Sunday, July 20 - The Blessed Virign Mary, Gate of Heaven -
Rev. Timothy P. Elliot, Pastor St. Giana Parish, Lake St. Louis

It is hard to believe that we have come to the end of our wonderful novena of masses and prayers in honor of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel! Certainly many graces were shown upon the faithful who not only attended the Novena with love and prayerful hearts but who also endured the 107 degree heat tonight! (though that temperature was only a rumor and not confirmed!)

Father Timothy Elliot spoke about the importance of understanding and discerning what things in life are good and what things are evil. He reminds us that the Devil is very clever to make things "appear" good to us, but if we examine them through the eyes of faith and love of Christ we will see differently. In his homily, Father speaks quite frankly on the subject of honoring morality and embracing a culture of life.

You can here his homily here below.

May the graces and strength bestowed on us through prayer in love of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and in honor of her most beautiful, humble and holy example to the world shine as a beacon of holy hope as she leads all her beloved children to her Son, our Lord and our Eternal Savior and King. Praise be Jesus Christ, Now and Forever!!!

Novena Prayer To our Lady of Mount Carmel

O most beautiful flower
of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine,
Splendor of Heaven
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O, Star of the Sea, help me
and show me herein
you are my mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech you
from the bottom of my heart
to succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand you power,
O, show me herein you are my mother.

O, Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause
in your hands.

Amen

Saturday, July 19 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Help of Christians
Rev. Noah A. Waldman, Newly Ordained, Associate Pastor, Sts. Joachim and Ann Parish in St. Charles

It was another beautiful St. Louis evening and as the sun set and Holy Mass began, a cool breeze gently comforted us all on the front lawns of the Carmel of St. Joseph here in St. Louis, Missouri. Newly ordained Priest, Fr. Noah Waldman spoke so very beautifully about Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, his beautiful understanding and love of Carmelite spirituality and about Our Lady Help of Christians.

Of particular beauty is Father's prompting to us to consider the holy life of Our Lady and her life with the young St. John after he was entrusted with the care of our Holy Mother from the dying Christ on the cross.

Amen

Friday, July 18 - The Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother of Divine Hope
Rev. Edward G. Nemeth, Newly Ordained, Associate Pastor, St. Joseph Parish in Imperial

For the 7th Night of the Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, Father Nemeth spoke to us about the Blessed Virgin Mary as our Mother of Divine Hope. His beautiful sermon was briefly muffled by the sound of a car alarm, but please persist in listening for it only last a minute or so!

The photograph of St. Michael shows the newly reclaimed statue which guards the front lawn of the Carmelite Monastery. After a storm damaged his sword, a restoration company came to assess the damage. The found that this statue was actually painted and that underneath the layers of paint lie the most beautiful and very old marble! Through a careful restoration St. Michael now again gloriously guards the Monastery and his guilded sword brightly reflects the sun!

The Carmelites best known for their martyrdoms during of the French Revolution are the Martyrs of Compiègne, who were guillotined in Paris in mid-July, 1794. The memorial of the beatified Carmelite Martyrs of Compiègne is today, July 17 and we celebrated their memory during the Novena tonight. Newly ordained Priest in our Archdiocese, Fr. Michael Houser was the main celebrant and he spoke beautifully about Peace and the Martyrs.

“The sixteen Discalced Carmelite nuns were condemned to death by the revolutionary tribunal for their fidelity to religious life, for their “fanaticism” (especially for their admirable devotion to the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary), and for their attachment to constituted authority. These were all considered crimes against the “State” which was adamant about removing all forms of clerical thought from their secular government and rule.” 1

The prioress of these Discalced Carmelite Nuns, Teresa of St. Augustine, offered themselves to the Lord as a holocaust “to placate the anger of God and so that divine peace, brought to earth by His beloved Son, would return to the Church and to the state.”

After their Monastery and lodgings were invaded again in June, their devotional objects were shattered and their tabernacle trampled underfoot by a Revolutionary. This soldier told them that their place of worship should be transformed into a dog kennel!

The Carmelite sisters were taken to the prison to await their trial. There they composed a canticle for their martyrdom, to be sung to the familiar tune of the people at the time. The original writing still exists. It was written in pencil and given to one of their fellow prisoners, a lay woman who survived.

Give over our hearts to joy, the day of glory has arrived,
Far from us all weakness, seeing the standard come;
We prepare for the victory, we all march to the true conquest,
Under the flag of the dying God we run, we all seek the glory;
Rekindle our ardor, our bodies are the Lord’s,
We climb, we climb the scaffold and give ourselves back to the Victor.

O happiness ever desired for Catholics of France, To follow the wondrous road
Already marked out so often by the martyrs toward their suffering,
After Jesus with the King, we show our faith to Christians,
We adore a God of justice; as the fervent priest, the constant faithful,
Seal, seal with all their blood faith in the dying God….

Holy Virgin, our model, August queen of martyrs, deign to strengthen our zeal
And purify our desires, protect France even yet, help; us mount to Heaven,
Make us feel even in these places, the effects of your power. Sustain your children,
Submissive, obedient, dying, dying with Jesus and in our King believing.

Read more on these Carmelites from the sources:

an article: The Mantle of Elijah: The Martyrs of Compiègne as Prophets of Modern Age by Terrye Newkirk, OCDS.

CARMELITE NUNS OF COMPIÈGNE (d. 1794) Blessed, martyrs (D) Valentine Macca

Wednesday, July 16 - Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Rev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

Last evening’s beautiful mass on the Feast Day of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was just beautiful. Fr. Suenram spoke to us of the special motherly relationship Our Lady has for her loving Carmelite children. She has clothed us with a special garment of grace and we implore her heavenly protection. Father spoke of the special relationship Our Lady played in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux and how we all are guided by Our Lady’s maternal care.

O most beautiful flower
of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine,
Splendor of Heaven
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O, Star of the Sea, help me
and show me herein
you are my mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech you
from the bottom of my heart
to succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand you power,
O, show me herein you are my mother.

Amen

Tuesday, July 15 - The Blessed Virgin Mary Pillar of Faith
Rev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

This evening’s Holy Mass was again celebrated by Father John L. Suenram, OCD. Despite difficulties with his microphone halfway through the sermon, a fast thinking Father quickly picked up another microphone and kept on with his homily!

The choir tonight was composed of fellow Carmelites. The Carmelite Sisters of the Most Divine Heart of Jesus. Their mission is to serve the elderly at their St. Agnes Home for the elderly here in St. Louis. How wonderful it is to have them with us! Thank you Sisters!

Also, you may pray along with us the Sorrowful Mysteries of the Most Holy Rosary which were recited in chapel before mass.

Novena Prayer To our Lady of Mount Carmel

O most beautiful flower
of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine,
Splendor of Heaven
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O, Star of the Sea, help me
and show me herein
you are my mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech you
from the bottom of my heart
to succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand you power,
O, show me herein you are my mother.

O, Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause
in your hands.

Amen

Also, you are invited to pray the Rosary with us!

Monday July 14 - Holy Mary Queen and Mother of Mercy

Rev. John L. Suenram, OCD, Pastor of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

This evening’s Holy Mass was celebrated by Father John L. Suenram, OCD who came all the way from San Antonio, Texas and the National Shrine of the Little Flower! How wonderful it was to have a Carmelite Friar come and preach to us during this Novena and his special understanding of Carmelite Spirituality filled our hearts.

The youth choir from St. Marks parish was the special choir for this evening. Apparently they have just returned from a visit at the University of Stubenville in Ohio. Their passionate singing was so uplifting!

This evening our Celebrant for the Holy Mass on the Second Night of our Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel was Msgr. Richard Stitka who is the Pastor at Annuziata Church here in St. Louis and he also serves at the Chaplin to the Sisters here at the Carmelite Monastery. You can hear Father’s beautiful homily in testimony of Vocations.

Also available here as a podcast is a recording of the recitation of the Most Holy Rosary which was prayed in Chapel before the outdoor mass. The rosary was lead by a Seminarian fromKenrick-Glennon Seminary here in St. Louis and it is followed by prayers for Benediction of the Holy Eucharist and completed with a song entitled “Queen and Beauty of Mt. Carmel”. This is a special favorite song ritually sung here at the Novena each night.

Tonights theme: Holy Mary, the New Eve

This is the homily given by Bishop Robert Herman at the first night of the Carmel of St. Joseph’s 60th Annual Outdoor Novena to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Dear Bishop Herman graciously came to present the liturgy to us as our Archbishop Raymond Burke has been appointed by Pope Benedict XVI to become the Prefect of the Supreme Tribunal of the Apostolic Signatura in Rome.

Bishop Herman is a powerful homilist and speaks so eloquently about the need for Contemplatives in our modern day society. As this mass is said outside, you will enjoy hearing the cicadas, frogs and other outdoor wild life along with the chime of the Monastery Bells.

We hope you will enjoy this homily from the first night of the Novena! Please come and join us if you can. The rosary starts at 7:30 and mass begins at 8 p.m. For more information please see our website.

Novena Prayer To our Lady of Mount Carmel

O most beautiful flower
of Mount Carmel,
Fruitful vine,
Splendor of Heaven
Blessed Mother of the Son of God,
Immaculate Virgin,
assist me in this my necessity.
O, Star of the Sea, help me
and show me herein
you are my mother.
O Holy Mary, Mother of God,
Queen of Heaven and earth,
I humbly beseech you
from the bottom of my heart
to succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand you power,
O, show me herein you are my mother.

O, Mary, conceived without sin,
pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
Sweet Mother, I place this cause
in your hands.

Amen

For me, prayer is an aspiration of the heart, it is a simple glance directed to heaven, it is a cry of gratitude and love in the midst of trial as well as joy; finally, it is something great, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites me to Jesus. How great is the power of prayer, it could be called a Queen who has free access at every moment to the King and can always obtain what she asks.


- Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul, chapter 10 & 11

Teresa de los Andes – Letter 109 To Elisa Valdes Ossa

June 13, 1919

“Do you know which souls enjoy my Kindness most, Our Lord asked? The ones who rely on Me most. Trusting souls run off with My graces. I am all love; and the greatest pain they can give My Heart is to doubt My Kindness. My Heart not only sympathizes, but even rejoices to make up for failings as long as there is no malice involved. If you only knew the work I could do in a soul filled with miseries, provided it allowed me to work there. Love needs nothing. It seeks only that there be no resistance; and ordinarily, what I ask to make a soul holy is that she let Me act. A soul’s imperfections, when given no consent do not displease Me, but call forth My compassion. I love souls so much… A soul’s imperfections should serve as ladders to reach Me through humility, trust and love. I draw near to a soul that humbles itself and I come to its nothingness in order to unite it with Myself.

Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Therese of Lisieux - virtue

“The practice of virtue gradually became sweet and natural to me. At first my looks betrayed the effort, but, little by little, self-sacrifice seemed to come more easily and without hesitation. Our Lord has said: “To everyone that hath shall be given, and he shall abound.”


From the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, “Story of a Soul”.

Therese of Lisieux — Mountain of Love

“If weak and imperfect souls like mine felt what I feel, none would despair of reaching the summit of the Mountain of Love, since Jesus does not ask for great deeds, but only for gratitude and self-surrender.

This is all Our Lord claims from us. He has need of our love– He has no need of our works. The same God, Who declares that He has no need to tell us if He be hungry, did not disdain to beg a little water from the Samaritan woman. He was athirst, but when He said: “Give me to drink,” He, the Creator of the Universe, asked for the love of His creature. He thirsted for love.

And this thirst of Our Divine Lord was ever on the increase. Amongst the disciples of the world, He meets with nothing but indifference and ingratitude, and alas! among His own, how few hearts surrender themselves without reserve to the infinite tenderness of His Love.”

From the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux, “Story of a Soul”.

Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit

"O Lord, may I come to you by the straight road of truth and simplicity! Grant me a right intention, that single-minded regard of the soul that desires only to please you and is not concerned about how others interpret its actions.
In my dealings with my neighbor, may I always follow the straight road of pure good-will, loving you in your creatures without seeking any natural satisfaction. Let my relationships be inspired by sincerity, sisterly charity and holy freedom.
In the vicissitudes and unexpected events of life, make me know how to walk straight toward wherever you call me without any lingering or disctractions. Teach me to follow the way of the love that does not know procrastination, and of the simplicity which knows no deviation, and of the trugh that knows no subterfuge.
This is the way that pleases you, O Jesus, for you wanted to be called "the straightest way," the way that leads to the Father, for you said; "No one comes to the Father but by me." It is the way by which the Holy Spirit guides us, for he "leads the just along the straight road." Therefore, O God, I beg you with all fervor and desire: "create a pure heart within me and renew your Spirit within me."

4 minutes

Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949) Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

St. Teresa of the Andes - letter 36
To Mother Angelica Teresa
Santiago, September 7, 1918

"I keep myself closely united to Our Lord within the home of my soul. Whenever I go out on the street or to the theater or to take a walk, I tell Our Lord: "My Jesus, although perhaps no one here is thinking about You, but here is a heart that belongs completely to you. I adore You, I love You. Make me Yours always." In this way I keep myself recollected and removed from worldly things and every time we must go out, we must promise to remain united to Our Lord in the cells of our souls."


Time 3:00

Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

Teresa de los Andes
111
Letter to her Aunt Juana Solar De Dominguez
June 23, 1919

"What shall I tell you of my heavenly life? Every day I thank God more for my vocation; which, the more I delve into it, the more beautiful it becomes to me. If I could let you experience the happiness felt when one has no other task in this life than loving and contemplating. When the soul is engulfed in the ocean of Divinity, it loses sight of the world's shores, of that world that is homeland of sorrow and evil! How happy I am living as a prisoner of the Divine Prisoner, consoling Him with my tears, helping Him save souls, praying and suffering! I've begun my eternity already. I have everything. The only thing I lack is to see God face to face.

Let us love Him greatly. He thirsts for our love, because the angels' love isn't enough for Him. And after giving us His Father and His Divinity, Jesus gave us His Mother. He suffered from Bethlehem to Calvary. Shouldn't we have a little bit of love for this Divine Beggar…? May everything we do be done for loves' sake, and let's live forever at the foot of the tabernacle, be it only in spirit, consoling Our Lord in His agony. I'll say more: live in the Heart of Jesus. There, united with Jesus prayer, love and praise offer your works, both perfect and imperfect, to the Most Blessed Trinity. May your soul, be a host of praise and a host of love, sacrificing itself perpetually for the glory of the most Holy Trinity to make known the infinite love and mercy of the God who is Love."



Copyright 1994. Letters of St. Teresa of the Andes translated by Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D. Teresian Charism Press Holy Hill 1525 Carmel Road Hubertus, WI 53033 USA

St. Therese of Lisieux - Story of a Soul

"With me prayer is an uplifting of the heart; a glance towards heaven; a cry of gratitude and love, uttered equally in sorrow and in joy. In a word, it is something noble, supernatural, which expands my soul and unites it to God. Sometimes when I am in such a state of spiritual dryness that not a single good thought occurs to me, I say very slowly the "Our Father" or the "Hail Mary," and these prayers suffice to take me out of myself, and wonderfully refresh me."

Time 2:30

Therese of Lisieux - Infinite Beauty

“What will be our joy when we communicate eternally in the dwelling of the King of Heaven? It will be undimmed by the grief of parting, and will know no end. His House will be ours for all eternity, and there will be no need to covet fragments from the walls hallowed by the Divine Presence. He will not give us His earthly Home--He only shows it to us to make us love poverty and the hidden life. What He has in store for us is the Palace of His Glory, where we shall no longer see Him veiled under the form of a child or the appearance of bread, but as He is, in the brightness of His Infinite Beauty.”

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul CHAPTER VI A PILGRIMAGE TO ROME

Carmela of the Holy Spirit -- Make this my life!

"O Holy Spirit, you will be the one who will inspire not only my prayer, but by actions as well, who will rule over my relations with my neighbor, and who will produce within me those wonderful fruits which are your gifts, just as all the virutes are your gifts, since we act in a human way, but in a divine way through you, O Holy Spirit, who are within us. "Those who are moved by the Spirit of God are children of God". This is the true life, the life of the children of God. Oh, make this my life!"



Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949) Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

Teresa of Avila, The Interior Castle Chapter 2: 1-4

"I want to say that you should consider what it would mean to this so brilliantly shining and beautiful castle, this pearl from the Orient, this tree of life planted in the very waters of life – that is, in God – to fall into mortal sin; there's no darker darkness nor anything more obscure and black. You shouldn't want to know anything else than the fact that, although the very sun that gave the soul so much brilliance and beauty is still in the center, this soul is as though it were not there to share n these things. Yet, it is as capable of enjoying Hi Majesty as is crystal capable of reflecting the sun's brilliance. Nothing helps such a soul; and as a result all the good works it might do while in mortal sin are fruitless for the attainment of glory. Since these works do not proceed from that principle, which is God, who is the cause of our virtue being really virtue, and are separated from Him, they cannot be pleasing in His sight. Since, after all, the intention of anyone who commits a mortal sin is to please the devil, who is darkness itself, not God, the poor soul becomes darkness itself.

I know a person to whom our Lord wanted to show what a soul in moral sin was like. That person says that in her opinion if this were understood it would be impossible to sin, even though a soul would have to undergo the greatest trials imaginable in order to flee the occasions. So the Lord gave her a strong desire that all might understand this. May He give you, daughters, the desire to beseech Him earnestly for those who are in this state, who have become total darkness, and whose works have become darkness also. For just as all the streams that flow from a crystal-clear fount are also clear, the works of a soul in grace, because they proceed from this fount of life, in which the soul is planted like a tree, are most pleasing in the eyes of both God and man. There would be no freshness, no fruit, if it were not for this fount sustaining the tree, preventing I from drying up, and causing it to produce good fruit. Thus in the case of a soul that through its own fault withdraws from this fount and plants itself in a place where the water is black and foul-smelling, everything that flows from it is equally wretched and filth.

It should be kept in mind here that the fount, the shining sun that is in the center of the soul, does not lose its beauty and splendor; it s always present in the soul, and nothing can take away its loveliness. But if a black cloth is placed over a crystal that is in the sun, obviously the sun's brilliance will have not effect on the crystal even though the sun is shining on it.

O souls redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ! Understand and take pity on yourselves. How is it possible that in realizing these things you don't strive to remove the pitch from this crystal? See that if your life comes to an end you will never again enjoy this light. O Jesus, how sad a thing it is to see a soul separated from this light! May God in His mercy deliever us from so great an evil."

Time 6:30


The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Volume II Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD, and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD ICS Publications

Sister Carmela of the Holy Spirit

O Holy Spirit come to me, become my interior Master…Prompt me in everything, remind me of all that Jesus said, guide me take the direction of my whole being, help my weakness, provide for my insufficiency…

Teach me to appreciate every least inspiration of yours! It is more precious than the entire world – even if it were but a very small inspiration such as holding back a word or a glance – because it is a little "calling" an invitation to enter more deeply into divine intimacy; if I correspond to it faithfully, I grow in grace and love … Help me to avoid every slightest infidelity, every little hesitation to refuse nothing … then the light will go on growing, and love will become an abyss that cannot be sounded. But I know that in practice I shall often fall and often be lacking – O God, let it not be willingly! - But you, teach me that even in that case I must recover myself quickly and put myself at once under you influence with an act of love, without letting myself get troubled, or discouraged, since your Spirit is sweet: "Oh how sweet is your Spirit O Lord!

Time 4:00

Suor Carmela dello Spirito Santo... Unpublished writings. Sister Carmela thoughts of the Holy Spirit, Discalced Carmelite Nun (Born 1903 in Turin-D. 1949) Quoted from Divine Intimacy, Meditations on the Interior Life for Every Day of the Liturgical Year By: Fr. Gabriel of St. Mary Magdalen O.C.D. Used with permission from the Carmelite Nuns of Pittsford, New York.

Prayer to obtain humility

Written for a Novice

“And yet, dear Lord, Thou knowest my weakness. Each morning I
resolve to be humble, and in the evening I recognize that I have
often been guilty of pride. The sight of these faults tempts me to
discouragement; yet I know that discouragement is itself but a
form of pride. I wish, therefore, O my God, to build all my trust
upon Thee. As Thou canst do all things, deign to implant in my
soul this virtue which I desire, and to obtain it from Thy
Infinite Mercy, I will often say to Thee: "Jesus, Meek and Humble
of Heart, make my heart like unto Thine."


TIME: 2:30

St. Therese of Lisieux, Story of a Soul.

St. Therese of Liseiux - interior lights

"I unconsciously received many interior lights on the best means of pleasing God, and practicing virtue. I have often observed that Our Lord will not give me any store of provisions, but nourishes me each moment with food that is ever new; I find it within me without knowing how it has come there. I simply believe that it is Jesus Himself hidden in my poor heart, who is secretly at work, inspiring me with what He wishes me to do as each occasion arises."

Saint Therese of Lisieux, Story of A Soul CHAPTER VIII PROFESSION OF SOEUR THERESE


Time 2:00

Saint Teresa of Avila - Spiritual Testimonies #59
(written in Seville, 1576)
The degrees of infused prayer
Part 2 (13, 14, 15.16)

An impulse is what I call a desire that sometimes come upon the soul, and even very habitually, without any preceding prayer. But suddenly there comes to it a remembrance of its separation from God, or of some word it hears that refers to this separation. This remembrance is so powerful and has such force sometimes that in an instant the soul seems to be beside itself. It's as though you were suddenly given some unknown and very painful news, or like a great and sudden shock that takes away the mind's discursive power to console itself; the mind remains as if absorbed. So it is here, except that the pain serves such a purpose that the soul comes to know that the purpose is worth dying for.

In the ordinary impulse there comes this extremely tender desire to serve God, along with tearful wishes to leave this exile. But since there is freedom for the soul to consider that it is the Lord's will that it go on living, it is consoled by this though and offers Him its own life, begging Him that it be fore no purpose other than His glory.

The Collected Works of Teresa of Avila Volume I. Spiritual Testimonies Translated by Kieran Kavanaugh O.C.D. and Otilio Rodriguez O.C.D. ICS Publications Institute of Carmelite Studies, Washington, D.C. 1980 ISBN 0-9600876-6-4 (v. 1)

O Wisdom - to be prayed December 17

O Wisdom. You came forth from the mouth of the Most High and reaching from beginning to end, You ordered all things mightily and sweetly. Come and teach us the way of prudence!

O Adonai - to be prayed December 18

O Lord and Ruler of the house of Israel, You appeared to Moses in the burning bush and on Mount Sinai gave him Your Law. Come and with outstretched arm redeem us!

O Root of Jesse - to be prayed December 19

O Root of Jesse, You stand for an ensign of mankind; before You kings shall keep silence, and to You all nations shall have recourse. Come, save us and do not delay!

O Key of David - to be prayed December 20

O Key of David, and Sceptre of the House of Israel, You open and no man closes; You close and no man opens. Come and deliver him from the chains of prison who sits in darkness and in the shadow of death!

O Rising Dawn - to be prayed December 21

O Rising Dawn, Radiance of the Light eternal and Sun of Justice; come and enlighten those who sit in darkness and in the shadow of death!

O King - to be prayed December 22

O King of Nations and Desired of All, You are the cornerstone that binds two into one. Come, and save poor man whom You fashioned out of clay!

O Emmanuel - to be prayed December 23

O Emmanuel, God with us, our King and Lawgiver, the Expected of nations and their Saviour; come and save us , O Lord our God!

Novena to St. John of the Cross
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