Sanctity in the Home
Combating today’s spiritual attack against the family
“O Lord Jesus Christ, by subjecting Yourself to Mary and Joseph, You consecrated family life with wonderful virtues; grant that, by their joint assistance, we may fashion our lives after the example of Your Holy Family, and obtain everlasting fellowship with it.”
– Collect from the Feast of the Holy Family
Dear Family and Friends of Carmel,
This month of May brings so many festive days – both liturgical and otherwise. Our Lady’s month fittingly includes Mother’s Day – and then June, the month of the Sacred Heart, fittingly has a day to honor fathers: Father’s Day.
These weeks between those special days to honor parents offer us the opportunity to share a few words of encouragement, as well as sources for spiritual renewal, for those of you on the “front lines” leading the battle for Christian civilization. The family is the foundation stone of civilization. In and through family life, the Catholic faith is passed from generation to generation. By the proper education and training of children, by hidden, constant practice of virtue, by fidelity to daily duty, Catholic parents form the shape of souls and of society.
Nothing can highlight the importance of this silent, often overlooked vocation more than the fact that Our Savior and Redeemer spent the majority of His life, not in public life and preaching, but in the ordinary, obscure life of a family. He lived it. He sanctified it. And it is from this foundation block, this school of sanctity and holiness, that the power Catholic action springs.
Such a holy establishment as the family is bound to be an annoying frustration to the enemy of God and His grace and salvation: Satan. This is surely why the family is, and long has been, so viciously under attack. Family life, the sanctity of marriage, the very vocation and identity of Mothers and Fathers – for these, Satan does not spare in his efforts to distort, ridicule, pervert and redefine. What evils have been brought about in society as a result! Fewer marriages, infidelity in marriage, divorce, broken homes and families – children left defenseless, unprotected and all the more easily led astray. How many times do we hear of “dysfunctional families” – if they remain together at all?
But we do not wish here merely to lament the sad state of our society, which you know far too well! We do not even wish to take it upon ourselves to write at length about a vocation that is not ours. Rather, we wish to give you some trustworthy sources which will inform and arm you in the conflict. Identifying the problems, knowing your enemies, and then applying the Church’s remedies, will be the way that true Christians reconquer what has been lost and cultivate a fertile ground for the future generations not only to survive, but even thrive, in such a hostile environment.
Catholic Audio Sermons on Marriage and Family
Matrimony
This sermon is as challenging as it is encouraging. Father describes the Sacrament as a participation in the crucified love of Our Savior, through which Our Lord is fruitful in the world. Marriage may have its difficulties, but Matrimony imparts the grace to live it meritoriously. And for those who plunge into their vocation and are faithful to it, it brings forth the greatest happiness and peace. Originally given to a young couple on their wedding day, it can also be appreciated by those already married or those preparing for marriage.
True Motherhood
True motherhood, the raising and rearing of children, is a vocation fundamental to the social structure. The priest gives several beautiful role models of mothers who made a profound impact on society through fidelity to their true vocation, which flies in the face of what society teaches.
Catholic Books for Family Life
We were recently introduced to a small Catholic publisher, who is taking up out-of-print, classic Catholic titles and giving them a new life. It is a small, family run business, and we were delighted to find many beautiful works among titles they offer directed toward family life, parenting, and spiritual life for lay people. We are pleased to share these and other excellent books from other fine publishers.
The Christian Home A Guide to Happiness in the Home
In this timeless work, Fr. Celestine Strub, O.F.M., presents a powerful vision for restoring Catholic family life as the cornerstone of a renewed Christendom. He argues that the home is not merely a dwelling but a sanctified society, one that must be permeated by faith if it is to resist the moral decay of the world. When Catholic families reclaim their divine mission—when fathers imitate St. Joseph, mothers reflect the virtues of Our Lady, and children strive to be like the Christ Child—then and only then will the Church and society flourish. The Christian Home is a call to action, providing both the theological foundation and the practical guidance needed to transform homes into schools of virtue and sanctity. This is not just a book about family life—it is a guide for restoring order according to God’s plan.
Counsels for Perfection for Christian Mothers
Motherhood is the perfect setting for Christian perfection — so Monsignor P. Legeune, writing in 1913, counsels overwhelmed mothers in this hidden treasure. In an encouraging, conversational style, Legeune directs Catholic mothers to stir from spiritual lukewarm-ness, habitual venial sin, and dissipation by using the tools he recommends for spiritual growth: the imitation of Mary, recollected prayer, spiritual reading, a rule of life, devout assistance at the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass, and a love for our Eucharistic Lord. Frequently recalling wisdom from the writings of St. Francis de Sales, St. Alphonsus, and St. Bernard, Monsignor’s words are exceedingly practical and pointed, a sure antidote for the spiritual malaise of our times.
Catholic Fatherhood, authored in 1883 by Bishop Wilhelm Cramer, serves as an indispensable guide for Catholic men aspiring to holiness through their sacred vocation as fathers. This work provides practical and ascetical counsel to sanctify fathers and their families by perfecting daily responsibilities, fostering fervent prayer, and exercising steadfast religious leadership. The book addresses critical themes, including guiding children toward their vocations, resisting worldly temptations, practicing temperance in food and drink, and establishing order within the household. It also includes prayers tailored for the Catholic father, interceding for his wife and children. In an era when the need for men to cultivate authentically Catholic households is paramount, Catholic Fatherhood offers a timeless roadmap for becoming the Christian father your family urgently needs.
Thoughts and Counsels for Catholic Men
A great many pernicious counsels are imparted to men now-a-days for the very purpose of effecting their ruin—counsels to sinful enjoyment, to neglect of duty, to dissipation and contempt of God. O hellish, soul-destroying counsels! As an antidote, Fr. Peter Von Doss proffers to men these Thoughts and Counsels for Catholic Men. Covering topics such as true manliness, perseverance in virtue, and the practice of an interior life, Father Von Doss helps Catholic men grasp the importance of living a holy and deep interior life as the foundation to being a good Catholic man in society in whatever vocation God calls him to.
The crisis in Priestly and religious vocations is closely related to the crisis in the family. Pope St. Pius X said “A vocation comes from the heart of God, but goes through the heart of the mother.” This book contains many inspiring true stories of “other Marys behind the other Christs,” as well as a chapter of instruction for “the Priestly Mother” and an index of prayers that can be said for vocations.
Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching
In Reclaiming Catholic Social Teaching A Defense of the Church’s True Teachings on Marriage, Family and the State, Anthony Esolen pulls back the curtain on the false philosophers of our day, showing how they are working to neutralize the biggest threat to their plans for secularization — the Catholic Church. Esolen explains that Catholic Social Teaching isn’t focused exclusively on serving the poor. Indeed, it offers us a rich treasure of insights about the nature of man, his eternal destiny, the sanctity of marriage, and the important role of the family in building a coherent and harmonious society.
Enthronement of the Sacred Heart
The Enthronement of the Sacred Heart is a Catholic custom that was particularly promoted by Father Mateo based on the words of St. Margaret Mary who said:
“He [Christ] promised to pour out into the hearts of all those who honor the image of His Heart, all the gifts it contains in its fullness; and for all those who would wear this image on their persons, He promised to imprint His love on their hearts and to destroy all unruly inclinations. Everywhere this holy image is exposed to be honored, He would pour forth His graces and blessings. This gift was, as it were, a final effort of His love. He wanted to bestow upon men during these final centuries such loving redemption in order to snatch them from the control of Satan, whom He intended to destroy.”
An image of the Sacred Heart is officially and ceremonially enthroned in the home, and the family is consecrated the Sacred Heart. More details about the ceremonies and customs can be read in our past newsletter and this book: Enthronement of the Sacred Heart.
We encourage you to consider this consecration for your own family, if you have not already performed it, or to renew this consecration during the upcoming month of June. And to aid in that encouragement, we share a portion of Pope Benedict XV’s letter of Approbation to Father Mateo regarding this practice and it’s importance for the Catholic family:
Pontifical Letter of Approbation To Our Beloved Son, MATEO CRAWLEY-BOEVEY
“The malicious efforts of the wicked are specially directed against the home, the family circle. Since the family contains the root, the elements of civil society, the enemies realize well that the hoped-for transformation, or rather the hoped-for destruction, of all human society cannot take place before the ruin of the family is accomplished. Every effort is being made to weaken the firmness and indissolubility of the marriage bond and to prevent our youth from coming under religious influence. Wickedness goes so far as to endanger the very propagation of the human race, and to defile the sanctity of matrimonial life by praising shameful practices for the gratification of lust which frustrate the rights of the laws of nature.
“You do well, therefore, beloved son, to take in hand the welfare of society to awaken and spread above all things a Christian spirit in the home, that the love of Jesus Christ may permeate the families, and His love reign there like a queen. By so doing, you obey Jesus Christ Himself Who promised to pour out His blessings on those homes where a picture of His Sacred Heart is exposed and venerated […]
“In 1913, Our Predecessor, Pius X, of blessed memory, granted special privileges at the request of the bishops of Chile to the families of that country who had consecrated themselves to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. To encourage this universal pious work, We desire all these privileges to be extended to the families of the whole Catholic world who perform this consecration.”
-Pope Benedict XV
It is also customary for each member of the family to sign a certificate of consecration, which is kept framed on the wall next to the image. If you do not have one, you may obtain one of these certificates on our website.
Devotion to the Holy Family
To close this section of our letter we return to where we started, the Holy Family. Pope Leo XIII also took steps to combat the dangers to the family that he perceived developing in his days. In 1892 he instituted the Feast of the Holy Family. Our Holy Mother the Church, who teaches us through her liturgy, in the texts and readings for this great Feast brings before our eyes the simple and yet un-paralleled life of this most perfect family. Part of Pope Leo’s Apostolic letter makes up some of the lessons for Matins of the Feast. He encouraged devotion to the Holy Family as a remedy for the errors of our days, and held them up as perfect models of virtue for the home:
When the God of Mercy determined to bring about the long-awaited work of mankind’s renewal, He so arranged the basis in order of this work that it’s early beginnings would display to the world the wonderful image of a divinely constituted Family. All men could then look upon this Family as the definitive model of domestic society, holiness and virtue. The Family of Nazareth was such a one. There, before shining forth on all peoples in the fullness of His light, the Sun of Justice was sequestered, that is, Christ, our God and Savior, along with His Virgin Mother and that most holy man Joseph, who exercised a father’s responsibility towards Jesus. We can be sure that the Holy Family exemplified in the highest degree those praiseworthy qualities of ordinary home life which spring from the mutual exercise of charity, from holiness of character and from the expression of filial devotion. For the Holy Family was to be a pattern of virtue for others. And so by Providence’s kindly care such a Family came into existence. Now all Christians, of whatever condition or country, can by reflecting on this Family, readily find both source and stimulus for practicing every virtue.
One of the most beautiful lessons contained in the Mass texts of that Feast day is the Epistle that is read at Mass. The words of St. Paul, in this context, are a beautiful exhortation and encouragement:
“Put on, as God’s chosen ones, holy and beloved, a heart of mercy, kindness, humility, meekness, patience. Bear with one another and forgive one another, if anyone has a grievance against any other; even as the Lord has forgiven you, so also do you forgive. But above all these things have charity, which is the bond of perfection. And may the peace of Christ reign in your hearts, unto that peace, indeed, you were called in one body. Show yourselves thankful. Let the word of Christ dwell in you abundantly; in all wisdom, teach and admonish one another by psalms, hymns and spiritual songs, singing in your hearts to God by His grace. Whatever you do in word or in work, do all in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ, giving thanks to God the Father through Him.” Col. 3, 12-17
As we said a few years ago in our newsletter about the religious vow of Chastity, “This is not the first time in history that the Church has been faced with such a crisis, nor the first time that moral corruption has been found in civilization as a whole. But we stress what must be stressed – what all true, believing Catholics must realize and believe: Rather than “lower the bar,” relax the standard, and declare with a defeatist attitude that perfection in this area of life is something no longer practicable or attainable, let us preach it and live it faithfully. And let us labor with prayer and sacrifice for the restoration of this jewel to its rightful place in the crown of our Holy Mother the Church.”
Yes, there will be those that say the Church sets too high of a standard: “It is just impossible these days,” they argue, “for modern man to follow. The Church’s laws are irrelevant today – and too strict,” etc. Quite the contrary! The laws of the Church uphold the Ten Commandments. God the Son Himself raised the already-sacred union (which He created from the very beginning) between a man and woman to the level of a Sacrament, Matrimony, which imparts special helps and graces to live the vocation of marriage faithfully. He spent over thirty years of His life in a family, teaching us “how it should be done.” God’s holy law is not just the way to follow in order to attain our happiness in Heaven, but it is just as much the path for attaining our peace, stability, and happiness here on earth.
Please know of our prayers for your families. We earnestly beg the good God to bless, guide and sanctify each member, and to bring you all in perfect unity of love and faith to your heavenly Home! And we hope to “meet” you there!
Website News
The Month of Mary
May is the month especially dedicated to Our Blessed Mother. After our December 8th newsletter, we had innumerable requests to re-print some of the many vintage holy cards that we had featured there. And so we did! The Mediatrix of All Graces holy card is now available.
The Blessed Mother is the Mother of us all, and like a good mother, has made many efforts to warn and arm her children against these days. We have often referenced Fatima in our newsletters, but this well-known apparition was not the first time that Our Mother came to earth to warn her children of the errors and horrors that would afflict our days. It might be said that Fatima was her last attempt to call her children to repentance, but her warnings started much earlier….
In 1846 La Salette, France Our Blessed Mother also appeared, and she gave dire prophecies about the future appalling state of society. A lesser-known appearance of Our Lady in Quito, Ecuador in the 1600s was an even earlier prophecy that revealed insights into the future moral degradation of society. Our Lady did not fail to foretell the loss of faith – even in the Church – that would lead to the loss of so many souls worldwide. She mentioned the neglect of the Sacraments, the sad state of religious vocations, and specifically the attack against the family.
It should be said that one should be cautious when it comes to prophecy and apparitions, as there is much room for deception from the devil. Apparitions such as these undergo vigorous scrutiny by the Church before being declared supernatural in nature and free from error. But despite the full approbation from the Holy See, the words of Our Lady of Good Success have gone largely unknown in the Catholic world. Alas, her words, which seemed so unbelievable in the 17th century, we present to you to judge for yourself as to their fulfillment. Here are just a few excerpts of what she predicted:
“Satan will reign almost completely by means of the Masonic sects, the clergy and prelates will become corrupt, great impurity will reign, heresies will abound, bad Superiors will destroy the spirit of Religion, Rules in convents and monasteries will become abandoned, the Holy Sacraments will be profaned and abused, priests will be without care for spiritual matters, and the light of Faith will be almost completely extinguished in souls. Truly religious souls will be reduced to a small number and many vocations will perish…
In this supreme moment of need of the Church, those who should speak will fall silent. Dire times will come, when those who should justly defend the rights of the Church will be blinded…
Innocence will almost be no longer found in children, or modesty in women. Like a filthy ocean, the massive impurity will inundate the streets, squares, and public areas with astonishing liberty. There will be almost no virgin souls left in the world…
As for the Sacrament of Matrimony, it will be attacked and profaned in the fullest sense of the word. Masonry, which will then be in power, will enact iniquitous laws with the objective of doing away with this Sacrament, making it easy for everyone to live in sin, encouraging procreation of illegitimate children born without the Blessing of the Church…
The Christian spirit will rapidly decline, extinguishing the precious light of Faith until it reaches the point when there will be an almost general corruption of customs. The effects of secular education will increase, which will be one reason for the lack of priestly and religious vocations…
The Sacred Sacrament of Holy Orders will be ridiculed, oppressed and despised. The demon will try to persecute the ministers of the Lord in every possible way, and he will labor with cruel astuteness to deviate them from the spirit of their vocation, corrupting many of them. These corrupted priests, who will scandalize the Christian people, will incite the hatred of the bad Christians and enemies of the Roman, Catholic and Apostolic Church to fall upon all priests. This apparent triumph of Satan will bring enormous sufferings to good pastors of the Church…
How the Church will suffer during this dark night!”
Our Lady beseeched prayers and penance for the poor people of those (our) days (she specified these events to be in the 20th century and beyond) and coupled her warnings with advice:
“Oh, if only human beings and especially the religious knew what Heaven is, and what it is to possess God, how differently they would live, sparing no sacrifice in order to enter more fully into possession of it! But some let themselves be dazzled by the false glamour of honors and human greatness while others are blinded by self-love, not realizing that they are falling into lukewarm-ness – that immense evil which in religious houses destroys their fervor, humility, self-renunciation, and the ceaseless practice of religious virtues and fraternal charity and that child-like simplicity which makes souls dear to my Divine Son and to me, their Mother. Remember the words of the Royal Prophet: ‘How marvelous are the works of the Lord!’… See and contemplate the grandeur of this restoring and life-giving sacrament of Penance, so forgotten by ungrateful men, who in their foolish madness, do not realize it is the only sure means of salvation after one has lost his baptismal innocence. There are those who consider hearing confession as a loss of time and a futile thing… Oh, if mortals only understood and appreciate the time given to them, and would take advantage of each moment of their lives, how different the world would be. And a considerable number of souls would not fall to their eternal perdition.”
Recently, our Italian woodcarvers undertook a special custom project for one of our customers – a custom statue of Our Lady of Good Success. They themselves were unfamiliar with the story and were fascinated to learn more about the apparitions. The original statue itself has its own miraculous history, which can be read about in this book, which details this as well as the apparitions of La Salette, Lourdes, and Fatima. The carvers agreed to make the statue a permanent listing available exclusively to the Sisters of Carmel, available in both the 12” and 16” sizes.
Last but not least, we have just a few more beautiful book titles to share with you about Our Blessed Mother:
This book, which we urge you to read, treats of the life of Our Lord’s Blessed Mother. Not the minute details of her exterior life, but her interior dispositions, which were the spirit of her external actions. For its object, as its name indicates, is to manifest the Inner Life of Mary. It is, therefore, a book for interior souls—for those with a deep devotion to Our Lady and desire to study what she loved that they may embrace it, and who seek to know better her Immaculate Heart that they may make their own hearts like unto hers. The work may thus be used as a book of meditation or of spiritual reading.
This little book has been put together to enkindle in those who are willing to read it devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary. It strives to acquire both a high esteem of the virtues of this great Queen, and a certain tender affection toward her, setting before ourselves the sensible object of devotion: namely, the Immaculate Heart of the same Blessed Virgin. This Heart is worthy of our love; for it is all full of the heavenly warmth of charity, toward God and toward us—the most precious part of that virginal body which was found worthy to clothe with human flesh and blood the Eternal Word of God. “Two altars are seen on Calvary, one in the Heart of Mary sorrowing, the other in the Body of Christ crucified. Christ offers up His Flesh; Mary offers up her soul.”
For Those Seeking a Spouse
We often get prayer requests from those who are looking for a good wife or husband. You have several patrons! St. Joseph and St. Anne are among those to pray to in directing your choice. But St. Raphael the Archangel is also a Patron Saint for those looking for a spouse. In the book of Tobias he not only told the young Tobias who to marry, but he prepared them for marriage and freed Sarah from the devil. We came across this beautiful prayer some time ago and made it into a prayer card to make it all the easier for you to have access to this great Saint!
New Chrism Candles
You have made requests – and it has finally arrived! Our new chrism scented candle is available in two styles. The Chrism taper has a smooth end, and is a perfect candle to be used in Sacramental ceremonies such as Baptisms, First Communions, and Ordinations, while the Chrism pillar may be burned at home.
The candles do not contain actual blessed Chrism. But they are infused with olive oil, balsam and aromatics to mimic the Chrism scent and remind us of all the things that Chrism symbolizes for us.
Chrism is the most important of the holy oils consecrated by the Bishop and is used in the administration of the Sacraments. It is comprised of olive oil, balsam, and aromatics according the Bishop’s preference. Olive oil, sacramentally, is an important symbol for the Sacraments. Oil is fuel for the flame, a healing balm for the sick, a strengthening unguent for the athlete, and so naturally suggests illumination, assuaging of pain, and strength. In the blessing of the balsam for the Chrism the Bishop says:
“We entreat You to hear our prayers that these fragrant tears of the dry bark which, trickling down from a fruitful branch, supply us with a rich ointment for the anointing of the priesthood, may be made acceptable to You for Your sacraments and sanctify them by giving Your blessing… may it be seasoned for us, Lord, with a joyous faith; making it a lasting Chrism for the anointing of the priesthood; make it worthy to be used in impressing the sign of Your heavenly standard; that whoever after being born again by Your holy Baptism, shall be anointed with this ointment, may obtain the fullness of Your blessing in body and soul, and ever be enriched by the blessed faith given to them.” The blessings go on to remember the use of oil in the Old Testament such as the anointing of King David, and speaks of Christ being the Anointed One. Chrism is imposed at Baptism, Confirmation and Ordination, the Sacraments in which the person anointed receives a character, an indelible mark that forever changes his soul and conforms it more to Christ’s image.
Community News
Winter, Spring, Summer… Here in the Rockies the seasons, get somewhat confused this time of year. We had a beautiful burst of warm weather before Easter that brought out colorful nature in full bloom, only to be followed by May snowstorms and a few deep freezes that nipped trees and plants. But God makes His florae joyfully resilient, and we are watching things restore and flourish, despite storm and cold. We always use the week of Pentecost retreat to plant our gardens, but the days have been chilly and sometimes rained on our little efforts at a parade… Happily, though, we have already had a plentiful harvest of rhubarb (which thrives in the cold) – and at the rate it is growing, we’ll have plenty more during the summer.
The garden is expanding this year to include gooseberry (or “goozebury,” as our British Sister pronounces it) and a white clover patch (yes, we are actually deliberately growing clover) for the bees. The bees love it, and the flavor of their honey as a result will be wonderful.
As you might have noticed, inside the Monastery, the rosary makers have been so busy that we were obliged to suspend rosary orders on our site for nearly a month. We had so many pending rosaries to make, we felt we could not accept any more until we caught up. We also took that time to re-organize and streamline our rosary-making “system”, with the hope of being able better to keep up with demand in the coming weeks and months!
We have not been idle in the sewing room either these past several months. There are always projects brewing – most of them geared towards the altar and the Sacrifice of the Mass. Albs, altar frontals, tabernacle veils, vestments and vestment repairs….all for the glory of God and Divine worship!
The days are so full that they pass quickly. Already we have passed through the season of Lent, celebrated Easter, and are now in the season of Pentecost, the season of sanctification. Our vocation is a hidden one, hidden behind cloister walls. Ours is not that of parents and the care of children, but we do have the care of souls… We, too, employ the same tools as parents must – fidelity to vocation and to daily duty within that vocation; always finding sanctification in every-day, sometimes humdrum tasks; working in loving obedience to accomplish the will of the Father, as Jesus did – and to bring about God’s glory in the world. May all that we do “in word or in work” be done in the name of the Lord. Our goal is the same: to populate Heaven!
Please know that we support you in our prayers for the souls of each one of you and for your families, begging God’s grace to protect you and give you the tools and courage you need to foster His love in your homes, that that great Love might be carried out as a torch into the world.
In the Holy Family,
Your Carmelite Sisters
St. Joseph Make Us a Family of Saints!
Glorious Saint Joseph! Thou to whom God confided the care of the two persons He most loved on earth, forget not that we too have been entrusted to thy care.
Thou who art our protector and our father, deign to take our interests into thy own hands, but above all, watch over all that concerns our souls.
O virtuous guardian of the Holy Family, by thy powerful intercession, make us a family of saints. And since to merit thy favors, we must strive to imitate thy virtues, obtain for us all a sincere will to walk in thy footsteps and to be like thee, full of love for Jesus and Mary and faithful to all our other duties.
Thou art too jealous of the glory of God and our salvation to refuse to receive our prayers.
O beloved head of the Holy Family, graciously hear us.