Celebrating at Home: What Must We Do?3rd Sunday of AdventWe continue to focus on John the Baptist in the Gospel today. The Gospel opens with the people, the tax collectors and some soldiers, having heard the call to change their lives, all asking John, ‘What must we do?” These three groups would normally be very suspicious of each other.Yet somehow John’s preaching has brought them all together in a community of sorts. Notice how practical John’s advice is. And, at the same time, it is a call to live by the values of co ...Continue Reading

 Meeting of the Order's Treasurers Held in FatimaFrom November 11 to 16, 2024, fifty bursars/treasurers from the provinces, commissariats, and delegations gathered in Fatima, Portugal, at the Casa San Nuno Hotel for the meeting of the bursars of our Order. This included lay people who collaborate in this ministry in their respective provinces. All entities present shared a brief report of the realities in which they live, problems, main challenges and possible solutions. Secretary for Missionary Cooperation of the ...Continue Reading

 Meeting of the Order's Treasurers Held in FatimaFrom November 11 to 16, 2024, fifty bursars/treasurers from the provinces, commissariats, and delegations gathered in Fatima, Portugal, at the Casa San Nuno Hotel for the meeting of the bursars of our Order. This included lay people who collaborate in this ministry in their respective provinces. All entities present shared a brief report of the realities in which they live, problems, main challenges and possible solutions. Secretary for Missionary Cooperation of the ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Prepare a Way for the Lord!2nd Sunday of AdventThe sense of preparing is very strong in our readings this weekend. The Gospel highlights the role of John the Baptist as the one who prepares the way for Jesus. The first reading from the prophet Baruch is a call to do the same. It talks about taking off the dress of sorrow and distress and putting on the beauty and glory of God. It’s a call for the people to become God’s people. Our Advent readings help us realise God’s profound love fo ...Continue Reading

  Bl. Bartholomew Fanti, priestDecember 5 | Optional MemorialChrist Is Truly 'God With Us'From the encyclical letter of Pope Paul VI, The Mystery of FaithIN A MOST SUBLIME manner, Christ is present in his Church as she offers in his name the sacrifice of the Mass. He is present in her as she administers the sacraments. But there is yet another manner in which Christ is present in his Church, a manner which surpasses all the others; it is his presence in the Sacrament of the Eucharist, which is for this reason ...Continue Reading

 Triennial Chapter of the Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of Santa Catalina in Aracena, Spain HeldThe Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Santa Catalina in Aracena, Spain was held on November 18-19, 2024. Fr. Emilio Rodriguea Claudio, OSA, vicar general and episcopal vicar for Contemplative Life in the Diocese of Huelva presided. Eight nuns of the community participated.Various decisions were taken. Among these was to work on ongoing formation and within it to deepen the community's identity according to ...Continue Reading

  Bl. Denis, priest, and Redemptus, religious and martyrsNovember 28 | Optional MemorialThe Viceroy of Goa intended to send a diplomatic mission to the Sultan of Acheh, the powerful ruler of northern Sumatra. His ambassador, Dom Francisco Sousa de Castro, specifically requested that Denis be assigned to the expedition, not only for spiritual care, but also because of his piloting skills and knowledge of the waters around Sumatra. Denis was hurriedly ordained to the priesthood, and Brother Redemptus was assigne ...Continue Reading

Celebrating at Home: Stay Awake! Your Liberation is Near1st Sunday of AdventThe great Advent journey begins! The Advent readings are a rich tapestry of images centered on the truth that God has come among us. We do not pretend that we are waiting for Jesus to be born in a stable. That happened once, a long time ago, and it will not happen again. We remember that birth as we remember our own birthdays. The God who came among us is still among us.Advent’s invitation is to become aware of the all-pervading presence of ...Continue Reading

 December – Diciembre – Dicembre  2024 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 - December 2024[*]Lectio Divina December, 2024 [Pdf] (1.61 MB)[*]Lectio Divina December, 2024 [ePub] (196 KB)[*]Lectio Divina December, 2024 [Mobi] (894 KB)  If you wish to receive updates on current news from the C ...Continue Reading

 Triennial Chapter of the Carmelite Nuns of the Monastery of Santo Stefano in Ravenna, Italy HeldThe Elective Chapter of the Carmelite Monastery of Santo Stefano in Ravenna, Italy was held on November 21, 2024. The archbishop of Ravenna-Cervia, Lorenzo Ghizzoni, presided.In 1760 the Carmelite Peter Tombi gathered pious young women in the village of Molinella, near Bologna, who lived as Third Order Carmelites. In May 1773 they moved to Ravenna. By 1840 the group became members of the Order, receiving the papal enclo ...Continue Reading