St. Teresa of Avila has given us piercing insights into the heights of mystical prayer and the phenomena that can come with it. What most inspires from her life and writings, however, is that tenacity with which she drove to do the simplest thing: God’s will. She knew what it was to experience fear.

Saint Thérèse enriched her teaching on the “Little Way” with several interesting images. She once spoke of herself as a small grain of sand but not “discouraged because God cannot inspire unrealizable desires”; and she more or less identified herself as a little chick protected by the mother hen that represented God in the protection of Divine Providence over her. There is another diminutive image she proposed that looks equally useful to the general public. She once advised her sister Céline “Before dying by the sword let us die by pin-pricks”

In this 50th anniversary year of her arrival among the proclaimed Doctors of the Church, and the first woman among them, we can only show appreciation for Saint Paul VI’s gesture and also the kindliness which led Bishop Shanley to leave to the house of our province devoted to studies such a beautiful image of Teresa of Jesus.

Join us as we celebrate the novena of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face! Fr. Michael-Joseph of St. Thérèse provides a short video reflection for each day leading up to her traditional feast day on October 3.

The following homily for the Memorial of the Transverberation of St. Teresa of Jesus was given by Deacon Br. Pier Giorgio of Christ the King, O.C.D., on the occasion of the clothing Mass of a Discalced Carmelite nun.

Yesterday, as I was leaving Latrobe, Pennsylvania very early in the morning, while it was still dark, I passed a well-lit bulletin board that said in big letters: GOD IS ABLE. And I thought this sign was perfectly suited to celebrate the mystery of the great Solemnity we celebrate today, the ASSUMPTION OF THE BLESSED VIRGIN MARY. God is able.

This summer Fr. Michael-Joseph of St. Thérèse and Dcn. Br. Pier Giorgio of Christ the King spent some time in Estes Park, Colorado ministering to the college students attending FOCUS Summer Projects. While they were there, they had the opportunity to speak with some of the students about their personal experiences of prayer and the Carmelite saints.

This homily was preached by Deacon Br. Pier Giorgio of Christ the King, OCD, on the Memorial of St. Teresa of St. Augustine and Companions on July 17, 2020, at a Discalced Carmelite Monastery of nuns.

For the year of Saint Joseph we wanted to highlight his more contemplative dimension, especially through the lens of St. Teresa of Avila. She discovered the greatness of St. Joseph right here in Ávila and became one of his greatest devotees of all time. She teaches us how he can be a guide for all of us on the path of prayer.

Today is the feast day of St. Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, and, significantly, this year marks the 100th anniversary of her death. In this video, Br. John-Mary of Jesus Crucified introduces us to this energetic, charming young Latin American saint who has something powerful to say to our troubled world.

Br. Pier Giorgio of Christ the King was ordained to the Sacred Order of the Diaconate on July 5, 2020. The following is his first homily, preached to the Carmelite community on July 6, the memorial of St. Maria Goretti:

The following is the homily that was given by Fr. Michael Berry of the Heart of Jesus to the Discalced Carmelite community at Holy Hill for the Solemnity of the Sacred Heart, June 19, 2020.

At the Carmel of Cologne Germany, home to the community Edith Stein joined in 1933, there is now a modern archive housing texts, studies, and memorabilia related to Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. Once, Mother Amata showed me a manuscript containing a poetic meditation “From a Pentecost Novena.” Some sketches by the Saint placed at the end of the stanza for each day of her novena are worth reproducing here along with the fourth stanza of the poem that I found most gripping--both the thought/emotion of the stanza and the sketches demonstrate how sensitive a person Saint Edith was.

Today is the feast of St. Simon Stock, who received the Brown Scapular from Our Lady of Mount Carmel in 1251. Fr. Michael-Joseph of Saint Thérèse shares the history, spirituality, and the practice of being enrolled in the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Today is the Octave Day of Easter; a day designated by the Church as Divine Mercy Sunday. It is a time to recall with special attention the great gift of mercy that we receive from the risen Christ. The entirety of Saint Thérèse's life—her Christmas miracle, her entrance into Carmel, her Little Way, her terrible suffering and illness–all of it is a beautiful hymn of Divine Mercy...

Good Friday is always an important moment to be reminded of the significance for us of the death of Jesus on the Cross. I want to share an excerpt from chapter 7 of book II of the Ascent of Mount Carmel:

This season of CarmelCast we'll be exploring the life and teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. We encourage you to follow along this Lent as we journey through her life by reading her autobiography. In this episode, Br. Pier Giorgio, Fr. Michael-Joseph, and Br. John-Mary discuss the legacy of St. Thérèse after her death.

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross’s writings display rich and numerous references to the saving instrument of our salvation, the Cross of Christ. Iconography for her helps impress the beneficial image and effect the Cross has on the lives of those who believe in Jesus.

This season of CarmelCast we'll be exploring the life and teaching of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, the Little Flower. In this episode, Br. Pier Giorgio, Fr. Michael-Joseph, and Br. John-Mary discuss how St. Thérèse is a contemporary witness of the spirituality of St. John of the Cross.

Jesus is hidden. This week begins the Lenten season of Passiontide. Crosses and images are traditionally covered, and the readings point to the rising conspiracy against Jesus by his opponents. In our own time, things are difficult. For many of us, Jesus seems to be very hidden.