St. Thomas Aquinas' Prayer before Study

Submitted by olmc
on Sat, 05/25/2013 - 10:50

The photograph of the Helix Nebula, taken by the Hubble Space Telescope, is often referred to as, "The eye of God." 
 
As many students are studying and taking exams, here is a prayer by St. Thomas Aquinas for the occasions:
 
Creator of all things, true source of light and wisdom, lofty origin of all being,
 
Graciously let a ray of your brilliance penetrate into the darkness of my understanding and take from me the double darkness in which I have been born, an obscurity of both sin and ignorance. 
 
Give me a sharp sense of understanding, a retentive memory, and the ability to

Special Collection to Assist “Parishes & Schools in Need”

Submitted by olmc
on Mon, 05/20/2013 - 11:31

 

Next weekend, May 26, the annual collection to help “Parishes and Schools In Need” in our diocese will be taken up at all Masses and will take place at the same time as our regular collection.
 
Included for assistance by this collection are those communities (parishes) (1) that exhibit ongoing needs that cannot be paid for by their ordinary income; or (2) that don’t have the financial ability to pay for what is considered essential services; or (3) that have urgent capital needs; or (4) that have a parish school that requires more than 10% of the ordinary income of the parish (in

Setting the World on Fire

Submitted by olmc
on Sun, 05/19/2013 - 22:18

 

What do you know about the Holy Spirit?  What can you tell me?  A priest I know asked the same questions to a group of children.  Initially there was silence, and then one boy raised his hand and said, “The bird.” The Holy Spirit is “the bird.”  This is probably not the most theologically correct answer.  I think there are better ways to describe third person of the Trinity.
 
The Holy Spirit is mysterious and human words cannot adequately describe him.  Even St.

Video of the Month for May: Adoration

Submitted by olmc
on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 15:03

 

For those who are not familiar with Eucharistic Adoration, this short video by the United States Conference of Catholic Bishops (USCCB) explains the meaning and purpose of adoration.  At Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Church, we have Eucharistic Adoration on the 23rd of every month from 8:30 a.m. to 9 p.m., except for when it falls on a Saturday or Sunday.
 
Pope Benedict XVI writes that Eucharistic Adoration is a natural prologation of the Mass:  "What does that mean to receice the Lord?  That is never just a physical, bodily act, as when I eat a slice of bread.

The Lord's Ascension is Our Hope & Joy

Submitted by olmc
on Sun, 05/12/2013 - 10:35

 

After Jesus left disciples and ascended into heaven, the disciples were filled with joy and praising God; but why?  Shouldn’t they be sad that Jesus is leaving them and will no longer be with them physically?  The reason for their joy is that the Ascension points the disciples to their future and hope.
 
Likewise, the Ascension points to our future and hope.  Jesus, who comes from the Father, returns to the Father in bodily form as God and man. We too have come from the Father, and are to follow Jesus back to God.

Unity in Diversity

Submitted by olmc
on Sun, 05/05/2013 - 14:28

 

In the Gospel, we hear Jesus praying for unity. On the eve of his passion, Jesus pours out his heart to the Father for us – that we may be one. We get to overhear Jesus’ personal prayer to the Father, in which Jesus reveals what is closest and dearest to his heart: the oneness of his disciples with him and with one another. The purpose of this unity is to fulfill Christ’s mission: “That the world may believe . . .”
 
If we love Jesus, we must be one with him in his prayer for unity. To conform our will to that of Jesus’ and the Father’s.

May is the Month of Mary

Submitted by olmc
on Thu, 05/02/2013 - 11:34

 

“Why do Catholics worship Mary?” is a question we may hear from Protestants.  How would you answer this question?  First, Catholics do not worship Mary.  Worship and adoration by right belongs to God alone: Father, Son & Holy Spirit.  Mary and the saints, on the other hand, are venerated and love by our invoking their intercessions with God and imitating their virtues.
 
By Mary’s Assumption, we have a mother in heaven who is always with us. Mary is the mother of God because she is the mother of Jesus, who is divine.  She is also our mother because Jesus says so himself.

Book of the Month for May 2013

Submitted by olmc
on Wed, 05/01/2013 - 13:59

 

The Mass - The Glory, The Mystery, The Tradition by Cardinal Donald Wuerl, Archbishop of Washington, D.C. and Mike Aquilina
 
In this book you will discover the richness, beauty and wonder of the holy sacrifice of the Mass.  Initially, the objective of this book was to help Catholics with the new missal translation and changes to the Mass implemented last year. The book will be truly beneficial to any Catholic desiring to grow in greater understanding of the Mass and the celebration of the Eucharist. 
 
It is a step by step walk through the parts of the Mass from the opening blessing

Get your OLMC Shirts after Mass on May 25/26

Submitted by olmc
on Tue, 04/30/2013 - 19:19
 
For the first time, we have OLMC shirts with our brand new logo, which features the stained-glass window in the choir loft and the brown scapular in the background and unique lettering in the front.  T-shirts, long sleeve t-shirts, and hooded sweat shirts will be available after all the Masses the weekend of May 25/26, in the plaza.  Be one of the first to own an OLMC shirt and show your spirit! 
 
Another great news is that the shirts are available at cost!

For Christ Forever Capital Campaign

Submitted by olmc
on Thu, 04/18/2013 - 10:35

 

My Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,
 
Our call to a life of stewardship leads us to reflect on the countless blessings God has bestowed upon us. We may ask ourselves how we can use these blessings to praise, reverence, and serve God? As you have heard at Mass or at one of our campaign receptions over the past few weeks, our Diocese is moving forward with a major fundraising effort. This Capital Campaign, entitled FOR CHRIST FOREVER, will help to support our future Christ Cathedral, Local Parishes, Catholic Education, Priests Retirement and Diocesan Ministries.
Copyright 2013 Our Lady of Mount Carmel Catholic Church. All Rights Reserved