Carmel teaches
the Church how to pray.

-Pope Francis & Pope Benedict XV

Pope Leo:
A Call for Peace

On Easter Sunday, Pope Leo invited the faithful around the world to join him in a prayer vigil for peace, held on April 11,
at St. Peter’s Basilica.

Whether individually or as a community, this was an opportunity for each local Church to unite in solidarity
with the universal Church to pray for peace in our world.

The Carmelites now invite you to join in the prayer of a Litany for Peace. May this litany serve as a spiritual bookend to your day, uniting us all in a shared plea for peace.

Third Sunday
of Easter
April 19, 2026

Morning Prayer
Evening Prayer II
Night Prayer

The Gospel Reading

That very day, the first day of the week, 
two of Jesus' disciples were going
to a village seven miles from Jerusalem called Emmaus,
and they were conversing about all the things that had occurred.
And it happened that while they were conversing and debating,
Jesus himself drew near and walked with them,
but their eyes were prevented from recognizing him.
He asked them, 
"What are you discussing as you walk along?"
They stopped, looking downcast.
One of them, named Cleopas, said to him in reply,
"Are you the only visitor to Jerusalem
who does not know of the things
that have taken place there in these days?"
And he replied to them, "What sort of things?"
They said to him, 
"The things that happened to Jesus the Nazarene,
who was a prophet mighty in deed and word
before God and all the people,
how our chief priests and rulers both handed him over
to a sentence of death and crucified him.
But we were hoping that he would be the one to redeem Israel;
and besides all this,
it is now the third day since this took place.
Some women from our group, however, have astounded us:
they were at the tomb early in the morning 
and did not find his body;
they came back and reported
that they had indeed seen a vision of angels
who announced that he was alive.
Then some of those with us went to the tomb
and found things just as the women had described,
but him they did not see."
And he said to them, "Oh, how foolish you are!
How slow of heart to believe all that the prophets spoke!
Was it not necessary that the Christ should suffer these things
and enter into his glory?"
Then beginning with Moses and all the prophets,
he interpreted to them what referred to him
in all the Scriptures.
As they approached the village to which they were going,
he gave the impression that he was going on farther.
But they urged him, "Stay with us,
for it is nearly evening and the day is almost over."
So he went in to stay with them.
And it happened that, while he was with them at table,
he took bread, said the blessing,
broke it, and gave it to them.
With that their eyes were opened and they recognized him,
but he vanished from their sight.
Then they said to each other,
"Were not our hearts burning within us
while he spoke to us on the way and opened the Scriptures to us?"
So they set out at once and returned to Jerusalem
where they found gathered together
the eleven and those with them who were saying,
"The Lord has truly been raised and has appeared to Simon!"
Then the two recounted 
what had taken place on the way
and how he was made known to them in the breaking of bread.

—Luke 24:13-35

Hymn of
the
Month

Lyrics to hymn titled 'Change our Hearts' with multiple stanzas and refrains, displayed on a textured blue background with audio and appropriate credits.

Credits

Text and Music: Rory Cooney, b. 1952. Copyright 1984 Spirit & Song, a division of OCP.
Vocals: Steven Begert-Clark.
Piano: Benjamín Aguilar, O.Carm.
Viola
: Briana Bandy.
Produced by: Julian Pardo.

Prayer Intention of
Pope Leo for April 2026

For Priests in Crisis

Let us pray for priests going through moments of crisis in their vocation, that they may find the accompaniment they need and that communities may support them with understanding and prayer.

Pray with the Pope:
Monthly Prayer

Lord Jesus,
Good Shepherd and companion
on the journey,
today we place in your hands all priests,
especially those going through
moments of crisis,
when loneliness weighs heavily,
when doubt clouds their hearts,
and when exhaustion
seems stronger than hope.

You who know their
struggles and wounds,
Renew in them the certainty of
your unconditional love.
Let them feel they are not mere functionaries or lonely heroes,
but beloved sons,
humble and cherished disciples,
and pastors sustained by
the prayer of their people.

Good Father,
teach us as a community
to care for our priests:
to listen without judging,
to give thanks without
demanding perfection,
to share with them the baptismal mission
of proclaiming the Kingdom
in word and deed,
and to accompany them with
closeness and sincere prayer.
May we support those
who so often support us.

Holy Spirit,
rekindle in our priests
the joy of the Gospel.
Grant them healthy friendships,
networks of fraternal support,
a sense of humor when
things don’t go as expected,
and the grace to always
rediscover the beauty of their vocation.
May they never lose trust in You,
nor the joy of serving your Church
with a humble and generous heart.

Amen.

– Pope Leo

The Rosary

Multiple hands holding a rosary with a crucifix against a dark background.


Pray the Rosary
in English and Spanish
with the Carmelites here
or on SoundCloud.

Rece el Rosario
en inglés y español
con los Carmelitas aquí
o en SoundCloud.

Iconography

Praying with Spiritual Icons is an ancient practice still used by Eastern Rite Catholics and the Orthodox Church today. Icons present holy images and symbols that invite us to a still, contemplative space, deepening our connection with God. The Icons in our videos are intended to enhance the experience of praying the Liturgy of the Hours.

Many of the Icons we use are written by Carmelite friars. New Icons will appear beginning in the Third Week of Ordinary Time and thereafter, changing through the different liturgical seasons of the Church. We will do our best to briefly explain the symbols found in these icons and list resources for users who wish to learn more about the tradition of this sacred art form.

If praying with Icons interests you, here is a link to a guide that might be helpful.

Additional Reading
Behold the Beauty of the Lord: Praying with Icons
by Henri JM Nouwen

Praying with Icons
by Jim Forrest

The Open Door
by Frederica Mathewes-Green

Religious icon depicting the Nativity scene with Mary and Joseph, baby Jesus in a manger, angels, shepherds, wise men, animals, and other biblical figures.

“The Nativity”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.

Christ the Pantocrator written by Bro. Daryl Moresco, O.Carm.

“Christ the Pantocrator”
Written by
Daryl Moresco, O. Carm.

Religious icon of "Christ of the Gospels." Written by Carmelite Filiberto Oregel, O.Carm.

“Christ of the Gospels”
Written by
Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.

“Certainly, I find that the starting point for prayer
has to be a brief moment
of self-awareness:
an acknowledgment of how
I find myself right then —
peaceful…
troubled…
restless…
joyous…
preoccupied…
angry…
questioning…
Whatever the mood,
this is what I bring to prayer…[.]”

Upon This Mountain: Prayer in the Carmelite Tradition
by Mary McCormack, OCD.
Copyright 2009, Teresian Press