Carmel teaches
the Church how to pray.
-Pope Francis & Pope Benedict XV
Holy Week
Monday of Holy Week
March 30th
Night Prayer
The Gospel Reading
Six days before Passover, Jesus came to Bethany,
where Lazarus was, whom Jesus had raised from the dead.
They gave a dinner for him there, and Martha served.
while Lazarus was one of those reclining at table with him.
Mary took a liter of costly perfumed oil
made from genuine aromatic nard
and anointed the feet of Jesus and dried them with her hair;
The house was filled with the fragrance of the oil.
Then Judas the Iscariot, one of his disciples,
and the one who would betray him, said,
"Why was this oil not sold for three hundred days' wages
and given to the poor?"
He said this not because he cared about the poor
But because he was a thief and held the money bag
and used to steal the contributions.
So Jesus said, "Leave her alone.
Let her keep this for the day of my burial.
You always have the poor with you, but you do not always have me."
The large crowd of the Jews found out that he was there and came,
not only because of him, but also to see Lazarus,
whom he had raised from the dead.
And the chief priests plotted to kill Lazarus, too,
because many of the Jews were turning away
and believing in Jesus because of him.
—John 12:1-11
Journey
Holy Week
Enter the Stillness—Anytime, Anywhere.
Experience the profound mystery of Holy Week through the lens of Carmelite spirituality. Our digital meditations invite you to step away from the noise of the world and into the "gentle whisper" of the desert, accompanying Christ from the triumphant entry into Jerusalem to the sacred triduum and the glory of the Resurrection.
Let these daily Carmelite reflections challenge your comforts, fuel your zeal, and draw you closer to the living God.
Click for other
Holy Week
Resources:
The Rosary
Stations of the Cross
Lent Music Playlist on SoundCloud
Hymn of the Month
Credits
Text: Peter Scholtes, 1938-2009.
Music: St. Brendan’s. Peter Scholtes.
Text and music copyrights: F.E.L. Publications. Assigned 1991 Lorenz Publishing Company (Admin. by Lorenz Corporation),
Vocals: The Carmelites.
Viola: Briana Bandy.
Prayer Intention of
Pope Leo for March 2026
For disarmament & peace
Let us pray that nations move toward effective disarmament,
particularly nuclear disarmament,
and that world leaders choose
the path of dialogue and diplomacy
instead of violence.
Pray with the Pope:
Monthly Prayer
Lord God of peace, hear our prayer!
We have tried so many times and over so many years to resolve our conflicts by our own powers and by the force of our arms. How many moments of hostility and darkness have we experienced; how much blood has been shed; how many lives have been shattered; how many hopes have been buried… But our efforts have been in vain.
Now, Lord, come to our aid! Grant us peace, teach us peace; guide our steps in the way of peace. Open our eyes and our hearts, and give us the courage to say: “Never again war!”; “With war everything is lost”. Instill in our hearts the courage to take concrete steps to achieve peace.
Lord, God of Abraham, God of the Prophets, God of Love, you created us and you call us to live as brothers and sisters. Give us the strength daily to be instruments of peace; enable us to see everyone who crosses our path as our brother or sister. Make us sensitive to the plea of our citizens who entreat us to turn our weapons of war into implements of peace, our trepidation into confident trust, and our quarreling into forgiveness.
Keep alive within us the flame of hope, so that with patience and perseverance we may opt for dialogue and reconciliation. In this way may peace triumph at last, and may the words “division”, “hatred” and “war” be banished from the heart of every man and woman. Lord, defuse the violence of our tongues and our hands.
Renew our hearts and minds, so that the word which always brings us together will be “brother”,
and our way of life will always be that of:
Shalom, Peace, Salaam!
Amen.
– Pope Leo
The Rosary
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
“The Nativity”
Written by
Bro. Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.
“Resurrection of Christ”
Written by
Bro. Filiberto Oregel, O. Carm.
“Christ the Pantocrator”
Written by
Daryl Moresco, O. Carm.
“Christ of the Gospels”
Written by
Bro. 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