Carmel is Where My Heart Is

            A blessed day today! I thank our Lord God for letting me return to my religious and spiritual family, the Carmelites. I also thank Bro. Ioannes Laurentius, OCarm, for referring me to this Carmelite community that I am fit to be. I was a former aspirant in the Order of the Secular Discalced Carmelite wayback, and if you have read my blog, I desire to study the Carmelite life and works of great saints and doctors of the church. I am accepted as an aspirant now in the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance, O'Carm. The OCDS is the community that was reformed by St. Teresa of Avila. This may be two different communities but they all belong to the Carmelite family.

My devotion to our Blessed mother and the saints that I look up to from Carmel and their way of life is the reason why Carmel is close to my heart. My community's patron saint is St. Telesphorus. This is our coat of arms. 

I was also able to get a beautiful 3rd class relic with all of our Carmelite family there. It is framed and I put in it my religious books cabinet in our master's bedroom at home. I could not ask for more. Even if it took a long time, I found the place where I should be. My heart is joyful and contented now. May my footsteps always follow our Lord Jesus.As our coat of arms motto, "To Live in Obedience to Christ Jesus!" To Jesus, through Mary! 

Story of A Soul by St. Therese of Lisieux

  St. Therese of Lisieux's (a French Saint) diary was the first ever autobiography of a saint that I have owned. When I first saw the book at Holy Redeemer Catholic church, I knew I got to have it. On the front cover is the real photo of St. Therese.

As I have said before. St. Therese of Lisieux, she's also known as St. Therese of the Child Jesus, was influential to me. Partly, the reason why I wanted to become a nun was due to her. I really admire her for her courageous heart, and great love for our Lord Jesus. She entered the Carmelite convent at such a young age. She was an exception. If you read her story, she was able to talk with the Holy Father then, and request for her admission in the convent. Speaking with the Holy Father is also forbidden, but she bravely did because of her strong will to enter the religious life. Later on she succeeded, she joined her sisters Pauline, and Celine who were also Carmelite Nuns. They were strictly cloistered, and live a contemplative life.

There were no extraordinary events, or heavenly visions that St. Therese encountered in her life. But what sets her differently is her great love for our Lord Jesus. I remember one particular event in her life, while walking with her father one night, when she looked up at the sky she saw the stars form the first letter of her name, and she exclaimed her name was written in heaven. There were no miracles when she was alive, but true to what she has said. She will do good in heaven. True enough, many religious vocations happened because they were inspired by her story. She died at such a young age, due to tuberculosis which at that time still has no cure. What lessons can we learn for St. Therese, do all things with love for our Lord.

The church grants indulgence just by reading her book, as told to me by our late parish priest in Manila, Msgr. Severino G. Casas, H.P.

May you be inspired and be blessed as you read her writing... And also may you find your true calling in life.