if one does it as it should be done.

I want to advise you and remind you what His will is. Don't fear that it means He will give you riches, or delights, or honors, or all these earthly things. His love for you is not that small, and He esteems highly what you give Him. He wants to repay you well, for He gives you His kingdom while you are still alive. Do you want to know how He answers those who say these words to Him sincerely? Ask His glorious son, who said them while praying in the Garden. Since they were said with such determination and complete willingness, see if the Father's will wasn't done fully in Him through the trials, sorrows, injuries, and persecutions He suffered until His life came to an end through death on a cross.

So, if you love Him, strive that what you say to the Lord may not amount to mere polite words; strive to suffer what His Majesty desires you to suffer.”

Time: 6:00The Way of Perfection, Chapter 32. The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume Two. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 2)

Date: August 19, 2007

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St. Teresa of the Andes - Letter 101
To Elisa Valdes Ossa
May 14, 1919"Let us live completely immersed in God. I'll tell you what I do: I consider my soul as a heaven where the Most Holy Trinity resides, whom I cannot penetrate nor see, because I consider it as an immense fire, infinite in light. Very close to that fire, I imagine the Most Holy Virgin inundated with light and love. Near the Most Holy Virgin is my Father, Saint Joseph and all the angels and saints, each one with his corresponding place. And much lower, in the last one, I see myself as a dark point in that halo of light, and there I live, contemplating and adoring that most Perfect One. The task is not to interrupt that praise of glory interiorly. Although on the outside we are busy, let's keep silence interiorly; that is to say, let's permit no thought foreign to that adoration, rejecting even thoughts about our own person, because we might have thoughts about vanity or whatever disturbs us. Let's live always in God's presence, rejecting any thought of creatures. When we must deal with them, let's see God in them and treat them with deference, considering ourselves as their slaves. Let's give them first place sacrificing ourselves for them and sanctifying ourselves through them. Let us not have any desire but to glorify God by fulfilling His Will at every moment. Let's think joyfully that at every moment we are fulfilling and adoring that Divine Will. May our deeds be done with the awareness that God will judge them. And so we will do them perfectly. And we’ll do everything for love..."time 4:00
Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: August 12, 2007

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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (Letter 9, Page 69)“God does not ask a great deal of us: a brief remembrance from time to time, a brief act of adoration, occasionally to ask him for his grace or offer him your sufferings, at other times to thank him for the graces he has given you and is giving you. In the midst of your work find consolation in him as often as possible. During your meals and conversations, occasionally lift up your heart to him; the least little remembrance of him will always be most agreeable. You need not shout out: he is closer to us than we may think.”
Time 2:30

“Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: The Practice of the Presence of God �" Critical Edition” by Conrad De Meester, OCD. ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, NE Washington, DC 20002-1199

Date: August 08, 2007

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Pere Jacques Conference 3 “We are at Carmel only for this: to love!
To love, of course, requires that we give proof of our love. This love expresses itself in constant prayer. I say "constant," because this state of prayer must be our life not for only two hours a day, but all day long. Our life must be a constant, silent prayer that rises unceasingly to God. That is what constitutes our duty in life.
We must not confuse this state of prayer with religious sentimentality, or with pious feelings unrelated to authentic prayer, which can sometimes be piercingly painful. That love, which is our life's duty, must express itself in vibrant, zealous deeds, all aspects of which compel our careful consideration.
Only with deepest humility can we recognize how far we are from our goal. Only those souls who have attained a lofty level of holiness can truly acknowledge how far they still are from their total fulfillment. For example, the Cure of Ars considered himself more wretched than the notorious sinners to whom he ministered. He realized that many of these fallen souls, had they received the same graces that he had received, would perhaps surpass him in holiness. Only with humility can we recognize the torpor of our love.
Prayer is our primary duty. Prayer is the reason why God has placed us on earth. We learn truly to prayer, when we are in the presence and company of Christ. Therefore, we must contemplate Christ for long periods of a time and seek him our persistently. Consider those closest to Christ. Saint John the Apostle grasped what was indispensable for a clear understanding of his master. John never tired of probing and querying Christ. We can see how John thus gained richer insights and fuller explanations, precisely because he went to the bother of approaching and asking Christ to clarify each day's lesson. I picture John, walking close behind Christ, as he made his way about the Holy Land. Thus, John came to gain a wealth of intimate knowledge, which the other apostles did not acquire. Herein lies the explanation for the special character of the fourth Gospel. While the other apostles traveled across the then known world on their missionary journeys, John's unique apostolate was to remain close to the Virgin Mary, whom Christ had entrusted to him. Thus were these two great souls conjoined in love and prayer”.
In silent solitude, let us seek to realize that we truly can be in contact with God. It is God whom we should aim to encounter in prayer. It is God who is both the breath and the fulfillment of our life. Amen.
From:
Conference II
Christ, the Object of Our Prayer Monday Evening
Listen to the Silence A Retreat with Pere Jacques Translated and Edited by Francis J. Murphy ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies Washington, D.C. 2005 This work is taken from and original typescript Translatioin authorized by Discalced Carmelties, Province of Paris ICS Publications

Date: August 05, 2007

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Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity - Letter 1273 "I am asking the Holy Spirit to show you this presence of God within you. If you read the Gospel of John, you will see over and over again that the Master insists on this commandment: "Remain in me, and I in you," and also that beautiful thought in which He speaks of "fellowship" with the Holy Trinity; that word is so sweet and it is so simple. It is enough �" Saint Paul Says this �" it is enough to believe: God is spirit, and we approach Him through faith. Realize that your soul is the temple of God, it is again Saint Paul who says this, at every moment of the day and night the three Divine Persons are living within you. You do no posses the Sacred Humanity as you do when you receive Communion; but the Divinity, that essence the blessed adore in Heaven, is in your soul; there is a wholly adorable intimacy when you realize that; you are never alone again! If you'd prefer to think that God is close to you rather than within you, follow your attraction, as long as you live with Him. Think that you are with Him, and act as you would with Someone you love; it's so simple, there is no need for beautiful thoughts, only an outpouring of you heart."
 Letter 1273 to her Mother, May 27, 1906, Elizabeth of the Trinity �" Carmelite, I Have Found God, Complete Works Volume II Letters from Carmel Translated by Anne Englund Nash . ICS Publications 1995 Edition realized, presented, annotated by Conrad De Meester, Carmelite. Copyright by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 1995 (page 270-271)

Date: July 01, 2007

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From: Conference 1 Solitude, the Essence of Carmel
Monday, September 6, 1943
Père Jacques BunelLet us now place ourselves in God's presence, so that he can speak personally to each one of you. Let us all do our duty. I want to fulfill my duty to let God speak to you through the words he puts on my lips and the ideas he places in my mind, without mincing his message. Likewise, it is your duty to welcome the message as coming not from a man, but from God. Together, let us be totally honest and straightforward in our shared search for truth.
The one, authentic Carmel consists of a quiet, uninterrupted conversation with God. That is the true Carmel that our Carmelite forebears sought. We can neither find nor embrace God, just as we cannot sit at his feet in order to gaze lovingly upon him, if we are immersed in noise and activity. We cannot hear the voice of God, who speaks without words, except in silence.
Consider the example of our spiritual father, Elija. Note these eagerness with which he returned from his apostolic activities to his beloved cave at Carmel. It was solitude that he sought in order to replenish his spirit through silent intimacy with God.
Likewise, consider Saint Therese of Lisieux. The need for silence and solitude burned within her.
We, too, submitted to that deep spiritual impulse on the day God touched our life, perhaps after receiving Communion or during an hour of deep prayer. At that moment we felt, understood, and lived the truth that God is not a word, but rather a living being, who envelops us. He made us aware in the depths of our souls that this first living personal contact was with the very being of God.
Do you remember the instructions of our holy father Saint John of the Cross, when he depicted Carmel using the symbol of a mountain? At the summit, he put the goal of our life; he mapped our the withdrawal from the world that we must undertake to arrive at this point of all-embracing union with God. In the middle was a steep path; on each side, he sketched the easier routes, which were makeshift and incomplete. Then, between them, with a quick stroke, he drew an exacting road on which one hears the refrain "Nothing, nothing, absolutely nothing but God alone."
A person doe not withdraw to Carmel because of weariness, or to know tranquility, or to live a mediocre life, or to flee the cares of keeping a home and family, or to have a more comfortable existence. One comes here because she is athirst for God, because she desires to find God and to reveal God to the whole world.

Time - 5:30
Listen to the Silence A Retreat with Pere Jacques Translated and Edited by Francis J. Murphy ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies Washington, D.C. 2005 This work is taken from and original typescript Translatioin authorized by Discalced Carmelties, Province of Paris ICS Publications

Date: June 18, 2007

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From the writings of Saint Henry de Osso,
(A Month in the Heart of Jesus, Prologue, EEO III, Rome, 1977, pp. 456-458)"Identification with Jesus Christ"

This is our main endeavor: to think, to feel, to love as Christ Jesus, to act and to speak as He�"in a word, to conform our whole life to Christ's. No one can be saved unless they are formed in the image of Christ. To conform our life to Christ's, we need, above all, to study His life, know it, and meditate upon it, not only in its outward appearance, but by immersing ourselves in the thoughts, feelings, hopes, and dreams of Jesus Christ so as to do everything in union with Him. In His goodness, Jesus Himself invites us, both in word and hi action, to do this. For example, if we do not know the sentiments of His heart so as to put them into practice, how can we learn from His gentleness and humility? Or how can we come into His presence each time we act in order to imitate Him? Christ lived, ate, slept, spoke, kept silent, walked, worked, sweat, got tired, rested, was hungry, thirsty and poor; in a word, He suffered and died for us and for our salvation. Why is it, then, that we cannot make or imagine Jesus as real and down to earth, but only in theory and as the ideal, which is the reason we do not love and imitate Hun in everything, as we must? Jesus is our brother, flesh of our flesh, blood of our blood, bone of our bones. This is who our Jesus is, true God and true Man, alive, personal, and intimate. He let Himself be seen; He lived and spoke with us. For our salvation, being the eternal Word of God, He descended from heaven, became flesh, suffered, died, rose, ascended into heaven, and remained among us until the end of time to be our
companion, our consolation, and our food in the Blessed Sacrament. Eternal life, then, our only happiness in time and eternity, consists in knowing Jesus more intimately. How happy will be the person who learns this lesson and lives it daily. What an inspiring thought! I will live, sleep, speak, listen, work, suffer �"I will do everything, I will suffer everything in union with Jesus, with the same divine intention and sentiments that Jesus had and with which He suffered, which is what Jesus wants of me. Whoever does this-and all of us are called to do it-will lives in this life the life of the world to come and will be transformed into Jesus, able to say with St. Paul: "I live, no longer I, but Christ lives in me."

time - 5:00

For more information on St. Henry contact:
Society of St. Teresa of Jesus      
 Teresian Sisters18080 St. Joseph Way
Covington, LA 70435

Date: June 14, 2007

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Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity
Prayer

"O my God, Trinity whom I adore, let me entirely forget myself that I may abide in you, still and peaceful as if my soul were already in eternity; let nothing disturb my peace nor separate me from you, O my unchanging God, but that each moment may take me further into the depths of your mystery ! Pacify my soul! Make it your heaven, your beloved home and place of your repose; let me never leave you there alone, but may I be ever attentive, ever alert in my faith, ever adoring and all given up to your creative action.
O my beloved Christ, crucified for love, would that I might be for you a spouse of your heart! I would anoint you with glory, I would love you - even unto death! Yet I sense my frailty and ask you to adorn me with yourself; identify my soul with all the movements of your soul, submerge me, overwhelm. me, substitute yourself in me that my life may become but a reflection of your life. Come into me as Adorer, Redeemer and Saviour.

O Eternal Word, Word of my God, would that I might spend my life listening to you, would that I might be fully receptive to learn all from you; in all darkness, all loneliness, all weakness, may I ever keep my eyes fixed on you and abide under your great light; O my Beloved Star, fascinate me so that I may never be able to leave your radiance.
O Consuming Fire, Spirit of Love, descend into my soul and make all in me as an incarnation of the Word, that I may be to him a super-added humanity wherein he renews his mystery; and you O Father, bestow yourself and bend down to your little creature, seeing in her only your beloved Son in whom you are well pleased.
O my `Three', my All, my Beatitude, infinite Solitude, Immensity in whom I lose myself, I give myself to you as a prey to be consumed; enclose yourself in me that I may be absorbed in you so as to contemplate in your light the abyss of your greatness!"



 O My God, Trinity Whom I adore" November 21, 1904 Elizabeth of the Trinity �" Carmelite, I Have Found God, Complete Works Volume I Translated by Aletheia Kane, O.C.D. ICS Publications 1984 Edition realized, presented, annotated by Conrad De Meester, Carmelite. Copyright by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 1984 (page 183)

Date: June 03, 2007

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St. John of the Cross - Acsent of Mt Carmel Book One Chapter 13, 12-13

When you delay in something
you cease to rush toward the all.
For to go from the all to the all
You must deny yourself all in all.
And when you come to the possession of the all
You must posses it without wanting anything.
Because if you desire to have something in all
Your treasure in God is not purely your all.
In this nakedness, the spirit finds it quietude and rest, For in coveting nothing, nothing tires it by pulling it up and nothing oppresses it by pushing it down, because it is in the center of its humility. When it covets something, by this very fact it tires itself.

Time 2:30
Acsent of Mt Carmel Book One Chapter 13, 12-13 ICS The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition. Coyright 1991 by the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelite Friars, Inc. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. ICS Publications, Washington, DC

Date: May 29, 2007

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St. Teresa of Avila - The Way of Perfection Chapter 28

The fire of divine love is more quickly enkindled when we blow a little with our intellects. Since we are close to the fire, a little spark will ignite and set everything ablaze. Because there is no impediment from outside, the soul is alone with its God; it is well prepared for this enkindling. [I would like you to understand clearly this manner of prayer, which, as I have said, is called recollection.]

Well, let us imagine that within us is an extremely rich palace, built entirely of gold and precious stones; in sum, built for a lord such as this. Imagine, too, as is indeed so, that you have a part to play in order for the palace to be so beautiful; for there is no edifice as beautiful as is a soul pure and full of virtues. The greater the virtues the more resplendent the jewels. Imagine, also, that in this palace dwells this mighty King who has been gracious enough to become your Father; and that he is seated upon an extremely valuable throne, which is your heart.

This may seem trifling at the beginning;, I mean, this image I've used in order to explain recollection. But the image may be very helpful so that we may truly understand that within us lies something incomparable more precious than what we see outside ourselves. I consider it impossible for us to pay so much attention to worldly things if we take the care to remember we have a Guest such as this within us, for we then see how lowly these things are next to what we possess within ourselves.

You will laugh at me, perhaps, and say that what I'm explaining is very clear, and you'll be right; for me, though, it was obscure for some time. I understood well that I had a soul. But what this soul deserved and who dwelt within it I did not understand because I had covered my eyes with the vanities of the world. For, in my opinion, if I had understood as I do now that in this little palace of my soul dwelt so great a King, I would not have left Him alone so often. I would have remained with Him at times and striven more so as not to be so unclean. But what marvelous thing, that He who would fill a thousand worlds and many more with His grandeur would enclose Himself in something so small! [And so He wanted to enclose Himself in the womb of His most Blessed Mother.] In fact, since He is Lord He is free to do what He wants, and since He loves us He adapts Himself to our size.

So that the soul won't be disturbed in the beginning by seeing that it is too small to have something so great within itself, the Lord doesn't give it this knowledge until He enlarges it little by little and it has the capacity to receive what He will place within it. For this reason I say He is free to do what He wants since He has the power to make this palace a large one.

The whole point is that we should give ourselves to Him with a complete determination, and we should empty the soul in such a way that He can store things there or take them away as though it were His own property. But, He doesn't give Himself completely until we give ourselves completely.
The Way of Perfection, Chapter 28. The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume Two. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 2)

Date: May 20, 2007

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St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 65
to a friend
March 1918

"There are great sufferings like dryness of spirit, that consist of seeing oneself completely abandoned by God, not feeling any fervor in prayer. And since we're so miserable, we're attached to feelings of fervor, to feeling God's love at the senses level. Sometimes we tend to go to prayer in search of God's consolations, not God Himself. This is an imperfection and Our Lord sometimes purifies souls He loves by giving them aridity, and when they no longer care about feeling sensible fervor or not, only then does He favor and console them. This is the greatest of suffering, since it's suffering of the soul. The soul sees herself deprived of His strength, separated from the God she loves so much, hemmed in by temptations, and filled with weakness. What must this suffering be like that Our Lord, who never complained throughout His Passion, seeing Himself abandoned by God, cried out to Him with great anguish: "My God, why have You abandoned me?" When He was in the garden and felt weak, seeing what he was about to suffer, and experienced the pains of the Passion in His soul, He said: "If it be possible, my Father, let this chalice pass from me; but let not My will but Thine be done." How much greater is must be, then, for the soul to see herself alone, without the One for whom she has given up everything! But only apparently does God leave her alone, for God is invisibly at her side with His grace, and she can learn from that trial greater humility, recognizing how little she's able to do by herself, and learn greater love, recognizing that, despite being miserable, God has called and loved her more than other creatures.
...This is what we must do here: love Him above everyone else. One who loves is always thinking of the beloved. Let's think of Him continually, but, since that's impossible, at least let's think of Him very often. Let's contemplate Him there, in the depth of our soul, united to us. Let's contemplate Him praying to his eternal Father for souls and for sinners, and let's unite ourselves with that divine prayer."

Time - 5:00

Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Date: May 12, 2007

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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (Letter 8, Page 68)
"It is impossible to avoid the dangers and hazards which life is full of without God’s actual, constant help; let us ask him for it continually. We cannot ask him for it unless we are with him. We cannot be with him unless we think of him often. We cannot think of him often unless we habitually practice this holy exercise. You will tell me that I always say the same thing. It is true. I know no other means more appropriate or easier than that! And since I practice no other, I recommend it to everyone. We must know before we can love. To know God we must think of him often. And when our love is strong we will think of him very often for our heart will be where our treasure is." “Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: The Practice of the Presence of God �" Critical Edition” by Conrad De Meester, OCD. ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, NE Washington, DC 20002-1199

Date: May 06, 2007

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Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity - Letter 184

“It does us much good to look into the soul of saints and then to follow them through faith right up to Heaven; there, they are all luminous with the light of God, whom they contemplate face to face for all eternity!... The Heaven of the saints is our homeland. It is the Father's House where we are awaited, where we are loved, where one day we, too will be able to fly and rest in the bosom of Infinite Love!

When we consider the divine world that envelops us already here in our exile and in which we can move, oh, then things here below disappear; all of that doesn't exist, it is less than nothing. The saints, for their part, understood true knowledge so well, the knowledge that makes us leave everything, and especially ourselves, so we can fly to God and live solely with Him!”

 Letter 184 to Madame Angles, November 24, 1903, Elizabeth of the Trinity �" Carmelite, I Have Found God, Complete Works Volume II Letters from Carmel Translated by Anne Englund Nash . ICS Publications 1995 Edition realized, presented, annotated by Conrad De Meester, Carmelite. Copyright by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 1995 (page 134)

Date: April 30, 2007

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To be reborn in the Holy Spirit during this life is to become most like God in purity, without any mixture of imperfection.

Here is an example that will provide a better understanding of this explanation. A ray of sunlight shining on a smudgy window is unable to illumine that window completely and transform it into its own light. It could do this if the window were cleaned and polished. The less the film and stain are wiped away, the less the window will be illumined; and the cleaner the window is, the brighter will be its illumination. The extent of illumination is not dependent on the ray of sunlight but on the window.

The soul on which the divine light of God's being is ever shining is like this window.

A soul makes room for God by wiping away all the smudges and smears of creatures, by uniting its will perfectly to God's for to love is to labor to divest and deprive oneself for God of all that is not God. When this is done the soul will be illumined by and transformed in God.Time 3:30

Acsent of Mt Carmel Book Two Chapter 5, 5-7 ICS The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition. Coyright 1991 by the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelite Friars, Inc. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. ICS Publications, Washington, DC

Date: April 22, 2007

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Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity - Letter 156

It is so good to look at the Master who also endured all because He "loved us exceedingly", as Saint Paul says, then one thirsts to repay Him love for love! In Carmel we find many sacrifices of this kind, but they are so sweet when the heart is wholly taken by love. I will tell you what I do when I feel a little tired: I look at the Crucified, and when I see how He delivered Himself up for me, it seems to me that I can do no less for Him than spend myself, wear myself out in order to reply Him a little of what He has given me! In the morning at Holy Mass, let us share in His spirit of sacrifice, we ought to be like Him. Then, after that, let us remain in Him during the day. Then, if we are faithful in living His life, if we identify ourselves with all the movements of he soul of the Crucified, quite simply, we no longer need to fear our weaknesses, for He will be our strength, and who can snatch us away from Him? I believe that He is very happy and that our sacrifices must console His Heart very much."

 Letter 156 to Madame Angles , February 15, 1903 , Elizabeth of the Trinity �" Carmelite, I Have Found God, Complete Works Volume II Letters from Carmel Translated by Anne England Nash . ICS Publications 1995 Edition realized, presented, annotated by Conrad De Meester, Carmelite. Copyright by Washington Province of Discalced Carmelites, Inc. 1995 (page 92)

Date: April 15, 2007

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The Sayings of Light and Love

Since, when the hour of reckoning comes, you will be sorry for not having used this time in the service of God, why do you not arrange and use it now as you would wish to have done were you dying?
If you desire that devotion to be born in your spirit and that the love of God and the desire for divine things increase, cleanse your soul of every desire, attachment, and ambition in such a way that you have to concern about anything. Just as a sick person is immediately aware of good health once the bad humor has been thrown off and a desire to eat is felt, so will you recover your health, in God, if you cure yourself as was said. Without doing this, you will not advance no matter how much you do.
Bridle your tongue and your thoughts very much, direct your affection habitually toward God, and your spirit will be divinely enkindled.
Feed not your spirit on anything but God. Cast off concern about things, and bear peace and recollection in your heart.
Keep spiritually tranquil in a loving attentiveness to God, and when it is necessary to speak, let it be with the same calm and peace.
Preserve a habitual remembrance of eternal life, recalling that those who hold themselves the lowest and poorest and least of all will enjoy the highest dominion and glory in God.
The soul that walks in love neither tires others nor grows tired.
Time 3:30
The Sayings of Light and Love, Prayer of a Soul taken with Love. (77, 78. 80, 81, 82, 82, 97) ICS The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, Revised Edition. Copyright 1991 by the Washington Province of Discalced Carmelite Friars, Inc. Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez, O.C.D. ICS Publications, Washington, DC

Date: April 08, 2007

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St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 115
to her Mother
July 15, 1919

“How poor, how graceless, as I see it, the worship we offer to God sacramentally present! What scant respect we have for the One before whom the seraphim cover themselves with their wings, prostrating themselves before Him. And He bears it all in silence, remaining without splendor, hidden beneath the bread, that He may live in the midst of those He created. Oh, how good He is! What infinite love He has! Why aren't we crazy with love for Him?Time 2:30
Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Huberus, WI 53033 USA
Painting: Fra Angelico. The Institution of the Eucharist. c.1450. Fresco, 186 x 234. Museo di San Marco, Cell 35, Florence, Italy.

Date: April 01, 2007

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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (Letter 3, Page 57) "There is no way of life in the world more agreeable or delightful than continual conversation with God; only those who practice and experience it can understand this. I do not suggest, however, that you do it for this reason. We must not seek consolations from this exercise, but must do it from a motive of love, and because God wants it. If I were a preacher, I would preach nothing but the practice of the presence of God; and if I were a spiritual director, I would recommend it to everyone, for I believe there is nothing so necessary or so easy. Ah! If we only knew how much we needed God’s graces and help, we would never lose sight of him, not even for a moment. Believe me and make a holy and firm resolution at once never to deliberately turn away from him, and to live the rest or you life in this holy presence.” “Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: The Practice of the Presence of God �" Critical Edition” by Conrad De Meester, OCD. ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, NE Washington, DC 20002-1199Time 3:00

Date: March 25, 2007

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St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 65
to a friend
March 1918"I am going to ask you the following questions: Do you have a strong desire to belong to God alone, and serve Him as much as you can, with the greatest perfection? That was the ideal God proposed to us when He created us: that we should serve Him and love Him above all things. Do you think your heart can be satisfied with the love of creatures, who for the most part and most times are fickle and fleeting? Don't worldly recreations and parties leave your heart sad and empty? By way of contrast, God loves us and His love is unchanging. When we spend a little time with Our Lord praying with fervor or we do good for love of Him, don't we feel happy and peaceful? What does it matter to be praised and appreciated by creatures when these are nothingness. Isn't it much more important to be loved and appreciated by God? What does it matter to sacrifice ourselves in this exile for a few years, it during those years you demonstrate your love for a God who loves us eternally? To die suffering for souls that cost the Blood of an infinite God, does that seem to you a lot? Oh, if they gave me the whole world, all its vain ostentation, do you doubt that I'd go to my poor and unknown little convent? Besides, who can love us like God does? No on in the world. Not even our own mothers. His love is infinite. If we love those who love us; if much is given to those who love us the most, isn't it natural that we, who have understood God's love, should give ourselves to Him? God surpasses all creatures in beauty, goodness, wisdom, holiness, power, justice, and love. If we love people who have extraordinary qualities, why don't we love God who has all these things to an infinite degree?"time 4:30Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press 2131 Lincoln Road, N.E. Washington, D.C.

Date: March 11, 2007

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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (Letter 15)"If we want to enjoy the peace of paradise in this life, we must become accustomed to conversing with Him in a familiar, humble and loving manner. We must restrain our minds from wandering away for any reason whatsoever. We must make our hearts a spiritual temple where we continually adore him. We must keep constant guard over ourselves not to do, say or think anything that might displease him. When we are attentive to God in this way suffering will no longer be anything but sweetness, balm, and consolation. I know that to reach this state, the first steps are very difficult, and that we must act purely in faith. Furthermore, we know we can do anything with God’s grace, and he never refuses it to those who earnestly ask him for it. Knock at his door, keep knocking, and I tell you that he will open to you in his time if you do not give up, and that he will give you, all at once, what he held off giving for years." (Letter 15, Page 81)“Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: The Practice of the Presence of God �" Critical Edition” by Conrad De Meester, OCD. ICS Publications 2131 Lincoln Road, NE Washington, DC 20002-1199
Time 3:00

Date: February 25, 2007

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Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection (Letter 10, Page 71) “Remember, I beg you, what I recommended to you, that is, to think of God often, night and day, in all your activities, and even when you relax. He is always near you and with you; do not leave him alone. You would consider it rude to leave a friend who is visiting you by himself; then why abandon God and leave him alone? Do not forget him. Think of him often, adore him continually, live and die with him. This is the true occupation of a Christian; in a word, this is our trade. If we don’t know it, we must learn it! Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection: The Practice of the Presence of God �" Cr