The Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste wish you a very Happy Easter as we celebrate the Resurrection.

Throughout the Easter Season we will remember you and your family in the masses and prayers celebrated in the National Shrine of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Middle Park (VIC).

May the power of the Risen Christ continue to heal us and make us his Body.

Br Sean Keefe, Chaplain at Whitefriars College has written a meditation on the Stations of the Cross. The reflection takes each Station and explores its meaning in the lives of everday people. The images used in the meditation are the work of Graeme Law (College Chapel Architect) and present the way of the Cross through the eyes of Jesus.

pdf Read the reflection

The three ceremonies on Holy Thursday, Good Friday and the Easter Vigil are really one great liturgy, celebrated in 3 parts, over 3 days.

Click 'read more' for a short reflection about each of these ceremonies.

You are invited to three days of spiritual workshops at the Carmelite Symposium 23-25 May 2019. Held at the Carmelite Centre Melbourne, these workshops engage the inner journey and how it can be manifested outwardly. It’s about how each one of us uses art forms - painting, drawing, journaling, writing, music, movement – as means to spiritual exploration and expression. The workshops are an invitation to creative involvement and taking time out; about personal growth, experience, and relationship.

  pdf Read the brochure

In Luke’s portrayal of the Passion Jesus remains a simple, humble, peaceful man despite all that happens. The hallmarks of innocence, righteousness, suffering servant are his and even in his suffering he refuses temptation, is the cause of conversion and reconciliation, the giver of mercy and ultimately, of life itself. Jesus acts with dignity and complete faith in God.

As we follow the story, the crowd, the good thief and the centurion are won over (converted) by what they ‘see’ happening before their eyes.

This issue of Carmel Contact is filled with uplifting and heart-warming stories of people who bring the hope of a new life to those in need. The children in Zumalai very much appreciated the messages of greetings and support our donors sent last Christmas. There is news about the Youth Engagement Program in Zumalai, our new Carmelite novices and candidates, Fr Laurie Timms' memories of his Novitiate in 1966, our Donors' Mass and High Tea and an invitation to share in our Easter Vigil Mass, and much more.

  pdf Read this issue

Fr Fausto Tilman De Araújo, one of the formators in our community in Hera, Timor-Leste, has been experimenting. A keen gardener, Fausto has been trying to grow the highly sought after dragon fruit. If successful, Fausto hopes not only to supply the large Carmelite community at Hera (36 Carmelites) but to grow enough for sale to local supermarkets where it fetches a good price. Good luck, Fausto!

More photos

We know the story of the woman caught in the act of adultery so well that we usually miss the fact that it is not only the woman who experiences God’s forgiveness through Jesus in this story.

The scribes and Pharisees, out to trap Jesus, parade a hapless woman before the crowd gathered to hear Jesus teaching. We can only imagine her embarrassment as they publically accuse her of adultery. Noting that the law of Moses says that they should stone the woman to death, they ask what Jesus thinks.

Mass prayers and readings for Carmelite celebrations are now included in the latest update of the Universalis app for your smart phone and tablet.

The addition of these texts means that nearly all the texts for Carmelite liturgical celebrations are now available on smart phone or tablet. The addition of these mass texts has been part of an ongoing collaboration between Carmelite Communications and Universalis to make the Carmelite calendar, breviary and mass texts (in English) available on mobile devices.

Renowned Carmelite climate scientist, Fr Eduardo Scarel, looks at the state of the earth's climate over the last 4 years - the 4 warmest ever recorded. He explains the causes of global warming and the results on temperatures, extreme weather events, ice shrinkage and the rise of CO² emissions.

As new life emerges in this month of Easter, we are reminded that each of us are co-creators with God. How we go about this task is critically important for our neighbours across the street and around the world. At a time when we are witnessing the demise of more and more species, EARTH DAY on Monday 22 April helps us ensure the ability of all creation remains a vibrant chorus of praise to the Creator.

Our reflection this month by Peter Clarke helps us to encompass, celebrate and embrace the hope of this significant time in our faith journey. pdf JPIC No 85 April 2019

Renowned Carmelite climate scientist, Fr Eduardo Scarel, looks at the state of the earth's climate over the last 4 years - the 4 warmest ever recorded. He explains the causes of global warming and the effect on temperatures, extreme weather events, ice shrinkage and the rise of CO² emissions.

"The next few years are crucial", he says. "We are the last generation that could and should act to avoid crossing crucial turning points and avoid irreversible damage to our common home, the earth, the abode of humanity and the rest of God's creatures."

The Redemptorists, Carmelites, Society of the Divine Word and members of the English Language Studies for Pastoral Ministry are getting together for regular soccer training. Carmelites José Natalino Freitas, Matthew Tonini, Anacelto Guterres Da Costa, Avelino Dos Santos, Agostinho Dos Santos and Marcolino Gomes were at the first training session. See the photos here.

This Sunday’s Gospel is a parable of lavish and unexpected forgiveness and reconciliation. It is one of three parables in which God’s mercy breaks through all human and religious restrictions about how God should act toward sinners.

A wealthy father has two sons. Very cheekily, the younger son asks for his share of the estate which would come to him on his father’s death. This is a young man who has places to go and things to see!

The Church never asks us to simply commemorate something which happened a long time ago. There is always a sense of the eternal present in our feasts, liturgy and prayer. So, today we are not just commemorating the annunciation of the angel Gabriel to Mary. We read it as a reminder that God is calling us, too, to be bearers of the living Jesus in our own moment of history.

We are encouraged by Mary’s example of being able to say ‘Yes’ to God’s invitation without having all the answers. That must have taken great trust and great open-heartedness. Read today's Gospel.

Thousands of lives have been lost and billions of dollars needed to help the victims of the recent floods in Malawi, Mozambique, Zimbabwe, the central states of the USA and northern Australia this month.  In Zimbabwe at one school which was badly damaged 2 students and security guard lost their lives following cyclone Idai. Hundreds of thousands have been left homeless and without food. Please pray for all victims of flooding. You can use this prayer.

During the 2019 University of Divinity Graduation Ceremony last Friday evening Br Agedo Bento graduated with a Bachelor of Ministry degree and Br Matthew Tonini graduated with a Masters in Theological Studies. St Paul’s Anglican Cathedral, Melbourne, was packed with faculty, students, staff, family and friends for the 2 hour ceremony. Congratulations Agedo and Matthew!

See more photos and watch the video here.

The English Language School for Pastoral Ministry (Box Hill, VIC) recently held a Culture Day.  Our 4 Timorese Carmelites, Fr Pedro Amaral, and Brs Agostinho Dos Santos, José Natalino Freitas and Anacleto Guterres Da Costa, were among the 18 different cultural groups involved at the School. Traditional dress, cultural songs, customs and food were shared by all.

Click here for more photos and a video of the Carmelites singing at Culture Day.

As the families of victims of the al Noor and Linwood Mosque massacres prepare to bury their loved ones and help each other heal, our thoughts and prayers go out to them. The Carmelite NGO has released a special prayer written by Fr Franciscus Ardji, OCarm.

The Carmelites of Australia and Timor-Leste are united in offering our prayers of support and consolation that our compassionate God will bring healing to our Muslim brothers and sisters and the whole of the New Zealand nation. Read the prayer here.

This Sunday’s Gospel of the Transfiguration completes the ‘little parable’ formed by the Gospels of the first two Sundays of Lent.

These Gospels tell us what Lent is about and what Christian life is about: a journey from temptation and doubt to transfiguration and faith. A journey away from allowing ourselves to be tempted to evil and towards allowing ourselves to be tempted to good by the action of God’s Holy Spirit within us.