Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

In all my excitement over the "Love War," I almost forgot to mention today's feast!

There have been times when I considered hiding myself in Carmel, following in the footsteps of St. Teresa of the Andes and St. Therese of Lisieux...and though I have a Dominican vocation, I will always remember the example of these and other holy Carmelites who have blessed me with their example and prayers.

While I was in the cloister in June, I was introduced to another holy Carmelite: Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity. The following passage from the "Praise of Glory" was so beautiful, I had to copy it down, word for word, and even though it is rather long, here it is:

"Yes, we are weak--indeed, I may say that we are nothing but misery; but He well knows that.  He delights in forgiving and raising us up, in bearing us in Himself, in His purity and infinite sanctity. In this way, He purifies us by continual contact with Him. He wishes us to be stainless, and He Himself will be our purity! We must allow ourselves to be transformed into His image, which will be accomplished simply by loving Him ceaselessly with such a love as causes unity between those who love. I wish to be a saint that I may glorify my Divine Master; ask Him to make me live for love alone, which is my vocation. Let us unite ourselves to Him, so that our days may be in continual communion with Him; let us awake in love, deliver ourselves to love all day by doing the will of the good God, in His sight, with Him, in Him, for Him alone; let us give ourselves incessantly in the way in which He wishes; then, when night comes after a colloquy of love in our heart throughout the time, let us sleep again in love. Perhaps we may know of faults and infidelities on our part, let us abandon them to love which is a consuming fire, and thus we shall have our purgatory." (Praise of Glory, 117)

(I added the italics to her words)

...truly, those are words of one who loves much! And they could all be applied to the way the Blessed Virgin lives in love for God alone!

Blessed Mary, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for all your children who belong to the Carmelite Order and who wear your holy scapular!