Enough Prayer to Go Around

            Love is frequently compared to fire, and I want to make the same comparison with prayer. Like fire, prayer transforms all that it touches, and like fire, prayer is not at all diminished by spreading. In fact, it only grows by enfolding in its warmth those whom it touches.

            We write this because, though the Flemington Carmelites are part of the Diocese of Metuchen, and since our foundation we have been praying specially for the Dioceses of Trenton and Metuchen, our prayers are not limited to that geographical area. We receive requests for prayers from all over the world and we enfold all these intentions in our thoughts and in our hearts as we present them to God.

            However, there is also another reason that I write this. Fourteen years ago, Archbishop Timothy Broglio, the head of the Military Archdiocese, visited our Carmel and met with us. During the conversation, it came up that every bishop wants a community of contemplatives in his diocese to pray for him and the people of the diocese. The Military Archdiocese is the Church’s organization that ministers to the men and women in our armed forces wherever they are stationed. For that reason, it has no geographical limits and therefore it has no place for a contemplative community. We offered to adopt the Military Archdiocese and to pray for its priests and the people to whom they minister, and we have been doing this for the past 14 years.

            This fact was recently made public during the Mass for the Military Archdiocese at the National Shrine in Washington D.C. on Memorial Day. In his homily, Archbishop Broglio very kindly mentioned us and our special relationship with the members of the armed forces. We are grateful to him for this because it allows more women and men in the armed forces, as well as veterans, to know that they have the support of our prayers! May God enfold each and all of them in His love and keep them safe in His peace. We are with each of you wherever you are and whatever you are doing, and we thank you for your dedication and self-giving love of our country and its citizens.

            May God bless you!

            You can watch Archbishop Broglio here.

He mentions us 33 minutes into the video.