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
The Feast of the Baptism of the Lord, Year A
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THE FEAST OF THE BAPTISM OF THE LORD YEAR A
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
The Baptism of the Lord The Waters of the Jordan, a Pattern of Grace Today we celebrate the baptism of our Lord, a moment when Jesus plunges into the depths of the earth to liberate humanity from their original sin. In this act of profound humility, he empowers us with the Holy Spirit so that we might be reborn by water and spirit as adopted children of the Father. Following Jesus' immersion into the Jordan, one of the great theophanies of Scripture unfolds.
The heavens open, the Spirit descends like a dove, and the voice of the Father declares, This is my beloved Son, with whom I am well pleased. Here the Holy Spirit gathers to witness the selfless offering of the spotless Lamb, who brings justice to all the nations. This dramatic initiation establishes the divine pattern of grace and dynamism.
It is an incredible act of kenosis. Jesus is baptised, the Spirit rests upon him, the Father confirms his Sonship, and he, Jesus, is subsequently driven into the desert before beginning his public ministry. This sequence serves as the archetype for our own spiritual life.
Upon our baptism, the Spirit seals and sanctifies us, endowing us with hope and love, incorporating us into the threefold office of Christ as Priest, Prophet and King. The Discourse Carmelite, Blessed Marie Eugène, of the Child Jesus, notes that every baptised person receives a unique personal gift, entrusted to the deepest recesses of the soul. This gift, this personal gift, allows us to participate in the divine life of the Trinity, and impels us to journey towards God with a specific mission.
He insists that we must believe in our grace and allow it to blossom for the glory of the Holy Mother Church. This high calling is sustained by sanctifying grace, which as Father Marie Eugène describes, is truly infused, penetrating to the inmost steps like an oil poured out or a leaven. He says it is a force, a power, an orientation, moving us towards union.
Living from this gift, we are invited to collaborate with the Holy Spirit, who stirs us to action and at times drives us into the desert to prepare for a deeper mission. Through a dedicated prayer life, we discern this movement progressing towards the deepest centre of our souls. How beautiful it is that in all things Christ has gone before us.
His baptism serves a starting point for his mission and a perennial reminder of our own. As pilgrims, each on our distinctive path, we are called to the fullness of divine union. In this season, it is fitting to ponder your own baptismal grace.
What unique mission have you received? How is the Spirit moving to draw you deeper into the life of the Trinity? Consider the date of your baptism and the saints associated with your name. They are celestial companions in your specific call and vocation. May these graces continue to transform us towards our ultimate telos, eternal life and union with him who is love itself.
Amen.