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SECULAR ORDER OF DISCALCED CARMELITES
England, Wales and Scotland
True Discernment
‘Discernment is the ability to see things for what they REALLY are and not for what you WANT them to be.’ I like this quotation from St...
cpblamires
Jul 311 min read
The challenge of silent prayer
I was with an OCDS community as a visitor the other day and they were holding a Quiet Day. The Community President and his wife have a...
cpblamires
Jul 301 min read
Blog suspended until Wed 30 July.
I will be taking some time off, including time off the computer. May God bless and keep all of us. Meanwhile, below is a prayer...
cpblamires
Jul 241 min read
St Bridget and Carmel
On today’s feast of St Bridget of Sweden I learn for the first time about the Brigittine Rosary, which apparently has special...
cpblamires
Jul 231 min read
A namesake of St Mary Magdalene
On this feast day of the wonderful St Mary Magdalene, I am reminded of the Italian Carmelite saint Mary Magdalene de Pazzi (1566-1607 -...
cpblamires
Jul 221 min read
A spiritual United Nations
Fascinated by the news that a new Carmelite church was consecrated in Minsk, Belarus, in June. The Discalced Carmelite Newsletter from...
cpblamires
Jul 211 min read
St Therese in Australia
An illustration of the astonishing impact of St Therese in the Church immediately after her death comes to us in a delightful newsletter...
cpblamires
Jul 182 min read
Saving the memories
I was talking on the phone to one of my mentors in early days in Carmel yesterday. Her memories of Secular Carmel go right back to the...
cpblamires
Jul 171 min read
Our Lady of Miracles
On this Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel I am reminded of the beautiful "miracle of Our Lady of Mount Carmel" which took place in Palmi...
cpblamires
Jul 161 min read
Seek the bridegroom not the teacher
I often find great inspiration of the Office of Readings. Today an extract from the marvellous Italian bishop, academic, and mystical...
cpblamires
Jul 151 min read
From troublemaker to saint
One of the most extraordinary in our Church’s calendar of saints was a near contemporary of St Teresa, an Italian named Camillus of...
cpblamires
Jul 142 min read
The different paths to glory
A recent stay at Ampleforth Benedictine Abbey revealed to me my limitations and also the depth of the Church’s wisdom. I have to admit –...
cpblamires
Jul 111 min read
The astonishing legacy of Therese
Looking forward to the Therese Summit starting tomorrow at Boars Hill Carmelite Friary outside Oxford (although unfortunately I can only...
cpblamires
Jul 101 min read
Problems with leadership
Recently I have had to approach some people to ask them to consider taking up positions of leadership. In each case I was delighted to...
cpblamires
Jul 92 min read
The joy of sharing
I recently had the delightful experience of attending a Retreat organised at Ampleforth Abbey for Catholic Converts by the Coming Home...
cpblamires
Jul 82 min read
What holds our communities together
I was struck this morning by some words in the Office of Readings, from a Letter of Pope St Clement I to the Corinthians. All the more...
cpblamires
Jul 72 min read
That mysterious vocation
I have just received the latest issue of the Carmelite Newsletter circulated from Australia, New Zealand, and Oceania. There is a...
cpblamires
Jul 41 min read
Contemplation and Action
It is fascinating that a whole book has been published (in French) on Therese of Lisieux and St Teresa of Calcutta. The latter laid great...
cpblamires
Jul 31 min read
Teresa in the Divine Office
Delighted to see that today’s Second Reading in the Office of Readings is an extract from our Teresa of Avila ( The Way of Perfection ). ...
cpblamires
Jul 22 min read
The war on innocent lives
I have received the following from Teresa Lynch, Regional Representative of the London Region OCDS, with the request that I publish it on...
cpblamires
Jul 11 min read
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