Celebrating at Home: Prepare a Way!2nd Sunday of AdventRepentance and forgiveness console God’s people and prepare the way for the Lord to enter our hearts.The magnificent first reading from the prophet Isaiah today looks forward to the appearance of God.Great preparations take place for his arrival - hills are lowered, valleys filled in, a straight highway is made in the desert. The joyful message of God’s approach is proclaimed from the mountain tops and shouted in the streets.How will this God show himsel ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Stay Awake! 1st Sunday of Advent Our Advent journey begins today. “The Advent readings form a rich tapestry of images centered on the truth that God has come among us. This week’s Gospel calls us to ‘Stay awake’, to be vigilant and attentive so that we do not miss the moment when God breaks into human history once again. The God who came among us is still among us. Read more ... [*]Celebrating At Home - 1st Sunday of Advent [PDF] [*]Celebrating At Home - 1st Sunday of Adv ...Continue Reading

December – Diciembre – Dicembre  2023 ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL | ITALIANO Download English: ocarm.org/en/prayer/lectiodivina Descargar Español: ocarm.org/es/prayer/lectiodivina Scarica Italiano: ocarm.org/it/prayer/lectiodivina ENGLISH LECTIO DIVINA - December 2023 [*]Lectio Divina December 2023 [Pdf] [*]Lectio Divina December 2023 [ePub] [*]Lectio Divina December 2023 [Mobi] If you wish to receive updates on current news from the Carmelite Order, subscribe to CITOC News at ocarm.org ...Continue Reading

  Celebrating at Home: Being the Living Presence of GodChrist, King of the UniverseOnly Matthew tells us this story of final judgement in the Kingdom of God. He paints a picture of the glorious arrival of the King and the assembly of all the nations of people who are then separated into two groups, sheep and goats.Judgement is then pronounced - not on the basis of physical beauty, wealth, power, status or even religious practice. What determines who will inherit the eternal life of the Kingdom are the wor ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Growing the Kingdom 33rd Sunday in Ordinary Time* Continuing the theme of last week’s parable about the wise and the foolish women, this parable also concentrates on wisdom. The wise servants fulfil the bond of trust placed in them by the master by are being productive with an enormous amount of money entrusted to them. Like last Sunday, today’s Gospel is another ‘meantime’ parable - how do we live as disciples of Christ in the meantime as we wait for his return? Read more ... [*]Cel ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Ready and Waiting 32nd Sunday in Ordinary Time* Wisdom is at the heart of the first reading and Gospel. In the Bible, wisdom is not separate from God but a feminine personification of various attributes of God. The first reading presents wisdom as like a light which never fails. The parable in the Gospel continues the theme of wisdom. The ten virgins (representing the disciples) are waiting for the coming of the bridegroom (the return of Christ). The wise ones brought both their lamps and extra ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Sincere and Grounded Faith 31st Sunday in Ordinary Time* The warnings against the leaders conclude this week. This is the final part of this series of readings in which Jesus strongly criticises various groups of leaders who have failed to grasp what religion and faith in God are really about. The problem centers around the belief that religious practice is all that is necessary to be justified in God’s eyes. According to Jesus, however, it is really about conversion, the con ...Continue Reading

  Celebrating at Home: Loving God and Each Other30th Sunday in Ordinary Time*Another attempt to trap Jesus is contained in the Gospel this Sunday. Opinions and arguments about which was the greatest commandment were common among the Pharisees and questions about it were frequently asked of rabbis. Clearly, those who asked this question of Jesus were trying to disconcert or ‘wrong foot’ Jesus in an attempt to discredit him with his reply.Once again, Jesus does not cleverly sidestep the question; he goes right t ...Continue Reading

 November – Noviembre – Novembre  2023 ENGLISH | ESPAÑOL | ITALIANODownload English: ocarm.org/en/prayer/lectiodivina Descargar Español: ocarm.org/es/prayer/lectiodivina Scarica Italiano: ocarm.org/it/prayer/lectiodivina ENGLISHLECTIO DIVINA - November 2023[*]Lectio Divina November 2023 [Pdf] Download here[*]Lectio Divina November 2023 [ePub] Download here[*]Lectio Divina November 2023 [Mobi] Download here   If you wish to receive updates on curre ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: The Image of God 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time* What is on display in this story from Matthew’s Gospel is not Jesus’ clever reply, but the image of God he presents. Even knowing the plot of the Pharisees and Herodians, Jesus does not refuse to enter into dialogue with them. He is the Word of God always willing to be in conversation with human beings. Read more ... [*]Celebrating At Home - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time [PDF] [*]Celebrating At Home - 29th Sunday in Ordinary Time [ePub] ...Continue Reading