Feast of All Carmelite Saints

All hail! you gentle dwellers
Of wilderness and cloister.
You won out over the wicked cunning
Of the raging forces darkness.

Jewels and treasures of gold,
High places of worldly honor,
The fleeting joys which the world offers
All these you trod underfoot.

Far from the affairs of men
The soul on fire with love fled away;
Joining the assembly of God's chosen
Dwelt among heavenly things.

Wounded by love's dart,
Teresa and Magdalen faint with love;
Cries the one: To suffer or to die!
To suffer, not to die! cries the other.

He who was called "Of the Cross"
Yearned to suffer and be despised.
In all things the Cross was his portion,
His honor, his comfort, his joy.

You who endured labors so great
And now share in the vision of God,
Prepare, w beg you, the same reward
For us who follow in your paths.

With the Father and the loving Spirit,
To you, Jesus, be glory
Who were born of the Virgin,
Beauty of Carmelites.

V. God is wonderful in his Saints.
R. And holy in all his works

All-powerful, merciful God, you give us joy each year in the commemoration of all the Saints of the Order of the most Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel. In your kindness grant to us this grace: by their merits, and with the help of their prayers, we may live for you alone, meditating always on your law, denying ourselves in all things, and so merit to join them in the happiness of eternal life. This we ask of you through our Lord.


-- From the 1966 Discalced Carmelite Proper