The Practice of the Presence of God

We have a meeting in my parish called ‘The Going Deeper’ meeting.  I run it on Carmelite lines (Evening Prayer, discussion of a Carmelite text, silent prayer).  It has been going a few years but numbers have dropped and I don’t know if it will last much longer. These things ebb and flow.  We were meeting in a room at the church but we are switching tonight to my house – I don’t know how that will work.  It is in the hands of the Good Lord.  One of the members said she was reading The Practice of the Presence of God by Brother Lawrence OCD, so we are going to look at that text tonight.  I always think that this book title on its own speaks volumes about the Carmelite vocation.  It sums up what we are about as Carmelites in seven words.    

Intercessions:

Cancer: Brian Davis, Bernard (and wife Angela caring for him), Jacqui, Theresa K, Fr Jon Bielowski (Plymouth Diocese), Catherine, Alex (43 with five children)

Illness:  Katy Keeling

Siena, Elara – sick children

David OCDS – housebound

Sophia – blind infant

Grace – troubling ailments, job difficulties, family (deceased mother and health of father)

Lucia – Overwhelmed by weariness

Mark – brain infection

Michael – youngster with occult influences

Defence of the unborn and the elderly

RIP Roy Seymour, Richard Parker, Sue Burton, Joy Smith OCDS, Dr Alan Rodgers