"He will go before him in the spirit and power of Elijah" Luke 1: 17
Today we commemorate the Passion of Saint John the Baptist which preceded the Passion of Christ. In every way John was the forerunner to Christ, even in his death. John was the son of Our Blessed Mother Mary's cousin Elizabeth.  In the Gospel of Luke, the angel Gabriel announces the birth of John to Elizabeth and her husband Zechariah, similarly Gabriel also announced the birth of Jesus to Mary and Joseph. John baptized with water and preached repentance to prepare the way for the Messiah Jesus Christ, the Lamb of God. The Old Testament was fulfilled in the New Testament in John being the new Elijah who announced the first coming of the Messiah. We the church of God are the modern day Elijahs who need to prepare the world for the second coming of Jesus. As Carmelites we have a very unique and special role model in Elijah who was fearless in being faithful to God. Similarly we're challenged in these days to stand firm in our faith and overcome evil with good. 
John the Baptist did not approve of Herod's marriage to his brother's wife. So at an opportune time, when the daughter of Herodias had pleased Herod with a dance performance, Herodias had her daughter ask for the head of Saint John the Baptist on a platter as a reward. In the book by Bishop Walmseley of England, "The General History of the Christian Church from her birth to her final triumphant state in Heaven: Chiefly deduced from the Apocalypse of St. John" he observes the similarities between the martyrdom of John the Baptist and the martyrdom of Saint John Fisher who is the patron saint of the Diocese of Rochester, NY. Saint John Fisher, Bishop of Rochester, England, was beheaded on 22 June, 1535 two days before the Feast of the Nativity of Saint John the Baptist. John Fisher was beheaded for refusing to annul the first marriage of Henry VIII. Both were beheaded for standing up for the same moral truth. The church today continues to uphold the sanctity of marriage amidst so much criticism, however annulments are also granted when there is valid impediments as an act of mercy. 
May we prepare our own hearts for the coming of Jesus in the Eucharist by following the commandments of God and proclaim the second coming of Jesus by our lives!

Saint Augustine was born in Africa and was one of the three children of Saint Monica. He was a brilliant orator and thinker. He was relentless in seeking the meaning of life and was more influenced by the popular Roman spirituality of his time than the Christian faith of his mother Monica. He became a Manichean follower and lived a loose life. He fathered an illegitimate son which was a cause of sorrow to his mother. When Monica prayed for him, she was asked to be patient and not debate with him but that God would send someone else who would bring about his conversion.
Augustine went to Rome to study rhetoric and there he met Saint Ambrose who was the Bishop. Monica had previously requested Bishop Ambrose to talk to Augustine but he was unwilling because of Augustine's staunch belief in Manichean doctrines. However when Augustine met Bishop Ambrose in Rome they had many discussions on faith which had a profound impact on Augustine. 
One day when Augustine was reading the Word of God in the garden, he read the letter of Saint Paul to the Romans 13:12-14 "the night is advanced, the day is at hand. Let us then throw off the works of darkness and put on the armor of light; let us conduct ourselves properly as in the day, not in orgies and drunkenness, not in promiscuity and licentiousness, not in rivalry and jealousy." These words from the living word of God had a transformative effect on Augustine's heart. He could no longer continue to live the way he had been living. He was a totally new person and was baptized into the Christian faith. Saint Monica's prayers were answered. Augustine wanted to live a monastic life but he was asked to become the Bishop of Hippo. His literary works especially "Confessions" and "The City of God" are very edifying to read. He died at the age of 75. 
Saint Augustine gives us all hope that no matter how great the sin or the sinner, the mercy of God is sure to heal the wounds of sin and restore our friendship with God.

Today we celebrate the Feast of Saint Monica. It's a very special day in my family since my daughter is named after her. I chose Saint Monica's name because she is the epitome of patient supplication for the conversion of both her son Augustine and her husband Patricius. 
Monica was born in North Africa, she was raised as a Catholic by her devout parents. She was married to Patricius who was not a Christian and was a follower of Roman religions like Manichaeism which was a pseudo-scientific religion based on nature and the struggle between light and darkness in the cosmos. Patricius led a very promiscuous lifestyle and while was loving he was also very hot-tempered and frequently unfaithful to his wife. 
Her son Saint Augustine followed in the footsteps of his father. Which gave a double wound to Monica's motherly heart. She prayed for her son for seventeen years before he had a conversion of heart. Her husband also had a deep conversion on his death bed and he was baptized before he died. 
Here are the words of Saint Augustine about his mother: "For she had been the wife of just one husband, she had rendered the duty of respect to her parents, she had piously managed her own house, and she had earned a reputation for good works (1 Tim5:4,9-10)"
Saint Monica patron of mothers please pray for us and for our families! 

Today Carmelites celebrate the Transverberation of St Teresa of Avila. Transverberation refers to the very well known phenomena which occurred in the life of the great doctor of the church Saint Teresa of Avila. During prayer Saint Teresa had many visions of angels, saints and Jesus Himself. However the Transverberation was a very unique vision because she saw an angel not in her mind's eye but physically and bodily present. He had a golden arrow in his hand and used it to pierce the heart of Saint Teresa. She experienced bodily and spiritual pain, but the pain was an ecstasy and was beautiful. It was an experience of the divine love of God in a supernatural degree already on earth. After her death when her body was exhumed and her heart was examined, it was not only in-corrupt but also her heart had a hole in it. 
Saint Teresa of Avila may we also long to experience the divine love of God as beautifully as you did!

Today we celebrate the feast of Saint Louis IX of France. Louis is my father's baptism name so we usually wish him on the Feast of Saint Louis. Saint Louis and his wife Margaret were very devout from a very early age and also lived out their marriage by observing and teaching their Catholic faith to their eleven children. Saint Louis led two crusades before his death.
Today we also celebrate the feast of Our Lady of Czestochowa, known as the Black Madonna. An image of Our Lady of Czestochowa, Poland was desecrated by thieves and when restored it retained some of the damages including  scars on her face. Both Saint Pope John Paul II and Saint Faustina who was born on August 25th had a great devotion to Our Lady of Czestochowa. 
Today I wish to pray for all the clergy who are undergoing any kind of suffering that Our Lady through her intercession will give them a heart like her own Son to overcome their trials and to lead their flock faithfully and selflessly. May Jesus the Good Shepherd have mercy on us!
​Saint Louis & Our Lady of Czestochowa, pray for us!

Today is the Feast of Saint Bartholomew who was also known as Nathanael. He was an Apostle and a martyr.
In the Gospel of John 1:43-51 , we read how Phillip brought Nathanael to Jesus. When Jesus sees Nathanael coming towards Him, Jesus says He finds no duplicity in him. The word duplicity refers to being deceitful or deception. In contrast, with Nathanael you get what you see, he was a straight arrow. Nathanael is bewildered that Jesus knows him since they had just met. Jesus tells him that he saw him "under the fig tree" which is a symbol of Messianic peace. Immediately Nathanael believed in Jesus and acknowledged Him to be the long awaited Messiah, the Son of God and the King of Israel. One speculation could be that Nathanael was praying under the fig tree specifically about the Messianic fulfillment, so when Jesus mentions that He saw him under the fig tree, it brings him to belief immediately. This was Nathanael's kairos moment.
Not much is known about Nathanael, except that he traveled to Armenia and Asia after Jesus' Ascension. He is said to have traveled to India similar to Saint Thomas the Apostle. ​He made many converts in Armenia and even today Armenian Catholics venerate Saint Bartholomew. He was skinned alive and then beheaded in a cruel manner in Armenia and died a martyr.
Saint Bartholomew pray for us!

Today we celebrate the Feast of the South American Saint, Rose of Lima. She was born in Peru and was given the name Isabel Flores de Olivia. She had such a "beautiful face" that people called her Rose. So she took this name at her confirmation.
Rose was devoted to prayer and penance from a very early age. A long line of suitors wanted to marry her for her beauty but her heart belonged to the "Son of God". 
She became a Third Order Dominican at the age of 20 and died at the age of 31. Saint Rose is a great inspiration for all Third Order members to pursue the path of holiness. 
Saint Rose is the patron saint of all South Americans and she is also the patron saint of those who are mocked at for their piety. 
Saint Rose of Lima, pray for us!

Today we celebrate the "Queenship of Our Lady". In contrast to the culture we live in, Our Lady stands out as our role model and guide through her way of life and her response to God. God the Father chose Mary to be His daughter, the Spouse of the Holy Spirit and the Mother of His only begotten Son Jesus. Imagine the privilege, to be chosen by God to be His daughter, His spouse and His mother! However, Mary's response was to proclaim herself as the "handmaid" or "servant" of the Lord. (Luke 1:38)
She is the epitome of humility. Mary lived only for God and was constantly seeking to do God's will.  Mary was oblivious to her suffering, never thought of herself, and never complained. How short we fall when we see the disposition of Mary's heart and her way of life.  On this occasion we can all benefit from a good examination of conscience based on this alone. May we invoke the Holy Spirit to be truly wise in not just the spiritual things but also things that pertain to this world!
"You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the honor of our race" - From the prayer Tota Pulchra [You are all beautiful]
She is Our Queen and Our Mother because of her Son. Jesus is our King, the one who delivered us from the slavery of sin and established the Kingdom of God. She derives her Queenship from her Motherhood. Without the Son of God we don't have  "a Queen or a Mother". 
She is Queen of Heaven and Earth, because the Kingdom of God extends to both Heaven and Earth. She is the Queen of Angels!
"Hail Holy Queen, Mother of Mercy, Our sweetness and our hope!"

Today is the Feast of Saint John Eudes of France. We may be very familiar with the  First Fridays devotions to the Sacred Heart, revealed to us by Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque and the First Saturday devotions to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.  However even before Saint Margaret Mary Alaqoque’s private revelations in 1675 AD, Saint John Eudes from France was inspired to seek approval from ecclesiastical authorities to celebrate liturgically the Feast of the Heart of Mary in May 8, 1648 and the Feast of the Sacred Heart of Jesus on August 31, 1670.  
Nowadays in June each year we celebrate the Feasts of the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
St. John Eudes pray for us!

,On August 15th we celebrated the Feast of Assumption of Our Lady, a holy day of obligation for Catholics. In both Eastern and Western church traditions it is our belief that when Mary's earthly existence ended she was taken up into heaven body and soul and she is reigning in heaven with her Son Jesus Christ.
In the Eastern tradition the Assumption of Our Lady is believed to have occurred after she fell asleep and not after her death. The belief is that, as God preserved her virginity during the birth of Jesus, He also preserved her from experiencing death. So the Dormition of the Blessed Virgin Mary is celebrated by the eastern churches. There is a beautiful Benedictine Abbey  in Jerusalem which commemorates the Dormition of the Mother of God.
In the Western Catholic tradition there is no definitive position on the Dormition.  However there is also the belief that Mary wished to imitate her Son Jesus so perfectly that she experienced death but her body remained incorrupt until she was assumed into heaven on the third day. The Assumption is believed to have happened on Mount Zion in the same location where Jesus ascended to heaven even though Mary is believed to have "fallen asleep" in Ephesus which is in modern day Turkey.
Other important events that also took place on August 15th. lndia which is my native land got it's freedom from British colonial rule in 1947. The first Roman Catholic Bishop of United States Bishop John Caroll, a Jesuit was consecrated on August 15th by Bishop Charles Walmesley in the year 1740. Also the largest Catholic Network Eternal Word Television Network was founded by Mother Angelica on August 15th 1981. We have many reasons to pray and thank God on this very holy day!