16 July 2023 – Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Lord, God of Elijah and Mary, on this feast day for the Carmelite Order we stand before you, aware both of the beauty and relevance of our vocation and of the fragility of the future for our communities.

And yet we believe that we have and will have a place to hold at the heart of this world. A place that is often discreet and hidden, but no less essential.

When you call, Lord, it is always so that we set out on our journey. This implies that we risk the unknown, that we leave behind our certainties, and that we do so not just once but every day anew. Only then will we be able to allow the truth to burrow into us and through us into the heart of our societies, which are struggling to stay the course. Only in this way will we discover the promised hundredfold, and will our joy be able to make a sign. Only then will our journeys be able to encourage others not to be afraid of facing their own.

Lord, awaken in our hearts that first love that gives itself so desperately and hopes for everything.

Awaken and mobilise in us this Easter faith that will make your power of Life effective. For it has already crossed all our deserts and our nights, and we bless you for it, God, who can do everything in those who trust in you.