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.

Many times over the past few years the East Timor Students Association has met at the Carmelite Priory in Middle Park. This time it was to hold the annual elections for President and Vice President.

A total of 24 ETSA members, including our own Carmelite students, cast their votes and elected Elsa Pinto as President and Angela Tavares de Jesus as vice president of ETSA.

The handover of documents and reports from the former officers marked a new journey for ETSA under the new chairpersons.

Our great Lenten journey has begun! It’s a journey which begins in ash and ends in light. Fire is a profound part of our national experience. We know its power to destroy, blacken and reduce to ash. We know that evil can do the same - destroy our wholeness of spirit, blacken our lives and others’ and reduce the beauty of human life to so much ash.

We began Lent in the ash of acknowledging our own part in harbouring, creating and doing evil - those places in us where the fire of anger, bitterness, selfishness or narrowness of mind and heart has left nothing but smouldering ash.

On Ash Wednesday we begin our journey to the great feast of Easter.

Wearing ashes symbolises our desire for conversion, to turn again towards God. Repentance (conversion) is not so much about being sorry for individual sins. It is about changing the direction of our hearts – away from all that limits God’s love and action in us. Conversion is about opening ourselves to a fresh experience of God’s healing love which makes us whole and restores us to our rightful place as beloved daughters and sons in the Kingdom of God. It’s about moving back into right relationship with God and neighbour.

You can download reflections for each day of Lent drawn from the 17 UN Sustainable Development Goals. Based on the see, judge, act method each day features a short observation about one of the goals, the scripture readings for that day and a call to do some concrete action which will help make the goal a reality in our own local situations.

  pdf Download the reflections

This Lent, reflect on and transform your relationship to God’s creation through simple daily gestures and commitments. Take this time as an opportunity to live more wisely, think more deeply and love more generously. “Living our vocation to be protectors of God’s handiwork is essential to a life of virtue; it is not an optional or a secondary aspect of our Christian experience.” (Pope Francis). The Calendar is made available by Catholic Religious Australia.

pdf Download the Calendar

This month's issue of the JPIC newsletter highlights the tragedy of global human trafficking. Sr Claire Griffin talks about the work of Catholic Religious involved in alleviating suffering and rescuing victims. There's also a video on our JPIC page about the Zimbabwean Carmelite Sisters Agape Leona project helping Human Trafficking survivors in Africa, and the February Pope Video about human trafficking.

pdf JPIC No 84 March 2019

More than 40 Carmelites gathered at Blessed Titus Brandsma community in Fatuhada in Dili to welcome 3 new candidates into the Pre-Novitiate program. They are Manuel Xavier Gonzaga, Moises Soares, and Constantino Barreto Amaral. During the same celebration of Evening Prayer our 6 first year pre-novices were also admitted to the second year of the pre-novitiate program. Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) presided at the celebration and presented a small cross and medal to the pre-novices as a sign of their participation in the program.

The pre-Novices, Carmelites and guests shared food, drink, songs and dancing after the ceremony. See more photos.

Recently all 49 Carmelites in Timor gathered at Hera for a training day about creating a safe and respectful environment for children, young people and vulnerable adults in our communities and ministries.

The day was begun by Fr Paul Cahill (Prior Provincial) with a reflection drawn from the Scriptures, and Carmelite and Church documents.

The next two sessions were led by the Forum Tau Matan, a Timorese Safeguarding training group, on child protection awareness training.

The Carmelites’ Justice, Peace & Integrity of Creation Commission has expressed support for the Urgent Medical Treatment Bill proposed by Dr Kerryn Phelps, MP.

Writing to politicians on behalf of the Commission, Gabrielle Fogarty (Chair) said, “We urge you along with Labour members, the Greens, and Independents to #BackTheBill as proposed by Dr Kerryn Phelps in the Urgent Medical Treatment Bill.”

  pdf Read the letter .

Brs José Natalino Freitas and Anacleto Guterres Da Costa have arrived in Australia to study English and Theology. They have begun their English language studies at the English Language School for Pastoral Ministry at Box Hill, VIC. They are part of the Carmelite community at Middle Park VIC. After completing their language studies they will study Theology at the University of Divinity, Melbourne.

José and Anacleto joined the Carmelites in 2010 and recently completed their Bachelor of Philosophy degree in Timor.