MOUNT CARMEL

The Transfiguration

2026-08-06T20:45:23.877-04:00

"Jesus took Peter, James and his brother John and led them up on a high mountain by themselves. He was transfigured before their eyes. His face became as dazzling as the sun, his clothes as radiant as light. Suddenly Moses and Elijah appeared to them conversing with him. Upon this, Peter said to Jesus, "Lord, how good it is for us to be here! ...He was still speaking when suddenly a bright cloud overshadowed them. Out of the cloud came a voice which said, "This is my beloved Son on whom my favor rests. Listen to him." When they heard this the disciples fell forward on the ground, overcome with fear. Jesus came toward them and laying his hand on them, said "Get up!Do not be afraid." When they looked up they did not see anyone but Jesus...."

Spiritual writers tell us that this event happened as a preparation for the disciples. Jesus was aware that His time to go to Jerusalem, to suffer, and eventually to die, will be too much for the disciples to bear at this time. They still are not strong in the faith. Jesus had to show them that He is truly the Lord, the Son of God, the Savior of Israel. It was a real privilege for this three men, Peter, James and John, to be selected for this manifestation. These same men will be the pillars of the new Christian Church. The appearance of Moses and Elijah, symbols of the Law and the Prophets, tells the disciples that Jesus is the fulfillment of both the Old and the New covenant. The voice in heaven saying "This is my beloved Son" is an echo of the same voice at Jesus' Baptism, when the same voice commanded us to listen to Him.

What does this mean to us? I'll tell you what it means to me. It tells me of the gentleness of God. How many times in my life when God allows me to experience wonderful events and allows me to meet wonderful people so that during times of trials and difficulties I am strengthened. When I feel overwhelmed with the challenges and trials of my religious life, I call to mind the joy I felt when I first pronounced my vows making me the bride of Christ and finally my perpetual vows, making me the Spouse of Jesus forever. When relationships change and friendships end, I remember the fun times and laughter shared together. When my prayer life is dry and I can't seem to think of God and his promises, I remember the times when my heart filled with delight at the thought that I live with Jesus in the Blessed Sacrament every moment of the day. When I lose someone I love to death, I will remember their faces and their words, their lives and works, then my heart will be consoled because even for a short time, I had them.
God is truly gentle. He knows what we are made of and he doesn't leave us to suffer our pains and sorrows alone. How many times, during these times of gladness and euphoria, did we not exclaim in the same way "Lord, it is good for me to be here!" And then, we realized that the vision passed on and we were left with nothing more or less than the human, the ordinary, the monotonous cadence of life. But the lesson is: we should never lose sight of the experience. We should remember to remember. What about the words "This is my beloved Son. Listen to him." The disciples certainly needed to hear these words, didn't they? In a few weeks time, they would all be scattered like sheep without a shepherd. These words are as good today as they were then. The world is filled with so many confusing voices. Let us try our best to heed God's advice. Let us fix our eyes on Jesus.

The faith of Abraham is a model of discipleship. To believe in God means to believe that he first exists. For Abraham to leave everything behind, to embark on a journey with unknown destination, he must first have tremendous faith to sustain what was hidden from his understanding. To embrace the teachings of Jesus as recorded in the Gospels means to believe that He is worthy of our trust and that he truly knows what is good for us. Faith is the assurance of things unseen. It was Mary's faith which makes her a model of discipleship. Faith is the the litmus test of true discipleship and from this faith flows all of our good deeds and acts of charity.

Solemnity of Corpus Christi- The Body And Blood of Christ

2026-06-07T10:28:50.324-04:00

Corpus Christi is one of God's most beautiful and precious gifts. It is beautiful because it encompasses the reality of the Trinity being present , and precious because it is a gift which we do not deserve and yet was given to us freely and unconditionally. Many Saints and spiritual writers spent many long hours of contemplation before our Eucharistic Lord, and put down in writing what they have experienced during those hours of prayer and contemplation. And yet, all of them would tell us that there is no word to describe the gift of this Presence of Jesus in this simple piece of bread. The Holy Eucharist is both a unifying doctrine for those who accept in faith the words of Jesus, "This IS My Body!" in the passage of the Last Supper, and a stumbling block for those who do not yet believe. For us, Catholics, the Holy Eucharist is not just a representation of Jesus, it IS Jesus Himself, the Real Presence. It is not just the product of a collective imagination of pious people but a mystery presented to us which can only be apprehended by faith alone. The Holy Eucharist is one of those mysteries of " believe to understand" , as opposed to "understand to believe." (paraphrasing St. Augustine).

Catholic Apologists (a curious description since they are not "apologizing for anything!) are excellent guides in this debate since they point to us the Scriptural passages supporting the Real Presence. The Holy Eucharist is inseparable from the gift and mystery of Holy Priesthood. There is no Eucharist without the Ordained Priesthood. They are like hand to glove, if I may be permitted to use this expression. The Old Testament is full of prefigurations of the Eucharist: the Israelites journey in the desert for forty days and forty nights fed only by manna; the raven feeding the prophet Elijah with bread to strengthen him on his journey to Horeb, and many others. The New Testament continues this in the many parables told by Jesus: the feeding of the five thousand, the five loaves and two fish, and most of all , Chapter 6 of St. John's Gospel. It is most of all the events of the Last Supper which form the foundation of what we now accept as Catholics: the Institution of the Holy Priesthood and the Holy Eucharist on Holy Thursday night.
Jesus left us His Body and Blood for one reason alone: that we may have eternal life. "he who eats my Flesh and drinks my Blood has eternal life and I will raise him up on the Last Day." The Eucharist is a remedy for sin and a source of strength for living the life of virtues. If we do not eat His Body, we do not have life in us. We may be walking and talking, and may be living a "full life" but if we do not have the life of Jesus in us given to us in the Eucharist, we are dead men and women walking. It is not enough to receive the Eucharist. We must receive it worthily. St. Paul says that we have to be mindful that when receiving we may not be bringing our own condemnation because we are receiving in sin. To receive worthily does not mean we have to be "perfectly good." It means that at the time of reception we are not conscious of being in the state of mortal sin. Being in mortal sin means committing an act that is grave or serious, committing it with full knowledge, and committing it with our full consent. In other words, we know something is seriously against God's commandments, we know it, and still we do it. Grace is restored to us through the Sacrament of Reconciliation. Confession of our sins to an ordained priest (Sacramental Confession) makes us worthy once again to receive our Lord. Being worthy sacramentally- for who of us is really worthy to receive such infinitely good and gracious God?
As we celebrate the Solemnity of Corpus Christi, let us be mindful of the love which made this possible. St. Therese once said that God made Himself a "Divine Prisoner" for love of us. He allows Himself to remain in the tabernacle so that we can approach Him with confidence in times of sorrows and temptations. He hides Himself under the appearance of a tiny piece of bread, so that we can contemplate Him in faith. St. Therese also reminds us that "Jesus did not come to earth to remain in the ciborium but so that after entering our souls in holy communion we can in turn go out to bring Him to others in charity.
Let us celebrate this day of devotion with much love. Let us return Love for love.

Saying "Yes" to God

2026-03-25T21:35:00.000-04:00

Solemnity of the Annunciation

The Solemnity of the Annunciation is one of those beautiful feasts I love. There are two events we are celebrating in this one Gospel passage: the Mystery of the Incarnation, the Word made Flesh in the womb of the Virgin Mary, and the maternity of Mary. The Pro-life movement chose this feast for its Patronal feast day and the reason is I think pretty obvious. I like this feast not because of the vision of angel or supernatural light. In fact, there is nothing in the Gospel which explicitly tells us how the Angel Gabriel appeared to Mary. For all we know it may not have been a visual encounter but an internal locution or apprehension. All we can be sure of is that "God had sent his angel to a virgin betrothed to a man named Joseph of the House of David, and the virgin's name was Mary." I like to imagine Mary exactly as she is portrayed in the photo above- in the midst of the ordinary. God comes to us in the ordinary events and circumstances of life. Without fanfare and fireworks. Just in the ordinary, right in the familiar and everyday. It is in this cloak of the ordinary which makes us sometimes miss Him. But Mary, who ponders all things in her heart, and in silence waits lovingly for the promise of the Messiah like all the women of Israel in her days, recognized the moment. And when she recognized the presence of something special, she was afraid. But only for a short moment because the one who is full of grace was open to all possibilities. Her doubt was not the expression of unbelief but a sign of openness to what was being spoken by the angel. What was announced to her was still an invitation, and she was free to choose.

The lesson of the Annunciation is the "fiat" which Mary uttered. "I am the handmaid of the Lord. Let it be done to me as you have said." These are the words we try to live by everyday of our lives. This "Fiat" is the word we not only say once in the big moments of our life, but in the everyday, ordinary events of life. It needs to be renewed at every moment because God makes His Will known to us at every moment and we are asked to respond. According to Caryll Houselander in her book "The Reed of God" saying "yes" does not so much mean that we agree to do something for God. It is more that we agree to have God do something in us. Transform us, make us more like His Son, live His life again in us so that He can continue His mercy and works in the world. It is complete abandon to the merciful designs of a loving God who knows what is best for us. When I am faced with a choice, I think of the Annunciation, and try to work my way from fear, to doubts, to resignation.

Feast of the Presentation

2026-02-01T20:40:00.000-05:00

We celebrate February 2nd as the Feast of the Presentation of the the Lord or traditionally called "Candlemas."This is an ancient feast in the Roman Catholic Church dating back to as far back as 312 with some historical homilies by bishops. This feast falls 40 days after Christmas and commemorates the Purification of Mary in the temple in Jerusalem following the mandate of the Law of Moses in the Book of Leviticus (Leviticus 12:2-8). According to this Mosaic Law, any woman who had given birth to her first-born son is considered impure, and would have to go through a process of ritual purification. Consequently, the Child Jesus was also presented to the temple to be consecrated to God according to the same Law. Candlemas was originally a celebration of the blessing of candles. These candles were blessed and were reserved for the use of the Church in its different liturgical celebrations throughout the year. In the liturgy, we still have the part of Simple or Solemn procession and blessing of the candles. After Vatican II, the emphasis was refocused on the feast of the Presentation itself. It traditionally became the day when Religious renew their vows as a symbol of renewing their religious consecration.

This feast presents to us many points for personal reflection. There are many things which come to my mind and among these are the following:

A lesson on poverty: This feast recalls to mind how Mary and Joseph were really poor. They offered to God what was prescribed in the Law as the offering of poor people: turtle doves. Sometimes we may be tempted to think that the Holy Family's poverty was a pious tradition to exalt the virtue of poverty to those who were born poor in this world. Or to pacify the restless hearts of peasants during the middle ages by the backing of religion. But this Gospel event proves to us that they were materially poor in the true sense of the word. It is so consoling to think that material possessions are not always a badge of God's favor and the lack of them is not a sign of God's disfavor.

We are all consecrated: By virtue of our baptism, we are consecrated to God. We are set apart to do a particular mission in life to bring about the Kingdom. Consecration is lived out in many ways. Religious are consecrated by a certain ritual in the Church which sets them aside for a particular ministry following a particular charism, within a particular Religious Order. Ordained Priests are consecrated to be God's ministers of Word and Sacraments for the life of one's soul. A baptized Christian in the world is consecrated to be a leaven, a salt of the earth, to make present the presence of God in the market-places of the world. No one is exempted. We just do not exist, we live for a purpose. The Presentation of the Child Jesus was a statement of this truth.

God lives in His temple and because of that we ought to give the House of God the respect it deserves. The drama of Mary's purification, Jesus' consecration, the prophecy made by Simeon and the love of the prophetess Anna, all demonstrate to us how holy the temple or Church is. In our Catholic Churches is present, day and night, the Son of God, Lord of Heaven and earth, who chose to remain in that little piece of bread we call the Eucharist so that He can be with us always. And yet, for one reason or other, we take it for granted. We need to recapture the reverence and awe we once had for the House of God. Everyone of us can cite examples of how people can be so disrespectful of God's temple.

Our body is the temple of the Holy Spirit and as such should be treated with respect and reverence. Our body is the instrument to render homage to God by acts of good deeds and virtues or to be used as an instrument to offend Him. This feast reminds us to be conscious of this reality.

The sword piercing Mary's heart was a prophecy of the Cross. Along with the joy of having given birth to God, the joy was lined with sorrow because the prophecy foretells rejection, hate and death. Isn't this a consequence of following Jesus, of discipleship? The Cross is never far away from those who truly follow God. That is one reason why people are afraid to follow Christ, "it is difficult, too complicated" many would say. It entails dying: to self, selfish desires, life of sin.

As we celebrate this feast of the Presentation, let us again be mindful of these truths and ponder the insights which God reveals to those who seek Him. "And suddenly there will come to the temple the Lord whom you seek (Malachi 3:1-4). "Are you not aware that you are God's temple?" Let us enter in, into the temple of our soul. Let us remain in silence before the Lord our God. Nothing is needed for this journey except the desire to be united with Him. As St. John of the Cross would say, the language God hears best is the silent language of love.

The Baptism of Jesus

2026-01-10T16:17:00.000-05:00

The feast of the Baptism of the Lord is celebrated January 11 this year and thus liturgically closing the Christmas season. The baptism of Jesus in the river Jordan by John the Baptist was a historical event and an invitation to a mystery. The significance of the baptism of our Lord is an event that is renewed everyday in the lives of every baptized person. It is in a sense our feast too and appropriately do we celebrate it. Saint Paul says that Jesus is the first-fruit of many brothers. It is in this context that we should interpret the events of his life as narrated by the Gospel writers. The Scriptures are not historical books, as far as historical books are defined, although some events found in them can be historically proven. Scriptures, and in particular the Gospels, were written “so that you may believe” as St. John the Apostle would say at the end of his Gospel.

Jesus came to be with us, “Emmanuel,” so that we can learn to suffer in hope. The comfort promised by the Lord is not the comfort resulting from the absence of trials and tribulations but a supernatural joy which comes from our knowledge that suffering can have its meaning and purpose. The coming of the Lord at Christmas was the fulfillment of a much anticipated hope from all forms of bondage caused by our human weaknesses and sins: hopelessness, fear, sorrow, helplessness, feeling unloved, emptiness and more. This promise of comfort is given to us because above all else, our God is the Good Shepherd, and “like a shepherd he feeds his flock, in his arms he gathers the lambs, carrying them in his bosom, and leading the ewes with care.” Such is the nature of our God.

Jesus’ baptism was an act of entering fully into the fullness of our humanity- a humanity tarnished by sin and in need of redemption. To be fully one with us, he humbled himself by identifying with our sinful nature. He made himself inferior to John whose own unworthiness before the Second Person of the Blessed Trinity, John himself acknowledged. But so as to fulfill the plan of God, it was made so. “Let is be so for now,” Jesus would say. Docility, meekness, submission- all necessary elements to accomplish the Will of God. Jesus’ baptism brought his humility, our baptism on the other hand, brought us dignity. We are no longer sheep without a shepherd, we were made into children of God. What marvelous exchange! All because He loves us. Saint Peter explains this when he says that this is because God shows no partiality. He gives himself freely to those who would accept him and open themselves to the gifts God brings. But the gifts bring with them responsibilities. “To one who is given much, much will be required.” Christ faced the demands of his baptism even when they landed him on the Cross. We cannot choose otherwise if we are to be his true followers. St. Paul explains that “the grace of God has appeared, saving all and training us to reject godless ways and worldly desires and to live temperately, justly, and devoutly in this age...” In other words, by our own baptism, we have contracted a covenant with God, to live our lives according to the image and example of His Son, who even though sinless, went to be baptized to set an example for us. He assumed our humanity so that we can have a share in His divinity. We do not belong to ourselves. Our lives are not our own.

St. John baptized with water and Jesus with the Spirit. It is the same in our own lives. All the good works we do, all the good intentions we have are dead, if they do not proceed from the motives of faith, love of God and love of neighbor for the sake of God. The Spirit himself gives life. The Spirit himself brings to flower what we have sown. We are only his gardeners. The Spirit reveals himself in ordinary ways but we must have the eyes of faith and the ears to hear the manifestations of the Spirit.

In the midst of sufferings in the world, in the midst of darkness and trials of life, in the midst of burden and hopelessness, we remember these words of our Father: “You are my beloved son (or daughter).” These will bring us comfort, hope and assurance that we are never alone or forgotten. No matter how gray our hairs turn out to be, how wrinkled and old we become, how frail and sick, we remain always a child before the Father who loves us first and always.

My Star Shines Everyday

2026-01-06T19:23:00.000-05:00

The Feast of Epiphany is sometimes called "little Christmas." The word "Epiphany" means "manifestation." The liturgy readings narrate the revelation of the Christ-Child to the world of the gentiles in the form of a star. The Christmas Season captures the two forms of one reality- God came to earth to be with His people. The first form of this manifestation was on Christmas day when "the Word was made flesh and dwelt among us" (Prologue of St. John). The Word assumed a human nature and became like us. God the Father manifested Himself to us through the Son, Jesus. This is the first manifestation. Then on the feast of Epiphany, God manifested Himself again, not in the silence of the night in some hidden cave in Bethlehem, but to the world, through the persons of the
Magi, and in them, to the Gentiles. This is the second manifestation.

One can draw many hidden meanings on this feast we celebrate. The readings bring up many thoughts to mind. First, the reality of the star. I think of the star as a symbol of Faith. Faith, according to St. Paul, is the certainty of things unseen. It is the engine that drives our relationship with God. 'Without faith, it is impossible to approach God," St. Paul says. Just like the star which the Magi saw, this faith can sometimes lead us to places we have not imagined, experience things we do not understand, and see things we never imagined. This faith, just like the star, can bring us to a hidden place - a place of poverty, wonder and surprises, like the cave in Bethlehem. Living in faith can take us to a deeper awareness of our own spiritual poverty, helplessness and total dependence on
God. It forces us to take leaps of faith, to have courage in darkness, and perseverance in the midst of
doubts and confusion. Our "epiphany" happens everyday. It is said that stars are always shining but are not visible in daylight because of the dominant light that comes from the brightest and biggest of the stars- the Sun. God is always in our daily experiences but we do not always appreciate His Presence because of the distractions posed by the most pressing things of daily existence. Do we have the understanding of the Magi? Do we have the courage to follow a star that seems to lead us to a place unknown and hidden from our understanding? This is a question only we can answer. 'Where is the newborn King of the Jews?" the Magi asked. In the same token we can ask "Where is God in MY life?" Isn't this the unspoken question we ask ourselves? And even if we know where to find Him and what we must do to find Him- do we find the courage to do so?

You and I know that once we allow God to enter our lives, we are forever changed. We may not
always remain in that initial surge of spiritual fervor but we can not say we are the same person. After finding the Child,the Magi returned to their own countries by another way. Encounter with God always entail change. This can be an unsettling experience because we are used to the familiar and comfortable. But life in God constantly calls for moving forward. We know by experience how one step forward equals two steps backward but we continue to live in faith, hope and charity. I love these words of Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity when describing the life of faith: "It no longer rests in inclination and feelings; it matters little to the soul whether it feels God or not, whether He sends it joy or suffering; it believes in His love." One believes that everything is grace.

This feast of the Epiphany invites all of us to a deeper realization of our individual "star.' It is an invitation to gaze at it with the expectation that it is telling us something. This star shines everyday. It challenges us to venture out into the unknown, beyond the familiar and the comfortable. It reminds us there were others who lived in another era of time and place who followed the same invitation and were granted the joy of eternal fulfillment. Did you ever wonder why only the Magi seemed to have understood what the significance of this star was? If you think that the whole land of Israel was waiting for this revelation to occur, and yet, why only the Magi saw it when it was finally revealed? Maybe because they were vigilant. Maybe because they made it their business to study it, and analyze it, and contemplate it. If I don't endeavor to prayerfully look at the events of my life and see the hand of God in it, I too will merit the the harsh words of the psalmist, "They have eyes but they do not see. They have ears but they do not hear." That would be sad because in God alone do we find rest.

MARY, MOTHER OF GOD, MOTHER OF MINE

2025-12-31T13:35:00.000-05:00

January 1st is the Solemnity of Mary, Mother of God. Of all the titles of Mary, her motherhood is the title I like best. I love to collect photos of Mary showing her with the Child Jesus. There is something in that mystery that draws me. Of course, it gives me much delight to know that I was also born on the feast of the Dedication of the Basilica of Saint Mary Major in Rome - August 5th. The Basilica is the largest basilica in the West dedicated to the Mother of God. It was erected, as the story goes, at the site where Our Lady of the Snows appeared. This was also the day-January 1, 1998, that I received the holy habit of Carmel!

A great heresy in the Church, promulgated by Bishop Nestorius, claimed that Mary was not the Mother of God, but the mother of the man, Jesus. He proposed that Mary could not have borne God since he is God, but bore only the man. In saying this, he was actually denying the divinity of Jesus. This heresy was put to rest in 431 at the Council of Ephesus when the Greek Fathers of the Church, headed by St. Cyril of Alexandria, defined the maternity of Mary. It was on this Council that the title of "Theotokos" or "God-Bearer",was first used.

It is interesting to note that Mary's motherhood is presented to us by the Church calendar at the beginning of the year. This maternal role actually began at the Annunciation when Mary agreed to be the Mother of the Son of God. But because the Church wants to put the spotlight on the person of Jesus, the Emmanuel, Mary sort of faded into the background. Now that the climax of Christmas is somewhat over, Mary is again brought back on stage. It is also fitting to celebrate this feast at the opening of the New Year because it brings to mind the reality that Mary is the dawn and Christ the Rising Sun. She is the one that leads us to God. She opens the way so that we can follow the path of true discipleship. The document "Lumen Gentium" says that Mary is the first of Christ's faithful disciples.

It is unfortunate that this motherhood of Mary is rejected by many, Protestants and Catholics alike. By Protestants, because of a misunderstanding and fear that she will take away from Jesus the honor and worship that he solely deserves. By Catholics, because they have reduced Mary solely as an object of empty and silly devotions, the heroine of mythic proportion. Saint Therese of Lisieux one day complained about the manner in which priests of her day talked about Mary in their homilies. "They talk of her imagined life, not her real life. Why can't they talk about how she doubted like us, that she suffered like us."

Of all the insights about Mary, one I ponder the most, is our late Pope John Paul II's words in his encyclical Redemptoris Mater that Mary is blessed BECAUSE SHE BELIEVED. It was her faith alone that we can all strive to imitate. Her other attributes of the Immaculate Conception and Divine Motherhood are attributes that will never be ours. But her faith, her trust and surrender, are virtues we can all imitate. Woman of Faith.. Mother of God... Mother of Mine.

Saint John of the Cross: Doctor of Love

2025-12-13T18:10:00.000-05:00

Doctor of Love

Feast Day: December 14th
Carmelite, Mystic, Doctor of the Church

The Carmelite Order celebrates the feast of Saint John of the Cross on December 14th. Saint John is first of my favorite male Saints, with St. Francis De Sales, as my second. Humanly speaking, his life was a story of poverty and sufferings but spiritually, it was a story of love between a creature and the Creator. To know Saint John we need to know some basic facts about him.

Juan de Yepes was born June 24, 1542 in Fontiveros, Spain. He had two brothers, Francisco and Luis. Luis died as a small child after his father's death. His father, Gonzalo De Yepes, belonged to a noble family of silk merchants. His mother, Catalina Alvarez, was an orphan girl who was raised by a local family and earned her living as a weaver. The two met when Gonzalo was on a business trip. Gonzalo fell in love with this attractive young woman and the two married "out of love" without the blessing of the Yepes family. Gonzalo was disinherited and the couple raised their family in hard work and financial straits but full of love and dedication. When Gonzalo died, Catalina was left to care for the boys. Life proved to be very difficult for her and the small family of three lived in abject poverty. Catalina assumed the heavy responsibility of feeding and raising her children. She was forced to move from place to place to look for a good paying job that would help her to meet even the bare necessities of life. This childhood experience of self-sacrificing love will form John and he would develop this subject and used it as a structure in his explanation of the Divine love of God and the standard of what our own response to God's love should be. His sayings of: "Where there is no love, put love and you will find love," "Love is repaid by love alone," "In the evening of life you will be examined in love," "When you experience something unpleasant, look at Jesus Crucified and be silent," are all sentiments formed by his own experience of self-emptying love.

Catalina was described as a very devout Christian woman who brought up her sons "with the greatest Christian spirit, and encouraged them to be devoted to the Mother of God." Years later, Saint John would recount a story of his childhood. He had fallen into a pond and a very beautiful lady appeared and stretched her hand to him in the motion of helping him. Young Juan refused to extend his hand to her because he did not want to get her dirty. A workman with a pole eventually fished him out of the pond and rescued him. Saint John often said that it was for this reason that he was very devoted and fond of Our Lady.The Shepherd Boy

We cannot speak of Saint John without mentioning Saint Teresa of Avila. The two met when St. John went back to Medina del Campo to celebrate his First Mass after ordination. He had entered the Carmelites but felt unhappy thinking he was called to a more austere life of the Carthusians. St. Teresa had founded a reformed Carmelite community of nuns in the same town and was beginning a process of finding men to join her reform for the friars. This was to be a providential meeting. They met and talked and St. John confided to her his plans. St. Teresa for her part convinced John to join her reform and assured him that whatever he was looking for with the Carthusians, he would find in the Reformed Carmel. John agreed provided that he did not have to wait long.

John and Teresa suffered much for the reform of Carmel. It resulted in St. John being held prisoner for 9 months in a Toledo cell by his fellow Carmelite brothers. True to the practice of the times, he received the beatings and penalty imposed on a "renegade " religious. He was in a solitary confinement, deprived of any kind of mental or physical activity, in the cold and dark prison cell with a very small window to allow a little bit of light to enter. When the time ordained by God came, he escaped and made his way to a monastery of Reformed Carmelite Nuns in Toledo. They barely recognized him for they found him emaciated, confused and looking barely alive.

St. John's experience in imprisonment brought with it a purification of the purest quality. It would bring out the sparkle already in the diamond that was St. John. It produced the most beautiful poetry Spain ever had, the 'Spiritual Canticle." John of the Cross would serve the Discalced Order in a spiritual way. He is considered to be the co-founder of the Order along with Saint Teresa of Avila. He died in Ubeda December 14, 1591 from a blood poisoning originating from a gangrenous ulcerated leg sore. He was beatified by Pope Clement January 25, 1675. His canonization occurred 50 years later on December 27, 1726 by Pope Benedict XIII. He was declared a Doctor of the Universal Church by Pope Pius XI August 24, 1926.

Personally, I love Saint John because he is a true voice of Truth. He is dependable because he doesn't water down the demands of the Gospel. He points to what is true and necessary and does not mince words to soften the blow. He challenges but at the same time he comforts with his words of love and understanding. He demands but at the same time understands the frailty of human nature. He holds up an ideal but makes room for human weakness. He feeds us with the solid meat of the spiritual. He is austere but at the same time poetic and eloquent. He speaks of mortification and detachment but always in the context of loving. He reminds us that we are special and loved by God. He reminds that we have been bought by the blood and death of Jesus and that nothing - no suffering, no trial, no persecution- can ever make us repay what He did out of love. Except to love Him back.

Saint John wrote his major works of The Dark Night, Ascent of Mount Carmel, Spiritual Canticle and Living Flame of Love. He also wrote some prose, prayers and Counsels. We have some surviving letters he wrote.

Saint John of the Cross is known as the Doctor of the Dark Night. That is an inaccurate description. His dark night was only a means to the greater end of transforming union in love. He is a Doctor of Love. Only if we see him in this light, will we cease to be afraid of him and his doctrine.

What is St. John's relevance in our modern day and age? I believe first and foremost that he, like John the Baptist", is the voice that cries in the wilderness, "make straight the way of the Lord!" his voice bears the impact of conscience. Our lives can become filled with so many needs, longings and wants, ambitions and plans. We find our plates full , and yet, still go away hungry and thirsty. We find ourselves in a world of options and freedoms, and yet, find ourselves enslaved and limited. We find ourselves soaring so high in our spiritual adventure, and suddenly, find ourselves on a rapid descent and sometimes ending with a fatal crash on the ground of life. What does John of the Cross say to all these? "On the way to the mountain, nothing, nothing, nothing. And at the top of the mountain, still nothing." (Ascent of Mount Carmel). God is much greater than all the goods of this earth. Much greater than the loftiest of our spiritual experiences. Much greater than our mind can conceive. He teaches us that the ascent to union with God is accomplished in darkness and nakedness. He teaches that God is not found AFTER the darkness passes, but that God is IN the darkness, and to embrace this darkness is the surest way to find God. Faith, Hope and Love, the three things that last. In the end, these are the surest guides we can depend on. We are living in these times of faith-crisis. We look for signs and miracles. We exalt grand spiritual experiences and gravitate to what our intellect can understand. We are confronted by worldly idols and created some ourselves. We put out our hands and frantically grab whatever makes us happy, only to be disappointed because they all make us feel empty. In short, we look for God in all the wrong places. St. John invites us to journey WITHIN.

Saint John of the Cross, pray for us!

Third Sunday of Advent

2025-12-13T18:07:00.000-05:00

“I rejoice heartily in the Lord, in my God is the joy of my soul. For he has clothed me with a robe of salvation and wrapped me in a mantle of justice...” We call this prayer the “Magnificat” almost always used in reference to Mary. But this prayer can also be applied to John the Baptist. John was certainly a man singularly blessed by God to be the precursor of the messianic age. He was God’s mouthpiece announcing the dawn of a new age. His was the message of repentance, forgiveness and justice. The Spirit of the Lord was upon him because God anointed him to send glad tidings to the prisoners under the bondage of sin, to announce the year of favor from God. Interestingly enough, this was the passage used by Jesus for his own credentials when John, from prison, asked Jesus: “Are you the one who is to come or do we wait for another?” This same message was played out by two different personalities. One with a loud voice in the desert and an unyielding reed standing by the banks of the Jordan. Another with the power of love and service, a lamb who opened not his mouth, a bruised reed.

John knew his role in the salvation drama of Israel. He himself acknowledged that he is only the voice in the desert announcing the coming of the Lord. He is fully aware of the words of the prophet Isaiah. What struck me the most with him was his deep self-knowledge and his being fully rooted in the truth about himself. The questions (more like proposals) that were addressed to him were unhesitatingly answered with what he knew to be the truth. “I am not Elijah or the prophet or the Messiah. No, I am only a voice... Someone mightier is coming after me.... I am not worthy to untie his sandals....”

Only in our knowledge of the truth can we truly deliver the message of God. Only in knowing ourselves can we fully serve God without the danger of losing our souls. The “proposals” we can encounter in the service of God can become a wine that intoxicates us. We can easily forget that the message is more important than the messenger. We can easily forget that we are not the Elijah’s, or God forbid we have the illusion that we are the Messiah, of our world with subtle agendas. We are only voices in the deserts of this world, witnessing to the reality that there is One, more powerful and more important who will accomplish the impossible which we cannot do ourselves. John was important in the plan of God, and so are we, but only to the extent that we remain in the vine, rooted in the truth of who we truly are on the chess board.

John the Baptist never witnessed the fullness of God’s revelation. He never saw the fullness of God’s intent to save his people. He never witnessed the victory of the Resurrection. And yet, God needed him to prepare the way of this ultimate victory. We may never witness the ultimate victory in our fight for justice. We may never reap the harvest of our labors but God needs us to proclaim the Good News of His Son. We may never see the end to abortion, euthanasia, social injustice, poverty and sufferings in this world. But we should be firm in our faith and hope that One who is mightier will come and will make justice and praise spring up before all the nations.

I believe that only if we truly make this our conviction that we can rejoice always and pray without ceasing as St. Paul exhorts us to do in the second reading. I believe that if we can seek out the good from the bad can we retain what is good. Only then is it possible to be thankful in all circumstances. Only then can we be found blameless until the coming of the Lord. For as St. Paul says, God is faithful and He will accomplish His plan present since the foundation of the world.

Mary of Guadalupe

2025-12-11T22:40:00.000-05:00

Feast: December 12th

The feast of Our Lady of Guadalupe is a beautiful feast appropriately celebrated during Advent. Just as the message of Guadalupe was a message of light piercing through the darkness, so is the message of Advent that of Light dawning upon mankind. The story of Our Lady of Guadalupe is beautiful in that it once again shows us the tenderness of Mary as mother, appearing to a humble native named Juan Diego on the hills of Tepeyac, to offer consolation and hope to a world wrapped in ignorance and darkness. She appeared heavy with child, anticipating the beautiful event we are to celebrate Christmas night, when the Child to be born of her comes to save His people.

Mary's tenderness and gentleness in Tepeyac drew the humble Juan Diego to the top of the hills to learn more about this beautiful sight of the "Heavenly Lady" before him. What humility the Mother of God had when she decided to appear to him as one of them, a native just like himself, only more beautiful than he had ever seen. When asked who she was, she replied by saying, "I am the ever Virgin Mary, Mother of the true God through whom all things live. It is my ardent desire that a church be erected here so that in it I can show and bestow my love, compassion, help, and protection to all who inhabit this land and to those others who love me, that they might call upon and confide in me." Mary is the Mother of the Church. She brings the message to the Church, works through the Church, and does not bring anything to fruition without the Church. Just as on Pentecost, a small band of uneducated, frightened men, huddled together to await the coming of the Holy Spirit, so were the people of Tepeyac waiting for this hour when the light of God will come. And Mary was there to bring it about. In their ignorance they did not know it. They were content with darkness: the darkness of pagan idols, human sacrifices, poverty, sin. But grace pierced through the darkness of their world.
It seems that the Mother of God is drawn to people who are most humble and act with no pretense. Juan Diego was set to meet Our Lady one day at the top of the hill when he was confronted by a choice he had to make. His uncle was ill and he had to find a priest to hear his confession. But the Lady was waiting for him. What was he to do? He decided to go around the hill and passed on the other side to avoid being detained by the heavenly Lady. Mary came out to meet him and reassured him: "Listen and understand, my humblest son. There is nothing to frighten and distress you. Do not let your heart be troubled, and let nothing upset you. Is it not I, your Mother, who is here? Are you not under my protection? Are you not, fortunately, in my care? Do not let your uncle's illness distress you." How many times we long to hear those words in moments of trials and distress, when we feel sad and lonely? Many times I recall these words of Mary and they give me comfort and joy.
Our Mother left us a token of this love and consolation: her image imprinted in the beautiful "tilma" or cloak still venerated today in Mexico City. I have heard it said that in all of Mary's apparitions, she had been portrayed according to the accounts of her witnesses. But in Guadalupe, she left us an image created by herself with her own brush. The most interesting thing is that a thorough study of the image shows an image of a man reflected in one of the pupils of her eye. Experts claim it was that of Juan Diego. You can't get more personal and intimate than that.

What is the message of Our Lady of Guadalupe? There are many. She is the Patroness of Life. She brought life and light to a world of sin and darkness. She is the bearer of life, pregnant with the Word made Flesh. She reiterated that she will always and forever be our Mother, whether we know her or not. Just like a true mother, she searches for her children and takes the initiative to bring about what is good for them. She is forever the "ever Virgin Mary", both Virgin and Mother, thus confirming the teaching of the Church from the beginning of salvation history.

May our most beautiful and gentle Mother, be our comfort always and our joy, our treasure and source of strength. May we always look for her at the top of our own "hill at Tepeyac" and recognize her as "our true mother... Are we not under her protection? A mother who is always there..."

Advent's Main Characters

2025-12-07T12:46:00.000-05:00

There are three major personalities in the season of Advent: Isaiah, John the Baptist and Mary. It is very helpful to meditate on the significance of these three personalities and to find their significance in the event of Christmas.

Isaiah is the great prophet of Advent. Most of the liturgical readings are taken from him. For the most part, they are proclamations of Israel’s infidelities to God and God’s plan of salvation. Despite Isaiah’s cries of woes, the liturgical texts of Advent are really beautiful in the sense of being invitations to keep our faith anchored in God’s promise of redemption. Advent is a season of supernatural hope. It reminds us that despite our infidelities, or precisely because of our weakness, God is ready to take us back if only we repent.

This subject of repentance brings us to the person of John the Baptist. John was an ascetic, the “voice in the wilderness.” Isaiah proclaimed John as the one to prepare the way of the Lord. Advent does not have the penitential rigors of Lent though the priest uses purple vestments during Mass, but an inward conversion of heart. God’s coming is to take the form, not as judge, but as an infant. That in itself is a joyful event. There is a jubilant expectation, love is in the air. John calls us to repent and to turn away from everything that lies in the way of God’s coming to us. It is a call to a deeper awareness of who it is “leaving heaven” to be with the sons of men. After having grasped this we are moved to love. Advent requires that we make room for the Spirit of God. We need to do away with things that are not compatible with Him. Having offered the little we have, God purifies them so that we may be presented to Him as a “chaste bride to her bridegroom.”

Mary is the central figure in Advent because she is the Mother of God made Man. It is fitting to celebrate the Solemnity of the Immaculate Conception during Advent because it makes sense to honor the Ark that contained the New Covenant. She had to be immaculately conceived to bear the Sinless One. Mary’s greatness does not only depend on her privilege of physical motherhood but more so because she exemplifies the faith of a true disciple. I think it was St. Bernard who said that Mary gave birth only to what she had already conceived in her heart and mind. This was manifested in her complete submission, her living faith, her readiness to give herself to the fulfillment of what the great prophets had foretold. She exemplifies the true spirit of Advent, the vigilant waiting we must try to practice. You and I will make it our aim to make this Advent and Christmas Season different. Let us ponder how..

In Allegiance to Jesus Christ

2025-11-23T16:05:00.000-05:00

The second chapter of the Rule of Carmel has this to say: "In many and various ways the holy fathers established how everyone, whatever his order or whatever kind of religious life he has chosen, must live in allegiance to Jesus Christ and serve him faithfully from a pure heart and a good conscience."

November 23 is the Solemnity of Christ the King and the last Sunday in the liturgical year. Next Sunday, November 30 is the First Sunday of Advent. The whole Church gathers in churches everywhere to give glory and homage and pledge our allegiance to the King of Kings and Lord of lords. We acknowledge the kingship of Christ and so I reflect on what this kingship means.

The life of Jesus was a paradox. He was the God who lowered himself and assumed a human estate. He was the Master who served his disciples at the Last Supper. He was the Teacher who showed surprise at the faith of the centurion. He was the innocent man who was crucified for a man-made crime. And now, a King, flogged and mocked, stripped naked, crowned with thorns, dragged on the streets and crucified on the cross. What a pathetic King! A joke of a kingship! And so they all thought...

And Jesus said: "My Kingship is not of this world. " The kingdom of God is not of this world. Living in allegiance to Jesus Christ is living in hope. It is fixing our eyes on what is to come. It is the joyful expectation that the promises made are to be fulfilled. Jesus also answered Pilate: "It is you who say I am a king. The reason I was born, the reason why I came into the world, is to testify to the truth. Anyone committed to the truth hears my voice." Living in allegiance to Jesus Christ means living in truth, conforming our lives to the truth of the Gospels as we discern these truths in prayer and in the teachings of the Church, Christ's voice on earth. In our modern times, it has become more and more difficult to hear the truth because there has arisen many voices which claim to be the bearers of truth. The notion of an objective truth, a truth which is distinct from us and does not change, is vehemently challenged. We are bombarded by people who mean well but are misguided, advising us to listen to "our heart" and to do what "we think is right." The phrase sounds good but deceiving. Decisions, especially moral decisions, made separate from the teachings of Christ as revealed in the New Testament and the Commandments as revealed in the Old Testament, are mere sentimentalism and secular humanism.

This feast of Christ the King is a reminder to all of us that the kingdom promised by Jesus comes with a heavy price. We profess to follow a King who went through humiliations and unspeakable sufferings. His was the 'Royal Road of the Cross." While on earth, "this valley of tears," we cannot escape the Cross, as much as we try, without sacrificing our allegiance to Jesus Christ.

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity

2025-11-06T22:25:00.000-05:00

Feast Day: November 8

The Carmelite Order celebrates the feast of Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity on November 8th. Elizabeth was a beautiful soul who tasted the delights of contemplating God in the depths of her soul and invites us to do the same.

She was born July 18, 1880 in a military camp of Avor in the district of Farges-en-Septaine, France to a military family. Her father, Joseph Catez, was a captain of the 8th Squadron of the Equipment and Maintenance Corps. Her mother, Marie Rolland, was the daughter of a retired Commandant. The couple was blessed with two lovely daughters, Elizabeth and Marguerite. The family moved to Dijon in 1882. As a child, Elizabeth was described to possess a terrible temper. She was inclined to bouts of tantrums and her early photos show her flashing eyes. It was said that a Canon close to the family exclaimed after being a witness to these outburst, “this child will either grow up to be a devil or an angel.” She is described to be quick-tempered and unable to manage her anger well. This character flaw will be foremost in Elizabeth’s mind as she strove to grow deeper in the spiritual life.

But despite this weakness, Elizabeth also was gifted with good natural qualities. She was naturally affectionate and did not think twice to show it. When one reads her letters to friends, her warmth and affectionate nature come through. She was loved wherever she went and was popular among her friends. She loved to travel and loved beautiful, fashionable clothes. She was an accomplished pianist and her soul was sensitive to everything beautiful and harmonious. It was this artistic soul that will open up for her the discovery of a Presence within her.

When her father died, Mme. Catez, Elizabeth and Marguerite moved to a smaller house not far from a Carmelite monastery. In fact, it was so near to the house that Elizabeth could see the belfry of the chapel from her bedroom window. A great spiritual transformation occurred in Elizabeth during her First Communion in April of 1891. Her writings talk about her account of “being fed by Jesus.” This experience was the turning point in her life. From that moment onward, Elizabeth began a journey of self-discovery, self-mastery and self-conquest. She also discovered her vocation to Carmel.

It is wonderful to read Saint Elizabeth’s writings because they are full of love and expressions of great longings. Her description and re-discovery of the mystery of the Divine Indwelling in her soul is so vivid that one cannot help but be immersed in what she is describing. Her writings are lofty and mystical and she spoke in the language of the mystics. She truly lived out her personal mission of being the apostle of Divine Indwelling in Carmel. Her appeal is different from St. Therese and yet Elizabeth read Therese's "Story of a Soul" while a Postulant in her Dijon Carmel. In a photo taken of her at this time with the Community, she can be seen holding this book next to Mother Germaine, her Prioress. There is a certain euphoria and excitement surrounding St. Therese but Saint Elizabeth manifests a more subdued, serious and austere aura about her. She was very heavily influenced by the writings of Saint Paul and most, if not all of her writings, are meditations and reflections on the works of this great apostle to the gentiles. It was in one of St. Paul's letters that she discovered her personal mission in Carmel: to be "laudem gloriae", to be God's Praise of Glory. Being a praise of glory for Elizabeth meant becoming "another humanity in which Christ can renew the whole of His mystery." She expounds on St. Paul's cry of "filling up in my body what is still lacking in the sufferings of Christ." All these sentiments were not driven only by a pure sense of asceticism but more so because she understood that love is proven by the crucible of the Cross. " A Carmelite is a soul who has gazed on Christ Crucified, who has seen Him offering Himself to His Father as a victim for souls; and entering into herself under this great vision of Christ's charity, she has understood the passion of His soul and desired to give herself as He did!"

Elizabeth of the Trinity teaches me that God dwells in silence. The Rule of Carmel teaches that "your strength will lie in silence and hope." When asked by her Prioress what her favorite point of the Rule was, she referred to the practice of silence as indicated in the Holy Rule. It is in silence that we must seek Him and we have to acquire that virtue of silence in order to allow God to communicate Himself to us. Being silent is not just the absence of words. Being silent more so means being abandoned, docile, submissive to the Spirit so He can accomplish his works in us. Being silent means having a “single eye” to view all things. A silent and peaceful soul is one who is convinced that nothing happens by accident, no second causes, that God ordains all, and that everything is grace. A noisy soul is one that constantly swims upstream, who constantly sees the danger behind every sacrifice, who measures every step so she doesn’t fall. It reminds me of the song The Rose -“it’s the heart afraid of breaking that never learns to dance, it’s the dream afraid of waking that never takes a chance, it’s the one who won’t be taken who cannot seem to give, and the soul afraid of dying that never learns to live."

Elizabeth died of Addison’s disease on November 9, 1906. She was beatified by Saint Pope John Paul II on November 25, 1984 and canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016. Her dying words were “I am going to Light, to Love, to Life.” In her own words:

“Let us live with God as with a Friend. Let us make our faith a living thing, so as to remain in communion with Him through everything. That is how saints are made. We carry our heaven within us, since He who completely satisfies every longing of the glorified souls in the light of the Beatific Vision, is giving Himself to us in faith and mystery. It is the same thing. It seems to me I have found my heaven on earth, since heaven is God and God is in my soul. The day I understood that, everything became clear to me, and I wish I could whisper this secret to those I love in order that they also might cling closely to God through everything.

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity, pray for us!

Saint Therese: Love Endures All things

2025-09-30T20:46:00.002-04:00

I love this photo of Saint Therese after her death , September 30, 1897. The first time I saw this before I entered Carmel, I was so struck by the peace that was reflected on her face that one would not know how much suffering she endured in the many months she was afflicted with TB.

This photo shows Therese with a crown of flowers symbolizing her status as a Spouse of Jesus Christ. It also symbolized the crown of victory she now enjoys in heaven after the battle of earthly life. It echoes St. Paul's words, "death where is your victory, death where is your sting?" In St. Therese's time and even now in some Carmelite monasteries, a Carmelite nun is placed in a flower-laden bed of brown or black cloth after death and laid out in the choir for family and friends to see. The choir is usually with a grille so the public can only see the body but not touch it. Her face was partially turned to the right and one could see a sweet smile on her face. I do not belong to an enclosed Community but when God calls me back to Himself, I will also be laid with a crown of flowers. The day of St. Therese's death, September 30, 1897, she suffered the agony which made her exclaim, "I never thought it possible to suffer as much as this." She was weak and parched, her pain caused by the severe coughing, caused her to gasp for air. Her Sisters had to pull her up, with Therese's arms on each of their shoulders in the form of a cross. She was experiencing the darkest of her nights where God seemed to be absent. She was reliving the agony of Jesus on the Cross and experiencing the spiritual abandonment He experienced. "My God, my God, why have you abandoned me?" But her faith was exceptionally strong, her love pure, that in the end she surrendered her soul to God with the words "O my God, I love thee!" She was only 24 years old.

I have kept this picture of Therese in my breviary for the longest time. It reminds me of the reality and cost of discipleship. The death of the Saints is not as rosy and heavenly as we would like to imagine it. No angels hovering above, no supernatural light beaming down on them. More often, surrounded by intense spiritual darkness. It is raw and painful. But Therese showed us that true love can endure even the most painful of experiences. It reminds me how short life is here on earth. It reminds me that loving Jesus means to suffer. It reminds me that death is the prelude to something greater. How precious is the death of a just man in the eyes of God, the Psalmist exclaims! Pleasing in the eyes of God is the death of His Saint.

Therese did not want to be incorrupt. She believed that her little way is for ordinary people. Being preserved from decomposition is somewhat "extraordinary." Her wish was granted. It's amazing how much she had accomplished after death more than when she was alive. Her nine years in Carmel, hidden from the world, brought her holiness because she loved much. Ironic that never having left her precious Carmel, she was made co-Patroness of the Missions, together with St. Francis Xavier. This was because she had an intense love of the Missions and offered many sacrifices for missionaries. She had plans to volunteer as a missionary when Lisieux Carmel sent a foundation to Saigon, Vietnam. But her illness prevented her dream to come true. And now in heaven she makes true her promise: "I will spend my heaven doing good on earth. I will let down a shower of roses."

What makes St. Therese so special? What was her secret? I believe that Therese is one of those Saints who can speak to people of all ages, of different backgrounds, because she brings simplicity and humanity in our pursuit of holiness. She brings God and the experience of God down to our level of understanding and experience. Who does not identify with her struggles? Falling asleep in prayer? Being misunderstood despite our best of intentions? Feeling great desires for doing great things but falling short of talents, desires and efforts? Realizing how weak we are in climbing the arduous ladder of holiness? Her "little way of confidence and love" brought many souls to God.
"Love proves itself by deeds, so how am I to show my love? Great deeds are forbidden me. The only way I can prove my love is by scattering flowers and these flowers are every little sacrifice, every glance and word, and the doing of the least actions for love." Love is the secret of St.Therese. It was a love which endured.

LIFE OF ST. THERESE

HIDE AND SEEK

2025-07-25T18:16:00.004-04:00

Photo: Google

When my heart is anxious, You come to me,

Putting on disguises that don't fool me!

An inspiring word found in a book,

Reminds me well that God is truth.

The smiles and warmth of friends who care,

Show me a Father who is always there.

The human friendships and intimacy,

Reflections of God's love for me.

Some words of wisdom by someone dear,

Enough to dispel unfounded fears.

The tranquil mood of the river across,

The promise of peace to endurance of the cross.

The soft gentle kisses of nature's breezes,

Reminding me well, God is full of tenderness.

The graceful swaying of old tree branches,

Invites me bend under God's loving wishes.

The sight of mountains, big and tall,

Makes me feel lost and so very small!

The open spaces of countryside around me,

They seem desolate, lonely and empty,

But not without beauty,

Like the eager heart waiting for heaven's gracious bounty.

When fears and loneliness arise,

It's surely no surprise, a father or brother, just nearby

Pick up the phone or write them a line,

You are there again in your disguise!

If I can only keep in mind, how you play

this game of "Jesus Hides."

Then I will see YOU through all of my life,

When you choose to visit in a hidden guise.

WHY SILENCE?

2025-07-25T11:47:00.002-04:00

Photo: Saint Teresa's Motherhouse

"Then the Lord passed by and sent a furious wind that split the hills and shattered the rocks, but the Lord was not in the wind. the wind stopped blowing and then there was an earthquake. After the earthquake there was a fire. The Lord was not in the fire. And after the fire there was the soft whisper of a voice. When Elijah heard it, he covered his face with his cloak and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave."- Kings 19:11-13

For centuries this passage in the Scripture has been influential in the Carmelite attitude on silence and solitude. In time, I have understood personally the meaning of silence and solitude in this context. For me, silence is not just a momentary break in the routine of the day to seek a quiet place to rest and pray. For me, it is a way of life. It is the habitual inclination of the soul to attend to the presence of God and to listen intently to what he has to say at every moment. Silence is an atmosphere where one is given the time to know one's self- its strengths, limitations and fears. And it is also the time when God dispenses his grace to make the soul grow.

There are the active and passive elements of silence. The active part is the continuous discernment of the will of God in our lives through the use of our own resources and faculties. Silence is a good medium for that. Then there is the passive element of receiving from God all that he wishes to reveal to us. Silence is necessary for that.

Silence should be both external and internal. Each is complementary of the other. There can be no internal silence unless there be also an external one. We are both body and spirit. Our internal senses receive their stimulation from the external activities via our senses. External silence, on the other hand, should be animated by internal recollection, otherwise, it will merely be a form of social isolation and self-preoccupation.

Silence is so necessary in religious life because our sole aim is God. Our lives are consecrated so as to make God our only goal in life. If this not our intent then we have wasted our earthly life. God comes to us in many "disguises." If we are not "sober and alert" we will miss many of the ways and forms in which he comes to us. Silence unifies our strength. A religious, or anyone, who does not seek silence scatters their energy and make themselves vulnerable to the assaults of the world. Silence is also is a must in religious life because we aspire to model ourselves on Mary, "the woman wrapped in silence." She is the best example of authentic religious life lived out in silence.

Our Holy Father Saint Elijah

2025-07-19T18:29:00.001-04:00

The feast of Saint Elijah is celebrated July 20th in the Carmelite calendar.

Saint Elijah was a prophet of the Old Testament. His story is recorded in the First and Second Book of Kings. He is also acknowledged as the spiritual father of Carmelites because the early hermits of Mount Carmel lived together near the spring of Elijah (wadi en-Siah)in Mount Carmel to follow his way of life.

He is known for his spirit of courage when he confronted the prophets of Baal for a showdown to determine who is the one and true God of Israel.
“ How long will you straddle the issue? If Baal is god, follow him. If it is the Lord, then follow him.” (1 Kings 18:21). The events that followed were so dramatic that it became the most repeated story in the Carmelite tradition.
Elijah was both a man of prayer and action. He lived in Mount Carmel to savor the delights of deep contemplation and left it only when sent by God to do His bidding. He was a man of no compromise, a man who spoke the truth when it wasn’t popular, a man who allowed himself to be guided by his zeal for the Lord God of Hosts. He was also a man of deep compassion and sensitivity. When the son of the widow of Zarapath, whose hospitality Elijah was enjoying during the drought in Israel died, Elijah performed a miracle of raising him back to life. He felt the human feeling of sympathy and did what he could to comfort the widow. He wasn’t always brave. When Queen Jezebel sent her men to hunt him down, after Elijah slaughtered most of her false prophets, at the showdown in Mount Carmel, Elijah went into hiding and despair and begged God to take his life (1 King 19:1-4).But true to his calling, he continued his mission, prompted by God and nourished by the food from heaven. After Elijah was taken up to heaven by fiery chariots (2Kings 2: 9-12), the prophet Elisha succeeded him.

The story of Elijah is always an inspiring one for me. I think he is very relevant to us in our modern age. The basic needs of the human heart never really change. The ways of expressing these needs may vary because of culture and time, but the reality of thirst for the supernatural, search for truth, dissatisfaction with the false gods of power, wealth, ambitions and prestige, longing for a deeper respect for human life, the need to call on a power greater than our own, experiences of fear and despair when faced with forces greater than our own, remain the same. Faced as we are in this modern era with materialism, secularism and intellectual atheism, we most often straddle important issues of our day and adopt a “politically correct” and overly simplistic approach to life’s most important questions.
Elijah did not find solutions to his problems by himself. He allowed himself to be filled and guided by God in moments when he sought Him in prayer. He did not weigh the consequences of his actions in the sense of acting only when there was assured victory. He was totally abandoned, docile and trusting that God would finish what he has began. Even in his dark night of spirit he was docile and humble. He was not afraid to lend a voice to his despair and to acknowledge the fact that he was afraid and inadequate. He desired death because the fight became wearisome. He felt abandoned thinking he was the only one left among the followers of Yahweh. He was ready to give up. How could this chosen man of God feel the way he did? This man who left everything of the world, lived in solitude and deep intimacy with God, drank the wine of deep contemplation? How did he end up the way he did, in despair, and almost suicidal?
Yet, it was through this fear that true courage was born. It was through this emptiness that the cup was filled. It was in this nothingness of man that God was manifested as God.

As Carmelites, I pray that the spirit of our holy father Saint Elijah be given us. His double spirit of prayer and action is the hallmark of true Carmelite spirituality. In our age of intellectual rationalization, the voice of this great prophet is once again heard: How long will we straddle the issue? If we believe in God then we must follow him unreservedly, with docility and courage, and with holy indifference. What does holy indifference mean? It means not counting the cost, not acting only because of assured success, not worrying too much about the good opinions of others and not being too preoccupied with results whether they be good or bad as we define them to be good or bad. We accept the fact that we will never understand everything that happens to us despite our greatest and honest efforts. We will constantly fall into despair and fear, but we can rise again and be filled by the grace of God. This was the story of Elijah. This may be our story also.

The clip below is a short introduction to the contemplative life of the Order. It is not the entirety of Carmel. Carmel has many streams, but only One Source. That Source is God. Carmelite spirituality is lived today in the double-spirit of St. Elijah, action and contemplation or better yet, contemplation in action. The Carmelite spirituality is lived in the cloister, hermitages and in the apostolic ministries of education, healthcare, foreign missions and in the hearts and souls of men and women living in the world.

Martyrs of Compiegne ("Dialogues of the Carmelites")

2025-07-17T10:19:00.000-04:00

https://ocarm.org/en/item/713-bl-teresa-of-st-augustine-and-companions-ocd-virgins-and-martyrs

I saw the Opera "Dialogues of the Carmelites" on Broadway a long time back. The production is based on the play by Georges Bernanos and set into an operatic production by Francis Poulenc (1899-1963). The play was based on the true story of sixteen Discalced Carmelite Nuns who were guillotined during the French Revolution. Here is a short historical account I lifted out of the Carmelite Liturgy of the Hours:

"As the French Revolution entered its worst days, sixteen Discalced Carmelites from the Monastery of the Incarnation in Compiegne offered their lives as a sacrifice to God, making reparation to him and imploring peace for the Church. On June 24, 1794, they were arrested and thrown into prison. Their happiness and resignation were so evident that those around them were also encouraged to draw strength from God's love. They were condemned to death for their fidelity to the Church and their religious life and for their devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus and Mary. Singing hymns, and having renewed their vows before the Superior, Teresa of St. Augustine, they were put to death in Paris on July 17, 1794."

I confess that I have known the story of the Martyrs of Compiegne for the length of time I have known Carmel. There were many lines in the Broadway production which spoke to me directly. The protagonist in this story was a woman called Blanche. She was the daughter of the Marquis De la Force. After the death of her mother, being caught up in the panic surrounding the French Revolution, Blanche was forever sealed with an inordinate fear of death and suffering. Even a mere shadow of a servant throws her into a panic and nervous breakdown. She decided to enter the cloister with the hope of finding the peace and security of the cloister walls and to hopefully experience a respite from all her fears. The Mother Prioress strongly reminded Blanche that the cloister was not a refuge to protect them. "Our Order does not protect us, we must protect the Order!" I love this line because it brings home the idea that an Order's charism is preserved through the efforts of its members. We can remain truly Carmelites to the extent we want to be and to the extent that we work at it.

Once inside the monastery, she met a fellow Novice Sr. Constance, who was her opposite in character. Sr. Constance was an enthusiastic, cheerful young novice who welcomed sufferings and nurtured the idea of martyrdom as an offering to God. She had a premonition of dying young. Quite a clash of attitude. But this difference in characters provided me the most uplifting plot in the story as these two opposing personalities were welded together in the scaffold, singing with ONE voice, the hymn of courage. It was a beautiful and inspiring spiritual twist and ending for me. During some early scenes leading up to the climax of the execution, the Mother Prioress was exhorting her spiritual daughters to be brave in facing whatever God had in store for them. But she tempered this exhortation with the line, "Prayer is our duty, martyrdom is the fruit." In other words, for me it meant, "let us go about our business of prayer for that is what brought us to Carmel, and leave God the free hand to grant us the glory of martyrdom, if that is what pleases Him." In other words, we should not seek martyrdom as an end in itself. She reiterated a spiritual truth that aspiring to great things can sometimes be a sign of spiritual pride. The Mother Prioress tried to temper Sr. Constance's longing for martyrdom by words such as these. In this instance, the Mother Prioress stood as a true daughter of St. Teresa of Avila who in her lifetime said many times, "our true martyrdom is the martyrdom of conquering self."

The story was the triumph of grace over nature. It was the story of how Sr. Blanche, a fear-ridden woman, ended up choosing death over freedom because she was given the strength for it in the end. Courage is not the absence of fear but embracing the object feared with the end result of overcoming it. It was the story of how God accomplished great things in simple and obscure women who never sought to win the crown of martyrdom but succeeded in obtaining it. The Reign of Terror ended a few days after the execution of the Carmelites. We know for certain that their sacrifice was well received by Almighty God and bore fruit for France and the Church.

You can buy the book "To Quell the Terror" by William Bush and distributed by Institute of Carmelite Studies Publications https://www.icspublications.org/

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

2025-07-16T10:19:00.000-04:00

The Order of Carmel celebrates the solemnity of Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. This is a very special day for all Carmelites as they honor Mary as their Patroness.
This is a very special day for me because this day marks the day I was led to a deeper appreciation of the Mother of God and my Catholic faith. I still vividly remember, and can accurately recall, the words of the priest that gave me my first brown scapular on July 16, 1984, "Wear this and call on the Virgin Mary." Everyone experiences life-changing events, this was mine.

Someone who doesn't have a devotion to Mary will never understand the sentiments I have for her. I can say that even of Catholics. She did something for me that no other Saint in heaven did. She awakened in me a deep sense of being loved and made me understand that the practice of religion is a way of life, a relationship, and not just a collection of pious exercises. She made me want to give more of myself as an act of gratitude, not just to obtain favors. She opened my eyes to the reality that Jesus, her Son, is a person, not just an object of ideology, or a leading character in a book we call Holy Bible. But because he is a person, he is most alive and desires to be known, to be loved, to be talked to and to be listened to.
He is a person who understands us and invites us, even begs us, to know and to understand him better.

I owe a lot to the Mother of God. I would like to publicly acknowledge that and to honor her. I fall short in serving her worthily but I renew my intentions everyday. People who have been touched by Mary will share my sentiments. Our individual experiences will serve to witness her many and particular influence. This was a poem I wrote when I was a Novice to honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

To the Blessed Virgin Mary
Of Mount Carmel

A place of beauty and green serenity
Blowing breeze of coolness
Transported from the sea.
Earth’s creation finds abode in thee
With the holy hermits of Elias’ glory
This is Carmel
a mountain most heavenly.

O Virgin Mary, Queen most holy
You are our Lady inspiring many.
Your quiet life, simplicity, purity
All speak to me of Carmel’s story.

Glorious Lady, our mother too!
Who comes to us when life is blue.
In gentle stillness of your ways
You whisper softly, firmly,
“You do exactly as Jesus says.”

To be with us forever,

not to leave us ever
Her Scapular she gave us.
To those with true devotion,

a token of compassion
a garment of salvation.

As Saint Elias beheld your image
God and Father whose Spouse thou art
Behold your image in our lives and hearts.

Dear Lady of Carmel,
Virgin of our solitude,
Teach us how to please the Spirit
Show us God our only good.
To climb life’s mountain heights
In the steep ways of the spirit
Faith, hope and love

Our surest guides.

When life’s burden weighs heavy
And the journey makes me weary
Mother of Carmel, come quickly
With your mantle covering me
I will find repose in thee
Like a child asleep

with confidence
So deep.

Easter Blessings and Joy!

2025-04-20T16:08:00.000-04:00

“A woman about to give birth has sorrow, because her hour has come. But when she has brought forth the child, she no longer remembers the anguish, for her joy that a man is born into the world ” (John 16:21).
This passage from the Gospel of John articulates for me the joy of Easter. Our Lord endured many sufferings because of His great love for us. Now in his glorious resurrection He has given birth to new sons and daughters of the Church. We have now put aside the penance of Lent and are now basking in the Easter triumph our Lord gained for us. Easter is not only a season in the calendar but a journey of faith, hope and love, lived in the everyday. It is a prefiguration of the Christian reality that the sufferings and difficulties of this world are passing and a time of unending joy will come. It is the calm after the storm.
It was the witness of the Resurrection that gave the apostles courage to proclaim boldly the Good News of Jesus. It was the same Resurrection that gave the early Christians perseverance in their times of cruel persecutions. This is the same Resurrection presented to us by the Church every year. What do we do with this great treasure? Our Christian vocation calls us to witness to this great event and the promise it brings. For a Christian, the cross should not be experienced as oppressive but redemptive. We are people of the Resurrection.

Easter is a singular event second only to none. St. Paul says that if Jesus did not rise from the dead our faith is empty and in vain. If the Resurrection did not happen we are the most pitiable of people because we are still in our sins and those who have died in Christ are the deadest of the dead. For unbelievers or the mediocre, Easter is all about flowers, eggs and bunnies! Cute but empty unless we recognize in these symbols a sign of new life and new beginnings. We like to make New Year's resolutions to start off the year. Easter resolutions are also appropriate. Easter gives us great hope because it gives us the reassurance that darkness turns to light, sorrow to joy, and death to life. How beautiful is our faith!! Despite the burdens and scandals in the Church, despite the disillusions and clamor for change, the Church will rise triumphant! The Bride of Christ, the Church, is purified from its stains and imperfections. Every year, newly baptized sons and daughters, bring new vigor of faith, new hopes and new zeal, creating something new from the old. Yes, Jesus makes all things new! HAPPY EASTER!

Holy Saturday

2025-04-19T14:01:00.000-04:00

The silence of Holy Saturday speaks volumes. In all appearances, all was lost, good was overcomed by evil. The drama of the previous day was wrought with betrayal, confusion, fears, agony, pain, sorrow, and finally- dashed hopes. "He saved others. He cannot save himself" was a spectator's conclusion. Jesus, who raised the dead and promised better days ahead, was silent. His body was taken down from the infamous Cross and was wrapped in the arms of His Mother. Mary, whose heart was pierced as she watched her Son suffer, wept in silence. The woman wrapped in silence. The whole world stood still waiting for God's next move.

"He was known to be of human estate, and it was thus that he humbled Himself, accepting death, even death on the Cross. Therefore, God greatly exalted Him." said St. Paul to his Letter to the Ephesians.

For those who believe, silence is not an absence. Silence is a cloak which hides something beautiful. At the right time, at the right moment, this silence shall burst forth into something unheard of, something singular. Out of darkness, a light shall shine forth. From the darkness of the grave, life will make itself known. Jesus Christ died to give us life. He suffered so that we in turn could find meaning in our sufferings. He endured the rejections so that we could approach the throne of grace, confident that we will be received. This suffering servant died to show us the science of the Cross. The silence of God will yield to something beautiful. In the silence of death, the whole world waits. And the waiting will not be in vain....

Where's the "Good" on Good Friday?

2025-04-18T06:54:00.001-04:00

For Catholics this is not a new question. As we celebrate the Lord's Passion on Good Friday, we are reminded once again that Christ suffered and died for us. It is hard enough for someone to die for a good person, but for a bad one,for sinners like us, it is even more unfathomable. This was St. Paul's insight. When I listen to the reading of the Passion on Good Friday, I will surely ask myself as I have many times: "Jesus,couldn't you have saved me another way? Why did you have to suffer and die?" If I was a theologian I would probably come up with some deep, intellectual explanations. I would probably say that the measure of payment should be equal to the offense. It's perfect justice. While that is true I prefer to think that it was love and love alone which made Jesus do what he did. "No greater love one has than to lay down his life for his friends." The Pharisees brought Jesus to his Cross but it was love that kept Him there. Love for us and love for the Father. It is really that simple. And what do we do with that realization? Saint John of the Cross had an insight: " Love is repaid by love alone." St. Therese exclaimed "Love alone attracts me." Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity explains:
"A Carmelite (or any baptized person) is a soul who has gazed on the Crucified One; who has seen Him offering Himself as a Victim to His Father for souls and, recollecting herself in this great vision of the charity of Christ, has understood the passionate love of His soul, and has wanted to give herself as he did!" That is why Good Friday is good. It makes us understand that sufferings taken or endured for God can become a source of so much good. It also tells us that we are precious because we have been bought with a price more precious than any glittering gold- the life of God's only Son. It is good because we have been brought back to God and we are once again heirs of the Kingdom. So as we enter the drama of the Lord's suffering and death, we look with anticipation to the joys of a new life, a new beginning. As the morning sun rises on Easter Sunday, we can look forward with joyful anticipation to the promise made by the Risen Lord: "See, I make all things new!" We can always begin again...

"Love One Another As I Have loved You"

2025-04-17T11:19:00.001-04:00

Love is a precarious word. I love chocolate with nuts.. I love canoeing when somebody finds the time to take me.. I love silence and solitude.. I love nature, flowers and mountains..I love to sit outdoors and listen to the wind chimes play the whispering breeze. I love dogs though I don't have one..

We can love many things because they give us a sense of satisfaction and pleasure. We can choose to love people when we find them attractive, good and fun to be with. There is a golden rule: "Love others as you love yourself." But the message we hear on Holy Thursday goes much deeper: "Love one another as I have loved you."

Catholics celebrate Holy Thursday in commemoration of the Lord's Supper. There are three important events and realities conveyed on this single celebration: 1). The institution of the Holy Eucharist 2.) the Institution of Holy Priesthood and 3.) the mandate from Jesus of love and service to one another.

I love Holy Thursday. It is so rich in liturgy and layered with meaning from the Old Testament and New Testament. I love the sight of priests participating in Chrism Mass with their Bishop. It conveys unity and oneness of purpose anticipating the fullness of the Communion of Saints in heaven. It is proper that the Holy Priesthood be celebrated this day because the Eucharist is intimately linked with it. No Holy Priesthood, no Eucharist. The priest, as "in persona Christi", takes us back to the sacrifice in Calvary where our salvation was won. The Holy Eucharist was instituted by Christ so that we are not left orphaned. It is a gift of himself until he comes again in glory.

Because Jesus chose to give himself up for us freely, he has given us an example that as He had done, so also we should do. Many people think that the convent is a place where loving people automatically happens. It is not so. Just like all our brothers and sisters in the world, religious men and women do struggle to follow this commandment of Jesus even in Religious life. Community life is a daily dying to self, to one's ego, preferences and to one's will. It is not the golden rule that is operational here. It is a much higher call- to love my Sister or Brother as Jesus himself loves him or her. It is his love that is the standard. God does not ask me to like my neighbors but to love them. Love does not reside in feelings but in the will. In the past, I was not able to understand this. How can you love someone without liking them? But now I understand. Jesus does not command the impossible. It will take a long time before one can love as Jesus loved. The Saints did it. But it will take his grace and our complete surrender to him "who makes everything new." With God all things are possible.

So as we enter the Sacred Triduum beginning with the Mass of the Last Supper this evening, let us again listen to the story of our salvation. Let us humble ourselves in embracing our sinfulness, remembering that it was the sacrifice of the man called Jesus, our Lord, that saved us. "We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the Lord has laid on him the iniquity of us all." Isaiah 53:6

Lenten Journey

2025-03-06T19:42:00.000-05:00

In our Catholic liturgical calendar, the Lenten season opens with Ash Wednesday.
I have never been to a desert. I have never seen one. I don’t believe this is a unique experience. I have seen nice pictures of deserts with sand and sun, a play of darkness and light, and they have awakened in me a deep sense of the transcendent and mysterious. But I don’t think I would even try to visit a place like that even if the opportunity arises.

But the desert is often synonymous with the Season of Lent. I guess because a desert embodies a vision of solitude, silence, deprivations and purification. Early in our Christian history, and even at present, some individuals sought God in earnest and were inspired to “leave the world” and fled to the desert to encounter him there. They sought solitude and silence to better hear what God had to say to them. They embraced the deprivations of that cruel place to tame the body and bring it under the control of the spirit. But more often than not, one also meets someone else in the desert- one‘s self. You know the saying "you can run from the world, even run from the devil, but you can never run from yourself." And it’s interesting to note that the best stranger we can meet in life is one’s self.

The Lenten season is a time to do a spiritual inventory. We are invited to take a serious and closer look at ourselves in the light of Jesus’ teachings and make an assessment on where we stand in the spiritual journey. I do not mean here an unhealthy preoccupation with our spiritual profile but an honest approach to gain more self-knowledge. In my opinion, Lent is not a time to cut down on the carbohydrates and sweets just to make us feel good about doing something for Lent. Sadly, even among good people, Lent is turned into "a good time to diet." I liken Lent to a big sale. If we are patient enough and diligent enough to browse around our spiritual nooks and crannies, we may find something worthy our time and attention. During a big sale, those endowed with a flair for shopping may endure the crowd and traffic, for what they consider to be a worthy cause.
If we are honest enough, I think our lives and minds are filled with crowding distractions, preoccupations, inordinate attachments and useless activities of all sorts. We are often times left exhausted and ruffled. But if we find the patience and goodwill to sort through the maze, we might obtain the grace to see the pearl of great price hidden in the midst of them.

For example, why do we work frantically and slavishly like there is no tomorrow? Is it for the glory of God or a hidden self-satisfaction of knowing that nobody else can do a better job? Why do we feel angered when someone disagrees with our opinions? Is it because we love the truth or because we think we are often right basing only on our training, education and authority? Why do we feel offended when someone else takes the initiative of performing an act of charity? Is it true love of service or is it because helping others makes us feel superiorly good? In other words, what motivates you and your good actions? What is the fuel that drives your engine?

These are hard questions to ask ourselves but, more accurately, hard questions to honestly answer. The effort of being honest can shatter our imaginary sense of spiritual security. But this is the consequence of following Jesus. He came so that we may be full of life. We have to give up what is not life-giving and open ourselves to a transfusion of grace that only comes to those who are willing, courageous and humble enough to receive it. But before we can give anything up, we have to name it and own it. This is part of the reason for Lent. After going through this spiritual exercise we will experience the joy of rising with Our Lord at Easter.

The journey to self-knowledge is both exciting and disconcerting. But it is the science of the Saints. It is the door to true life. It is both an acquired skill and an infused gift by the Holy Spirit. We are never able to completely know ourselves and purify ourselves however much we try, according to St. John of the Cross, but we can lay the ground works and do our part. God will eventually finish the job of purification and transformation so that we can be the person he created us to be. Saint Teresa wisely noted that in looking at ourselves, we must not remain there. We must immediately turn our gaze back to Jesus. Why did she say that? Because there is a danger that in looking too much at our miseries and imperfections, we would fall into discouragement and despair. But fixing our gaze on Jesus on the Cross, we are reminded that He already knew what kind of person we are but still loved us and went to die for us. Then are we made to understand that the Heart of God is all merciful. Realizing this our hearts are engulfed in love and we are moved to love Him back. "Love is repaid by love alone," says St. John of the Cross. And John also said, "I look at your Cross, O Christ, and I see there the song of Your love."
Lent is a beautiful time given us by God. It is a great gift of His mercy. Let us not receive it in vain. "If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts."

Advent, Mary and Woman

2024-12-21T21:59:00.001-05:00

Advent is a time of expectant longing. The prophet Isaiah expresses it beautifully when he says: “ Return for the sake of your servants!” or “ No ear has ever heard, no eye has ever seen, any God but you, doing such deeds for those who wait for him.” One senses an air of impatience, of calling out with insistence that God would come back. During Advent, we find expression of this longing in the way we celebrate this season. We remember those we love, we buy and give gifts, mend broken relationships and ponder the state of our inner life. God has planted that longing in our heart. He created it in us so that like Isaiah, we may cry out in a loud voice the desire for a deeper kind of fulfillment.

The mystery of the Incarnation of Jesus is God’s response to this cry. It is as if leaving heaven, God assumed a body and entered the realm of time to satisfy this longing. It was an act inspired by love for the sake of those He loves. This was the greatest manifestation of God’s power, but more so, His greatest manifestation of Love.

Our longings are about to be fulfilled in the coming days as we await the great day of Christmas. But before we bask in the glory of the coming of the Lord, let us focus our attention on Mary, the woman of the hour. The story of Christmas is intimately linked to Mary. Her presence dominates the scene. The spotlight is on her as the drama of the Annunciation unfolds. What vigilance she practiced! What vigilant expectation! What anticipation she manifested as she waited for the realization of the words of the angel. What deep faith she had as she allowed the light of the event to illumine her response and her actions following her consent. She was focused to go beyond the trappings of this great event of revelation: the vision of the Angel, the words proclaiming her greatness, and focused on the reality of a life offered to her. As the story of the Incarnation progresses, we shall see how Mary recedes into the background to give way to the presence of the Child- her Child- the Emmanuel. In this instance, I seem to hear the echo of a voice- that of the Baptist- who said “He must increase, I must decrease.”

Isn’t this the story of every woman? And in particular of a woman with child? Isn’t this the ethos of woman, to conceive within her the reality of God and in due time, according to the degree of our cooperation, give birth to the Son of God in the realm of grace? Aren’t the qualities inherent in woman- her nurturing instinct, her maternal solicitude, her intuition, her self-sacrificing ability for the sake of others- present precisely because of this reality? These qualities are never effaced whether one chooses a life of natural motherhood or single state of life as a lay person or as a consecrated woman.
The reality of spiritual motherhood is as real and deeper. A woman with child is reliving the mystery of God made Man. If we believe that we are temples of God, then we must agree that a woman pregnant with her child is pregnant “with God.” Can she like Mary, be vigilant so that the mystery does not pass her by? Can she look beyond the trappings of physical inconvenience, added responsibilities, added expense, added burden, and focus herself on the mystery being unfolded within her? Can she, like Mary, be joyful in the faith that tells her “she is blessed among women because she believes?” Believes in the power of LIFE? Believes in her dignity as a woman, a vessel of life? Can she, like Mary, sing in refrain the Baptist’s cry “He must increase” because the life within her is of God? And that she must decrease because she must forget herself with all her supposed needs?

The Season of Advent is a time of conceiving and giving birth. To conceive in faith desires that transcend ourselves and giving birth to them by the help of God’s grace thus transforming ourselves, our lives and those of others. We wait... Wait for what? For the Good News promised to us that God will come to be with us. As the Psalmist exclaims “God delights in his people!”