May 2020 - Page 2 of 3

Tasting the Things of God

Carmelite homily for Tuesday (Easter VI), May 19, 2020 – Lectionary 292 (John 16:5-11)

What I like about the Carmelite saints is that they see things a little bit differently, a little more deeply. For example, this is what Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity writes, “If you do not practice sweet silence, it will be impossible for you to taste the things of God.” I think it’s in silence that the brain, the mind can say is this indeed so? Is this indeed correct? Is this indeed God? Is this indeed holy? That’s what, I think, Jesus is inviting us to in today’s Gospel where he’s talking about sin, righteousness, and condemnation, and saying, ‘it’s different than you think.’ I think practice sweet silence; think these things out. I think the Gospels are always saying, ‘think differently, think deeply.’ That’s the invitation of today’s Gospel.

Elevation of the Soul

Carmelite homily for Monday (Easter VI), May 18, 2020 – Lectionary 291 (John 15:26-16:4)

Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity is a Carmelite we don’t hear enough of. She was a contemporary of Saint Therese of Lisieux in the Carmel of Dijon, France. And she writes, “Always love prayer; but when I say prayer I do not mean reciting a vast quantity of vocal prayers every day; rather, I mean the elevation of the soul to God through all things.” I think that’s the key to today’s Gospel where Jesus says, ‘Do not fall away in persecution.’ If we have elevated the soul; if we live in the heavenly realms; if we live in sanctity; if we live with Jesus, how can we fall away? I think that’s the call of today’s Gospel: to elevate the soul in all things – persecution, joy – every moment, every day.

Belonging to the Holy Spirit

Carmelite homily for Sunday (Easter VI), May 17, 2020 – Lectionary 55 (John 14:15-21)

In today’s Gospel Jesus says that if you love him, you will keep his commandments; the Father will send the Advocate, the Spirit the world cannot accept. What does all that mean? I think it means – what is our starting point? Do we start with ourselves? Do we start with God? Saint Therese of Lisieux writes, “My thoughts belong to the Holy Spirit; they’re not mine. Without the Spirit of Love we cannot call God our Father.” I think the call is to begin with God; begin with the Holy Spirit. That’s where it all begins with anyway, so let us start there. And we’ll find the Advocate is in our lives. God is with us. The Spirit helps us to call God our Father.

Go Bear Much Fruit

Carmelite homily for Wednesday (Easter V), May 13, 2020 – Lectionary 287 (John 15:1-8)

In today’s Gospel Jesus uses the well-known image of ‘I am the vine; you are the branches; remain on the vine and you will bear great fruit.’ To remain on the vine means to do what the vine does, what Jesus does, which is: forgive seventy times seven, return a blessing for a curse, love your enemies, turn the other cheek, the Golden Rule. This bears a great harvest, a great fruit. Teresa of Avila says, “Let us not cease to believe that even in this life God gives the hundredfold.” I think that’s what Jesus promises in today’s Gospel.

No Longer “I” but “You”

Carmelite homily for Tuesday (Easter V), May 12, 2020 – Lectionary 2286 (John 14:27-31)

On the day Saint Therese of Lisieux made vows in the Carmel of Lisieux she wrote a prayer and she carried it in her pocket on that day. The prayer reads, “Jesus, I ask you for nothing but peace – and love, infinite love; love which is no longer “I” but “you.” In today’s Gospel Jesus promises peace, but peace not as the world gives. What does that mean? I think Therese has the key, the answer there. Because the world is all about “I, me, and mine.” And she’s praying, ‘not that, but you.’ That’s the key to deep, lasting, rich peace.

Without Noise

Carmelite homily for Monday (Easter V), May 11, 2020 – Lectionary 285 (John 14:21-26

We know that words are things of the head – they’re thinking; where love is a thing of the heart – it’s feeling. So in today’s Gospel Jesus says he’s going to send the Advocate to teach us all things or remind of everything he’s done. But what has he taught us but love? What has he instructed us but love? And so how is he going to teach these things of the heart? With words? No. Saint Therese says, “He instructs without the noise of words.” That’s how the Holy Spirit acts; that’s how Jesus acts; that’s how we grow – in love, not with words, but with love.

Day 9 – Novena to Saint Therese of Lisieux in Time of Pandemic

Saint Therese, who didn’t want to be a “saint by halves,” tells us to not put off holiness until tomorrow. Let everything we do today be touched by holiness.

Saint Therese suffered from tuberculosis and so should be declared the protecting saint, the guiding saint, the patron saint of the world in this time of pandemic. A novena is a prayer across nine days and in this novena we ask Therese to continue to “spend her heaven doing good on earth.”