Category: Father Mario

Our Lady of Mount Carmel

(Photo: Carmelite Sisters for the Aged and Infirm)

+ Maria

My dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ and Our Lady of Mount Carmel,

Once again, I would like to welcome you virtually, to the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Middletown, New York. Here, under the patronage of Our Lady, we strive to draw closer to Christ under Mary’s guidance and mantle, and to provide a place of prayer, silence, and grace to all who visit. We welcome all who are joining us in the Carmelite Symposium co-sponsored by the Center for Carmelite Studies at Catholic University of America, and the Carmelite Institute of North America, of which I am the Chair of the Board of Directors. With us present for the Mass and Morning Prayer this morning are the Novices of the North American Provinces of St. Elias and the Most Pure Heart of Mary, as well as Lay Carmelites who belong to the Shrine Community.

In the old days, this would have been the fourth day in the Octave of the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and tomorrow is the Solemnity of our Father Saint Elias. The Mass chosen honors the Blessed Virgin Mary, Image and Mother of the Church and, of course, she is the Image and Mother of Carmel, our religious family. The members of a family always reflect the parents from whom they came, and in Carmel we are always meant to imitate and reflect Mary, the best and most faithful disciple of her Son. Carmelites are never confused: we live in allegiance to Jesus Christ with a pure heart and a good conscience, as our Rule teaches us. However, in that living, Mary – and Elijah of course, – give us examples of how to live in that full allegiance, and what that means. Anyone who turns to Mary can be assured that she will turn them toward Christ.

Among the beautiful sentiments and teaching found in the readings at today’s Mass, I would like to reflect briefly on a few points, in keeping with the theme that Mary is the image and Mother of the Church – and Carmel.

When once I was participating in a lectio divina session with a group of lovely diocesan priests, the text was taken from the Acts of the Apostles, as we heard it read today. Each priest shared what he understood the text to mean at that moment for him, and each sharing was meaningful. When I read the passage, my eyes immediately fell upon Mary at prayer in the midst of the apostles and disciples gathered. That was all I could keep coming back to in my mind. As we went around the circle, not one of the other priests mentioned Mary, which amazed me, and when my turn came, this presence of Mary in the middle of the early Church was the focus of my sharing and poured out of me. As Carmelites, what might we see in this passage? I think, first of all, we see an image of the Church, gathered together, praying, calling down the Holy Spirit, and Mary is with the believers, with us. Beyond anything we do, any kind of service we perform or project we undertake, we first of all have to place ourselves and keep ourselves in the middle of the Church, at prayer, invoking the Holy Spirit, and realizing Mary’s presence, guidance and love for us. This week’s Symposium will consider the place of Carmel and her spirituality in the midst of today’s world. I think that we need to affirm from the beginning, that Carmel’s place in the world is to be in the middle of the Church, always being the prayerful, Spirit-led community which imitates Mary, and witnesses to Mary and Jesus in our times and cultures. Whether we are Carmelites in parishes or schools, in the cloister or nursing home, with our families, children or in the workplace, we need to image and mother Christ’s presence in the world in imitation of Our Lady.

In truth, I don’t purport to be a scripture scholar, and I know that volumes have been written and movies produced about the gospel of the wedding feast of Cana which we just heard. Why did Mary say what she said? Why did Jesus say what he said, or do what he did? Why did Mary, the model disciple, basically ignore Jesus’ response and, instead, just tell the attendants, “Do whatever he tells you.” Maybe in heaven we will get the right answers, but even now we know that the result of their dialogue and the action of Jesus brought joy and relief into a very delicate situation and, in fact, the wine of Jesus was regarded as “having saved the best for last.” From this text, I draw two conclusions which, I think, are to the point. The first is: Mary is a very good intercessor, effective, and able to achieve results.  Asking Mary’s help when the cause is worthy, brings an answer from her Son. Again, we Carmelites who live in the midst of the Church, can safely and confidently, turn to our Mother Mary for Her heavenly intercession and encourage others to do so.  As St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross taught, we Carmelites are called to stand proxy for those who cannot, or will not pray for themselves and their needs, and we can be assured that our Mother will help us.

And, in this passage, we actually see Mary bring the best out of Jesus. He seems to hesitate, but she sails on full throttle. Mary draws a response out of Our Lord, and His response is the best. There is a lesson of faith here for all of us to ponder, and the lesson is a consoling one about the care which Mary has for her children, and the magnificence of Jesus’ care as well, granting exactly what is needed and best to those who persevere in calling upon Him.

Let us ask Mary, the Image and Model of the Church and Carmel, to teach us how to pray, how to intercede, and how to live as her children and as her brothers and sisters in the middle of the Church, as light and life.  May God bless our Symposium.

Father Mario Esposito, O.Carm.

National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

July 19, 2021

+ Maria

Dear Members of the Mother Angeline Society,

Greetings to all of you as we make our way through this year of 2018 that the Lord has given us. Thank you for all of your ongoing support of the Cause for the Beatification
and Canonization of Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa McCrory, O.Carm. You are always remembered in the prayers of the Carmelite Sisters and in monthly Masses for your intentions.

This year we have been reflecting upon Mother Angeline as a Voice for the Sanctity of Life. Often, we think of our prayers and efforts for the Right to Life or Sanctity of Life as being primarily focused on working for an end to abortion in our society and protection for the unborn and, while this is a critically important issue of our times, it is not the only life issue about which the Church and people of good will are concerned. The Carmelite Sisters represent a strong voice in the Church and in health care for the protection and sanctity of life for the elderly, the weak, those seniors who are vulnerable and, in some ways, cast aside by society because they are no longer materially productive and might be a burden. The very parents, grandparents and individuals who bore the heat of the day for the generations that followed, seem now to be expendable and marginal. There are countless older people struggling with various physical and mental challenges who need dedicated, sympathetic loving care and protection such as
provided in Carmelite facilities. The Carmelite Sisters also make available excellent palliative care programs, offering wonderful alternatives and comfort for the elderly, while publicly advocating against the various initiatives that propose euthanasia,
contrary to the teaching of Christ and His Church.

Mother Angeline loved and venerated the elderly. She saw the whole person with his or her material, emotional and spiritual needs, and taught her Sisters to do the same. Each Carmelite Home for the Aged and Infirm makes it a priority, a core value, that the residents are treated with love, respect and dignity in order to make their later years joyous, safe and wholesome. Nothing is compromised for the good of the residents in order to safeguard them and give them peace. Each person represented the Lord to Mother Angeline, and each needed to be cared for as one would care for their own parents, and in fact the Lord himself. The Carmelite Sisters advocate for the Sanctity of Life in all its stages and with all of its challenges in all their facilities and programs. They copy the loving example of compassion taught them by Venerable Mary Angeline, their Foundress, and see that their mission and all who share in it continue her respect for the Sanctity of Life. Mother Angeline’s charism is as relevant and important today
as it has been since she began 89 years ago. Please continue to support both financially and by your prayers the Cause of Venerable Mary Angeline Teresa. Let us all pray for and add our voices for the protection and Sanctity of Life.

In Christ,

Winter/Spring 2018