August Reflection: Prayer

PRAYER

"Prayer is the door to great graces. If this door be shut, I do not see how God can bestow them." St. Teresa of Avila

Our Lord said, "Pray always." He was not speaking only to a few disciples, but to every Christian throughout the ages, and He never commands the impossible. As Carmelite, He will give us special graces to fulfill this precept, for our vocation is to be persons of prayer living in the world. In spite of all the distractions in our state of life, we must firmly believe that we can pray always----not trusting in our own power, for what we have none, but fully confident in the power and mercy of Our Lord.

In what does "praying always" consist? St. Teresa, our spiritual Mother, said that prayer is a loving conversion between the soul and God "Whom we know loves us," This loving colloquy can be carried on during the day, even at the times I am working, at home with or family, or going to a party. We only need to turn our soul to God Who is within us, and unite our actions to His holy will, telling Him that we do them for love of Him and with HIm. Then all our actions, our whole day, becomes a continual prayer. With St. Teresa, "Let us beseech God to give us the grace and resolution to strive for this blessing with all our might."

2009 Professions

On the Feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel , July 16, 2009, the "Triumph of the Cross" Carmelite Study Group of Georgetown, Texas held the Rite of Definitive Promise during the 6:00 pm mass at St. Helen's Church of Georgetown ,Texas with their Spiritual Assistant Msgr. Louis Pavlicek as celebrant and a reception follow afterwards. The three members were Claire Bloodgood, Lansing Prescott and Carolyn (Birdie) Ehrenfeld.

The study group now has 22 members, There are now 9 Definitive profess, 5 that are at the end of their 3 years of formation of their first promise and are now eligible for Definitive profess. There are 3 on their first year formation going into their 3 years for Definitive and 3 that are clothed and are on their first year formation going into First Promise and 2 first year aspirants. The Georgetown Study Group has been together since the Year of 2001.