Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS)'s Podcast
The Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS) is a centre for research and formation that promotes spiritual formation and renewal, drawing on the rich resources of the venerable Carmelite tradition.
It is an apostolate of the Anglo-Irish Province of the Discalced Carmelites, based at the Carmelite Priory at Boars Hill, Oxford, England.
OUR MISSION
CACS strives to achieve its mission through structured study and formation programmes in spirituality from the Carmelite perspective, especially Prayer and Spiritual Direction. At the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality, you are welcome to enter into the silence where God’s voice is heard in prayer, word and sacrament, inviting you to journey ever more deeply into a place of growth and wholeness. Our goal is to bring people to experience a life-transforming friendship with God through a lived experience of Carmelite spirituality that is authentic to its biblical roots.
Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS)'s Podcast
Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Word & Wisdom is a weekly reflection on the Sunday’s scriptures and the wisdom of the Carmelite tradition. It promises to offer you real spiritual food to sustain you on the journey.
This Word and Wisdom Podcast is brought to you by the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality, Oxford (carmelite.uk.net).
To receive audio and written copies, subscribe by emailing podcasts@cacs.org.uk
To connect with our Living Prayer Podcast on Youtube, kindly click: https://www.youtube.com/@CACSOxford
In our first reading, Stephen, inspired by the Spirit, eloquently conveyed the revelation of Jesus in a manner that aligns with the Jewish expectations of the Messiah. However, driven by jealousy and conflicting interests, he was silenced under accusations of blasphemy and unconventional interpretations. His martyrdom mirrors that of Jesus Christ who, in the face of his own execution, forgave his killers and prayed for their ignorance.
This resonates with all who endure oppression and seek the hope of genuine fellowship, as highlighted in our second reading. The passage from Revelation complements the first Gospel found in Genesis, emphasising the triumph of Christ, referred to as the Alpha and Omega, who, as the head of the Church and of redeemed creation, ultimately defeats Satan, the embodiment of rebellion and division. The Fall was the Pandora's box of every form of division, and all that disintegrates and plagues humanity today, even in the Church.
The early Church clearly illustrates that Christian unity has not always been perfect. Today's liturgy emphasises that, as a community of Christ's faithful, we are part of a dynamic communion that seeks to glorify God. How we choose to respond to our differences is crucial for the credibility of the Christian message of love.
Moreover, the scandals stemming from Christian disunity have become increasingly evident since the Great Schism between Eastern and Western Christianity in 1054, and the fragmentation of Western Christianity into numerous divisions since 1517. Our efforts to reach out to non-Christians highlight the absurdity of this disunity. A multitude of quarrelling factions hardly presents an effective image of divine love.
Often we go as far as slandering one another to prove our point, or even justifying violence in the name of God, ultimately leading to segregation. As the Evangelist reports, This is precisely why Jesus, in our Gospel, concludes his priestly prayer for unity in God, who of himself is a perfect community of divine persons and not a solitary or monarchical being. Jesus earnestly prayed, This is to be a sacrament of salvation.
He says, The unity of the first disciples, and indeed the wider circle of future disciples, validates the witness to the abundant beauty in God. This, for Blessed Francisco Palau, is beautiful as a divinity, and transfixed with filial love, we are led to plead, paraphrasing the Apostle Saint Philip, The glory of our Holy Mother Church holds for us the unity of children who may differ in approaches and expressions, but remain true to communion in the One Spirit. Perhaps this could be the right way to rethink ecumenism.
Is it about conformity or communion? And for those quick to distance themselves, does difference suggest only division and not enrichment through relationship? This holds powerful lessons for family life and all manner of relationships. Our core belief is that the love of Jesus should remain the reference point for mutual understanding and interpretation. And as Pope Leo rightly states in his motto, To this, the Catechism posits that, The great richness of such diversity is not opposed to the Church's unity.