For those who pray the Divine Office and don't have the Discalced Carmelite Proper Offices book which is a supplement to the Divine Office volumes (which this book can be bought from the Carmelite Book Service in the UK at http://www.carmelite.org.uk/acatalog/ and type in "Divine Office" in the Search box and on this results page click on #7 which is the Discalced Carmelite Proper Office 2006 book for 12.50 Euro's - which is US $19.47 - conversion done using this site http://coinmill.com/EUR_USD.html . And they do sell and ship to the USA. Beware that there are sellers on Ebay who sell the SAME book on auction and have sold them for $50.00 and up to $75.00 when THEY buy them from this UK Carmelite Book Service!). This is where I bought mine and it is so wonderful to have the full Divine Office for the saints and blesseds of Carmel. This book has the FULL Divine Office for the whole day - all 7 offices of prayers, readings, psalms and antiphons, Canticle of Mary/Magnificat, the Gospel Canticle, etc. - of certain Carmelite saints and feasts like Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, etc. It is a great way to learn of all the Carmelite saints and blesseds that are often unknown as they are not in the regular Divine Office Proper in the 4 volumes (or 3 volumes in Europe). I just love mine!
Here is the Proper Office for the Feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross on August 9th:
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
August 9
St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, Martyr
(Co-Patroness of Europe)
OCD: Memorial
In Europe: Feast
Common of One Martyr
St. Edith Stein was born into a Jewish family at Breslau on 12th October
1891. Through her passionate study of philosophy she searched after
truth and found it in reading the autobiography of St. Teresa of Jesus.
In 1922 she was baptized a Catholic and in 1933 she entered the
Carmel of Cologne where she took the name of Teresa Benedicta of the
Cross. She was gassed and cremated at Auschwitz on August 9, 1942,
during the Nazi persecution and died a martyr for the Christian faith
after having offered her holocaust for the people of Israel. A woman
of singular intelligence and learning, she left behind a body of writing
notable for its doctrinal richness and profound spirituality. She was
canonized by Pope John Paul II on October 11th, 1998.
Office of Readings
Second Reading
>From the spiritual writings of St. Teresa Benedicta of
the Cross
"We greet you, Holy Cross, our only hope!" The church
puts these words on our lips during the time of the passion
which is dedicated to the contemplation of the bitter
sufferings of our Lord Jesus Christ.
The world is in flames. The struggle between Christ and
antichrist rages openly, and so if you decide for Christ you
can even be asked to sacrifice your life.
Contemplate the Lord Who hangs before you on the
wood, because He was obedient even to the death of the
cross. He came into the world not to do His own will but
that of the Father. And if you wish to be the spouse of the
Crucified, you must renounce completely your own will
and have no other aspiration than to do the will of God.
Before your the Redeemer hangs on the cross stripped
and naked, because He chose poverty. Those who would
follow Him must renounce every earthly possession.
Stand before the Lord Who hangs from the cross with
His heart torn open. He poured out the blood of His heart
in order to win your heart. In order to follow Him in holy
chastity, your heart must be free from every earthly
aspiration. Jesus Crucified must be the object of your every
longing, of your every desire, of your every thought.
The world is in flames: the fire can spread even to our
house, but above all the flames the cross stands on high,
and it cannot be burnt. The cross is the way which leads
from earth to heaven. Those who embrace it with faith,
love, and hope are taken up, right into the heart of the
Trinity.
The world is in flames: do you wish to put them out?
Contemplate the cross: from His open heart the blood of the
Redeemer pours, blood which can put out even the flames
of hell. Through the faithful observance of the vows you
make your heart free and open; and then the floods of that
divine love will be able to flow into it, making it overflow
and bear fruit to the furthest reaches of the earth.
Through the power of the cross you can be present
wherever there is pain, carried there by your compassionate
charity, by that very charity, which you draw from the
divine heart. That charity enables you to spread every-
where the most precious blood in order to ease pain, save
and redeem.
The eyes of the Crucified gaze upon you. They question
you and appeal to you. Do you wish seriously to renew
your alliance with Him What will your response be?
"Lord, where shall I go? You alone have the words of life."
Ave Crux, spes unica!
Responsory
R/. We preach Christ Crucified, a scandal to the Jews and
foolishness to the pagans, * but for those who are
called, whether they be Jews or Greeks, we preach
Christ the power of God and the wisdom of God.
V/. The desire of my heart and my prayer rises to God for
their salvation; * for those who are called, whether they
be Jews or Greeks, we preach Christ the power of God
and the wisdom of God.
Prayer
Lord, God of our fathers,
You brought St. Teresa Benedicta
to the fullness of the science of the cross
at the hour of her martyrdom.
Fill us with that same knowledge;
and, through her intercession,
allow us always to seek after You, the supreme truth,
and to remain faithful until death to the covenant of love
ratified in the blood of Your Son
for the salvation of all men and women.
Grant this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
Who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God for ever and ever.
Amen