O.CARM Sisters - Philippines

25/03/2026

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DO NOT BE AFRAID. GOD IS WITH YOU | “Today we celebrate a very quiet moment—yet one that changed the whole world. There was no crowd. No noise. No applause. Just a young woman in a small town visited by God.

And in that silent moment, Mary said: “Let it be done to me according to your word.” And because of that “yes,” salvation entered the world.

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But let us be honest. For many people today, life does not feel like a peaceful Annunciation. It feels more like anxiety… pressure… and confusion.

Many are silently struggling with mental health burdens—overthinking, fear of the future, feeling not enough.

Many are under social pressure—to succeed, to be admired, to keep up, to prove something.

Even ordinary life can feel heavy.

So the question is: What does the Annunciation mean for us today?

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1. God meets us where we are—not where we pretend to be

Mary was not in a palace. She was in Nazareth—a simple, ordinary place. And that is where God came.

God does not wait for you to be perfect before He comes to you. He meets you in your real situation:
• in your tiredness
• in your confusion
• in your anxiety
• even in your hidden struggles

Sometimes we feel: “I cannot approach God because I am not okay.”

But the Annunciation tells us:
God comes precisely because we are not okay.

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2. It is normal to be troubled—but do not stay troubled

The Gospel says: “Mary was greatly troubled.” Even Mary felt disturbed, confused, overwhelmed.

So if you feel anxious, pressured, or mentally burdened—you are not weak. You are human.

But notice this: Mary did not remain in fear. She entered into a dialogue with God. She asked. She listened. She opened her heart.

My dear brothers and sisters, one of the dangers today is this: we carry everything alone. We overthink alone. We suffer silently. We pretend we are okay.

The Annunciation reminds us: Do not face your struggles alone. Bring them to God.

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3. Your “yes” to God brings peace—not pressure

Mary’s “yes” did not remove all her problems. In fact, her life became more challenging.

But deep within her, there was peace—because she knew she was with God.

Today, many people say “yes” to everything—yes to pressure, yes to unhealthy expectations, yes to pleasing everyone. And that is why they feel exhausted.

The Annunciation invites us to a different “yes”—a yes to God.

And when you say yes to God, something changes:
• You no longer need to prove your worth to everyone
• You no longer need to compare yourself constantly
• You begin to live with purpose, not pressure

Because your identity is no longer based on others—but on God who says: “You are full of grace… I am with you.”

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My dear brothers and sisters,

The Annunciation is not just about Mary. It is also about us. Every day, God is also speaking to us—in small ways, in quiet moments.

The question is: Will we listen? Will we trust? Will we say yes?

If today you feel tired…if you feel pressured…if you feel lost or anxious…Hear the words of the angel: “Do not be afraid.”

God is with you. God understands you. God is working in your life—even now.”

— Cebu Archbishop Alberto “Abet” Uy
Maymay sa Magbalantay | 25 March 2026

18/03/2026

Novena to St. Joseph Day 9

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH DAY 9
O good Saint Joseph, help us to be like you,
gentle to those whose weakness leans on us;
help us to give to those who seek our aid,
succor that they may journey unafraid.
Give us your faith,
that we may see the right shining above the victories of might.
Give us your hope that we may stand secure,
untouched by doubting, steadfast to endure.
Give us your love that as the years increase
an understanding heart may bring us peace.
Give us your purity that the hour of death
finds us untouched by evil’s breath.
Give us your love of labor
that we shirk no lot in life that calls us for honest work.
Give us your love of poverty so that we live contented,
let wealth come or go.
Give us your courage that we may be strong;
give us your meekness to confess our sins.
Give us your patience that we may possess the kingdom
of our souls without distress.
Help us, dear Saint,
to live that when life ends
we pass with you to Jesus and His friends.

O Glorious Saint Joseph,
hear our prayers and obtain our petitions.
Amen.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

18/03/2026

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OCARM-OCD Conference on 775 Years of the Scapular

On May 16, 2026, Eduardo Sanz de Miguel, OCD and Fernando Millán Romeral, O. Carm., will speak on the Scapular. This will be followed by a Eucharist celebrated by Juan Antonio Martinez Camino, the auxiliary bishop of Madrid.

Fr. Sanz de Miguel will be speak on "The Carmelite Spirituality: To Live in the Footsteps of Jesus Christ Clothed in the Virtues of the Virgen Mary."

Fr. Millán will speak on "The Carmelite Scapular in Literature: Risks and Values."

The conferences and Mass will take place at the parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in Madrid.

Read more at ocarm.org
English: https://t.ly/RgU6r
Italian: https://t.ly/15Q06
Spanish: https://t.ly/ucPZt

To keep up with the latest news about the Carmelite Order, you can subscribe to CITOC's digital newsletter at the following link: https://ocarm.info/subscribe/citoc.html

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To see the publications and the latest releases of Edizioni Carmelitane, the publishing house of the Order, you can visit the website: https://edizionicarmelitane.org/

17/03/2026

Novena to St. Joseph Day 8

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH DAY 8
O blessed Joseph,
to whom it was given not only to see
and to hear that God whom many kings longed to see and saw not;
to hear and heard not;
but also to carry Him in your arms,
to embrace Him, to clothe Him,
and to guard and defend Him,
come to our assistance and intercede with Him
to look favorably on our present petition.
(State your request here…)
Amen.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

16/03/2026

Novena to St. Joseph Day 7

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH DAY 7
O faithful and prudent Saint Joseph,
watch over our weakness
and our inexperience;
obtain for us that prudence which reminds us of our end,
which directs our paths and which protects us from every danger.
Pray for us, then, O great Saint,
and by your love for Jesus and Mary,
and by their love for you,
obtain for us the favor we ask in this novena…
(State your request here…)
Amen.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

15/03/2026

Novena to St. Joseph Day 6

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH DAY 6
O glorious Saint Joseph,
appointed by the Eternal Father
as the guardian and protector of the life of Jesus Christ,
the comfort and support of His Holy Mother,
and the instrument in His great design
for the redemption of mankind;
you who had the happiness of living with Jesus and Mary,
and of dying in their arms,
be moved with confidence we place in you,
and procure for us from the Almighty,
the particular favor which
we humbly ask through your intercession…
(State your request here…)
Amen.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!

15/03/2026

Rest in God’s loving embrace, our beloved Fr. Boy Cortes🙏

14/03/2026

Novena to St. Joseph, Day 5

NOVENA TO SAINT JOSEPH DAY 5
O holy St. Joseph,
what a lesson your life is for us,
ever so eager to appear
so anxious to display before the eyes of men
the graces that we owe entirely to the liberality of God.
In addition to the special favor for which we plead in this novena…
(State your request here…)
grant that we may attribute to God the glory of all things,
that we may love the humble and hidden life,
that we may not desire any other position
than the one given us by Providence
and that we may always be a docile instrument in the hands of God.
Amen.
Saint Joseph, pray for us!