A new baby in the wider Carmelite Family

From Carmelite News:

The British Province of Carmelites is delighted to give its warm congratulations to Matt Betts and his wife, Terri, on the birth and baptism of their first child, Joseph.

Matt is the Development Manager at the National Shrine of St. Jude, served by the Carmelite Friars in Faversham, Kent.

Matt's wife Terri (named after Carmelite nun St. Thérèse of Lisieux), a paediatric nurse, gave birth to baby Joseph on 18th February. He was baptised Joseph Henry Jack on 23rd March at the Betts' parish church, The Sacred Heart in St. Ives, Cambridgeshire.

Matt leads the team of lay workers at the National Shrine of St. Jude, and has been touched by the good-will messages he has received from pilgrims and Shrine supporters.

The young family are all doing well, and we keep them in our prayers.

Thoughts from our Chaplain: Do ordinary things greatly!

I came across an interesting little piece by Blessed Titus Brandsma. He wrote in Dutch, so I hope I’m faithful to what he has to say. “We are not called to proclaim in public big, conspicuous and hotly disputed things. That would be against the simplicity we intent to practise. But it is our duty to do the ordinary things in a grand manner, i.e. with a pure heart and with the strength of our whole being. We don’t desire to stand at the front and be acclaimed on account of our achievements to which the people of the world look up. We just want to be noticed for our simplicity and sincerity.” I think we can all say “Amen” to that!

Titus was born in Bolsward (Holland) in 1881, joined the Carmelites and was ordained in 1905. He earned a doctorate in philosophy in Rome and then taught in various schools in Holland. After that he taught philosophy and mysticism in the Catholic University in Nijmegen, where he also served as Rector Magnificus. Under the Nazi occupation he spoke up for the freedom of the press and the Jews and against the Nazi ideology. He was arrested and eventually killed in the Dachau. John Paul II beatified him on 3 November 1985.

I’m very grateful to my colleagues at Aylesford Priory and their wider community for invoking the intercession of Titus for my wellbeing. At the moment I’m feeling fine, ready for my second chemo session on 28^th March. Once again my thanks for your prayers too.                                 

Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.   

Thoughts from our Chaplain: practical prayer!

I was rather pleased that one of the recent reflections in Magnificat (on 14^th March) was by the Metropolitan Anthony Bloom.

Anthony belonged to the Russian Orthodox Church and died in 2003. I met him in about 1977 when he was living in London, was known as Archbishop Anthony Bloom and came to Aylesford Priory to give our students and novices a coupe of talks. What remains with me especially, apart from his gentleness and humility, was his holiness. Sanctity seemed to be oozing out of him and it was an absolute privilege to be in his presence.

This reminds me of the colleagues of St Francis saying of him, “Seeing Francis is seeing oratio: prayer in action”. In one of the talks Anthony told us, “Make your prayer practical. I mean, if you are a rather hot tempered individual, don’t get up in the morning and tell God ‘Dear Lord, I will never be angry again’. No instead pray, ‘Dear Lord, I will try not be angry for the next half hour! Say that several times a day and be aware of the Lord’s presence. You will soon notice the enormous difference it makes in your life”.

So here is a great Lenten exercise for you: Attack your predominant fault! What is it: Pride?, Arrogance?, Intolerance?, or one of the key idols: Sex, Power and Wealth? Such an exercise sounds to me much better than giving up a bar of chocolate! Of course doing both is better still!  Have a fruitful Lent.

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.  

Brother Paul, vocations and how you can help

Yesterday, Paul Jenkins was ordained to the diaconate, and it was a really joyful occasion. Paul was ordained by Archbishop Peter Smith, and he spoke movingly about the importance of vocations to the church. The whole celebration was one of hope and thanksgiving, and it was wonderful to celebrate it on the Feast of St Joseph. I pray that Joseph will give courage and help to Paul in his ministry to the church.

As I said in the recent Carmelite News: “The Harvest is great, but the labourers are few. There is wonderful work to be done in spreading the Gospel and all of us are called to be heralds of good news. The Carmelites are called in a special way to be a school of prayer, helping people to relate in an intimate way with God. St Teresa spoke of prayer as having a conversation with God. Besides being praying communities, Carmelites are called to be prophetic;  proclaiming God’s message in and out of season. As Pope Francis has said, we speak to the people on the margins from the margins ourselves. We are called to be in solidarity with those who could be voiceless.”

“I am conscious that my time working for the Lord is limited, and I would like you to join my prayer to ask the Lord to call folk to continue God’s calling  to Carmel. No calling is easy, but we do not answer the call relying on our own resources but open to God’s grace, this is his gift of helping us risk doing something that’s new. I was moved to become a Carmelite because I saw great humanity in those who were living the Carmelite way. The more human we become, the more we are like Jesus Christ who has shown us what it is to be fully human, fully alive.”

THANK YOU to all the supporters of the Shrine of Saint Jude who have made Paul’s special day possible. It is YOUR support, through your donations and prayers, which enable the Carmelites to minister in Britain and beyond. GOD BLESS YOU FOR YOUR KINDNESS. If you would like to help us further, please visit our online shop where you can purchase gifts from the Shrine, or make a donation. THANK YOU.

Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm

Brother Paul Jenkins

Please remember in your prayers our brother, Paul Jenkins, O.Carm., who will be ordained deacon today (the feast of Saint Joseph) at Aylesford Priory.

'The twelve said: "Friends, select from among yourselves seven men of good standing, full of the Spirit and of wisdom, whom we may appoint to this task of service" ... They had these men stand before the apostles, who prayed and laid their hands on them.' (Acts 6)

Please can I also ask you to keep our brothers in the Ukraine in your prayers. The British Province has a long tradition of working with the Order there, and they need our prayers more than ever. Please also keep the people in your prayers. Thank you.

Fr Wilfrid McGreal, O.Carm

(With thanks to Johan)

Thoughts from our Chaplain: Just do it!

In Mission Today (Spring 2014) Fr John Hemer narrates how Queen Victoria was giving a state banquet at Buckingham Palace. Whatever was served, it was followed by the use of finger bowls. One visiting dignitary, taking it to be one of the many drinks on offer, picked up his finger bowl and drank it! The people around him were horrified. The Queen saw what was going on and rescued him by picking up her own finger bowl and drinking it. This meant that all present had to follow suit! Fr John brings out how Jesus took our place of shame and how through his passion and cross he made us privileged children of the kingdom of God.

Over the centuries several people have followed Jesus’ example. Fr Maximilian Kolbe, who volunteered to offer up his own life in place of a family man. It also reminds me of my uncle Pé (Piet) and his wife Rika. At the risk of their own lives they saved a good number of young Jews, on the run from the Nazis, by hiding them in their cellar and bunkers in the heather field. After the war they refused to get on e.g. the Queen’s Honours list. Pé’s reaction was, “What we did should be done quite naturally by any Christian”. Being the down to earth man he was he would have said, “Just get on with it”! A good thought for Lent!                                   

Fr Piet Wijngaard, O.Carm.  

Saint Joseph - Principal Protector of the Carmelite Order

The Catholic Church keeps the 19 March as the Solemnity of St. Joseph, the Husband of Mary and Foster Father of Jesus Christ each year. The scriptures refers to St Joseph being upright and honourable. Certainly his sensitivity towards Mary and his care for both Mary and Jesus shows him as a person of action and care.

The Carmelite Order has had a particular devotion to St. Joseph for many centuries, venerating him with the title "Principal Protector of the Carmelite Order". Since Joseph cared for Mary and Christ in a particular way, we believe that he also cares for the Carmelite Order which is devoted to Mary and Christ. St Teresa of Avila had great devotion to St Joseph and saw him as a protector of her new foundations. 

In our prayers, we can turn to St Joseph and pray that he will care for us in difficult times when loving protection is needed. I often pray at the statue of St Joseph here at the Shrine (see photo below) when I pray for his protection.

We have a number of prayer cards to Saint Joseph that can be purchased from our Gift Shop.

Our novena to Saint Joseph starts today and can be viewed here, or below.

God our Father,
creator and ruler of the universe,
in every age you call humanity
to develop and use our gifts
for the good of others.

With Saint Joseph as our example and guide,
help us to do the work you have asked
and come to the life you have promised.

We ask this through
our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you
and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Saint Joseph, National Shrine of Saint Jude