Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

The glory of God is given to her,

the beauty of Carmel and Sharon;

they shall see the glory of the Lord,

and the splendor of our God.

Isaiah 35:2

Flower of Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Virgin Mother of the Son of God. Amiable Mother, ever Virgin, give to thy children of Carmel the Privilege of thy Protection, Star of the Sea! ~from the prayer of St. Simon Stock

The Blessed Virgin appeared to St. Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, on Sunday, 16 June, 1251. She presented him with a brown scapular and said: "Take, beloved son this scapular of thy order as a badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; whoever dies in this garment, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is the sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant".

The Scapular is a long, narrow garment, which simply covers the shoulders and falls equally before and behind nearly to the feet. The use of this garment is of the greatest antiquity in Carmel. John 44th, who lived about the year 400, in the work entitled, The Institution of the First Monks, gives a description of a garment almost identical in form with the present Scapular, which he calls superhumerale, and which was worn by the Solitaries of the Old Testament. The Abbot Dorotheus speaks also of a garment like it, in use amongst the Monks of Syria and Palestine, which he calls in Greek analabe.

Speaking of Carmelites...
Holy Annunciation Monastery Byzantine Discalced Carmelite Nuns
The Monastery and Fraternity of St. Elie in Saint-Remy, France

Fire at Little Portion Hermitage

I was heartbroken when I read this news about John Michael Talbot and all the brothers and sisters at the Little Portion Hermitage...

From JMT - Written on Tuesday, May 29,2008

Greetings!Last night the sleep of the Brothers and Sisters of Charity, Monastic, was interrupted close to midnight as a raging fire burned our Chapel and Common Center to the ground. Viola and I were the first on the scene as I saw the orange/red glow through our hermitage's back windows. Upon arriving we found there were no hoses capable of stopping the raging flames. I ran up the hill and woke up the community, and we started the almost futile task of spraying down the part of the Common Center that had not yet burned and retrieving anything from inside we could still find.We lost some most valuable things in the fire. Our community archives were lost and all of the books in our library. The Troubadour stockroom and inventory were lost to the flames. All of the various awards received were melted in the intense heat of the fire. We have some back-ups from computers, but nothing current. It is our hope that most of this is covered by our insurance.

In Jesus,

John Michael Talbot

Founder, and Spiritual Father

The Brothers and Sisters of Charity at Little Portion Hermitage

Would You Like To Help? We sincerely appreciate any donation you can make to assist in the rebuilding of Little Portion Hermitage Monastery. Your kind donation is tax deductible. Online donations may be made here: http://www.littleportion.org/

Good News Online March/April

This month's issue of Good News Magazine is online. It is a gift to us from the National Service Committees for the Catholic Charismatic Renewal in England and Ireland. This issue features a neat article about the relevance of the Rule of St Benedict to Charismatic groups and communities. Since I know some of you out there are in leadership positions, this really stood out:

Though the authority and responsibility of an Abbot is greater than that of a prayer group leader, it is worth benefiting from St. Benedict’s insights. The group leader is more than just an organiser. Making provision for prayer, teaching and ministry, maintaining the unity of the group, and listening to people’s needs, nurturing development and mediating between individuals requires pastoral care. St Benedict reminds the abbot that, ‘he will have to give an account of his stewardship’ (RSB 64:7, cf. Lk 16:2). He needs to listen to the brethren before making significant decisions (RSB 3:2), ‘teach more by deeds than words’ and ‘use argument to exhort and rebuke’ (RB 2:12 & 23, cf. 2Tim 4:2). Such a wise balance in leadership is one of the keys to the longevity and success of the Rule. However, the leader should not take decisions on his own. Leadership is not a democracy – God is not automatically in the majority – but neither is it a dictatorship. It involves discerning the will of God, in the group. The Abbot should, ‘convoke the whole community, and himself declare the proposed action: and having heard the counsel of the brethren, he is to ponder it over within himself and then do what is most appropriate’. Everyone should feel included, and he is told to pay particular attention to children, ‘because it is often to the younger that the Lord reveals what is best’. (RSB 3:1-3)

Be sure to check out the rest of this article and the magazine.

Vocations on the Rise

Last year saw a 62% jump in inquiries into Catholic religious life and a 30% increase in number of people in first stages of formation according to Vision Vocation Network.

"The majority of those who are considering religious life are under 30 and quite serious about choosing religious life—about one in five plan on entering a religious community in the next year, while another 64% are seriously considering it.”

Not only is there an increase in young people entering the religious life, "vocation directors—both men and women—commented on an increased interest among inquirers in wearing a habit or traditional religious garb."

Check out the results of the survey HERE

In related news, here's a story from the Boston Globe called The Unexpected Monks about evangelicals turning to monasticism. Sure, it's their own version of it based on their "discovery" of Catholic and Orthodox spirituality, but it is interesting to note.

Oblates of the last Martyrdom is a Catholic apostolate with many similarities to the so-called "new monastics" of evangelicalism.

Discern your vocation online

Are you hearing God's call but unsure of where that might call is leading you? Check out the Vocation Network. By answering a few questions you will be given a list of monasteries, apostolates, and organizations that match. As a married guy with a family, nothing came up, but who knows what you'll find out.

Discernment retreats have long been a way of getting direction for your Christian vocation. This traditionally meant spending some directed time at a monastery. Well, now you can do this online thanks to the Benedictine Sisters, Monastery of St. Gertrude in Cottonwood, Idaho. Check out their online retreat.

Maybe it will open your eyes to some possibilities you never considered.