Flos Carmeli
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace -- WESTERVILLE, OHIO
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6. -- THE MORTIFICATION OF
THE PASSIONS
From: Meditations on Christian Dogma
Vol II, 3rd Edition 1948
by: Right Rev. James Bellord, D.D.
I. – In consequence of the insurgence of
the lower elements of human nature and
the weakening of the controlling powers,
one of the first necessities of natural life,
social life, and spiritual life, is that the
animal proclivities [a strong natural liking
for something that is usually bad] in man
should be held in check. One of the
chief functions of education both
mundane and religious is to supply such
a control: for, without it, there is no
providing for the future, no progress, no
harmonious common life. We need to
be carefully disciplined in order to learn
how to renounce a present enjoyment
for the sake of a larger one in the future,
a lower one for a higher, a material for a
spiritual and eternal one. Again the
existence of a community demands the
restraint of individual vagaries
[unpredictable development or change
of circumstances]; there is no liberty or
enjoyment of rights without some
restraint on the liberties of other, and the
enforcement of duties. Discipline and
self-control and strict obedience to a
guiding authority are essential
conditions for all combined action,
whether in warfare in industry and
Volume 13, Issue 1
January 2021
Community Calendar
Jan 2021 -- Feb 2021
January 9th – Monthly Meeting
 Meeting will most likely be Web-X virtual
meeting, login begins at 9:00 AM
 Pray for Fr. Michael Berry OCD – our
Provincial who has tested positive with Covid-
19
 Remember, we have a new e-mail address
for our Prayer Line:
OCDSPrayerLine@protonmail.com
February 13th – Monthly Meeting
 Web-X virtual meeting?????
 Mail your ‘flip book’ form to
Emily Mauro – include a picture of yourself
5928 Winstead Rd., Cols., OH 43235-3331
Community Meeting Location
St. Paul’s Church in the St. Peter Room
313 N. State Street
Westerville, OH 43082-8825
commerce, or in religion; else there is
nothing but intestine [ultimate] conflict,
the neutralizing of energies, and chaos
instead of ordered progress. “If you bite
and devour one another, take heed you
be not consumed one of another (Gal
5:15). You need always to keep your
passions well in hand like a restive
[refusing to advance, stubbornly
standing still or moving backward or
sideways] horse. Never relax the
tension lest they overcome your power.
If your will should lose the habit of
mastery over the passions, they will
hurry you headlong to destruction.
 Flos Carmeli
II. –- Holy scripture shows us frequently
the need of mortifying our selfish natural
impulses. It is ever the case that “the
flesh lusteth against the spirit and the
spirit against the flesh; for these are
contrary to one another, so that you do
not the things that you would (Gal. 5:17).
We must therefore resist the
encroachments of the spirit of self. Our
Lord, though His impulses were perfect,
gives us an example: “I came not to do
My own will but the will of Him that sent
Me (John 6:38). The Apostle also;
“Every one that striveth for the mastery
refraineth himself from all things. . . I
chastise my body and bring it into
subjection; lest perhaps . . . I myself
should become a castaway” (1 Cor 9:25-
27). Therefore, the command is laid
strictly on all Christians: “Refrain
yourselves from carnal desires which
war against the soul” (1 Pet. 2:11).
“They that are Christ’s have crucified the
flesh with its vices and concupiscences“
(Gal 5:24). This must be your regular
practice. It takes long to learn. You will
not be able to restrain your passions in
the moment of sudden stress, unless
you have gained by daily exercise, in
matters of smaller moment, the power of
reining in every impulse and retaining
the fullest self-possession.
III – On what basis is it possible to
ground a system of life which is so
Celebration of Carmelite Saints & Blessed
January 9 – St. Andrew Corsini, bishop
January 27 – St Henry de Osso y Cervello, priest (o.m.)
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace, Westerville, Ohio
January 2021
repugnant to man’s primary impulses as
self-restraint, the preference of other’s
interests to his own, the renunciation of
pleasure and gain, the sacrifice of self?
These practices are beyond mere
nature, they must be based on the
supernatural. Virtue and self-control
cannot be enforced by law; and if this
were possible, it would be more
accordant [being in agreement or
harmony] with human dignity that the
restraint should come from within, by the
exercise of one’s own liberty, than from
an external force restricting liberty.
Such is the character of the restraints
imposed by the Christian law of
mortification. Secular cultivation gives a
wide knowledge, and sharpens all the
faculties; but its effect on the passions is
rather to make them more exacting and
more efficient, to refine their grossness
without mitigating their cruelty, and to
open out ways of offending God and
exploiting other men on a larger scale
than has been contemplated by criminal
law. Learn the lesson of mortification
and austerity, not because of its utility to
yourself personally, not out of regard to
public opinion, nor for fear of
consequences, but because the spiritual
perfection to which you are bound to
aspire, because of God’s holiness and
the example of Jesus Christ.
Intentions of the Month
--- FOR UNITED STATES OF AMERICA – that God will
allow healing to begin now that electoral college counts
have named Joe Biden as the next President of the
(o,m,) United States.
 Flos Carmeli January 2021

 God give us wisdom and courage to realize that He is always in control.

--- The sufferings of those with Covid-19

 Marge Simon, one of the recent transfer members, who this week has suffered a serious stroke.

--- Pray for our extended members: Marcia Ball, Joan Eppick, Mary Fabbro, Leslie Malek, Catherine Murphy, Phoebe
Spinrad

  2020-2023 Council  
Mary Beth Hinger, OCDS President (614) 560-1555 (cell) marybethhinger@gmail.com
Teresa Mauricio, OCDS 1st Councilor (614) 809-7992 (cell) jmjrocher@gmail.com
Carl Konopka, OCDS 2nd Councilor (614) 457-3121 carljong2003@yahoo.com
Emily Mauro, OCDS 3rd Councilor (614) 403-5942 emilyfmauro@yahoo.com
Amy Marrocco, OCDS Formation Director (614) 946-2044 aemarrocco@hotmail.com

Edith Bellisari, OCDS Assistant to the Formation Director (614) 460-9541 (cell) edithbellisariOCDS@gmail.com

St. Paul’s Church 313 N. State St; Westerville, OH 43082-8825

Fr. P.J. Brandimarti Spiritual Assistant (614) 882-2109 pjbrandimarti@stpacc.org
  2020-2023 Officers  
Emily Mauro, OCDS Secretary (614) 403-5942 emilyfmauro@yahoo.com
Maria Teresa Garnica, OCDS Treasurer (614) 370-4205 maite45@hotmail.com
2020-2023 Committees
Peg Cassidy, OCDS Infirmarian (614) 361-5122 aidan11@msn.com
Absalom Hall, OCDS Librarian (740) 876-1947 ashall86@gmail.com
Lynn Ruff, OCDS Hospitality (614) 284-2919 m.lynn.ruff@gmail.com
Leslie Malek, OCDS Prayer Line (614) 448-3052 OCDSPrayerLine@protonmail.com
Westerville OCDS WEB PAGE cbusocds.weebly.com

Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites

Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace, Westerville, Ohio