A very strong part of Catholic identity is communal worship at Sunday Mass, and many people will not feel comfortable in attending Mass - though they remain open. The Carmelites are continuing to pray for all the people who come to our churches and the Shrine of Saint Jude, as well as for the country at large, and all those affected by the pandemic.
One of the key elements in Christian spirituality is that there is a relationship, in each one of us, between our very self and God. While the external, communal dimension is important and necessary, nonetheless, each one of us as an individual is called to live a personal relationship with God. Saint Teresa of Avila expresses this most beautifully: “The soul of each one is nothing else but a paradise where the Lord says He finds His delight.”
At the Shrine of Saint Jude, we have various online services that will keep running throughout this period of uncertainty (please click on the boxes below). Remember we will keep praying for you and we know Saint Jude will stay with you - he is a friend to all of us and he is the Saint of Hope.
Saint Jude was one of the Twelve Apostles appointed by Jesus to lead his Church. Jude is today revered as a saint with widespread devotion among Christians of many denominations, especially Roman Catholics, Orthodox, and Anglicans. Saint Jude is the patron saint of various groups and places, and is best known as the patron of "desperate" or "difficult" cases (a term used in preference to the older title of "hopeless" cases, since with God no situation is hopeless). To us, Saint Jude is the patron saint of hope in Jesus Christ.
Since March 2020, we have been producing and sharing reflections to help everyone spiritualy during these difficult times. These can be found below and returned to a weekly update from 8 January 2021:
Latest Reflection: Pandemic Heroes – Children (7 May 2021)
REFLECTIONS:
Please click on below images for reflections on particular themes:
Or by date:
- May 2021
- April 2021
- March 2021
- February 2021
- January 2021
- December 2020
- November 2020
- October 2020
- September 2020
- August 2020
- July 2020
- June 2020
- May 2020
- April 2020
- March 2020
Our online services are below:
You may also find the following resources helpful in the coming weeks:
- The Prayer of the Church (the Divine Office) links us across parishes, dioceses, the country, and indeed the world in a union of worship
- The Prayer of the Church (the Divine Office) links us across parishes, dioceses, the country, and indeed the world in a union of worship.
- The prayerful reading of Scripture known as Lectio Divina brings us into contact with the living Word of God.
- Reading the prayers and scripture in the Missal for a given day, perhaps combined with the practice of making a spiritual communion.
- The use of specially devised prayers in time of sickness can be a great comfort (download in PDF format).
- The practice of various meditation techniques such as Centering Prayer, or the Practice of the Presence of God.
- Reading the spiritual classics of our tradition: Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of Lisieux, and so on. Some of their writings can be found at: Christian Classics Ethereal Library; Thérèse Gateway; Story of a Soul.
- Taking part in televised services online. These are happening in various parishes, dioceses, and shrines. Resources include: Vatican News; Church Services TV; Walsingham National Shrine; Knock Shrine; Lourdes Shrine.
