March 2020 - Page 3 of 3

Ignatian Guided Meditation

This is a meditation on the passage of ‘The Woman at the Well’ (John 4:5-42) using a method of praying with scripture taught by Saint Ignatius.

Today I’m going to try something different. Instead of giving a Carmelite-themed homily for this Third Sunday of Lent – the passage is ‘The Woman at the Well’ from John’s Gospel – I’m going to give an Ignatian Guided Meditation. It’s a way Ignatius, Saint Ignatius, teaches us to pray with scripture. He says, ‘immerse yourself in the passage; engage all the senses.’ What does it smell like? What do you see? What do you hear? Engage your senses and immerse yourself in. Then lean in and listen to what Jesus might have to tell you. So let us begin…

We’re in Samaria; you’re in Samaria. It’s noon. You’ve been walking all morning and you’re tired. It’s hot. You sit down on a rock near the well. Jesus is sitting at the well. You’re thirsty; very thirsty, and he’s doing nothing about getting water. But then this woman comes up. And you can hear her jewels and her bracelets clanking as she’s walking. And you’re thinking, ‘what is she doing here? No one is at the well this time of day.’ And she sits down near Jesus and you can hear them, but not hear them distinctly, talking to each other. That’s because the wind which is so hot (it’s midday) is blowing against your ears. That’s what you hear more than their talking – the wind. Where did those disciples go? Oh yeah, Jesus sent them into town. So it’s just you, her, and Jesus. You smell the heat on the rocks. You smell some perfume. Is that her perfume? She’s wearing perfume in the middle of the day! All of a sudden she runs off and then Jesus turns to you and says to you, ‘and what are you here for? what are you looking for?’ And you say to Jesus:

Message to the Order regarding the Coronavirus

From Míceál O’Neill, O.Carm., Prior General

Dear Brothers and Sisters,

On this rare occasion I want to address a word of support to all our members who in one way or another are affected by the continuing spread of Covid-19. Here in the Curia we have heard the instructions of the Italian government and we have done our best to follow all the instructions. This has meant saying to our staff that they should not come to work until further instructions. We have organized our life in such a way that none of us will have people coming to the house and no one will leave the house until the ban is lifted, except for emergencies and essential services. We recognize the sacrifice that this entails, but we feel that we have to allow ourselves to be guided by the advice of the experts.

We will keep in our thoughts and prayers, those who have died and their families who are in mourning. We will pray for the medical profession, that the researchers may succeed in identifying this virus and finding the best ways to protect the population from infection, and the doctors and nurses may be able to help all who have fallen victim to it.

We must not allow ourselves to lose confidence or to be gripped by fear. This experience may lead us to reflect on how powerless we are, despite all our progress. At moments like this we realize more clearly that without God, we can do nothing. It is a good moment for us to renew our faith in God and our commitment to the wellbeing of one another, and in a special way our care for the poor, for the ones who are least able to cope when life gets difficult. In the time that we spend confined to our homes, we may find ourselves thinking and praying more, at one with Mary the Mother of God who kept all these things and pondered them in her heart.

Míceál O’Neill, O.Carm.
Prior General

Be That Kind of Rock

Carmelite homily for Friday, March 13, 2020 – Lectionary 234 (Matthew 21:33-46)

Half-Blind

Carmelite homily for Thursday, March 12, 2020 – Lectionary 233 (Luke 16:19-31)

Today we have the well-known parable of the rich man (oftentimes called Divés) and Lazarus. And when they both died the rich man goes below and Lazarus goes above, to the bosom of Abraham. Why? Because one was rich and one was poor? Or is it deeper here? Here’s what Saint Therese writes, “Only God can see what is at the bottom of our hearts; we are half-blind.” I think it’s the bottom of our hearts that tells us, directs us, guides us to where we’re going. Let’s ask the Lord to shed great light on our hearts so that we’re not blind like the rich man.

Simplify

Carmelite homily for Wednesday, March 11, 2020 – Lectionary 232 (Matthew 20:17-28)

Today we have a very sad passage because Jesus tells the disciples, ‘they’re going to hand me over to the chief priests and scribes who will hand me over to the Gentiles where I’ll be scourged and mocked and crucified.’ And how do the disciples respond? By saying, ‘who’s going to be first?’ And they send James’ and John’s mother there to even ask that question. Saint Therese has a very different response. Here’s what she writes, “Jesus, help me to simplify my life by learning what you want me to be and becoming that person.” I think that’s what Jesus is asking of all of us, and asking of the disciples – not ambition – but to simplify and be who they, and who we, are called to be.

Doubt and Fear

Carmelite homily for Sunday, March 8, 2020 – Lectionary 25 (Matthew 17:1-9) – Second Sunday of Lent

Today’s Gospel is Matthew’s account of the Transfiguration, where, it says, Moses and Elijah appeared and were seen conversing with Jesus. It doesn’t say what they were talking about, but here’s what, I think, they were talking about. Moses spoke and said, “Jesus, I doubted. I struck the rock twice when God said to strike it. I almost failed my mission because of doubt. Do not doubt. And then Elijah would speak and said, “Jesus, do not fear. I was afraid of King Ahab and Queen Jezebel and I ran from them. And I almost failed my mission because of fear. Do not be afraid.” That’s the invitation of today’s Gospel; yes, doubt and fear are powerful motivators in our life and there’s no way we can escape them. I think the invitation is: don’t let them control you.

Be Ye Perfect

Carmelite homily for Saturday, March 7, 2020 – Lectionary 229 (Matthew 5:43-48)

Because today’s Gospel passage is the same, this homily is repeated from Sunday, February 23rd.

The last line of today’s Gospel says, “So be perfect, just as your heavenly Father is perfect.” And sometimes we can hear this and say – oh, I’ve got to be perfect then; I can’t make any mistakes; I can’t make any failures; I cannot sin; I’ve got to be — ‘ahhhh’ – uptight. And that’s not what it means at all. Because if you take it in the whole context, the Father lets the sun shine on the good and the bad alike and the rain fall on the just and the unjust alike, means to treat everyone with love. Here’s what Saint Teresa of Avila has to write about this. This comes from her book, The Way of Perfection (it makes sense), “Zeal for perfection is in itself a good thing. But it could follow that every fault the sisters commit will seem to you a serious breach; and you are careful to observe when they commit them, where they commit them, and then go and inform the prioress. Often, you don’t see your own faults because of your intense zeal for the religious observance of everybody else. What the devil is hereby aiming at is no small thing; namely, the cooling of charity and love the sisters have for one another. So, let each one look to herself only. For perfection consists of love of God and love of neighbor; whereas, perfectionism comes from the devil.” So let’s not confuse ‘perfection’ and ‘perfectionism’ today.

Precious in God’s Sight

Carmelite homily for Friday, March 6, 2020 – Lectionary 228 (Matthew 5:20-26)

Today’s Gospel mentions your brother or your neighbor a lot. Don’t get angry with your brother. Don’t call your brother names. If you remember you have something against your brother be reconciled. If you brother takes you to court just let him do that. It’s all on how we treat one another. This is what Saint John of the Cross has to say, “Your neighbor will be precious in God’s sight for reasons that you may not have in mind.” I think that’s part of the reason we treat our brother, our neighbor so well; cause, we don’t know what’s motivating, what the intentions are, what’s going on there – God does. So let God do the judgement, I think, is the bottom line of today’s Gospel.

Great Favors

Carmelite homily for Thursday, March 5, 2020 – Lectionary 227 (Matthew 7:7-12)

We all know that Saint Teresa of Avila received great gifts in this life. Despite opposition, the reformation of the Order, foundation of many convents, a great spiritual life which sums up, she says, in Mystical Marriage. And the nuns reported that she would levitate in the chapel. Great gifts! Here’s what she writes, “I say only that prayer is the door to favors as great as the Lord granted me. If this door is closed I don’t see how he will grant them.” In today’s Gospel we have Jesus say, ‘ask, seek, knock and it will be given to you.’ What ties it all together but prayer? This is the invitation of today’s Gospel – to pray. The ask, the seek, the knock will be given to you. And if Teresa of Avila is right, the great favors given to her will be given to you.