Fr Dermot Kelly, O Carm, is currently the Director of Vocations for the Carmelite Order (O.Carm./Ancient Observance) in Ireland. he is based at the Gort Muire Centre, Ballinteer, D16 (email: dkelly@carmelites.ie or Tel: (01) 2984014).
The Carmelite Order came into being on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the dawning years of the thirteenth century. The hermits who lived on Mount Carmel were drawn together by a deep desire to place God at the very centre of their lives.
This is a summary of the talk given by Fr Philip Brennan O. Carm. for the Novena of Grace 2004, on the topic of Holy Orders/Ministry.
Each day, for nine days you petition Our Blessed Lady for all your special needs. It is a time of prayer and reflection that will bring you closer to the heart of Jesus her Son.
The prayer Flos Carmeli (Flower of Carmel) was composed in the thirteenth century, supposedly by St. Simon Stock in answer to which he received the Scapular from Our Blessed Mother.
The Annunciation of the Angel Gabriel to Mary has been one of the most famous images of Christian iconography. Many painters, artists, musicians, theologians have reflected on this simple but vital moment in the history of salvation.
In the first issue of this reflection on the attitudes of Mary in the Annunciation, we said that Mary was open to the plans of God, ready to listen to His Word which came through the angel, open to the future, even though that future was quite uncertain.
In our two previous reflections we contemplated the Annunciation to Mary from a two-fold perspective. First we saw her as a model both for openness and the capacity to listen, and the last time we took her as an example of genuine healthy piety, or, in other words, as a person “tuned into” God’s language and knowledgeable about the grammar of Faith
The Prior General of the Carmelite Order, Fr. Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., has written…..
We are told in the Constitutions of the Carmelite Order (art. 14), approved in 1995, that Carmelites follow Christ above all by commiting themselves to searching
From the writings of Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O Carm, Prior of The Friars, Aylesford Priory, Kent, England.
‘Carmel’ means ‘the Garden of the Lord’. It is a place, it is a tradition and it is a way of life
How do you know if you are being called to become a Carmelite friar? Furthermore, how do you know what exactly it is that you are being called to do?
The process of hearing and responding to God’s invitation in your life is called discernment. You will not hear a loud voice telling you to become a friar, but here are some sign-posts that may help you:
My words are for those young men who have given some thought to dedicating their lives to God in the Carmelite Order. The call of God is a gentle but persistent call. When the Lord calls he expects an answer.
There are many ‘Our Ladys.’ There is Our Lady of places like Lourdes and Guadeloupe, Our Lady of devotions like the Rosary. We also have many feasts of Mary, each celebrating God’s goodness to her. When we have ‘Our Lady of somewhere’ we usually concentrate on how she is honoured
A Reflection for the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Chris O’Donnell O.Carm
One hears it said occasionally that Mary is neglected in the Church today.
Like everyone, Carmelites love to trace their roots. Our family tree goes way back to the early thirteenth century, to a group of hermits, originally pilgrims and crusaders, living in allegiance to Jesus Christ on the slopes of Mount Carmel in Israel, a country so much in the news these days for all the wrong reasons.
Closing of Centenary Year Celebration of the Irish Carmelites (O.Carm and OCD) at the Church of St. Columcille, Knocklyon. Pentecost Sunday, 27 May 2007.
It is just a year since the centenary year for Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity was opened in Clarendon Street Carmelite Church, Dublin.