December: Dedicated to the Immaculate Conception

Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel,

ADVENT

Advent begins on the first Sunday after 30th November. It heralds Hope, Peace, Joy, Love.

This year those symbols, Hope, Peace, Joy, Love have an even greater poignancy. Our world is riven with despair, anger, pain and hate.

We have much to pray for. For those who have access to the internet, it offers us any amount of choice in readying ourselves for the birth of our Lord and King. Of course, our prayer does not depend on the internet, thank goodness, but our world and its peoples do. I frequently ask myself “why did our Lord place me in this time, a time of such pain and agony, loss of faith, violence?” The list is never ending.

Am I part of His plan to bring Hope, Peace, Joy, Love to this poor world? If so, Lord, grant me the discernment to understand and fulfil my part.

December – last Community meeting of 2023. As we do, please bring a small, wrapped Christmas gift for our Nuns and a cash donation for Father Michael-Thérèse and his brothers in Community, also a plate for afternoon tea.

May the retreatants experience the loving presence of Our Blessed Lord and our Blessed Mother, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, whilst at the well of graces.

We will have an opportunity to wish our Sisters behind the grill, a very blessed and grace-filled Christmas season.

To finish, our Council is in the process of arranging a friar, Father Adalbert, OCD, for our 2024 Retreat. More details as they come to hand. In the meantime those who are able, click this link for information regarding Father Adalbert.