“Every Order taketh its name either from a place or from a saint,” writes John Baconthorpe, 14th century English Carmelite; “from a place, like the Cistercians who are called after Citeaux, and our Order after Carmel.” As a matter of fact, it is to Mount Carmel, a mountain in Palestine on the Bay of Haifa, that the Carmelite Order traces its origin. The date of its origin, the subject of an age-old controversy, can now ...

(This article was originally published on the Solemnity of the Assumption, 2017. It offers a timely reflection on today's Solemnity by Bl. Titus Brandsma.) What happened at the end of Mary’s life? Did she die, or was her dormition (her “falling asleep”) which is one and at the same time her assumption? In his promulgation of the Assumption in 1950 on the Feast of All Saints (Nov. 1), Pope Pius XII declared “the Immaculate Mother of ...

Loving God, your servant, Titus Brandsma, laboured zealously in your vineyard and gave his life freely because of his faith in you. Through his intercession I ask for your mercy and help. Father, Titus never refused when he was asked for help by your people. In his name, I come to you with my needs: (mention requests.) Lord, help me always to imitate the great faith, generous love, and burning zeal of Titus Brandsma. Glorify ...

We invite you to quiet yourself and enter into peaceful, prayerful state. Read Blessed Titus Brandsma's reflection on Albert Servaes' Fourteenth Station of the Cross. Brandsma's sincere sorrow and love shine through these meditations, the portent of his own Christ-like passion and death at Dachau. Using the question(s) at the end of each reflection, Allow Titus' words to inspire your own authentic prayer and meditation. ---------------------------------------------------- This sad final walk. Christ, my Lord and God, is ...