Tag Archives: Carmelite

Calendar, Faith, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Feast Days and Saint of the Day; JUNE CALENDAR

June 4, 2022 Vicki Scheenstra

June 1…..St. Justin Martyr…Patron saint of philosophers…Martyr

June 2…..St. Erasmus...Martyr…Patron saint of sailors and against intestinal troubles

June 3…..St. Charles Lwanga & Companions...Uganda…Martyr

June 4…..St. Francis Caraciolo...Italy…Confessor

June 5…..St. Bonaiface...Apostle to the Germans…Martyr

June 6…..St. Norbet...Archbishop of Magdeburg

June 7……St. Paul of Constantinople...Bishop of Constantinople…Martyr

June 8…...St. William of York...England…Bishop of York

June 9…...St. Ephrem of Syria…Deacon

June 10….Bl. John Dominic...Dominican…Italy

June 11……St. Barnabus…Founder of the Cypriot Church

June 12…...St. Gaspar Bertoni...Italy…Priest

June 13…...St. Anthony of Padua...Portugal…Franciscan…Patron saint of sailors, lost articles and fishermen

June 14…...St. Elisha..Patron saint of Carmelite Order…Prophet

June 15……St. Germaaine of Pibrac...France…Incorrupt

June 16……St. John Francis Regis…Jesuit Priest…France

June 17…...St. Albert Chmielowski...Poland…Albertines

June 18…...St. Elizabeth of Schoenna…Germany…Benedictine…martyr

June 19……St. Romual...Italy…Monk

June 20…….St. Silverius...Bishop of Rome…Martyr

June 21…….St. Aloysius Gonzaga...Italy…Jesuit Deacon…Patron saint of youth and plague victims.

June 22……St. Thomas More…England…Martyr…Patron saint of lawyers

June 23…….St. Audrey…England…Incorrupt

June 24……..Nativity of St. John the Baptist...Cousin to Jesus…Martyr

June 25……. St. Eurosia…France…Martyr…Patron saint against bad weather

June 26……..St. Josemaria Esccriva...Spain…Opus Dei

June 27………Our Lady of Perpetual Help...Crete…Icon

June 28………St. Irenaeus...Asia Minor…Church Father…Martyr

June 29……...St. Peter & St. Paul…Apostles…Martyrs

June 30………The First Martyrs of the Church of Rome

Carmelite Saints, Our Lady, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Public Domain Image — Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is celebrated by the Catholic Church on July 16. It is on this day in about 1386 that Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock. She gave him a Brown Scapular saying,

“Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire.”

The scapular symbolizes Mary’s protection and reminds those wearing it of the call to prayer and penance. It stands for a commitment to follow Jesus and imitate Mary as the perfect model of all disciples of Christ.

A chapel was built near the Fountain of Elijah (northern Israel) which was dedicated to Our Lady. The hermits living there became known as the “Brothers of Mount Carmel”. St. Simon Stock was a leader of the Carmelite Order. The Carmelites have a special devotion to Mary. Their saints and theologians have a special devotion to her and the mystery of the Immaculate Conception (the belief that Mary was conceived without the stain of original sin). St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross and St. Terese of Lisieux are well known Carmelite saints.

Mt. Carmel is located north of Jerusalem along the coast of the Mediterranean Sea. It is a well known mountainous ridge in Palestine which is covered with caves. Hermits lived in the caves, living a life of solitude and prayer. Mt. Carmel is mentioned in the Old Testament many times.

The history of the Carmelites dates back to ancient times. It is believed to have been founded by the prophets Elijah and Elisha. The Carmelite Order is a contemplative order. Their spirituality follows the contemplative spirit of Elijah, living a spiritual life of contemplation and prayer. One of their goals is to “find God in the silence’. The rule of the Carmelites was written by St. Albert Avogadro in 1214.

The feast celebrates the appearance of Mary to St. Simon Stock. It is a special feast day for those who have a special devotion to Mary and wear the Brown Scapular. The Apparition of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was approved by Pope Sixtus V in 1587.

Blessed is he for whom Mary prays.

Quote of St. Peter Julian Eymard; Feast day August 2

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood.

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day, Visionary

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Archangela Girlani, Feast Day January 29

February 3, 2017 Vicki Scheenstra

The feast day of Bl. Archangela Girlani is celebrated on Jan. 29.

Bl. Archangela Girlani was born to a noble family at Trino, Italy in 1460. She was educated by the Benedictines. From early childhood she wished to become a Benedictine Nun. However, on the way to the convent her horse refused to cooperate and take her there. She took this as a sign and decided to follow in the footsteps of her two sisters Maria and Frances (Scholastica) who had joined the Carmelite Order. At the age of 17, she enter the Carmelite Order, taking the name Archangela. In time she became the prioress, a position she held until her death.

Bl. Archangela was known for her mystical visions. While meditating on the mysteries of the faith, she experienced ecstasies and miracles. She had a special devotion to the Holy Trinity.

After three years as prioress, she became seriously ill. Bl. Archangela died peacefuly after saying the following words;

“Jesus my Love”.

My God,

may everything

I do and suffer today

be for love of You.

Quote of St. Bernadette; Feast day April 16

January is the Month of the Holy Name

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Carmelite Saints, Doctor of the Church, Faith, patron saints, Prayer, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross, Feast Day December 14

Quote December 13, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross,

Feast Day December 14

The feast day of St. John of the Cross is celebrated on December 14. Because of his mystical writing, he is called the Mystical Doctor. He is one of the 35 Doctors of the Church. He is the patron of mystics.

Juan de Yepes Alvarez was born in Spain in 1542. His father was disowned by the family when he married a weavers’ daughter. His father died soon after his birth. Most of Juan’s childhood was spent in poverty. As a teenager, Juan worked in a hospital caring for the terminally ill and mental patients.

At the age of 21, Juan became a brother in the Carmelite Order. He went for higher studies in Slamanca and was ordained a priest, taking the name of John of the Cross at age 25. He soon met St. Teresa of Avila, a Carmelite nun, who convinced him to help her in the work of reforming the Carmelite Order. There was great resistance to the reforming of the order to a more prayerful life. Those against the reform actually kidnapped him. They held him prisoner for over nine months in a small cell, six by ten feet wide. He was beaten often. During this time of trial, St. John of the Cross became very close to God, spending his time writing his mystical poetry. He eventually escaped using a rope made of strips of blankets to climb out the window. The only thing he took with him was his writings. John hid in a convent infirmary where he read his poetry to the nuns. From this period on he shared his experience of God’s love.

St. John of the Cross wrote many books including:

Ascent of Mount Carmel,
Dark Night of the Soul
A Spiritual Canticle
Living Flame of Love

In 1579, he became Rector of Colegio de San Basilio, continuing his writing ministry. He is known for a spirituality which believes in the prayer of detachment. His spirituality also focused on joining our suffering to the Paschal Mystery (the death and suffering of Jesus Christ). He taught that the Cross leads to resurrection, agony to ecstasy, darkness to light, abandonment to possession, denial of self to union with God.

St. John of the Cross died of fever caused by cellulitus. He was canonized by Pope Benedict XIII in 1726. His feast day is Dec. 14, the day of his death and entry into heaven.

“Live in the world as if only God

and your soul were in it;

then your heart will never be made

captive by any earthly thing.”

Quote of St. John of the Cross

December is the Month of the Divine Infancy

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Carmelite Saints, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Denis of the Nativity, Feast Day Nov. 29

Quote November 27, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

Bl. Denis of the Nativity, Feast Day Nov. 29

Bl. Denis of the Nativity and Bl. Redemptus of the Cross Public Domain Image — Bl. Denis of the Nativity and Bl. Redemptus of the Cross

Bl. Denis of the Nativity on the left

The feast day of St. Denis of the Nativity is celebrated on November 29. He was a Carmelite priest and a martyr.

Peter Berthelot was born on December 12, 1600 in Calvados, France. He became a sailor at the age of twelve, traveling to Spain, England and America. In 1619 he traveled to India where he was a cosmographer and first pilot of the Kings of France and Portugal. In 1635 he met his spiritual counselor Father Philip of the Most Trinity and decided to join the Discalced Carmelites. He chose the name Denis of the Nativity when he made his profession on Dec. 25, 1636. He was given the gift of contemplation and known for his holiness.

As a missionary, he and his companion Redemptus left for Goa in 1638 where they were taken prisoner. They were tortured in an attempt to force their conversion to Islam. During his captivity, Denis helped others by sacrificing his needs. He always had encouraging words and set a strong example.

Both Denis and Redemptus were condemned to die. He was killed by a sword that split his head in two.

Both Carmelites were beatified on June 10, 1908, by Pope Leo XIII.

Prayer is a mighty weapon,

an unfailing treasure,

a wealth which is never expended,

a harbor that is always calm.

Quote of St. John Chrysostom; Feast Day September 13

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Raphael Kalnowski, Feast Day Nov. 19

Quote November 18, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

Bl. Raphael Kalnowski, Feast Day Nov. 19

The feast day of Bl. Raphael Kalnowski is celebrated on Nov. 19.

The name at baptism given to Bl. Raphael Kalnowski was Joseph. He was born to Polish parents in Vilnius in 1835. After military service he studied engineering at St. Petersburg. He helped design the Kursk-Kiev-Odessa railway.

During the Polish insurrection against Russia, he accepted the post of Minister of War. He was arrested on March 24, 1864 and condemned to death. The sentence was changed to ten years hard labor in Siberia.

After his release, he became a tutor for Prince Augusto Czarteryski in Paris. Augusto was inspired to become a priest, becoming a member of the Salesians. Through his travels, Joseph met St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross, both Carmelites. Two years later he decided to join the Carmelite Order taking the name of Brother Raphael of St. Joseph. H studied theology in Hungary and was ordained a priest on Jan. 15, 1882.

He served as a priest with apostolic zeal. He was known as a good confessor and a spiritual director. He worked for church unity and was known for his holiness.

Bl. Raphael died of natural causes on Nov. 15, 1907. Miraculous healings which were attributed to him led to his canonization by Pope John Paul II in 1991.

I like to find at least a few moments each day spent in doing good for others out of love for God. These few moments, almost unnoticeably used, bring something like rays of peace and comfort behind them; they unite us with people and God by a pure feeling of tender sweetness.

Quote of Bl. Raphael Kalnowski

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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Carmelite Saints, Faith, Prayer, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Feast Day Nov. 8

Quote November 7, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, Feast Day Nov. 8

The feast day of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity is celebrated on Nov. 8. She is the patron saint of the sick and the loss of parents. St. Elizabeth was born into a military family in 1880. She was strong willed and exuberant. When seven, her father died and her family moved to Dijon.

From her bedroom window, she could see the monastery of the Discalced Carmelite Nuns. After the death of her father she experienced outbursts of anger. She experienced both conversion and peace from the sacrament of confession.

At the age of 14 she received her first communion. From that time on she was no longer angry. She developed a great devotion to the Eucharist. It was on her first communion day that she met the prioress of the monastery for the first time. The prioress explained to her that the meaning of the name Elizabeth is “house of God”.

While Elizabeth had an early desire to become a Carmelite nun, she was delayed by her mother’s objections until she was 21. Until then, she sang in two choirs and helped students prepare for their first communion.

In 1901, she finally entered the Carmel monastery taking the name Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity. She had a great devotion to the Carmelite saints but was also drawn to the teachings of St. Paul. She believed the core of his teaching was the love of Christ. St. Elizabeth was a contemplative who wrote many poems and prayers including her famous Prayer to the Trinity.

St. Elizabeth died from Addison’s Disease in 1906 (kidney disease) at the age of 26. Elizabeth viewed suffering as a gift; a way to share in the redemptive suffering of Jesus.

St. Elizabeth of the Trinity was canonized by Pope Francis on October 16, 2016.

“Jesus gives His cross to His true friends
so he can come even closer to them.”

Quote of Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity

November is the Month of the Holy Souls

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Carmelite Saints, Doctor of the Church, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa of Avila, Feast Day October 15

Quote October 16, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Teresa of Avila,

Feast Day October 15

St. Teresa of Avila Public Domain Image — St. Teresa of Avila

St. Teresa of Avila’s feast day will be celebrated on October 15th. She is known as being the patron saint of writers and headache sufferers.

Born in Avila, Spain in 1515, she was sent to a convent at the age of 16, because her father believed her to be “out of control”. At first she hated it, later she came to enjoy it, in part because they were less strict than her father.

Eventually, she decided to become a Carmelite nun. She practiced meditation and mental prayer. She fell ill with malaria and almost died. She awoke paralyzed, which lasted for three years. She found it very difficult to pray during this time. However at the age of 41 a priest convinced her to go back to prayer. She suffered many distractions and found it very difficult. As she began her prayer life anew, God gave her spiritual delights including ecstasies, and the prayer of union. She eventually became known as a mystic.

At the age of 43 she decided to form a new convent which met with much resistance. Her confessor St. John of the Cross helped to begin the reformed order of the Discalced (barefoot) Carmelites.

St. Teresa was known for her honest dialogue with God. She wanted the nuns in her order to have the proper attitude and discipline in their prayer life. But she too could be frustrated with life. Every moment of her life was a prayer, even the difficult ones. She is known for the following exclamation.

“If this is the way you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few!”

St. Teresa has written many books. These include: The Interior Castle, The Life of Teresa of Jesus, and The Way of Perfection. Her spirituality has led many to a much deeper prayer life. She has been proclaimed a Doctor of the Church.

St. Teresa died on October 4 at the age of 67.

The following prayer is attributed to St. Teresa of Avila:

Let nothing disturb you.
Let nothing make you afraid.
All things are passing.
God alone never changes.
Patience gains all things.
If you have God you will want for nothing.
God alone suffices.

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Carmelite Saints, Doctor of the Church, Faith, Saint of the Day, Spirituality

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St Thérèse of Lisieux, Feast Day October 1

September 30, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

St. Therese the Little Flower Public Domain Image — St. Therese the Little Flower

Marie Therese Martin was born at Alencon, France on Jan. 2, 1873. St Thérèse of Lisieux is the patron saint of florists, missionaries, pilots and against tuberculosis.

The father of St. Thérèse, Louis Martin, was a watchmaker. Her Mother, Zelie was a lace maker. She died when Thérèse was four year old. Pope Francis canonized both Louise and Zelie as saints on Oct. 18, 2015. All five of their daughters entered religious life. The family attended daily Mass, visited the elderly and the sick and helped the poor.

St. Thérèse felt called into the religious life at the age of 15. She asked permission to enter the Carmel of Lisieux a Carmelite convent. She took the name of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face.

St. Thérèse had a childlike trust in the providence of God and in His merciful love. Her life as contemplative Carmelite was short but it influenced many souls. She was declared a Doctor of the Church by St. Pope St. John Paul II in 1997.

During her nine years living as a Carmelite Nun St. Thérèse became known for her spirituality. Her love of God was profound and she wanted to share that love with others. She developed her “Little Way” which was her way of loving Jesus. When asked to explain it, she replied:

“It is the way of spiritual childhood, the way of trust and absolute self-surrender. I want to point out to souls the means that I have always found so completely successful…to tell them there is only one thing to do here below…to offer Our Lord the flowers of little sacrifices and win Him by our caresses.”

St. Thérèse’s spirituality began with scripture and the gospels. She offered any suffering in her life to God and trusted in Him completely. She found joy in suffering for it united her to the cross and the Passion of Our Lord. She also had a devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.

“How little known is the merciful love of the Heart of Jesus! It is true that to enjoy that treasure we must humble ourselves, must confess our nothingness . . . and here is where many a soul draws back.”

St. Thérèse liked to use the image of flowers, especially roses, in her prayers. She considered each sacrifice a flower given to God. She compared souls to flowers, each one unique.

St. Thérèse came down with tuberculosis and died after several years of suffering at the age of 24 on Sept. 30, 1897. She was canonized in 1925.

The autobiography St. Thérèse wrote, The Story of a Soul, was published the year after her death.

“I want to suffer and even rejoice for love, for this is my way of scattering flowers. Never a flower shall I find but its petals shall be scattered for you, and all the while I will sing, yes sing, even when gathering my roses in the midst of thorns, and the longer and sharper the thorns may be, the sweeter shall be my song!”

Quote of St. Thérèse

St. Thérèse in Art

St. Therese of Lisieux Public Domain Image

October is the Month of the Most Holy Rosary

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Carmelite Saints, Martyr, patron saints, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. Edith Stein, Feast Day August 9

August 8, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Prayers, Quips and Quotes:

St. Edith Stein, Feast Day August 9

St. Edith Stein Public Domain Image — St. Edith Stein
Public Domain Image

The feast day of St. Edith Stein is celebrated on Aug. 9. St. Edith Stein was also known as St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She is the patron saint of loss of parents and converts. Edith Stein was born in Breslav, Germany on Oct. 12, 1891. She was the youngest of a large Jewish family. Her father ran a timber business but he died when she was only two years old. Her mother was hard working and devout. Edith, however, lost her faith when she was in her teens.

Edith studied at the University of Breslav where she studied German and history as well as philosophy and women’s issues. She considered herself a radical suffragette. When World War I began she completed a course in nursing and served in an Austrian field hospital, caring for wounded soldiers. After the war she received her degree, writing her thesis on “The problem of Empathy.”

Witnessing a person kneeling for a brief prayer while holding a shopping basket in the Frankfurt Cathedral Edith had a great impact on her faith. In 1917, Edith visited a widow who had converted to Protestantism. It was during this visit that she was introduced to the cross of Christ. Edith began reading the Spiritual Exercises of St. Ignatius of Loyola. She then read the Autobiography of St. Teresa of Avila. St. Teresa described God not as a God of knowledge but as a God of Love. Edith decided to study the Catholic Catechism. Soon after she decided to become Catholic. She was baptized on Jan. 1, 1922.

St. Edith felt called into the Carmelite way of life but decided to wait. She accepted a position teaching German and history at a Dominican Sister’s school. She also translated the letters and diaries of Cardinal Newman. Edith joined the Carmelite Convent of Cologne at the age of 42. She took the name Teresa, Benedicta Cruce; Teresa of the Cross. She believed it was her vocation to intercede for others through prayer. As a Carmelite she wrote several books, including The Science of the Cross.

Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross was arrested by the Gestapo on Aug 2, 1931 while she was in the chapel. She was taken with other Jewish Christians to Amersfoort and then to Westerbork. They were then deported to Auschwitz. On Aug. 9, St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross died in the gas chamber of Auschwitz at the age of 51. She was canonized as a martyr by Pope John Paul II.

If we place our hands of the divine Child,

if we say “Yes” to the “Follow me”,

then we are His, and the way is free

for His divine life to flow into us.

Quote of St. Edith Stein

August is the Month of the Immaculate Heart of Mary.

Carmelite Saints, Faith, Martyr

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Titus Brandsma, Feast Day July 27

Quote July 30, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

Bl. Titus Brandsma Public Domain Image — Bl. Titus Brandsma

The feast day of Bl. Titus Brandsma is celebrated on July 27. His birth name was Anno Sjoera Brandsma. He was born on Feb. 23 in Fries land, Netherlands. Titus grew up in a small farming village. Bl. Titus knew from an early age that he had a religious calling. He applied to join the Franciscans but was turned down due to health. On Sept. 17, 1898 he joined the Carmelites. He took the name of Titus which was his father’s name. He took his first vows in 1899 and was ordained in 1904. Bl. Titus earned a Doctorate in Philosophy from the Roman Gregorian University.

Bl. Titus Brandsma taught at the Catholic University in Nijmegen. He was also a journalist and writer. He wrote against the Nazi propaganda which caused the Socialists to notice him. The Gestapo watched him closely after the invasion of the Netherlands. He was arrested on Jan. 19, 1931 for declaring Nazism was not compatible with the Christian faith. He was abused in prison for several weeks.

Bl. Titus Brandsma was deported to the Dachau concentration camp in June 1931. Although he was severely mistreated he asked fellow prisoners to pray for the guards. He wrote many reflections while in prison. When he was no longer able to work the Nazis used him for medical experimentation.

On July 26, 1931 Bl. Titus Brandsma was killed from a lethal injection. Before he died he gave his Rosary to the doctor who killed him. The nurse who assisted the doctor returned to the faith because of his witness to Christ.

St. John Paul II beatified Titus Brandsma on Nov. 3 1985.

They who want to win the world for Christ

must have the courage to come into conflict with it.

Quote of Bl. Titus Brandsma

July is the Month of The Most Precious Blood.

Carmelite Saints, Martyr, Saint of the Day

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Rose Chretien, Feast Day July 17

July 11, 2016 Vicki Scheenstra

compeigne-holy-card — Martyrs of Compiegne

The feast day of Bl. Rose Chretien is celebrated on July 17. It is also the Feast of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne. She was born near Eureaux, France in 1741.

Bl. Rose married at a young age and soon became a widow. She decided to join the Discalced Carmelite Order and became a choir nun. At her profession in 1777 she took the religious name of Sister Julia Louise of Jesus.

Bl. Rose is considered one of the Carmelite Martyrs of Compiegne. The sixteen Carmelites were imprisoned along with English Benedictine nuns. The Carmelites were condemned as traitors and sentenced to death by guillotine. As they were martyred, one by one, they renewed their vows and chanted the hymn Veni Creato Spiritus which was the hymn sung at their ceremony professing their vows.

Several days after their deaths, the persecution called the Reign of Terror led by Robespierre came to an end. The English Benedictine Nuns credited the Carmelites with ending the bloodbath and saving their community.

The Carmelite Sisters were buried in a common grave at Picpus Cemetery with a single cross where 1306 other victims of the guillotine were buried.

Those who do something for the glory of God are not troubled by failure, because they have already achieved their pupose of pleasing God, by acting with a pure intention.

Quote of St. Alphonsus Liguori, Feast day August 1

July is the Month of the Most Precious Blood

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The Mystery of Faith

Tag Archives: Carmelite

Feast Days and Saint of the Day; JUNE CALENDAR

Prayers, Quips and Quotes; Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: Bl. Archangela Girlani, Feast Day January 29

Prayers, Quips and Quotes: St. John of the Cross, Feast Day December 14