Apostolate of the

Little Flower FALL 2018 | VOL. 86 NO. 3

2

EDITOR Fr. Luis Belmonte-Luna, O.C.D. CO-EDITOR Cheyenne Cisneros PUBLISHER Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower ADMINISTRATOR Susana Cantu Apostolate of the Little Flower (ISSN 1049-9520) is published quarterly by the Discalced Carmel-ites of the Province of St. Thérèse.

Business, Editorial Accounting and Circulation Offices:

Discalced Carmelites of the Province of St. Thérèse

824 Kentucky Ave San Antonio, Texas, 78201

Apostolate of the Little Flower is a non-profit publication whose pur-pose is to spread devotion to St. Thérèse and to assist the Discalced Carmelite Friars in their various ministries. Call (210) 735-9126 to subscribe.

Postmaster: Send address changes to

P.O. Box 5280 San Antonio, Texas 78201

All writers, consultants, and staff contribute to this magazine on a volunteer basis and receive no remuneration for their services. Free-lance articles are accepted in accord with this genre of publica-tion. Unsigned articles are attribut-able to the editor. All photographs of St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, O.C.D., are used with the permis-sion of the Office Central, Lisieux, France.

“I will spend my Heaven

doing good upon earth.” —St. Thérèse

Please consider the Discalced Car-melite Fathers of San Antonio when

making out your will.

TAX ID #:

74-1381325

Your legacy will live on in our ministries for generations.

IN THIS ISSUE...

ON THE COVER 4 Stained Glass Window: St. Thérèse Tomb Chapel 5 Abandonment Is the Sweet Fruit of Love By Fr. Bonaventure Sauer, O.C.D.

8 Novena to St. Thérèse 10 Solemnity of ‘The Little Flower’ 12 Talks and Tours at the Basilica 13 Benefit Concert with Fr. Ray Kelly, “The Hallelujah Priest” 14 The Little Way By Roberta (Robbie) Alicea, O.C.D.S.

15 Candidates to the Province Visit San Antonio

SPIRITUALITY OF ST. THÉRÈSE AND THE CARMELITES

ILLUMINATING THE BASILICA

PROVINCE OF ST. THÉRÈSE

3

Dear readers,

As we prepare to celebrate St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus and the Holy

Face—the greatest saint of modern times, as declared by Pope Pius

XI—we gather here with you as a community of friends of the little

Thérèse to sing along with her “mercies of the Lord.”

Every year, on her Oct. 1 feast day, we joyfully remember the mighty

works the Lord did in “The Little Flower.” We hope that you may be

touched by this little master of spiritual childhood. She leads us to holi-

ness on a simple and secure path through total abandonment in the arms

of God. The humility required, which consists of allowing yourself to be

transformed, is nothing else but to allow God to be God in our lives.

In this issue, you will read about one of the saint’s poems:

“Abandonment Is the Sweet Fruit of Love,” in a reflection by one of our

friars here in San Antonio, Fr. Bonaventure Sauer, OCD. One of our

local Secular Order members also writes about some of the challenges

of following the Little Way of St. Thérèse.

We invite you to join us, wherever you are, in the celebration of

Thérèse’s life and message as she invites us to go in search of a Father

who offers us the opportunity to be close to Him and to be led by Him.

Let us open ourselves to the grace of God and be penetrated by that love

that we so greatly need, that we may be able to share it with others so

that one day, along with Thérèse, we too can sing the mercies of the

Lord.

Fraternally,

Rev. Fr. Luis Gerardo Belmonte-Luna, OCD

Rector

4

The windows decorating the Basilica’s Tomb Chapel of

St. Thérèse were installed in the late 1930s. All five

Gothic-style windows present intricately detailed stories

of the life and death of St. Thérèse.

The Call to Carmel The second window presents the time of the young saint’s

vocation to Carmel. The first of four panels portray Thé-

rèse with her sister Celine kneeling in prayer in the Ro-

man Coliseum. The second panel pictures Thérèse at the

feet of Pope Leo XIII asking permission to enter Car-

mel. In the third, we see Thérèse’s father accompanying

his daughter to the Carmelite convent of Lisieux. In the

fourth, Thérèse is received by the Bishop at the solemn

ceremony of her reception into Carmel. In an upper circle

of the window, passion flowers symbolize the trials that

Thérèse endured to attain her desired goal: to enter Car-

mel at the premature age of fifteen. The foot of the win-

dows bears the inscription "Pia Union de Santa Tere-

sita” (Pious Union of Little St. Teresa).

" Pia Union de St. Thérèse" and “The Apostolate of the

Little Flower" were two organizations canonically estab-

lished at the National Shrine of the Little Flower to spread

devotion to St. Thérèse. The inscription of the names in

the windows is a memorial to these organizations, which

collected $500 for each window.

The Friars’ Work on Thérèse's Behalf The center window in the Tomb Chapel depicts only one

story: that of the Discalced Carmelite friars working for

the cause of St. Thérèse's beatification, her canonization

and her status as patroness of the missions. St. Thérèse, to

the upper left, showers roses upon the scene. The red-

cloaked Savior guides from above. Both are surrounded

by the faces of the winged cherubs. A circular light above

this window has three angels holding shields: the Carmel-

ite Order, the Holy See, and the one St. Thérèse designed

for herself.

Thérèse's Life in Carmel St. Thérèse's cloistered life in Carmel is the theme of the

fourth window. The first panel shows her on the day of

her profession in Carmel. The second and third panels

portray the young nun’s life of prayer and work as sacris-

tan. The fourth panel depicts Thérèse writing her autobi-

ography, Story of a Soul. The violet in the upper cubicle

of this window is the symbol of her humble life of prayer

and sacrifice. Inscribed at the foot of the window is “The

Apostolate of the Little Flower."

Final Days of the Saint (Pictured Above) The fifth window shows scenes of St. Thérèse's last Holy

Communion, visions from her deathbed, and her Glorifi-

cation. The final image is of St. Thérèse showering roses

on her Shrine in San Antonio, which appears on the cover

of this issue.

The cost of these windows was born by benefactors from

nearly every state in the US with offerings of $10

each. The names of these donors are engraved on marble

slabs in the tomb chapel.

The Discalced Carmelite friars purchased the windows

from Emil Frei. Inc., of St. Louis, and were made at the

Frei studio in Munich, Germany. All the drawings are the

original work of a Mr. Te Poel, renowned for his master-

pieces in art glass.

Information for this article came from "Installation of Art-Glass Windows," an article in the November 1938 issue of “The Apostolate of the Little Flower.” Read about another window from the Tomb Chapel on the back cover.

ON THE COVER

Stained Glass Window: St. Thérèse Tomb Chapel

5

In May 1897—that is, less than 6 months before her

death—St. Thérèse wrote a poem bearing as its title the

one I’ve attached to this article, “Abandonment Is the

Sweet Fruit of Love.” Here are a couple stanzas from the

beginning of this poem. They are a fertile earth for reflec-

tion.

Abandonment is the Sweet Fruit of Love

by St. Thérèse

There is on this earth

A marvelous Tree.

Its root, O mystery!

Is in Heaven…

Love is the name

Of this ineffable Tree,

And its delectable fruit

Is called Abandonment.

Jesus didn’t often speak of trees, or least not big, grand

trees, such as I grew up with. I suppose his having lived

in Palestine had something to do with that. Whenever he

wanted in his teaching to evoke the large and mysterious,

something firm and immovable, it seems he spoke first of

all of mountains.

On one occasion, though, while trying to invite us to a

better understanding of the Kingdom of God present and

at work among us, he famously spoke of the tiny mustard

seed (“the smallest of all the seeds”) and the great tree

(“the largest of all the plants”) born of it—a plant or tree

large enough to invite “the birds of the sky” to come find

sheltering shade beneath its branches (see Mk 4:30-32).

It is an image of momentous, even miraculous transfor-

mation, from something tiny, insignificant, and self-

enclosed (the seed), to something large, expansive, unde-

niable, and opened to all (the tree). Wherever this trans-

formation takes place, then, there the Kingdom of God is

present and active among us.

We can apply this image to many realities of human life,

be it regarding our hearts; our minds; our efforts and ac-

tions for the sake of the good, the real, the true; be it in

our service and care for others. Whenever there is move-

ment from tiny in intent, self-enclosed and self-centered

or self-willed, from controlling and insistent toward be-

coming inviting and open, from exclusive to inclusive,

from just me and others like me to the inclusion of all—

there the Kingdom of God is present and at work.

Having begun with the image of a tree as Jesus used it to

preach the gospel, let us now turn to a similar image as

used St. Thérèse to open her poem. The tree, which she

says is “on this earth,” nevertheless has its root “in Heav-

en.” Taken literally, and thinking of the earth as being

below and heaven above, this way of describing the tree

she has in mind might suggest it is somehow, strangely,

an upside-down tree. But that would make the image un-

intentionally funny, or at least it would to me.

Instead, although its root is in Heaven, let’s think of the

tree’s root, as one would expect of a tree, as being sunk

deep in the earth, down to a depth that is hidden, fertile,

and dark. It is there, then, that the tree, whose trunk and

branches are on this earth, yet grounds itself in Heaven.

It is there that it draws up to itself the divine and eternal,

the holy, mysterious, and transcendent.

This tree, Thérèse says, is Love, with a capital “L.” What

is this Love, considered here almost as a thing, although it

is not a thing—a seeming paradox not unlike light or

gravity or space or time, realities present everywhere that

yet can’t be said to be in any one place?

SPIRITUALITY OF ST. THÉRÈSE AND THE CARMELITES

Abandonment Is the Sweet Fruit of Love by Fr. Bonaventure Sauer, O.C.D.

6

If God is Love, as we declare Him to be in our faith,

then the Love that St. Thérèse refers to here, the Love

conjured up in her poem through the image of a tree

with its root sunk deep in Heaven—this Love is all this

and more. It is at once everywhere and nowhere. It is,

like light or gravity, illuminating and uniting. It sets

things in motion. It fosters growth and change. In such

an ambiance, then, one both present and transcendent,

our lives unfold fruitfully, its power embracing us, en-

compassing us, accompanying us.

It is interesting—when we think of God, we usually

think in terms of some kind of divine person analogous

to a human person. God is, of course, a person. Yet in

actual fact—that is, if we seek to know the true and liv-

ing God, not just the concept of God—God is three per-

sons in an unbreakable communion of eternal love.

Thus, I don’t relate to God person-to-person, in a way

analogous to the way I relate to other human persons

whose “selves” are present to me in and through their

bodies.

We often, reflexively, make some such a maneuver with

our minds whenever we try to think of God as present to

us. We remove from the thought of Him the image of a

physical body, rendering God present as a person, yet

invisibly so.

Or, in the case of Jesus—of the risen Lord Jesus, of

course—we imagine him as present while also embod-

ied, however we might imagine that physical appear-

ance. And we almost certainly do this with the Eucha-

rist. We imagine the Eucharistic as Jesus present inside

of, or perhaps behind, the physical presence of the host,

making of the Real Presence something more like a Real

Hiding.

Let me offer a different way of imagining the presence

of God—in this case of the triune God. God as Trinity,

as triune, is present to us in His invitation to join His

communion. He comes to us as a threshold, which I can

cross, if I choose to do so, stepping into that room where

God is inviting me to dwell.

It’s as if I were standing in a doorway, and inside the

room before me are three people talking with each other

quietly, intimately, lovingly. Then they all look over at

me standing there and say in one voice, “Ah, there you

are, do come in.” It’s an imperfect image for how we

relate to the triune God, but it’s an okay one. Indeed, it

kind of works.

Of course, what is going on in this room between these

three persons is an unbreakable communion of eternal

Love, with a capital “L”—a Love that is never strained

or needy, confined, cramped, offered only to the worthy

and inherently lovable, parceling itself out tit for tat, and

rather pretentiously thinking of itself as all-important

and worthy only of other’s praise.

Rather, this divine Love arises out of the dignity it be-

stows on the Beloved by the very act of loving, making

of him or her someone worthy of love because, well,

love cannot help itself, it is a way of being. This divine

Love creates equals, lifting up into a mutuality of rela-

tionship the one beloved. It is, therefore, endlessly pa-

tient and infinitesimally gracious. It is beauty and spirit

and the light of truth itself.

7

Enroll in the Little Flower Carmelite Mass Association

The Discalced Carmelite Friars would like to offer you the opportunity to enroll your loved ones in the Little Flower Car-

melite Mass Association, named in honor of our beloved patroness. As a token of your love, we will send a Mass Associa-

tion certificate to the person you would like to enroll.

Enrollment in the association confers many spiritual benefits, as you and your loved one share in all the prayers, sacrifices,

and good works of the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Province of St. Thérèse at the Basilica of the National Shrine of

the Little Flower in San Antonio. Enrollments are for both the living and the deceased.

Your enrollment in the Mass Association is for one year and includes remembrance in:

• Sung Mass every Saturday in the chapel of our Discalced Carmelite nuns,

• Celebration of the Liturgy of the Hours by the friars daily,

• Offering of the Eucharist at the Basilica every Sunday and on the following days: Christmas Day and the Solemnities

of St. Joseph (March 19), Our Lady of Mt. Carmel (July 16), St. Thérèse, the Little Flower (Oct. 1), St. Teresa of Je-

sus (Oct. 15), and All Souls Day (for the deceased).

Enrollments may be sent in through the attached envelope.

So, let’s go back to St. Thérèse’s image for this divine

Love, the image of a tree with its root sunk deep in

Heaven. This tree grows and expands and spreads out

and covers the earth. It is also fully “on this earth.”

As captured in the image of the mustard seed becoming

the largest of plants, the Kingdom of God is character-

ized by precisely this movement of transformation.

Love, like a tree rooted in Heaven—in the dwelling

place of God’s eternal, triune communion of Love—is

expansive, reaching out from itself towards others, to-

wards potentially all others.

Of course, it is through such a movement in us that Love

comes to take hold of us as a kind of divine “ambiance”

in which we live and move and have our being. Thus,

once taken hold of and encompassed by this Love—that

is, once abandoned to this Love who is God—we go

through life “gazing with unveiled faces on the glory of

the Lord [and] being transformed into his same image,

from glory to glory, as from the Lord who is the Spir-

it” (2 Cor 3:18).

This spiritual dynamism at work in the manifestation of

God’s Kingdom is everywhere the same, no matter what

image we use to capture and express it. The grace of

God reigning in our lives leads to greater and greater

openness and other-centeredness in our souls. It is the

polar opposite of all those movements of spirit that we

can, through fear and sorrow and anger, be prone to and

give way to—namely, self-centeredness and self-

defensiveness, hardness of heart and aggression. But the

Lord who is the Spirit leads us along the way of Love

from glory to glory, helping us better know and receive

and shine forth God’s eternal, triune communion of

Love “on this earth.”

Fr. Bonaventure Sauer, O.C.D. entered the Discalced Carmelite Province of St. Thérèse in 1984 and was ordained in 1992. He’s held a number of responsibilities in the Province, including Pro-vincial Delegate of the Secular Order, a position in which he’s gladly served since 2008. He presently lives in San Antonio, a city he loves, at the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower, a site that he believes anyone would feel privileged to live and work.

8

First Day

Confidence in God

“We can never have too much confidence in the

good God who is so powerful and so merciful. We

obtain from Him as much as we hope for.” - “If you

are nothing, do you forget that Jesus is everything?

You have only to lose your nothingness in His Infin-

ity and think only of loving Him.”

Second Day

Sin

“The only grace I ask , O Jesus is never to offend

you.— By love and not by fear, does a soul avoid

committing the least fault. Yes, even if I have on my

conscience every possible crime, I should lose none

of my confidence; my heart breaking with sorrow, I

should go and throw myself into the arms of my

Savior. — The remembrance of my faults humbles

me and makes me afraid to rely on my own strength,

which is nothing but weakness.”

Third Day

The Use of God’s Gifts

“How much benefit have I received from the beau-

ties of nature, bestowed in such abundance. How

they raise me to Him who placed such wonders in

this land of exile which is only to last a day. — O

sparkling nature, if I did not see God in you, you

would be naught but a great tomb.” “With your little

hand, which caresses Mary, You sustain the universe

and bestow life; and You think of me, O Jesus my

little King.”

Fourth Day

Abandonment to God

“I fear only one thing — to keep my own will; take

it, my God, for I choose all that You choose. The

only happiness here below is to strive to be always

content with what Jesus gives us. — I can demand

nothing with fervor, except the perfect accomplish-

ment of Gods will in my soul. — O my Beloved, I

offer myself to You, that You may perfectly accom-

plish in me Your holy designs, and I will not allow

anything created to be an obstacle in their path.”

Fifth Day

Patience in Suffering

“I do not fear trials sent by Jesus, for even in the

most bitter suffering we can see His loving hand. —

When we are expecting nothing but suffering, we

are quite surprised at the least joy; but then suffering

itself becomes the greatest of joys when we seek it

as precious treasure.” - “Far from resembling those

beautiful saints who practiced all sorts of austerities

from childhood, my penance consisted in breaking

my self-will, in keeping back a sharp reply, in doing

little kindnesses to those about me, but considering

these deeds as nothing.”

Join us in Praying a Novena to St. Thérèse Thoughts for the day from the writings of St. Thérèse

Displayed above is one of the Basilica’s most treasured works of

art. This seven-by-ten-foot oil painting was a gift to the Discalced Carmelite friars of the Province of St. Thérèse from the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Lisieux, France.

9

Sixth Day

Zeal for Souls

“Let us work together for the salvation of souls. We have

only the day of this life to save souls and to give them to

the Lord as proofs of our love.” - “I cannot perform bril-

liant works; I cannot preach the Gospel or shed my blood.

But what matter? My brothers work in place of me, and

I a little child, keep very close to the royal throne.” -

“I love for those who are carrying on warfare. My

deeds, my little suffering, can make God loved all

over the world.”

Seventh Day

Love of God

“I will love God alone. What attracts me to the king-

dom of Heaven is the call of our Lord, the hope of

loving Him as I have so desired and the thought that

I shall be able to make Him loved by a great number

of souls who will bless Him forever.” - “When

Christ said, “Give Me a Drink,” it was the love of his

poor creatures that He, the Creator of all things, de-

sired. He thirsted for love.” - “Remember that the

dear Jesus is there in the tabernacle expressly for

you, for you alone. Remember that He is consumed

with a desire to come into your heart.”

Eighth Day

Death

“It says in the catechism that death is nothing but the

separation of the soul and body. Well, I have no fear

of a separation which will unite me forever with the

good God . — I am happy to die because I shall be

able to help souls who are dear to me, far more than I

can here below. — Life is not sad; it is very joyous.

If you say, “This exile is sad,” I understand you. We

are wrong to give the name “life” to something

which will end; it is only to the things of Heaven that

we should apply this beautiful name.”

Ninth Day

The Mission of the Little Flower

“I do not intend to remain inactive in Heaven. I want

to work for the Church and for souls. I have asked

this of God and I am certain that He will grant my

request. — I will spend my Heaven doing good upon

earth. This is not impossible, since the angels

though always enjoying the beatific vision, watch

over us. No, I cannot be at rest until the end of the

world.”

Concluding Prayer

To be Said Daily

O God, made man for love of us, we prostrate our-

selves in Your Presence, and give You thanks for

having raised up in our days, Your beloved servant,

St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus, by whose example we

may admirably learn to arrive at true sanctity so easi-

ly. Together with all the Blessed in Heaven and all

the just on earth, we rejoice over the innumerable

graces You have bestowed on this model of inno-

cence and evangelical humility.

Grant us, we beseech You, O Lord, the grace to walk

steadily on the sure way of love and self-surrender,

as traced out for us by the Little Flower and in par-

ticular, grant us the favors we now ask, if they be

according to Your Holy Will, so that we may love

You with our whole heart here, and rejoice with You

forever hereafter. Amen. (Mention your intention.)

Our Father who art in Heaven…

Hail Mary full of grace…

Glory be to the Father…

A novena is a nine days’ private or public devotion in the Catholic Church to obtain special graces. Traditionally, the nine day period that the Apostles and the Blessed Virgin Mary spent in prayer and preparation between the Ascension of Jesus and the sending of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost Sunday is considered to be the inspiration and model for all novenas. This novena prayer will be said at the Basilica of the Little Flower beginning on Sept. 22, after the 6 p.m. evening Masses. We invite you to submit your prayer intentions to the friars on the attached envelope.

10

Solemnity of ‘The Little Flower’ To begin with the Transit of St. Thérèse

ILLUMINATING THE BASILICA

The Discalced Carmelite friars of San Antonio are pre-

paring to commemorate the Feast Day of St. Thérèse of

the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, the “The Little Flow-

er,” again this fall at Basilica of the National Shrine of

the Little Flower. These special liturgical celebrations for

the parish patroness are hosted annually by the friars and

the Little Flower Parish community.

Leading up to the Solemnity of St. Thérèse, sung novena

Masses will be held at 6 p.m. daily, Sept. 22-30. If you

would like to submit your prayer requests for the friars to

remember in this novena, please send them to us on the

envelope attached to this issue. We invite you to join us

in prayer daily during the novena.

Transit of St. Thérèse

On Sunday, Sept. 30, a special ceremony, the Transit of

St. Thérèse, will be held at 5 p.m., followed by the Vigil

Mass at 5:30 p.m. The ceremony, instituted in 2008 by

Little Flower pastor Fr. Luis Gerardo Belmonte-Luna,

O.C.D., narrates the saint’s last conversations before her

death, interspersed by music from the Little Flower choir.

The ceremony includes a procession around the Basilica

with a statue of St. Thérèse. The 24-year-old Carmelite

nun invites us to contemplate her encounter with the Lord

as she said: “I am not dying; I am entering a new life.”

Solemn Mass of the Roses

The Solemn Mass of the Roses will be held on the saint’s

feast day, Monday, Oct. 1, at 6 p.m. The event is a Red

Letter Day, meaning that the faithful may receive a ple-

nary indulgence (their sins are absolved with attendance,

receiving Communion, praying for the intentions of the

Pope, and Confession).

The traditional Shower of Rose petals from the high ceil-

ing over the altar during the mass is in remembrance of

St. Therese's promise: "I will let fall from heaven... a

shower of roses." Blessed roses will be distributed to par-

ticipants after the celebration.

To be installed in the tomb chapel for the Feast Day is a

statue of Our Lady of the Smile, a representation of the

statue of Mary that the young Thérèse, when she was

bedridden in 1883, saw smile upon her, leading to her

healing.

11

On Sunday, Oct. 21, the community celebration will con-

tinue with the Rose Festival, from 9 a.m. to 9 p.m. Fes-

tivities will include live music, refreshments, Loteria and

children's activities.

A rose motif, as a symbol of St. Thérèse, is found

throughout the Basilica. Known for her Gospel message

of boundless confidence in God’s merciful love, St. Thé-

rèse has inspired the devotion of millions around the

world.

The greatest tribute to St. Thérèse in the Basilica is the

tomb chapel, with a reproduction of the sepulcher in Li-

sieux, France, presenting a likeness the saint after her

death. A life-size effigy of the saint, hand-sculpted out of

one piece of wood like the original in Lisieux, is covered

in gold leaf. Stained-glass windows around the tomb

chapel show scenes from the life of St. Thérèse.

The Basilica is home to three first-class relics of the Lit-

tle Flower and a first-class relic of the saint’s parents, St.

Louis and Zelie Martin. Among the Basilica’s holdings

also is a painting of the St. Thérèse, designed by and

bearing the handwork of her blood sister, Sr. Celine Mar-

tin, also of the Discalced Carmelite Order. This painting

was produced for canonization events for St. Thérèse in

1925. Prints of this painting are available for purchase

with the enclosed envelope.

LITTLE FLOWER FEAST DAY CELEBRATIONS

Sung Novena Masses Sept. 22-30 at 6 p.m.

Transit of St. Thérèse Sept. 30 at 5 p.m.

Solemn Mass of Roses Oct. 1 at 6 p.m.

Annual Rose Festival Oct. 21, 10 a.m.-10 p.m.

12

The local chapter of the Discalced Carmelite Secular

Order (O.C.D.S.) of the Province of St. Thérèse began a

series of talks on Teresian contemplative prayer at the

Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

on Sept. 8. Part two is set for Jan. 19. The talks are free

and open to the public.

The presentations on Discalced Carmelite prayer are

primarily based on the writings of Fr. Gabriel of St Mary

Magdalen, O.C.D., author of Divine Intimacy, a classic

work on Carmelite prayer and meditation. Divine Inti-

macy leads us not only "through prayer and meditation,

but also through expressions of love, petitions and acts

of thanksgiving, helping to transport the soul toward

God," according Fr. Gabriel (1893-1952), considered an

expert in the writings of St. Teresa of Avila and St. John

of the Cross. His writings also include The Way of Pray-

er, a commentary of St. Teresa of Avila's Way of Perfec-

tion.

“The talks are intended not as information only, but to

prepare and touch hearts, leading participants into an

encounter with Jesus and encouraging them to seek God

in prayer,” said Jane Bernal, O.C.D.S., one of the pre-

senters. “As Carmelites, we are privileged to have been

given the precious charism of prayer, and we want to

share it with all of God's Church.”

The primary apostolate of the O.C.D.S. canonical

community is to share Carmelite spirituality with oth-

ers. Membership in this religious Order is a lifetime

commitment to prayer, devotion to Carmelite spirituali-

ty, and evangelism. The San Antonio O.C.D.S. has been

active as a full community of the Third Order of

Discalced Carmelites since 1956.

In collaboration with the Discalced Carmelite friars,

which is the only remaining contemplative religious or-

der active in the Archdiocese of San Antonio, the lo-

cal O.C.D.S. community is spearheading the

development of Carmelite faith formation programs cen-

tered on the Basilica. The goal is to assist the friars in

renewing the Basilica as a center for the

evangelization of the Carmelite charism (prayer, silence,

solitude, zeal for the Church) and in promoting instruc-

tion in Carmelite spirituality.

“Get to Know Your Basilica” tours were launched with

two in July to celebrate the feast day of Our Lady of Mt.

Carmel. On Aug. 25, another tour was held in celebra-

tion of the 20th anniversary of the declaration of the

church as a Basilica. Tours are free and open to the pub-

lic. O.C.D.S. members are stationed around the Basilica

3-4 p.m. to provide information to visitors. Further

tours are scheduled for Dec. 8 and Feb. 2.

Talks on Teresian Contemplative Prayer

Jan. 19: Part II, 9 a.m.-12 p.m.

Call the Parish Office to register!

Talks and Tours at the Basilica

“Get to Know Your Basilica” Tours

Dec. 8 Feb. 2

3-4 p.m.

13

Benefit Concert with Fr. Ray Kelly, “The Hallelujah Priest”

Sept. 29 at 7:30 p.m. Basilica of the National Shrine of the Little Flower

Fr. Ray Kelly is a parish priest at St. Brigid Catholic

Church in Old Castle, Ireland, who loves to sing. Now

known as "The Hallelujah Priest," the 64-year-old priest

became an internet star overnight in 2014 when an ama-

teur video surfaced of him singing a special rendition of

Leonard Cohen’s iconic song “Hallelujah” at a wedding

mass. The video was posted on Youtube and has since

reached over 62 million views.

After his big break online, Fr. Ray went on to make nu-

merous TV appearances worldwide and record a couple

of CDs. This spring he became a semi-finalist on

“Britain’s Got Talent,” where he thoroughly wowed Si-

mon Cowell, who declared that Fr. Ray’s rendition of

REM’s “Everybody Hurts” was one of his “favorite ever

auditions.”

Fr. Kellly’s Sept. 29 concert here at the Basilica will

benefit the Basilica restoration project. VIP tickets will

include premium seating and entrance to a post-concert

reception with Fr. Ray, who will greet guests and sign

CDs.

How did this concert come about?

A friend of ours from St. Brigid's Catholic Church in

San Antonio who’s also a member of the Irish Society

here sent an email to Fr. Ray last year asking him if he

would be doing a USA concert tour in 2018 and if so,

where he would be performing. In 2015, he did a concert

in New York City for the Irish Society on St. Patrick’s

Day. She wanted to know if he was going to do that

again and was ready to go to New York to see him. She

never expected to hear from him, but several weeks later

he responded and said that if he could sing at the Basili-

ca, then he would like to come to San Antonio during his

September 2018 US concert tour.

Last year, Fr. Ray sang at a church in Toledo, OH, after

a member of the Irish Society there invited him to come.

We talked to the priest there who told us that Fr.

Kelly put on a superb concert, that it was ten times better

than seeing him on the internet, and that we would not

regret inviting him to San Antonio.

Be a Concert Sponsor Even if you can’t attend the concert, please consider a

sponsorship or donation of any size to help us cover

costs and reach our fundraising goal of $25,000 net.

These funds will help launch our capital campaign to

restore the Basilica. Sponsors will be listed in event pub-

licity and on the event program with a business logo for

sponsors. All donors will be listed in the program. Little

Flower Basilica is a non-profit 501(c)3 religious organi-

zation (#74-2860237), and your financial contribution is

tax deductible as a contribution or advertising expense.

Sponsorships levels: - St. Thérèse: $5,000 - St. Teresa: $2,500

- St. John of the Cross: $1,000

Other donors: - Friends of the Basilica: $500-$999

- Contributors: up to $499

Please make check out to: Basilica of the Little Flower

and note: Concert Sponsorship

Call Anna Migeon, the Basilica’s development director,

at (210) 735-9126 ext. 103 for more information.

14

I fell in love with St. Thérèse after reading her Story of a

Soul. She refers to herself as a “little” child;” but, her sto-

ry is filled with great depth and insight about loving God

as entirely and as perfectly as she was able. It demon-

strates the strength of her character and her determination

to forsake everything for the love of God.

At first, I thought how impossible it would be for a wife

and mother to give up everything. As I read through Thé-

rèse’s story, I realized, as she did, that great and heroic

actions or great and heroic sacrifices for the love of God

weren’t something I was capable of. Very few souls can

accomplish great and heroic things for God. Thérèse in-

stead lovingly offered to God little sacrifices throughout

her day. Sacrifices like gratefully eating whatever was

provided at mealtime regardless of how distasteful it was.

Sacrifices like remaining silent when being falsely ac-

cused, as our Lord did. St. Thérèse found countless little

ways of consoling the heart of Jesus and demonstrating

the totality of her love for Him. Ways that seemed insig-

nificant but in reality were jewels of great price to Our

Lord.

Such small sacrifices were something I felt that I could do

each busy and chaotic day. I could offer them to Jesus to

console Him and make reparation for the countless times

He is offended each day. I very quickly learned that it

isn’t as easy as it seems. One needs to be persistent in

walking this Little Way with St. Thérèse. It did become a

little easier as I realized that her Little Way is not sup-

posed to be an easy path. I found that practicing this Little

Way is like gathering up little imperfect pearls of love

scattered throughout each day until I give them to my

Lord, who perfects them with His all-encompassing and

purifying love.

It was difficult, at first, to think about what little sacrific-

es I could offer. I thought what sacrifice could possibly be

a worthy offering to my Lord? I thought about chores I

found distasteful, such as scrubbing floors. Then one day

as I moaned about having to negotiate a complex contract

with a very unreasonable individual, it dawned on me: a

sacrifice of love is accepting each opportunity with hu-

mility and gratitude that He provides to detach myself

from my ego.

This realization enabled me to surrender those little pearls

to Him with love. When I began to think of self-sacrifice

in those terms, many more opportunities arose to gather

up those imperfect pearls throughout each day. Every

ache, every patiently accepted insult, every distasteful

task became an opportunity to sacrifice another piece of

my pride and to grow in humility. As I continue in for-

mation as a Secular Carmelite, I find it is becoming much

easier to accept those opportunities and offer those little

sacrifices to Him who sacrificed His everything for me.

I look to St. Thérèse’s writings to inspire, educate, uplift,

chastise, and guide me along the path of her Little Way. I

pray that you, too, will seek to follow her path. Silently

reflect on her works and listen to what she whispers in

your heart. Call to mind the words she spoke to Mother

Agnes in her Last Conversations:

“Yes! What a grace it is to have faith!”

For me, this is the call for deepening my faith in His love

for me and for surrendering with complete trust to His will.

St. Thérèse tells us that by following her Little Way, it is

possible to forsake ourselves and grow into humble, loving

souls happily seeking and gathering up little pearls of self-

sacrifice each day for our Lord. This path of selflessness

was her strength and consolation, which she desires to

share with each of us.

“In the evening of this life, I shall appear before you with

empty hands, for I do not ask you, Lord, to count my works.

All our justice is stained in your eyes. I wish, then, to be

clothed in your own Justice and to receive from your Love

the eternal possession of Yourself. I want no other Throne,

no other Crown but You, my Beloved!”

(Story of a Soul, “Act of Oblation to Merciful Love”)

Roberta (Robbie) Alicea is a parishion-er of St. Anthony Mary Claret Catholic Church in San Antonio and is a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Car-melites. Mrs. Alicea was employed as a Procurement Analyst for the federal government until her retirement in 2013. She enjoys singing with the Little Choir of the Basilica of the National

Shrine of the Little Flower and performing with the senior ladies of the Pua Mana (Flower Power) Hula Dancers.

The Little Way By Roberta (Robbie) Alicea, O.C.D.S.

“I accept everything out of love for God.” (St. Thérèse, Last Conversations, Yellow Notebook, June 4, #3)

PROVINCE OF ST. THÉRÈSE

15

In August, four young men visited the San Antonio Dis-

calced Carmelite friars of the Province of St. Thérèse.

They are in various stages in the process of entering the

Order.

This “come-and-see experience” in San Antonio is an

opportunity for the candidates to spend time with the

community and see if they are called to its way of life.

While visiting friars, they follow the community’s

schedule of daily prayer and other activities.

“It’s a way to open the door to the Holy Spirit and expe-

rience the silence and solitude of the Carmelites and

their various ministries,” explained Fr. Gregory Ross,

O.C.D., Director of Vocations for the Province.

The first candidate, Alejandro Vidaurre, came with his

family to the US from Havana, Cuba, where he had been

in formation for two years with the Discalced Carmelites

there. Now age 21, he transferred his formation to the

Province of St. Thérèse in 2016.

He reported that he was first attracted to the Order when

he discovered the teaching of St. John of the Cross. “He

speaks of our battle against the three enemies of the soul:

the devil, the flesh, and the world, and how to defeat them

and go up to God through union with Christ crucified,”

Alejandro said.

José Chavez, originally from Mexico, entered the Prov-

ince as a postulant in July. After studying biochemistry at

a university in Mexico for a year, he left school to pursue

his vocation and a possible call to the religious life. The

devotion to Our Lady that has characterized the Carmel-

ites since their beginnings first attracted him to the Order.

“I love that Carmel is “all Mary’s”— it’s the order of

Mary,” José said. He also cherishes the devotion of the

Scapular and the teachings of the Discalced Carmelite

saints.

“I also appreciate the balance between contemplation and

action,” noted José, who is 22.

Alejandro and José are both preparing to take the Test of

English as a Foreign Language (TOEFL). Passing this test

will enable them to enroll in college in the US. Require-

ments for ordination to the priesthood include two years

of philosophy followed by four years of theological study.

Tommy Marchetti, age 25, is from Reklaw, TX. He dis-

covered the Carmelite saints as a child, and was inspired

by St. Thérèse. He was homeschooled by his mother, who

read to him the Lives of the Saints. In college at Texas

A&M, he continued his exploration of St. Thérèse and of

religious Orders. He has visited the various communities

of the Province and is still discerning the will of God for

his future.

This visit was Maxwell Mullenax’s first to the Province.

After reading Story of a Soul, he fell in love with St. Thé-

rèse and her teachings, he said.

“She has had a significant impact on me and on my fami-

ly and friends,” he added. The 22-year-old earned a bach-

elor’s degree in music from the University of St. Thomas

in Houston, where he will return in the fall to pursue a

master’s in sacred music.

Postulancy to enter the order generally lasts a year. It’s a

time of transition and preparation for the religious com-

munity. The next stage, the novitiate, is ordained to last

exactly one year and a day.

“The novitiate is boot camp,” said Fr. Gregory. “More

intense: with prayer, study of the charism, testing the per-

son’s vocation, and preparing to take the religious vows

of poverty, chastity, and obedience.”

Temporary Profession is the next step, in which the candi-

date takes vows of one year, which are renewable yearly

for five years. Solemn Profession is the final step to enter

the Order fully.

“It’s very different from ‘recruiting’ Carmelites,” Fr.

Gregory explained. “A vocation is a gift from God. One

cannot create it, only discern whether it is present or not.

We try to help these young men discover whether God is

offering them the gift of a Carmelite vocation, or whether

he is leading them along another vocational path.”

Candidates to the Province Visit San Antonio

From left to right: Alejandro Vidaurre, José Chavez, Tommy Marchetti, Maxwell Mullenax, and Fr. Gregory Ross, OCD, Director of Vocations, Province of St. Thé-rèse.

16

APOSTOLATE OF THE LITTLE FLOWER P.O. Box 5280 San Antonio, Texas. 78201

PERIODICALS POSTAGE PAID SAN ANTONIO

TEXAS

BASILICA OF THE NATIONAL SHRINE OF THE

LITTLE FLOWER

Stained Glass Window: St. Thérèse Tomb Chapel

The Childhood of “The Little Flower”

The first window from the left in the Tomb Chapel illustrates scenes from the

saint's childhood. The first panel pictures Thérèse learning her prayers on her

mother's lap. The second panel depicts a story Thérèse tells in chapter two of

Story of a Soul. Thérèse relates how she would gaze at the stars as she walked

at night with her father. One day she noticed “one cluster of golden pearls that

attracted my attention and gave me great joy because they were in the form of

a ‘T.’”

When the saint’s sister Pauline later edited Story of the Soul, she embellished

the story thus:

“I remember how I used to love looking up at the stars on the way home. I

was quite fascinated by Orion's Belt, which hung like a cluster of golden

pearls across the deep vault of the sky, for they seemed to me to form the let-

ter ‘T.’ ‘Look, Father,’ I used to say, ‘my name is written in Heaven.’ Then

this miserable earth lost all interest for me, and I would ask him to guide me;

without looking where my feet were going, I threw my head back and never

tired of gazing at the stars.”

The third panel portrays Thérèse receiving her First Communion. The fourth

recounts the story of “Our Lady of the Smile.” Thérèse is cured of a life-

threatening illness after she has a vision of a statue of Our Lady smiling at

her.

Read more about the tomb chapel windows on page 4.