Fr. Dubay - Shared Vision In Marriage Tape 1

ELDA MARIA ESTRADA, OCDS

TERESA OF JESUS TEACHES US HOW TO BE HOLY

2004 OCDS Conference

Flint, MI

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Announcement: We are asking that everybody please check their adoration hour and be sure to keep your scheduled hour. The schedules are in the main hall by the chapel, and we also need someone for six to seven a.m. on Saturday and again on Sunday morning. Our next speaker is Elda Maria Estrada. Those of you who were here yesterday morning remember that we traded Father Jeff's talk with Elda Maria's, so if you were expecting to hear Father Jeff, that was yesterday. You'll have to get the tape. Today Elda Maria will be speaking with us. Elda Maria was born in Cuba. She is an American citizen. She has received numerous degrees including three masters degrees in theological studies, spiritual theology, and human values, and she has done graduate studies in spiritual theology from the Pontifical Institute of Spirituality of the Discalced Carmelite Fathers, the Teresianum in Rome. But from my perspective what's more important than all of her head knowledge, which is very impressive, she has a lot of head knowledge. Elda Maria has heart knowledge. She loves the Lord with all her heart, mind, soul and strength. She goes after Him with what Saint Teresa, our Mother calls determined determination. And she loves to spread that with others. She has lectured throughout the United States, Latin America and Europe. Giving retreats, workshops. ICS Publication has put out several tape albums of her talks, their wonderful.

Another voice: There are five, and one is coming up on John of the Cross.

Five and one is coming up on John of the Cross, for the tape. And so I ask you to please welcome Elda Maria Estrada.

Applause.

Thank you.

ELDA MARIA ESTRADA, OCDS

TERESA OF JESUS TEACHES US

HOW TO BE HOLY

My topic is Teresa of Jesus teaches us how to become holy. She said in the book of her life. By the way how many of you understands (? 040 Spanish 'un poquito de espanol' (Spanish?) Ah, quite a few, my delight. No, you will understand me, and I will give an immediate English translation, I promise. But I don't want to derive ah to deprive those, who even for my own inspiration, I'll first pronounce the original words and then I will give you an English translation of it. She said (? 050 Spanish) You sure you hear, you're hearing me? Hearing me well?

Audience: Yes.

Si, Si. Okay. I don't hear myself. Alright.

Everything is given by God. Her Spiritual daughter, (? 055 Spanish) or the Infant Jesus on the Holy Face, takes the same identical thought and puts it more rhythmically. Teresa says "Everything is gift, everything is grace, and so we pray, Father, Son and Holy Spirit we praise you, we honor you, we glorify you". We give you praise and glory and thanksgiving, and even if we do not know how to do it, at least we attempt to adore you. Illumine the eyes of our hearts so we may discover your loving presence within us. Jesus, we invite you to be Lord of this conference, this evening. Anoint us with the power of your Holy Spirit. And today in faith, hope and love, Lord I ask for a great infusion of the contemplative gifts of wisdom, understanding, knowledge and counsel. Mary, Mother, cover us with your mantle of love and protection. Crush protection, but also healing, and deliverance, and crush the head of the serpent. Free us from all evil. And especially, Mother, take us to your Son. Teach us to love Him, as He deserves. Holy Mother, Saint Teresa of Jesus, be with us. Particularly because I am speaking in your name, dearest Mother. Give me a spark of your dauntless spirit. Amen.

Audience: Amen.

You sounded better this time. (Laughter)

If Teresa is the greatest teacher of prayer in the Holy Universal Church it is for a reason. She's a (? 094 mystagog) I go on exchanging with you, I'll explain with the depth of that title, that she has been given to. And she is (? 099 Spanish) Mother of all, that's Latin not Spanish. Mother of all spirituals. So from a tiny little kid that says "Hail Mary, full of grace", to the highest mystic, all must get into the ninth mansion. I know there's seven, okay, just in case. To keep you awake, just in case. To the highest mansion, we are under her patronage. We are under her tutelage. She takes care of us. She takes us, just by the hand, and leads us into the very heart of Jesus, and through Jesus, in unison (? 111) with the Holy Spirit, to the Father, in union of trinitarian love. So this is why I am going to give you some tools, some ways that I borrowed from our Holy Mother.

If I have to describe Carmelite spirituality, I will draw, but I cannot draw here, four concentric circles. So please use your imagination. The outer circle is trinitarian. Teresian spirituality in its most central reality, is a trinitarian spirituality. I will speak about that in a minute. It is above all Christ centered. He is the way, the truth and the life. He is our Lord. Then, another concentric circle. The third one, prayer. Prayer is the very soul, is the very spirit of Carmel. So we pray, so we live. Simple, very simple. That's the spiritual thermometer.

And last, but not least, its most nuclear element of prayer, the most concentric circle, is presence. I have said on many occasions, in many congresses, Carmelite's meetings and retreats, that what Teresa taught us. That the door to the interior castle is prayer. But if that is the door, the key to open that door its presence. So following, following the heritage of father, Father Elijah, who said he stood in front of the presence of the Lord, and also he said that he sealed the zeal of the Lord consume him. These are the two standards of Carmel. The contemplative aspect of being imbued, penetrated, invaded, through presence, and bringing all that life and light into the world through our apostolic endeavors. And incidentally, to be an apostle, to be a minister as they call it today, is so simple. All evangelism can be summed up in this little phrase. It's Teresian, by way, by the way, eh? To know and love Jesus and to make Him known and loved, by thought, by word and particularly by example. There is no Carmelite that is excused from doing that. To put it in existential terms we have to become our truest, deepest self. Simple. Notice, I am not naive. I did not say easy. Ha ha, relax. So this Divine Presence that Teresa speaks about in its most intimate reality is a communication of God to the human spirit. And this constitutes the central nucleus of the spirituality of Teresa (? 168 Spanish?). Now, this Divine Presence is dynamic, is operative. And we call it with a word that best characterizes Teresa herself in a relationship with other persons, with a human or divine, and that is friendship (? 172 Spanish?) So presence is a dialogue between two persons. Is an interpersonal communion. Teresa's mystical experience will come about through their awareness, through their ongoing consciousness of this Divine Presence in the very depth of her spirit. For us too. See, Teresa...you never hear of St. Teresa of Jesus of (? 181 Avila sp?) the one I know, I love like you do. You will never hear her give definitions. No, Teresa always and forever (? 184 descries) her experiences. No wonder she's a great teacher.

So, this growing awareness of the Divine Presence in the depths of our being, is what constitutes Teresa's mystical experience. And this progressive awareness. Now remember, some of this is gradual. God never hits us 'boom' with the whole book. No, its gradual, its a process. And I'm going to give you a test, right now. If it is gradual, and if it is a process, what is it made up of? Come on. Steps, stages of growth and development. Wonderful. Don't be afraid. Only in church you can always be right all the time. And it grew, and it grew, and it grew in her, as it's supposed to grow within us. Until it became very deeply rooted in the depths of her being, in such a way, and in such a degree that it became flesh of her flesh, and bone of her bone, and blood of her blood, and life of her life. And my dear people, do not accept we Carmelite that anybody from east or west, comes and tells us, "No, no, no honey. Don't sweat it, just take it easy". That word doesn't exist in Carmelite spirituality's dictionaries. Because Carmelites have to live in two fashions. One, like a song, like the spirit of the Song of Songs, the most beautiful, the most accelerating, the most passionate, the most erotic, the most fundamental, the most human, divine work ever written in the scriptures.

And also in the spirit of Deuteronomy 6, we have to strive. With all our hearts, and souls, and minds, and strength. Otherwise, we are not being faithful to our charism. I see some people here who are sweating already. It's not our work. Is the work of the Lord inside of us. In the theology of grace, God gives, I receive. There has to be a mutuality of goals of incentives of work. He gives I receive. I open and He enters. I become self-motivated and he pours, pours, Niagara Falls some style His grace upon me. So, lets not be of little faith. On the contrary, let's be, like she mentioned that Teresa indeed at the beginning. That we (? 228 banner/bother?) the Holy Mother with a very determined determination that we are not going to stop at anything, even if the whole world collapses. Our inner world and our outer world, either way. For our dear Holy Mother presence is not an ethereal reality. On the contrary, it is very existential. It is very concrete. It's Jesus the Christ.

For Teresa, our dearest Mother, the motivation for a committed search, because she sees the whole spiritual life in between two perimeters, search and encounter. And the motivation which kept her going and going. By the way, expect regressions, expect just a little 'I am' that the Holy Spirit is sending me. He began sending me faxes. He always interrupts when I'm talking. One day I complained. I said "My goodness, can you wait until I finish my breath?" and He said "No." Thank you. First He began sending faxes, then when He got upgraded and sent me E-Mails, and now He even upgraded even more and gives me I am's. And I got so taken by the Holy Spirit that I forgot what I was going to tell you.

Audience: 'Expect failures'.

What? Thank you very much, your awake. God Bless you. Expect failures that's part of the process. Because we are not relying on our own strength. If we do, pssst, we're doomed to failure. Remember Peter. He was walking on the water and then bloom...all of a sudden pssst, he collapsed. Why? Because he was not focusing on the Lord, he was focusing on himself. You got it? You got the point didn't you? Did you yes or no?

Audience: 'Yes'.

Good, I love to talk to intelligent audiences. She is committed to the search, because she had the profound conviction. (? 260 ?) people. Convictions can only spring from experiences. We become when we experience the love of God, we have the most unshakable conviction that He's alive, that He's for true, that He calls me to relationship and no one, absolutely no one would move us to renounce that God graced moment, graced experience. She knows that God is the hound of heaven. Remember, Francis Thompson. Down the labyrinthian ways of your mind and heart. This marvelous poem. God is always running after us, but my dear people, my vocation within Carmel is to shake people up. Yes. But why does God have to be running after us at this point of our lives? Isn't it about time that we stopped running away from Him? Turn around, look at Him and listen to Him? We'll be far happier. More fulfilled. We will be holier. As a sixth grader told me "Does that mean that I'm gonna be holier? That I'm gonna be more full of holes, like a Swiss cheese?". Then I go "No, my dear, it means that your holes will be all filled with the love of God". And then he said "children are the best theologians". He says "I want that". I go "Me too. Let's go!"'

We have to become aware that if the Lord loved us first before we love Him. That He is present to us before we become present to Him. That He looks at us constantly, before we raise our eyes to Him. That He talks to us before we order our first word to Him. He knows us like no one can ever know us. Isn't He wonderful? So what is how our effort, what is the effort I have to do in this process of growing and becoming? Our effort consists simply in responding with heart and mind and soul and strength to the divine supreme love that the Lord has for me. That's all. Simple. No more formulas are needed. No more spiritual circumlocutions. It's like God, simple. So as we become more and more aware of this presence within the whole process is unchained. That is what happened to her, and this is what is supposed to happen to us. Because Teresa began saying "The Lord is (302 ? hounto amie sp) by my side". Then that deepened and she said "Oh, now the Lord is (304 ? cavae me sp?)" which means He's closer. And this is an education to listen in. He's closer. And then she says "Okay". They take hands and (? 308 haunt us and damos senor sp?) and she says "Let us go together Lord". And they walk. And we walk the journey together with Him.

Now, He said something very important. And this has always puzzled me, because Teresa had perpetual vows when this experience occurred. So in essence, officially she was the spouse of Christ. But then He said, "Teresa, from now on you will be my true spouse. Your honor is my honor. And your glory is my glory". And then in view of the response of Teresa who said in the 'Concepts of the Love of God', Chapter 4, verse 1. "(? 323 spanish?) "We vow to you who am I, Lord?" I will share with somebody at the table, the only time that I notice that Jesus (? 325) told him was very impolite and abrupt. Which after communion for Teresa one day, after communion, He comes in and gives her a test. And He says "Teresa, tell me. What does it truly mean to be humble?" But to my amazement...He didn't let her finish, He didn't let her talk. He cut her off. (? 331) Jesus that's very impolite. I want you to know that. So He answered the question he was asking her. He answered himself. "Teresa, to be humble simply means...for you to know what you can do, and what I can do". Oh my, oh my. And this is when Teresa realizes that everything is gave as I said at the beginning, and that everything is grace. And so consequently, consequently, she says "Without you, who am I Lord". Humility is the base and the foundation of the spiritual edifice.

So, the Lord tells Teresa that all this has been accomplished. (? 343 Teresa more spanish) "Teresa look for yourself in me, and look for me in you." Heaven. So what are we having here? Communions of spirit. Total self-giving. Two persons that freely search for each other, because they love each other, and they want to establish eternal bonds of union with each other. So what is the essence of prayer? There is two elements to the very essence, to the very chord of prayer. Prayer is a very simple reality. Please lets not complicate it with formulas, with addendums, with (? 354 God/going) beating around the bush.

Number One: The (? 356 gratuitousness) of God's gift. He gives Himself totally. What are we waiting for when we go to the prayerful encounter. How many times do you hear brothers and sisters in Carmel and in other, you know, other groups, when you hear "I don't feel anything. I don't hear anything of God"...but who says you have to feel and hear and all those things. In faith, hope and love will stay there until He moves. Believe me and this is a general confession. Patience is not one of my characteristic virtues, at all. And be careful if you ask for patience, as you pray..."Oh, Lord, give me patience". Whew...prepare yourself, I know enough to never ask there, and still and all imagine, because you are going to be tried and true and definitely so, until He comes. When I ask questions it will be revealed to you at my time. When you least expect it, is the usual answer I get. But we are there, and it is in the dryness, and the emptiness, and the silence of that presence that He does His best work in us, for us, and through us. To put it in existential American terms "Hang in there." What are the effects? I spoke about the gratuitousness of God's gift, He gives Himself.

And the Second most important (? 375 element is essential) is the call to relationship. So that I in truth become a friend of Jesus. That's the whole thing. A friend of Jesus. The whole law and the prophets are containing that reality that I become a true friend of Jesus and I sometimes in (? 381 Avila sp), because I have even been blest to have lived in Avila, I took a picture of this huge, huge, um, what is this material, bronze statute of Teresa and (? 383 spanish ) and you know what they called it huh? The restless and got about woman, you know, with her staff. I can just remember the monastery, the incarnation. And under it it says, Teresa wanted (? 388 amigos ? ? ) strong, friends of the Lord Jesus. That is what every Carmelite has to become. Its a process. (? 389 amigos ? ?) Strong friends of Jesus.

So what is the effect of this communion of (? 390) ooh, marvelous. It should keep us very highly motivated. Number One, our receptivity increases. Our openness begins to be felt. I opened...I am not so mistrustful. How can I mistrust the Lord if He is the one who loves me? A friend said once, "I don't want to pray because I don't want to get cancer". "For God alive, where did you make...how did you arrive at that conclusion?" "Yes, yes. He's going to send me crosses, illnesses. My husband might even divorce me". "Honey, have you ever read the scriptures? The christian scriptures?" "But do you realize that God is the God of love?" He always gives His children, the Father always gives His children the very best of that He is and has. Come on! So fear goes down the road. By the way, its the most paralyzing emotion of human people, of human beings, eh? So, how do we come to that fear? With courage. Courage that does not come from what I call...it is not theological but it is very descriptive, the Tarzan attitude. No, its fear that comes from other trust in the Lord and His Mother. and with that we are invincible.

The practice of faith, hope and love is immensely strengthened. So what happens is that faith that resides in the intellect. That's from Saint Thomas (Aquinos 412 sp?) of the Dominican Sister, he had dedicated to you Sister. Saint Thomas Aquinos, the greatest theologian in the church of all times. I don't think no one can come close to him. Says that faith resides in the intellect, and that faith, from an intellectual pursuit and from an intellectual understanding of reality, and grows, and grows, and grows, and becomes a personal adherence to Jesus Christ as Lord. I never knew or understood so well, what the Lordship of Jesus really meant, but one time in prayer. When it was really revealed to me, what it means for Jesus to become Lord of my life, but in an existential fashion that words cannot convey appropriately. To be Lord means that He is owner. To be Lord means, and this is what we dislike and we become terrified by the mere thought, that He is in control of my existence. To be Lord means he is my administrator. To be Lord is what the Father did with Him. To use me as He desires. When we love, truly love, in spite of failings, difficulties, sinfulness and the rest, these realities become true in our lives. So, Jesus...(? 430 ) in the book of Ephesians. So that Jesus, we have to give Him the primacy in our lives, because He deserves it. Because He is Lord. For the glory of God the Father. And the poor Holy Spirit was (? 433) but that can only happen in the power of the Holy Spirit. Every time I make a statement you sneeze. Are you allergic to that? (Laughter) Hope begins as an initial trust. Oh, by the way, St. Thomas (Aquinas ? sp) sometimes when I give conferences and congresses and stuff like that, most Carmelites are so serious. Not to say stiff. (Laughter) And you know they try to give the impression that they are arriving already in the Seventh Mansion. (Laughter) First of all, our Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus said (? 441 Spanish) "Those saints who are sad, they are really sad saints". And St. Thomas Aquinas, the greatest theologian said "The highest perfection...a sense of humor is the perfection"...a direct quote, because I never forgot that, "A sense of humor is the perfection of human nature," and Teresa said "That you will never become holy, you will never become a saint, if you are not truly yourselves".

Incidental, for those of you that are listening to the tapes when we are not here, those little silences in between for me to get a little water to continue shooting. Hope is initial trust that grows, and grows, and grows, and grows, and becomes, becomes a consuming passion. Like all the saints. Men and women with one dream, one thought, one reality, one consuming passion and that is God and God alone. We should be sick with that divine obsession that looks for Him, that searches for Him, that surrenders everything for Him. He deserves it, He's Lord. Love resides in the will. We don't love people with all our hearts, we love them with all our will. Love is a choice. A choice of the will and is also the all embracing unity...reality. So, your logical virtues become the theological life. And (? 461...) and the Holy Spirit takes the upper hand, and He gives us in words of John of the Cross (?462 spanish) the soft, delicate touches, that are almost imperceptible but they are there. And what does the Holy Spirit give us those touches, so that our whole selves that he's divided, (? 465), they are all over the place. There is a marvelous reality of recollection (? 466) come to the center, so that it gives me a very unified self.

So, what am I to do? In Teresa's experience she has one word. One word only, a kind of try to hide from that word for a long time. But there is no way to do it, if you really love the Lord, and that word, that blessed word is surrender, surrender, surrender. Everything I am, everything I have, because our Holy Mother says this King only gives Himself totally to those who give themselves totally to Him. There is no other way. So, the whole entire Teresian spirituality resides in that inner movement towards God present in the very depths of our spirit. Looking and searching to be perfectly united with Him. Transforming (? 482) utter Holiness. And that movement has three elements. Has three elements. The fact of the presence of God, which is indwelling. This is the fundamental truth. The progressive (? 484) which is a dynamic element, which is prayer. And the goal, which is union. Now, what all this giftedness for? So that we realize that the kingdom is within. That we realize that the one that the heavens cannot contain, has become so ridiculously small, accessible, close, personal, so that I can establish a relationship with Him. That is why. And it is not only my opinion, which I truly believe that.

Because theology, Catholic theology teaches that. That the indwelling of the Blessed Trinity is the highest grace possible. It is. That in fact, in truth, when the priest says "I baptize you in the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit", the (? 494) God came to dwell, to live, to abide inside of me. That's the number one road to holiness. Now, why? St. Thomas Aquinas again. Why does God gives us extraordinary gift? He is unbelievable. But He is mostly first and foremost for the joyful fruition, for the senseless, delectation (? 501 ) when you take some food and you relish it, ah. The delectation, the experiential knowledge of His presence. Pure enjoyment. So that God can become for us two things, Father, through the gift of piety so that we can become sons and daughters in the Son Jesus, and that we can become the essence of Teresian spirituality, friends. With all it means, friends of Jesus.

Alright. I am always, heh, heh, heh, heh. And I saw Michael Kotarski there, looking at his watch. So in fidelity to the truth. So all of (? 512) have this cry, this awesome reality that has described, ah, Teresa of Jesus gives us two ways. Two most powerful means. Number One: The prayer of recollection. This is typically Teresian. Let's put it this way, she invented it. She gave it to the universal church. Prayer of Recollection which expresses a movement of interiorization that becomes, becomes, its the process, a contemplative rest. There are two types of recollection. Active recollection, passive recollection. The active is acquired. To begin with contemplation is a pure gift of God you cannot acquire it. What Teresa really means is we have to prepare the way of the Lord. We have to extend our hands as if to say, so that the Lord can give us the gift. Through recollection, the spirit collects itself. The faculties, intellect, memory, will, everything to the center. It goes within through a realization of our own interiority. So, Teresa teaches us the (? 525 disinterior) castle. this inner temple, this inner tabernacle, can be inhabitated either by God or by creatures. So consequently we need an ongoing process of detachment, of liberation, of everything that is not God, or of God, in our lives, and St. John of the Cross teaches us how. The only way to become truly detached is to become totally attached to Jesus Christ and everything, everything will be taken care of.

So, the Second Means: Is a Teresian prayer and its contemplative simplicity become realized as an exchange of looks. As a language of the eyes. As a loving communication that begins in the exterior image and becomes an inner look. It is my personal thesis that the oral, orally, we have the written (? 538 magisterial ?) of Teresa, but the oral of (? 539 magisterial ?) and the writings as well, lead us to a specialized teaching that consists, oh dear. That consists, that leads us to three things. Thank you. Accept, discern, respond. The look of Jesus. And so, our prayer, particularly a contemplative prayer becomes a relationship between two friends. A language of the heart that is expressed in a luminous look. She said to her sons and daughters, I think it begins with the daughters and sons, in that order. (? 548 Spanish) Please realize that He is always and forever looking at you. And had a spiritual testament is (? 549 Spanish) I am not asking you for another thing, but that you look at Him. And the predominate attitude for all Carmelites, until the end of the world is (? 553 Spanish) Keep your eyes on the Lord, Jesus Christ. Do you want to become a true contemplative? Let Him look at you. This demands that we live in His presence. That we be receptive to His look, always, and at all times. In order to become Jesus, for the glory of the Father, and for the good of others, and to become Jesus means to think like Jesus, to talk like Jesus, to feel like Jesus, to love like Jesus, and consequently to act like Jesus. In the time of Teresa with this I conclude. She said (? 561 Spanish) The world is in flames. So, in a world today, in which even the church has become very secularized, in which most spiritual values unfortunately and disgracefully have become compromised. And the church in many instances have accepted the ways of the world. We have to stand with prophetic utterance to the reality of gospel values. To the reality of Carmelite spirituality.

The two greatest enemies of the spiritual life of those of you who are taking notes, make sure you write them. And those of you who are not taking notes, I am asking the Holy Spirit to inscribe them in your hearts and in your spirit. Are mediocrity and complacency. We have enough good secular Carmelite, don't need any more. There are too many of us. We need truly holy Carmelites. (? 573 Spanish) Our dearest Elizabeth. I don't know what are we waiting to put them on alters, for goodness sakes. Elizabeth (? 575 Spanish). Miriam the little (? 576) many, many, many of our great saints of Carmel. What did Teresa do with all these ills? Simple (? 577 Spanish) I determined with a very determined, determination, that I was going to full ? (tape stopped and ran on to the end of 1st side).

Tape 1 - Side 2

of evangelical councils with the greatest possible perfection. May she, our Mother, give us that strength and courage of character like she had. May she give us a spark of the volcano that is her heart. May she move us to have as she asked of all of us, an ardent love for Jesus Christ, and may we follow in the footsteps of His mother. Amen.

Audience: Amen.

God loves you.

Audience: Applause.

Michael J. Kotarski: (? 018 Paraseu? ) said Friar, this is not a Nun. It's a secular order member. Now, the Order of Discalced Carmelites has something to say about you. Do you know that?

Elda Maria Estrada: No.

Michael J. Kotarski: They've been talking about you behind your back.

Ms. Estrada: Oh, okay.

Mr. Kotarski: This is something that Father General asked me to give to Elda. It says the Order of Discalced Carmelites upon recommendation of O.C.D.S. Members, O.C.D.S. members, not friars, not nuns. Upon the recommendation of O.C.D.S. Members and by virtue of the authority vested in it, does hereby confer upon Elda Maria Estrada, O.C.D.S., friend to O.C.D.S. Communities. That's consistent with their talk. Friend of O.C.D.S. Communities. I want to get close to her.

Audience: Applause

Ms. Estrada: I want to take it again. He is a dear friend of mine here.

Mr. Kotarski: Friend of O.C.D.S. Communities, worldwide, not just Texas. And zealous advocate for increased promotion of Teresian and San Juan Spirituality among families. I wonder how they knew that you were zealous?

Audience: Laughter

Mr. Kotarski: The O.C.D.S. (? 038 Teresiatomy? sp) award for zealous O.C.D.S. Community Development. Together with all honors, rights, privileges pertaining thereto in recognition of the fulfillment of the requirements of this title, which include exemplary evangelical zeal and affection for all things Carmel. Be it known by all who come into the presence of this award, that to-wit during the life of the recipient, fruitful, spiritual apostolates flourish. Fruitful, spiritual apostolates. Not get weak, not mediocre, but flourish. Now, this individual and her O.C.D.S. Community are being honored for...she doesn't stand alone. She is fruitful. This is a tree that has fruit.

Audience: Laughter, applause.

Mr. Kotarski: Her O.C.D.S Community are being honored for exhibiting...

Audience: Applause.

Mr. Kotarski: Exhibiting the characteristics exemplified by Saint Teresa of Jesus, including cheerfulness as a leader. Isn't that...there is one spirit of truth. Cheerfulness as a leader, flexibility, patience, now she said she was not patient. Thomas Aquinas says that it is an imperfection to be patient with things of evil and falsehood. So...did you know that?

Ms. Estrada: No.

Mr. Kotarski: Did you know that? You've got to read that section.

Ms. Estrada: No. I didn't.

Mr. Kotarski: I'll get you the whole volume.

Ms. Estrada: I'll (060???) in my house. I'll check it out.

Mr. Kotarski: So it says as a leader, flexibility, patience and long suffering above and beyond the call of duty during a period of prolonged effort to zealously evangelize, form, nurture, inspire and protect the family of Carmel through the means of the written and spoken word. Particularly noted is your assistance through prayer and sacrifice in the establishment of the teachings of the mind of Christ. Not Elda Maria Estrada's teachings, not your teachings or somebody elses, teachings of the mind of Christ upon your community in Carmel. Your work assisting and cooperating with the friars is admirable. Your visibly present, unwavering faith, during the recent illnesses of community members and their families, including your own, has a unique fruitfulness for the church. This witness to faith during suffering, is a mystery full of fruit. A vocation of love you live. Your work has been fruitful and appreciated. You have met the needs of Christ. Not the needs of people, the needs of Christ, there's a priority there, the needs of Christ. Keep up the good work, faithful servant of Christ. And this is Father Luis..I can't even pronounce his name. Father Gamboa (sp?). Congratulations.

Audience: Applause.

Mr. Kotarski: I'll leave a copy of this. This is number two award. This is the second Father General that's recognized her. Did she ever tell you about number one? That's because she's humble. This is the second Father General that has recognized her. Is that not true in faith? Now don't be humble as you have the truth?

Ms. Estrada: No, No, No. Humility is truth. Yes, its the same.

Audience: Laughter.

Mr. Kotarski: Alright. Alright. Did he spell your name right?

Ms. Estrada: Oh yes. If it wasn't I'd send it back to him.

Audience: Laughter.

Mr. Kotarski: You do make a difference in the church.

Audience: Everyone is talking in the audience...nothing clear, just all talking to one another. Talking and laughing.

Someone playing with an organ. Just a few chords.

Now organ music. Singing...at 278 on tape.

Fr. Robideau: Lord have mercy.

Audience: Lord have mercy.

Fr. Robideau: Christ have mercy.

Audience: Christ have mercy.

Fr. Robideau: Lord have mercy.

Audience: Lord have mercy.

Fr. Robideau: And may God have mercy on us. Forgive us our sins and bring us to everlasting life.

Audience: Amen.

Fr. Robideau: Let us pray. God of power and mercy. Only with your help can we offer you fitting service and praise. May we live the faith we profess and trust your promise of eternal life. Grant this through our Lord, Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with You, and the Holy Spirit, One God forever and ever.

Audience: Amen.

Woman's voice: A reading from the letter of Saint Paul to the Philippians: Join with us with others, and being imitators of me, brothers and sisters. And observe those who thus conduct themselves according to the model you have in us. For many as I have told you, and now tell you even in tears, conduct themselves as enemies of the Cross of Christ. Their end is destruction. Their God is their stomach and their glory is in their shame. Their minds are occupied with earthly things, but our citizenship is in heaven. And from it we also await a savior, the Lord, Jesus Christ. He will change our lowly body to conform to His glorified body by the power that enables Him also to bring all things into subjection to Himself. Therefore, my brothers and sisters, whom I love and long for. My joy and my crown, in this way stand firm in the Lord, beloved. The word of the Lord.

Audience: Praise be to God.

Woman's voice: The responsorial Psalm. Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Audience: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord.

Woman's voice: I rejoice because they said to me, we will go to the house of the Lord, and now we have set foot within your gates, oh Jerusalem.

Audience: Let us go rejoicing in the house of the Lord.

Woman's voice: Let us go rejoicing to the house of the Lord. That Jerusalem built us a city with compact unity to the tribes go up, the tribes of the Lord.

Audience: Let us go rejoicing in the house of the Lord.

Woman's voice: According to the cree for Israel, to give thanks to the name of the Lord. In it are set up judgment seats. Seats for the house of David.

Audience: Let us go rejoicing in the house of the Lord.

Woman's voice: Singing...alleluia. Alleluia, (audience joins in) Alleluia. Whoever keeps the word of Christ, the love of God is truly perfected in him. Alleluia, Alleluia, Alleluia.

Fr. Robideau: The Lord be with you.

Audience: And also with you.

Fr. Robideau: A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Luke.

Audience: Praise be the Lord.

Fr.Robideau: Jesus said to His disciples, a rich man had a steward who was reported to Him for squandering his property. He summoned him and said "What is this I hear about you. Prepare a full account of your stewardship because you can no longer be my steward". The steward said to himself "What shall I do, now that my master is taking the position of steward away from me. I am not strong enough to dig, and I am ashamed to beg. I know what I shall do, so that when I am removed from the stewardship they may welcome me into their homes".

He called in his masters debtors one by one. To the first he said "How much do you owe my master?" He replied "One hundred measures of olive oil". He said to him "Here is your promissory note. Sit down and quickly write down one for fifty". Then to the other he said "And you, how much do you owe?" He replied "One hundred measures of wheat." He said to him "Here is your promissory note. Write one for eighty". And the master commended that dishonest steward for acting prudently. For the children of this world are more prudent in dealing with their own generation than the children of light. The gospel of the Lord.

Audience: Praise be (? 363).

Fr. Robideau: Not this gospel, but another gospel. We saw already acted out today, I forgot to include our server in the procession there, and he takes his lower seat. Come up here to higher. So, you lived out the gospel today, and didn't even know it I'll bet. Um huh.

Prudence is used very curiously in today's gospel. The man is a thief, squandering his masters wealth, stealing it. And the master commends him, the dishonest steward for acting prudently. What does it mean to act prudently? It means to act according to right judgment. To correct judgment. To correct thinking. It means to respond to the truth and to live it out. That is being prudent, for those who are trying to get to heaven. For those who are trying to make a name for themselves, and do whatever it takes at all costs, and don't have salvation in mind, prudence takes on a very perverted and demented and horrifying ugly meaning here. And yet his master commends him. He has taken away his job, your a thief, you stole my money, your out a here, but ya did good. You're better at this than I am. I didn't even know it. Somebody caught you, they told me about it, I would never have known. Good job. Your fired! Doesn't make sense to us does it? It can't. Because its not prudence. This is exactly what Jesus point is here. This isn't it. The people of this world are strange. But what's more curious yet in all of this. How often have we thought of ourselves being the strange ones? That we've been treated like the bizarre ones. Oh..hh we are guilty of that horrible sin of religiosity. You're holier than thou, come join us on the earth with the rest of us. That's what they want to tell us. That's the message of the world. Come, join us forget that stuff. You're embarrassing yourself. You don't even know it. Go around all day..ho, ho, ho. Come on, get real. You don't really believe in that stuff. That's all superstition. But if you see a penny, pick it up, right. Don't step on a crack. If you spill salt, make sure you sprinkle some over your shoulder. Make sure you do all that stuff. But don't do that religious stuff.

Therein is destruction. Therein is destruction. How much more literal can you get? Their God is their stomach. They concern themselves about all the physical things of the world to the exclusion of the spiritual. Yes, we're being concerned about our stomach. Yes, we're being concerned about having a roof over our head, and clothes on our backs. Having a decent job to provide for our families and all that kind of stuff. Yes. But its all secondary isn't it? Because if any of that gets in the way of my salvation what am I to do? None of that stuff is supposed to matter. My salvation first, before all else. And always fulfill my duty. My state of life. To the priest, I must be a priest, I must be about priestly duties. As parents, I must be about parentally duties, taking care of the kids and that. That is our salvation.

Their glories and their shame. They do shameful and despicable things. And they think themselves great. We are the ones who are shame faced. If we face the world that ridicule us so, we feel humbled by that, and so we are. But its in that humility that we find to the persecutions that we receive, that are a part of our growing and holiness. It's a part of our salvation. It's part of our glory. For we do something more bizarre yet. You see, they are enemies of the cross. We are its friend and we scare the world. They are frightened of us, because they saw what happened and they know what happened, the last time somebody embraced the cross. Who laid down and opened not His mouth. Not a word. Who gave His own life on the cross. They didn't take it from Him, He laid down. Sure they pounded the nails. Sure they cried out crucify Him. Sure they stood the cross up right. Sure they jeered Him. Sure ridiculed Him, mocked Him. But all with His permission. He embraced the cross. Because of that great things have happened. The world has been transformed. Truth has been made known. Sin has been revealed. The darkness has been turned into light and it scares them. Because they are more concerned about their stomachs than their own glory. And so when we show them that its actually possible to embrace the cross, and to be fulfilled in our life, it scares them. Because that is not where they think fulfillment is to be found. That is the last place they ever want to see it. See, the beauty of it is, we really get to mock the world in reverse. They are frightened of us, and that's okay. We're frightened of them. Okay? We're frightened of the humiliations they bring us and all that. Jesus saying "But set those fears aside. Don't let that fear paralyze you". I forget which speaker it was earlier today said "Fear is one of those emotions that is the worse that cripples us in our spiritual journey. For we fear what the world might bring our way. On the flip side of that sometimes we fear what God might bring our way. As we said there, earlier also in that story, you know, someone is afraid, if I get holy, God's going to bring all these horrors my way, all these trials and tribulations.

Yeah, we might encounter some of them along the way. We just had a Carmelite die not too long ago. Mark Burns died just a couple weeks ago. Friend of mine. Part of my community in Lansing. Good man. Retired from his job and was ready to really take on the life of Carmel now in a new way, because he didn't have to worry about his career and all that stuff on top of it. Was ready to do things for the church with his free time. Not a week retired, Doctor tells him he's got cancer. Dies within a year later. It was a little over a year and two months. Yeah, sure, the trials might come our way. But I can tell you what a gift he gave me, in the way that he approached his death, was remarkable. World (? 467) be afraid. Oh, that's horrible. You're dying. I never heard him complain about it once. I never heard him say the Lord was picking on him. Why me? He says "I have a cross to bear, and I will use it to get holy. This will be my last test. How am I going to face it?

The Lord is not going to let anything come into our life that we can't handle. Yes, He will allow it to come, but He is going to make sure that we have the gifts that we need to face it. And so one of our trials, is that road of detachment, as these little trials come along the way. The whole task of those little trials is to prepare us for the bigger trials that might come to strengthen us. You don't just pick up three hundred pounds. Start out with ten and work your way up.

God has many wonderful and beautiful things ahead of us in life. Great things He wants us to accomplish. But in order to accomplish them, what are we up against? Not necessarily sickness and disease or anything like that in our own life. But we are coming up against other trials. The trials that the world is going to throw our way, because they are going to try and stop us. They are going to try to paralyze us. They are going to try and get us to be fearful. To worry about our stomachs and to worry about our glory. No, no, if you go down that road no one is going to like you now, you won't have any friends if you get holy, because no one is going to want to be around you. You (? 485) are one of those strange, bizarre people. Okay? Isn't that horrible. Isn't that what they throw at us so often. Friendship? A sense of inclusion. We won't be your friend. Well, judging by the humor and all that stuff that you use anyway around me...I don't want to be around you anyways. You bring me down. Okay?

I know you went to the bars last night. I don't want to go there with you. I don't need your kind of friendship anyways. I need the friendship of the ones that are on the journey with me. Where they are supporting me, loving me, encouraging me, strengthening me by their own witness and example. Who use humor in a very wonderful, pleasant and enjoyable way that lessens the burdens of life. That's rarely what humor comes in, not to tell those dirty jokes, and all those dirty jokes, and the mach one, and other, and the sexist jokes whether against men or women, okay? Um, no humor's about. Humor is about, the joke about the trials of life. And so that we realize you know, it wasn't that important anyways. That's wonderful humor that I enjoy. I know Mike Kotarski, where's he at? Oh, oh, is he skipping out of Mass?

Audience: Laughter.

Fr. Robideau: Oh, oh...busted! Okay? He and I sit around and joke all the time about stuff going on in the church. We have to its how we keep our sanity. These things the Bishop has done with all those recent scandals and that. The only way to get through it was with humor. Not that we every agreed with it, and thought it was right. But man, if we didn't laugh about it we'd cry. We did that too.

Who are we going to worry about? All that stuff matters? Jesus Christ only. So we don't worry about our stomachs. We don't worry about our glory. Rather the opposite. We worry about the stomachs of others. We feed the poor. The hungry. Clothed and naked. Why? I am not talking about those who are physically poor and those who are physically naked. Those who are spiritually poor and spiritually naked. We feed them. We clothe them by our example. And give them tools they need to be holy, because we had the courage to stand up first. And remember that courage, is only from Jesus Christ. He gave it to us. We responded. Now we're on that journey and we're going to bring others along with us.

And as far as glory, it is all God's anyways. He shares a little bit with us, every now and then here on earth. But we'll share it totally with Him in heaven, because He holds nothing to Himself. He shares it all in love. And we will share it with one another perfectly, also. And it starts by being friends of the cross.

Lets rise now, and lets place our prayers and petitions before our God.

For Pope John Paul, that he'll have the continued courage to turn this church around. To bring it back to justice and truth. To (? 524) all the scandals. To appoint good Bishops who will turn, ordain good priests, who are concerned and full of zeal for the salvation of souls. Let us pray to the Lord.