4 May: Blesseds Angel Maria Prat Hostench, Lucas of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, Priests, and Companions

May 4
BLESSEDS ANGELUS MARY PRAT HOSTENCH,
LUKE OF ST. JOSEPH TRISTANY PUJOL, 
PRIESTS, AND COMPANIONS
Martyrs

Optional Memorial

In the houses in Spain:  Memorial

In a single celebration, both Orders of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel commemorate their martyrs who, in different places in Spain, bore witness to the faith before and during the long and bloody religious persecution for hatred of the faith (1936-1939). Father Angelus Mary Prat Hostench, O. Carm., was murdered with his confreres in Tárrega in 1936; Father Luke of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, O.C.D., was slain with his confreres in Barcelona the same year. This memorial also includes the groups from Lleida, Tarragona, Toledo, Terrassa, Olot, and others. This multitude of bishops, diocesan priests, religious of various orders and lay people were beatified, in part by Pope Benedict XVI on October 28, 2007 (498 martyrs), and in part by Pope Francis on October 13, 2013 (522 martyrs).

From the Common of Several Martyrs

OFFICE OF READINGS

The Second Reading
From the writings of Blessed José María Mateos Carballido, priest and martyr
(The Holy Scapular 33 [1936], 135-137)

The history of the Church is written with the blood of its martyrs

It is an undeniable truth that the athlete is formed through exercise, that through it he strengthens his limbs and becomes strong and invincible for the fight; that gold is purified in the crucible and that the more it is purified, the better it is to make precious objects with it.

Something like this happens to the human heart, a precious gold that increases in dignity when melted in the crucible of tribulation and in which are formed holy men and heroes. And something like this also happens in the mystical body of the Church; in her, persecution brings forth unsuspected flowers, unseen virtues, unprecedented heroism. That is why her divine founder announced to her that she would be persecuted at all times: “You will be hated by everyone because of me. They will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues. They will make you appear before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans” (Luke 21:12).

And under the blows of the battering ram of persecution, the Church was forged with its martyrs and its virgins, its saints and its doctors, until it became the prodigy that, after nineteen centuries, appears to the eyes of friends and enemies as the admirably divine work of its Divine founder.

From its beginning, the Church has been chiseled by that engraving tool of persecution, by which each blow that has been dealt has placed a precious stone in the always immovable walls of that beautiful building.

The pages of its history have been written with the blood of its martyrs and from its appearance until today, there has not been a century in which it has not flourished.

Thus, the Church was born; and, watered by the blood of so many innocents, this rich and generous sap flowed through her mystical body to make her produce the most beautiful flowers of science, virtue, heroism and holiness.

Thus, it was born, and over the centuries, it could be seen that those thorns of persecution never left her. But those blows did nothing other than give new vigor to that blessed tree, which, after each persecution, appeared more luxuriant, just as when spring emerges, the tree that has received the attentions of the successful hand of the pruner shows its lushness.

Given the events of recent months, what is our duty? To pray and to love. These are the two most powerful means that can revive peace among men. Pray much, because prayer will give us strength to confess Christ and not to turn our backs on Him like cowards. And love, for so much hatred, can only be drowned by a great outpouring of charity. For her enemies, the Church only has those words that came from the dying lips of Christ in agony on Calvary and were his most beautiful testament: “Father, forgive them”. The Church opens her arms as a loving Mother to all her children, even to those who persecute her, and she says to them all, “Father, forgive them.”

Faced with the danger of new persecution, let us not lose heart. Christ will always be with us, and no matter how rough the combat may be, we will emerge from it purified and the Church will gather new flowers between the folds of her tunic once again dyed with the blood of her children.

Responsory
2 Tim 4, 7-8a; cfr. Phil 3, 8. 10

℟. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).
℣. Indeed, I count everything as loss that I may know Christ, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).

Or:

From the writings of Blessed Luke of Saint Joseph, priest and martyr
(The Words of the Crucifix. Tarragona-Barcelona 1928, pp. 65-69)

The law of forgiveness shines in the martyrs

The great law of forgiveness, already promulgated from the beginning of the gospel teaching on the Mount of the Beatitudes, and so solemnly confirmed on the cross, points out to all of us the straight and sure path of eternal blessedness, and creates a wellspring of happiness and harmony, so that men can already taste it here on earth. It descends to the most intimate part of human consciousness, and stirs it all up, attacking to its deepest roots the poison of selfishness, destroyer of all happiness and harmony between souls.

This sublime doctrine of the Redeemer imposes on all of us, as a formal and necessary precept for our salvation, the sincere forgiveness of all serious injuries that have been inflicted on us. And, as an indispensable condition for inner peace and for achieving some degree of evangelical perfection, it also imposes on all of us a benevolent, total and sincere indulgence for each and every one of the many and varied deficiencies of our neighbors.

And, consequently, the great law of evangelical forgiveness is imposed not only on those who have to deal with specific enemies from whom they have received serious injuries, or from whom they know that truly bear them ill; but it reaches to all of us, whatever our state or condition, since there is no one who has not at some time felt offended or bothered, whether little or much.

This law can be applied every day and every hour of our daily life, both in the intimacy of domestic life and in social relationships; it is the same in the most secret and secluded part of the cloisters as in the whirlwind of worldly business.

For the holy Gospel, ideally beautiful as it is in everything, is always very simple and practical, because it can be adapted to all the modalities of each person’s real life. But, among all the evangelical precepts, this one of the forgiveness of enemies is one of the most eminently practical, because, as it penetrates to the most hidden depths of the human conscience, it reaches even to the most secret recesses of the heart, where the subtlest selfishness is also well hidden and concealed. This precept uncovers it; it reveals it to the conscience of every man who wants to know himself. And so this admirable law intends to intervene and inform all our actions, both the religious and the social: the religious, because we know that God does not accept them if we offer them to Him while nursing bitterness or fraternal resentments in our soul; and the social ones, because this precept reminds us that we will be treated by God just as we ourselves treat our brothers.

In this great school of the Cross, all the saints and martyrs learned its admirable wisdom and received its strength, knowing how to live without cursing anyone and how to die content, praying for those who made them shed their generous blood.

This sublime word of Jesus Christ was very fertile and creative, for it awakened, and still awakens today, in many souls, marvelous sentiments that the world had not known before. It taught so many millions of martyrs of all conditions to die with a smile on their face and a prayer on their lips, praying for the very executioners who were tormenting them.

Responsory
Mt 5, 43-45; Jn 13, 15

℟. You have heard that it was said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, * so that you may be children of
your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).
℣. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. * so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God,
who granted the priests Blesseds Angelus Mary, Luke of Saint Joseph,
and their companions
the grace of reaching the summit of Mount Carmel through martyrdom,
grant, we pray, through their intercession,
that we may always live with wisdom and zeal,
by bearing witness to the kingly majesty of Christ.

Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

We are grateful to our Discalced Carmelite Friars for providing the English texts of liturgical offices published after the 1993 edition of the Carmelite Proper—Liturgy of the Hours.

Quote of the day, 10 April: St. Titus Brandsma

Professor Brandsma took advantage of vacations to visit other countries for study. He was most attracted by Spain, the native land of St. Teresa of Avila. He felt a special attraction for her and her way of living out the spirit of Carmel. 

During the Easter Break of 1929, and months before the first Congress [on mysticism in Nijmegen], he had gone to Spain to study similarities between Spanish and Flemish mysticism. He visited Barcelona, Burgos, Madrid, Toledo, Seville, Jerez de la Frontera, and Avila; he spent time in archives, libraries, and museums. 

In some Carmelite friaries, he lectured on Carmel’s rich heritage, but he also took pains to make contact with the simple faithful whose culture and spirit had contributed so much to the 16th-century reform of the Order.

Father Simón Besalduch, a well-known Carmelite scholar and author, accompanied Titus through Catalonia; while there, they visited the rector of the University of Barcelona and the Monastery of Montserrat. Recalling this latter visit, Fr. Simón wrote:

We visited the monastery, and the monks put whatever he wanted to see at his disposal. … He conversed with the Benedictines in Dutch, French, German, and Spanish. What tremendous devotion he showed while visiting the church and listening to the Gregorian chant of the monks! … Later, as we were strolling along the mountain trails, our dear Father expressed, as though a projection of his inner being, what was in his heart; and he did so with such vitality that it seemed he was dreaming out loud. He spoke of grand proposals that came together in a single ideal: the flourishing of the Order he so dearly loved. We still have so much to do, he said, in order to become what our fathers were. We need to increase vocations. … We need a comprehensive library that is available to Carmelites of the entire world. … We need a multi-lingual journal that will publish in all the major languages. … We need so much, so much, so much.

Miguel Maria Arribas, O.Carm.

Chapter IV, At the university (excerpt)

Arribas O.Carm., M 2021, The Price of Truth: Titus Brandsma, Carmelite, Carmelite Media, Darien, Illinois.

Featured image: Detail from a photograph of St. Titus Brandsma as Rector Magnificus of the Catholic University of Nijmegen. Titus served in this role from 1932–1933. Image credit: Carmelites (used with permission of the Nederlands Carmelitaans Instituut).

Bonus #Joke
A hungry traveler stops at a monastery and is taken to the kitchen where a brother is frying chips. "Are you the friar?" he asks.

The brother replies, "No, I'm the chip monk."

(It's #HootinTootinTuesday again! Post some jokes or funny memes under this hashtag today, and bring lots of smiles to #Mastodon.)

#Humor #Humour #FunnyMeme #Puns #JokeOfTheDay #CatholicHumor #Fasting #FatTuesday #MardiGras #Mardi_Gras #Monks #Friars #DadJoke #ScottHillburn

Quote of the day, 28 November: Peter Thomas Rohrbach, OCD

The Jesuits at Medina del Campo made the preliminary arrangements for her [second] foundation, and in the summer of 1567, she set off in three lumbering, creaking carts to establish the second house of the reform. She took six nuns with her… The prior of the Carmelite monastery in Medina, Anthony de Heredia… offered Mass in the new monastery, but a close inspection afterward showed that the building needed extensive repairs…

A wealthy merchant offered the nuns the upper story of his home while they waited… During that time Teresa… revealed to [Father Anthony] the permission she had from the general to found two houses of reformed friars. She was startled when he volunteered to become the first friar of the new reform… Teresa later wrote… “I thought it was a joke, and told him so.”

The following month Anthony brought another Carmelite to meet Teresa at her temporary dwelling. He was a newly ordained priest, twenty–five years old, and he had confided to the prior that he too wanted to leave the Order and join the Carthusians. Anthony felt that the young man had better speak to Teresa. His name was John de Yepes.

“When I spoke to the friar I liked him very much,” Teresa said, and she explained her project to him, asking him to put off his plan to enter the Carthusians until she had obtained a monastery for reformed friars. She told him that if he wanted to lead a more perfect life “he should lead it within his own Order” Teresa’s singular persuasiveness worked again, and John agreed to her proposal, “provided there were no long delay.”

John had to return to Salamanca for a final year of theology, and Teresa promised to do something about finding a house suitable for a monastery of friars during that time. Teresa was immediately enthused with John de Yepes. “Although he is small in stature,” she later wrote, “I believe he is great in the sight of God.”

After John and Anthony left her temporary convent that autumn day in 1567, she told the nuns that she now felt she could proceed with the establishment of the friars’ monastery, “although I was still not quite satisfied with the prior.” She said that she now had “a friar and a half,” and that phrase has caused a minor controversy among historians. Some have said that the “half friar” was the diminutive John of the Cross, while others have contended that she was referring to her doubts about Anthony, and that she would certainly not jest about the small stature of the future doctor of the church.

…A relative of hers, Raphael Mejía, offered her an abandoned farm house at Duruelo… They lost their way… and did not arrive… until dusk. And then they found the wooden farm house to be severely disappointing: “It had a fair-sized porch, a room divided into two, with a loft above it, and a little kitchen: that was all there was of the building which was to be our monastery.”… Teresa told [Anthony] that if he had the courage to at least begin the foundation, the Lord would provide better quarters in due time, but “the important thing was to make a start.” Anthony eagerly agreed… saying he would live “not only there, but in a pigsty.”

…Teresa herself sewed the new habit to be worn by the reformed friars… John tried on the habit in Valladolid… He reached Duruelo sometime in early October… On November 27, Anthony arrived at Duruelo… On the following day, the first Sunday of Advent, the provincial offered Mass, and then Anthony, John, and the deacon Joseph approached the altar, where they formally renounced the mitigation of Eugene IV and promised to live according to the rule of 1247. After this significant ceremony, they signed the deed of foundation:

“We, Brother Anthony of Jesus, Brother John of the Cross, and Brother Joseph of Christ, begin this day, 28 November 1568, to live the primitive rule.”

Peter Thomas Rohrbach, O.C.D.

Journey to Carith, chapter V

Rohrbach, P 1966, 2015, Journey to Carith: The Sources and Story of the Discalced Carmelites, ICS Publications, Washington DC.

Featured image: A rustic stone farmhouse in Neila, Spain, set against the quiet Castilian landscape. Image credit: © ABUELO RAMIRO. Adobe Stock, Asset ID 35302703.

#antonioDeJesusHeredia2 #foundation #friars #stJohnOfTheCross #stTeresaOfAvila

Quote of the day, 27 November: The First Friars of Duruelo

Father Antonio de Heredia, who had resigned as Prior of Medina del Campo, and Fray José de Cristo, a deacon, left for Duruelo on 27 November 1568 to begin the Teresian Reform for men on the next day, the First Sunday of Advent, 28 November. They had renounced the mitigated Rule of Pope Eugene IV and promised obedience and observance of the Primitive Rule of Pope Innocent IV, which was chosen by Saint Teresa. Fray John of St. Matthias — who took the name John of the Cross — was waiting for them there.

Father Antonio “renounced his office as prior most willingly, and professed the primitive Rule. Although they told him he ought to try it first, he would not. He went off to his little house with the greatest joy in the world. Fray John was already there” (Foundations 14:2).

Besides Padre Antonio—whose resignation had been accepted—Father Provincial Alonso González was accompanied on his journey to Duruelo by two other friars: a priest named Lucas de Celis, who, owing to poor health, did not intend to change his habit; and a deacon, Fray José, who did indeed come with the desire to enter that new Carmelite way of life.

When they were drawing near and caught sight of the little place, the Father Provincial—whom Mother Teresa describes as a holy old man and a very good soul—“when he saw the holy Father Fray John clothed in a short, close-cut habit of rough sackcloth, with a rough cloak of the same material that scarcely reached below his knees; a short scapular; a plain hood and narrow sleeves; a poor rosary and belt; a woolen handkerchief; and his feet bare upon the ground without sandals; with a small wooden cross upon his breast, slightly visible on the left side beneath the scapular—when he saw him thus, and the ancient hermits of Mount Carmel came to his mind, he shed tears of devotion and rejoiced greatly” (Alonso de la Madre de Dios, Book I, chapter 8).

José Vicente Rodríguez, o.c.d.

San Juan de la Cruz, ch. 7

Note: Sources cited by Father Rodríguez are as follows:

• Saint Teresa of Ávila, The Book of the Foundations, chapter 14, paragraph 2.
• Alonso de la Madre de Dios (1568–1635), Vida, virtudes y milagros del santo padre fray Juan de la Cruz, Book I, chapter 8. Critical edition by Fortunato Antolín. Editorial de Espiritualidad, Madrid, 1989. (Completed c. 1630; first published 1989.)

Rodríguez, J.V. 2015, San Juan de la Cruz: la biografía, 2nd edn, San Pablo, Madrid.

Translation from the Spanish text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: The chapel that was later built over the first convent of the Discalced Carmelite friars in Duruelo, Spain. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (By permission)

#antonioDeJesusHeredia #duruelo #friars #history #stJohnOfTheCross

Quote of the day, 27 August: St. John Paul II

Once again, during my service to the universal Church in the See of Saint Peter, I come to my native town of Wadowice.

With great emotion I gaze upon this city of my childhood years, which witnessed my first steps, my first words and those “first bows” which, as Norwid puts it, are “like the eternal profession of Christ: ‘Be praised!’” (cf. Moja piosenka [My Song]).

The city of my childhood, my family home, the church of my Baptism… I wish to cross these hospitable thresholds, bow before my native soil and its inhabitants, and utter the words of greeting given to family members upon on their return from a long journey: “Praised be Jesus Christ!”

In a particular way, I wish to greet the Discalced Carmelite Fathers of Górka in Wadowice. We are meeting on an exceptional occasion: 27 August this year marks the centenary of the consecration of the Church of Saint Joseph, at the Convent founded by Saint Raphael Kalinowski.

As I did as a young man, I now return in spirit to that place of particular devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, which had such a great influence on the spirituality of the Wadowice area. I myself received many graces there, and today I wish to thank the Lord for them.

I am pleased that I was able to beatify, together with one hundred and eight martyrs, Blessed Father Alfonsus Mary Mazurek, a pupil and later a worthy teacher in the minor seminary attached to the Convent.

I had the opportunity to meet personally this witness of Christ who in 1944, as prior of the convent of Czerna, confirmed his fidelity to God by a martyr’s death.

I kneel in veneration before his relics, which rest in the Church of Saint Joseph, and I give thanks to God for the gift of the life, martyrdom, and holiness of this great Religious.

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Eucharistic celebration in Wadowice, Poland
Wednesday, 16 June 1999

Featured image: Opening of the John Paul II Museum in Wadowice, 9 April 2014. Image credit: M. Śmiarowski / KPRM (Polish Foreign Ministry) / Flickr

#BlessedAlphonsusMaryMazurek #Czerna #DiscalcedCarmelites #friars #homily #martyrs #StJohnPaulII #StRaphaelKalinowski #Wadowice

4 May: Blesseds Angel Maria Prat Hostench, Lucas of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, Priests, and Companions (Not observed in 2025)

May 4
BLESSEDS ANGELUS MARY PRAT HOSTENCH,
LUKE OF ST. JOSEPH TRISTANY PUJOL, 
PRIESTS, AND COMPANIONS
Martyrs

Optional Memorial

In the houses in Spain:  Memorial

In a single celebration, both Orders of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel commemorate their martyrs who, in different places in Spain, bore witness to the faith before and during the long and bloody religious persecution for hatred of the faith (1936-1939). Father Angelus Mary Prat Hostench, O. Carm., was murdered with his confreres in Tárrega in 1936; Father Luke of St. Joseph Tristany Pujol, O.C.D., was slain with his confreres in Barcelona the same year. This memorial also includes the groups from Lleida, Tarragona, Toledo, Terrassa, Olot, and others. This multitude of bishops, diocesan priests, religious of various orders and lay people were beatified, in part by Pope Benedict XVI on October 28, 2007 (498 martyrs), and in part by Pope Francis on October 13, 2013 (522 martyrs).

From the Common of Several Martyrs

OFFICE OF READINGS

The Second Reading
From the writings of Blessed José María Mateos Carballido, priest and martyr
(The Holy Scapular 33 [1936], 135-137)

The history of the Church is written with the blood of its martyrs

It is an undeniable truth that the athlete is formed through exercise, that through it he strengthens his limbs and becomes strong and invincible for the fight; that gold is purified in the crucible and that the more it is purified, the better it is to make precious objects with it.

Something like this happens to the human heart, a precious gold that increases in dignity when melted in the crucible of tribulation and in which are formed holy men and heroes. And something like this also happens in the mystical body of the Church; in her, persecution brings forth unsuspected flowers, unseen virtues, unprecedented heroism. That is why her divine founder announced to her that she would be persecuted at all times: “You will be hated by everyone because of me. They will hand you over to the courts and flog you in their synagogues. They will make you appear before governors and kings for my sake, to bear witness before them and the pagans” (Luke 21:12).

And under the blows of the battering ram of persecution, the Church was forged with its martyrs and its virgins, its saints and its doctors, until it became the prodigy that, after nineteen centuries, appears to the eyes of friends and enemies as the admirably divine work of its Divine founder.

From its beginning, the Church has been chiseled by that engraving tool of persecution, by which each blow that has been dealt has placed a precious stone in the always immovable walls of that beautiful building.

The pages of its history have been written with the blood of its martyrs and from its appearance until today, there has not been a century in which it has not flourished.

Thus, the Church was born; and, watered by the blood of so many innocents, this rich and generous sap flowed through her mystical body to make her produce the most beautiful flowers of science, virtue, heroism and holiness.

Thus, it was born, and over the centuries, it could be seen that those thorns of persecution never left her. But those blows did nothing other than give new vigor to that blessed tree, which, after each persecution, appeared more luxuriant, just as when spring emerges, the tree that has received the attentions of the successful hand of the pruner shows its lushness.

Given the events of recent months, what is our duty? To pray and to love. These are the two most powerful means that can revive peace among men. Pray much, because prayer will give us strength to confess Christ and not to turn our backs on Him like cowards. And love, for so much hatred, can only be drowned by a great outpouring of charity. For her enemies, the Church only has those words that came from the dying lips of Christ in agony on Calvary and were his most beautiful testament: “Father, forgive them”. The Church opens her arms as a loving Mother to all her children, even to those who persecute her, and she says to them all, “Father, forgive them.”

Faced with the danger of new persecution, let us not lose heart. Christ will always be with us, and no matter how rough the combat may be, we will emerge from it purified and the Church will gather new flowers between the folds of her tunic once again dyed with the blood of her children.

Responsory
2 Tim 4, 7-8a; cfr. Phil 3, 8. 10

℟. I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).
℣. Indeed, I count everything as loss that I may know Christ, and may share his sufferings, becoming like him in his death. * Henceforth there is laid up for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous judge, will award to me on that day, (alleluia).

Or:

From the writings of Blessed Luke of Saint Joseph, priest and martyr
(The Words of the Crucifix. Tarragona-Barcelona 1928, pp. 65-69)

The law of forgiveness shines in the martyrs

The great law of forgiveness, already promulgated from the beginning of the gospel teaching on the Mount of the Beatitudes, and so solemnly confirmed on the cross, points out to all of us the straight and sure path of eternal blessedness, and creates a wellspring of happiness and harmony, so that men can already taste it here on earth. It descends to the most intimate part of human consciousness, and stirs it all up, attacking to its deepest roots the poison of selfishness, destroyer of all happiness and harmony between souls.

This sublime doctrine of the Redeemer imposes on all of us, as a formal and necessary precept for our salvation, the sincere forgiveness of all serious injuries that have been inflicted on us. And, as an indispensable condition for inner peace and for achieving some degree of evangelical perfection, it also imposes on all of us a benevolent, total and sincere indulgence for each and every one of the many and varied deficiencies of our neighbors.

And, consequently, the great law of evangelical forgiveness is imposed not only on those who have to deal with specific enemies from whom they have received serious injuries, or from whom they know that truly bear them ill; but it reaches to all of us, whatever our state or condition, since there is no one who has not at some time felt offended or bothered, whether little or much.

This law can be applied every day and every hour of our daily life, both in the intimacy of domestic life and in social relationships; it is the same in the most secret and secluded part of the cloisters as in the whirlwind of worldly business.

For the holy Gospel, ideally beautiful as it is in everything, is always very simple and practical, because it can be adapted to all the modalities of each person’s real life. But, among all the evangelical precepts, this one of the forgiveness of enemies is one of the most eminently practical, because, as it penetrates to the most hidden depths of the human conscience, it reaches even to the most secret recesses of the heart, where the subtlest selfishness is also well hidden and concealed. This precept uncovers it; it reveals it to the conscience of every man who wants to know himself. And so this admirable law intends to intervene and inform all our actions, both the religious and the social: the religious, because we know that God does not accept them if we offer them to Him while nursing bitterness or fraternal resentments in our soul; and the social ones, because this precept reminds us that we will be treated by God just as we ourselves treat our brothers.

In this great school of the Cross, all the saints and martyrs learned its admirable wisdom and received its strength, knowing how to live without cursing anyone and how to die content, praying for those who made them shed their generous blood.

This sublime word of Jesus Christ was very fertile and creative, for it awakened, and still awakens today, in many souls, marvelous sentiments that the world had not known before. It taught so many millions of martyrs of all conditions to die with a smile on their face and a prayer on their lips, praying for the very executioners who were tormenting them.

Responsory
Mt 5, 43-45; Jn 13, 15

℟. You have heard that it was said: “You shall love your neighbor and hate your enemy.” But I say to you: Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, * so that you may be children of
your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).
℣. I have given you an example, that you also should do just as I have done to you. * so that you may be children of your Father who is in heaven, (alleluia).

Prayer

Almighty and merciful God,
who granted the priests Blesseds Angelus Mary, Luke of Saint Joseph,
and their companions
the grace of reaching the summit of Mount Carmel through martyrdom,
grant, we pray, through their intercession,
that we may always live with wisdom and zeal,
by bearing witness to the kingly majesty of Christ.

Who lives and reigns with you
in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.

We are grateful to our Discalced Carmelite Friars for providing the English texts of liturgical offices published after the 1993 edition of the Carmelite Proper—Liturgy of the Hours.

#BlessedAngelMariaPratHostench #BlessedLucasOfStJosephTristanyPujol #Carmelite #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #Liturgy #martyrs #SpanishCivilWar

2025 Carmelite Online Lenten Retreat

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#CarmesDeParis #DiscalcedCarmelite #free #friars #ICSPublications #Lent #online #retreat #StThereseOfLisieux

Saverio Cannistrà, OCD: Carmelite Shepherd for Pisa

On February 6, 2025, Pope Francis appointed Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D., as the new Archbishop of Pisa. A Discalced Carmelite friar, theologian, and former Superior General of the Order, Archbishop-elect Cannistrà has served the Church with wisdom, humility, and a profound sense of the Carmelite charism.

In 2019, during the Extraordinary Definitory of the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Goa, India, he delivered a homily at the site of the first Discalced Carmelite foundation in the country, established in 1619. This gathering marked the fourth centenary of the Teresian Carmelites’ presence in India, a milestone that invited reflection on the Order’s missionary spirit.

The homily that follows was translated by the blogger for that occasion. Archbishop-elect Cannistrà reflected on the courage and spiritual depth that animated the first Discalced Carmelites in India. His words from Goa take on renewed significance today as he prepares for his new pastoral mission in Pisa.

For a deeper look at his Carmelite roots and new pastoral mission, listen to our latest podcast episode below.

https://youtu.be/q6yDfu6rhhc?si=L3sD8gqk8bAUhK3k

His full homily from the 2019 gathering follows.

A Carmelite Reflection on Mission

(Homily of Father Saverio Cannistrà, O.C.D., Goa, February 8, 2019 – Translation by the blogger)

Votive Mass of Blesseds Denis and Redemptus
Readings: Eph 6:10–20; Mt 5:1–12

It is with special emotion that I preside at this Eucharistic celebration together with all of you, my dear brothers in Carmel. We are in the place where the first Discalced Carmelite convent stood in Goa and in India. The first three Carmelites arrived in Goa on Christmas Day, 1619: they were Father Leandro of the Annunciation and two professed students, Brother Elías and Brother José Alejo.

The convent was officially inaugurated on March 19, 1621, with the vestition of seven novices, among whom was a young Portuguese soldier who took the name Brother Redemptus of the Cross [Blessed Redemptus].

On July 16 of the following year, the church was solemnly dedicated to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The community remained here for about 90 years, until 1709, when all non-Portuguese missionaries were forced to leave. The convent was then handed over to the Oratorians of St. Philip Neri.

It was in this convent, on Christmas Day in 1636, that Father Dionysius of the Nativity [Blessed Denis] made his solemn profession in the hands of Father Filippo of the Holy Trinity, a missionary, theologian, writer, and, at the end of his life, Superior General of the Congregation of Italy. While Father Dionysius was studying theology in preparation for his priestly ordination, Brother Redemptus of the Cross, who had returned to Goa from the Tatta mission (in present-day Pakistan), was serving as porter and sacristan in the same monastery.

As we know, in 1638, these two friars—Blesseds Denis and Redemptus—were sent to Sumatra as part of a diplomatic mission to the Sultan of Aceh, where they were ultimately martyred for the faith.

These simple historical notes give us an idea of the richness of the history that we commemorate today: a history of holiness, of Carmelite life, of missionary zeal, and above all, of love for God and neighbor. Many thoughts and feelings arise as we remember this.

The first is a sense of awe at the dynamism shown by the Teresian Carmel in its early years. Who would have imagined that just fifty years after its humble beginnings in Duruelo, the Discalced Carmelites would already be in Goa—the capital of the Portuguese Indies, a metropolis of about 200,000 inhabitants—having passed through Poland, Persia, the island of Ormuz, and the empire of the Great Mogul?

Scholars can analyze the historical reasons behind this extraordinary expansion of a small group of contemplative religious. But for us, this history calls us to reflect on what the true strength of our religious vocation is:

It is not the force of numbers, nor of tradition, nor of structures, which can become a burden and an obstacle. It is the power of the Spirit, the abundance of his gifts, which transforms our weakness and our fears into the courage and joy of the disciples and apostles of Jesus Christ.

As we heard in the first reading, it is the armor of God that allows us to face the trials and challenges of history. Truth, justice, peace, faith, and listening to the Word of God are the weapons that make up this armor.

A second thought concerns the relationship between contemplation and action. Nothing is more misleading than opposing these two dimensions. The more one is truly contemplative, the more one is truly active—or rather, we become instruments of God’s action, servants of His will.

The first generations of Discalced Carmelites—especially Father John of Jesus-Mary—understood perfectly the core message of St. Teresa of Avila:

Contemplation is allowing oneself to be invaded and transformed by God, who is Love. And Love is always the same: love for God and love for humanity. These two cannot be separated.

It was the fire of this love that made our confreres of four centuries ago so dynamic and effective. They loved God and gave themselves to Him without reserve. But precisely for this reason, they loved the Church and made themselves radically available to it, with obedience, without personal agendas.

They loved humanity, appreciated and valued the cultures, languages, and places where they lived. Their contemplation naturally opened them to mission, which was a movement of true encounter. These Carmelites understood that going on a mission meant getting close to others, listening, studying, and discovering the richness of different peoples.

Thus, their study of theology was not separate from their study of languages, religions, geography, and even botany.

Love is like the sun: it warms, it allows all of humanity to grow and bear fruit in those who allow themselves to be illuminated by it.

Dear brothers, let us thank the Lord for these 400 years of Carmelite presence in India. Let us do so with joyful hearts and with humble awareness of our smallness in the face of such greatness.

At the same time, let us do so with the conviction that this history is not over—it continues in us. We are the brothers of Father Leandro, Father Filippo, Father Dionysius, and Brother Redemptus.

From them, we can learn what it means to live our Carmelite vocation today—as children of St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross.

Let us ask for their intercession, so that the flame that the Spirit ignited in their hearts may not be extinguished in us and in our communities.

Four hundred years ago, the first Discalced Carmelites set foot in India, carrying the spirit of St. Teresa of Avila beyond Europe. Today, one of their sons is called to shepherd the Church in Pisa. The same trust in divine providence that sustained those early missionaries now accompanies Archbishop-elect Saverio Cannistrà as he prepares for his new mission.

Let us entrust him to the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the protection of the Sacred Heart of Jesus. May the Holy Spirit, who guided the first Carmelites to distant lands, guide him now as he takes up his pastoral office in Pisa.

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Translation from the Italian text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: Discalced Carmelite Superior General Saverio of the Sacred Heart Cannistrà, O.C.D. greets Pope Francis in St. Peter’s Square at the Mass for the canonization of St. Mary of Jesus Crucified Baouardy. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites

#archbishop #BlessedsDenisAndRedemptus #DenisOfTheNativity #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #homily #India #nomination #Podcast #PopeFrancis #RedemptusOfTheCross

Quote of the day, 24 January: St. John Paul II

“The kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:15).

Today’s liturgy presents us with two key themes for reflection: conversion and vocation.

Conversion is proclaimed by Jonah, the Old Testament prophet, whom God sent to the great city of Nineveh with the message: “Forty days more, and Nineveh shall be overthrown!” (Jon 3:4) because of their sins. Through the prophet, the Lord—whom the psalmist describes as the one who “instructs sinners in the way” (Ps 25:8)—calls the people of Nineveh to change their ways. And they respond: “They turned from their evil ways” (Jon 3:10), and so God, in his mercy, does not carry out the punishment.

Jesus Christ also proclaims conversion, saying, “The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near; repent, and believe in the good news” (Mk 1:15). In both cases, conversion means turning away from sin. In Jonah’s time, this turning away was motivated by fear of punishment. But Jesus calls us to conversion because of God’s nearness and the promise of his kingdom.

Conversion is a pivotal moment in every person’s spiritual and moral life. It takes on different forms at various stages of life. Sometimes conversion is a major turning point that leads to a profound change in one’s direction and behavior. Other times, it happens in the small, almost unnoticed choices of daily life that are essential for the soul’s growth.

We often speak of first and second conversions, and sometimes even a third. The first conversion involves turning away from serious sins that hinder the life of grace. Later conversions are steps along the path of deeper transformation and closeness to God.

This theme is echoed in the responsorial psalm:

Be mindful of your mercy, O Lord, and of your steadfast love,
for they have been from of old.
Do not remember the sins of my youth or my transgressions;
according to your steadfast love remember me,
for the sake of your goodness, O Lord! (Ps 25:6-7).

Conversion is deeply connected to God’s mercy.

The second theme is vocation.

In the first reading, we hear God’s call to Jonah: “Get up, go to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it the message that I tell you” (Jon 3:2). And Jonah obeys.

In the Gospel, we see the call of the first apostles. Jesus calls Simon (later named Peter) and his brother Andrew, as well as James and John, the sons of Zebedee, while they are fishing by the Sea of Galilee. He invites them: “Follow me, and I will make you fish for people” (Mk 1:17). They leave their nets and follow him.

Vocation, as we see, is God’s call to each person, entrusting them with a mission. With the call comes the grace to fulfill it. Jonah initially resists, feeling overwhelmed by the task, while the apostles respond with readiness—though their journey will not be without challenges.

The psalm expresses this call beautifully:

Make me to know your ways, O Lord;
teach me your paths.
Lead me in your truth, and teach me,
for you are the God of my salvation;
for you I wait all day long (Ps 25:4-5).

Indeed, when God calls, he also gives hope.

These two themes—conversion and vocation—are central to the Christian life. They shape God’s saving plan for us and foster our inner growth. Conversion means breaking away from sin and striving for holiness, while vocation reveals God’s purpose for our lives and our response to his love.

As we draw closer to God, we discover the mission he has entrusted to us. Conversion and vocation go hand in hand. Just as Simon, Andrew, James, and John became “fishers of people” (Mk 1:17), so too, each of us is called to embrace God’s plan for our lives.

Today, I am delighted to visit your parish, dedicated to St. Teresa of Avila, a remarkable mystic known for her deep relationship with God and her love for others. This marks my first pastoral visit in 1982 as Bishop of Rome, and I greet you all with joy.

I extend my greetings to the Cardinal Vicar, the Apostolic Nuncio, the Auxiliary Bishop, and especially your parish priests from the esteemed Carmelite Order, who faithfully shepherd this community. I also warmly greet the lay groups supporting their ministry—catechists, the Catholic Action group, the Secular Carmelites, the Young Couples group, and many others. My heartfelt greetings go to every member of this parish—workers, families, elderly people, those who are suffering, and especially the youth, who hold a special place in my heart.

I want to embrace each of you in light of today’s Gospel message. Every person here is experiencing their own journey of conversion, known only to them and God. Some may feel far from God, others may still be awaiting that first step of conversion. And each of you has a vocation—whether as parents, children, teachers, doctors, students, or workers. To each of you, Christ says: “Follow me.”

Your parish is located in an urban setting with a growing elderly population and a decrease in births, yet with many schools for young people. It is essential that your parish be a place where all find a true sense of community. The Gospel must be known and lived here.

Your parish, dedicated to St. Teresa, is a special space within the larger Church of Rome. Here, God continues to call people to conversion and helps them discover their unique vocation. Through this, each life finds its full meaning.

May your parish truly be a place where God’s grace transforms hearts and leads each person to their calling.

In the second reading, St. Paul reminds us that “for the present form of this world is passing away” (1 Cor 7:31). Indeed, time passes. The year 1981 is behind us, and we have entered 1982.

Only God remains forever. Our lives have lasting value when we turn away from sin and embrace God’s call.

May this new year be a time of ongoing conversion and renewed commitment to our vocation.

Saint John Paul II

Homily, Pastoral Visit to the Roman parish of St. Teresa (Corso d’Italia 37)
Sunday, 24 January 1982

Translation from the Italian text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.

Featured image: St. John Paul II is seen here during his pastoral visit to Cali, Colombia on 4–5 July 1986. Image credit: Hernan Valencia / Flickr (Some rights reserved)

#conversion #DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #homily #Rome #StJohnPaulII #vocation