Introduction: The Feast of the Epiphany is a wonderful time for the family to gather to ask God’s blessing on their home and on those who live in or visit the home. It is an invitation for Jesus to be a daily guest in our home, our comings and goings, our conversations, our work and play, our joys and sorrows, especially during these difficult and challenging times. In this time of uncertainty and hardship when we ...

"Mary is More Mother than Queen.”   Have you noticed in Carmelite depictions of Mary there is no crown?  A well-known quotation from Saint Therese of Lisieux explains this: “Mary is more mother than queen.”  She is sister; she is mother; she is family.  The Greek title of today’s feast is “theotokos”, which means “Mother of God.”  Carmelites would add “you-tokos” and “me-tokos” and “us-tokos” because Mary is more mother than queen – your mother, my mother, ...

A Letter from the Prior General, O.Carm. and Superior General, O.C.D. to the Carmelite Family on the occasion of the 150th anniversary of the proclamation of St. Joseph as Patron of the Universal Church. This year, 2020, we celebrated the feast of St. Joseph in the full throws of a pandemic, that forced us to remain in our own homes. Because of that, we felt the need even more to turn to that just and faithful ...

My earliest Christmas memory, which also is my favorite, is walking back as a family from my grandparents house after Christmas Eve dinner. My grandparents lived on one corner of the farm and my parents lived on the other corner -- about 500 yards part -- and we normally walked over to my grandparents for Christmas Eve dinner, and then after dinner walked back home. As kids, we knew that there'd be presents waiting for ...