Flos Carmeli
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace, Worthington, Ohio
Apostolate: A life of prayer leading to mystical union with Christ. This prayer, a joining with Christ
in silence and solitude, informs and illuminates the Secular Discalced Carmelite’s daily
apostolates in the family, the workplace, the Church, and the world.
PRUDENT JUDGEMENT
From: Divine Intimacy By: Fr. Gabriel of St.Mary Magdalen, O.C.D.
PRESENCE OF GOD – Help me, O God, to judge with
rectitude so that I may be able to act accordingly.
☼ 1. The first duty of prudence is to help us choose
the best means for attaining our final end. Many times
the choice is easy, and presents itself spontaneously to
a mind accustomed to making judgments and acting in
the light of eternity. At other times, however, it is difficult
and perplexing, as for example, when it concerns
choosing one’s vocation or profession, or solving,
complicated problems in which elements independent of
one’s own will must be considered. In these cases we
must take time to examine everything carefully and to
consult prudent, experienced persons; to act hastily
would show a want of prudence. In the Gospel, Jesus
Himself tells us about the prudent man who ‘having a
mind to build a tower, first sits down and recons the
charges that are necessary, whether he have
wherewithal to finish it” (Lk 14:28). The time spent in
these examinations and calculations as dictated by
prudence is not time wasted. Quite the contrary! When
facing serious decisions, we must realize that God
Himself often wants us to wait patiently until
circumstances clearly manifest His will to us. In this
waiting we should give a large place to prayer, begging
Our Lord for the light which our own prudence cannot
give us. In fact, prudence, even though it is an infused
supernatural virtue, is always a virtue exercised by
human faculties and, therefore, is affected by human
limitations; however, to help it, God has given us a
special gift of the Holy Spirit, the gift of counsel, the
actuation of which does not depend on us but is
obtainable by prayer.
After using all the means suggested by
supernatural prudence, we arrive at a decision.
Prudence then commands us to put it into effect with
courage and diligence, without needless delays on our
part and without being discouraged by the difficulties we
may meet.
☼ 2. In order that our judgments and choices may be
prudent, we must know how to free them from elements
which are too subjective, such as our personal
Volume 5, Issue 8
October 2012
Community Calendar
Oct-Nov 2012
October 13th – Monthly Meeting
 Hospitality by Leslie Malek’s seminar table
 Spiritual bouquet by Community will be for
Rev. Msgr. Christoper J. Schreck – the
new rector at the Josephenium
Monday, October 15th – Mass at 6:30 PM
 Feast of St. Teresa of Jesus
 Divine Office at 6 PM
 St. Michael’s 5750 North High Street
 All family & friends invited
 Coffee & cookies after Mass
November 10th – Monthly Meeting
 Hospitality by Carl Konopka’s seminar table
 Spiritual bouquet by Community will be for
Fr. Michael of the Heart of Jesus, OCD
December 2nd - Advent Day of Reflection
 Fr. Walter Oxley
 St. Therese’s Retreat Center
 5277 E. Broad St
 Columbus, OH 43213
March 3rd, 2013 – Advent Day of Reflection with
Fr. Michael Berry – Topic: Interior Castle & Mansions
Community Meeting Location
St. Michael’s Church
Marian Hall
attractions and interests, our natural likes and dislikes.
Sometimes we can deceive ourselves into thinking that
we are judging a situation or deciding to do something
solely for the glory of God or for the good of our
neighbor, when in fact, if we examined ourselves
thoroughly, we would perhaps see that the motives
which prevailed in our judgment or in our deliberations
were egoistic and dictated by our own personal interests.
Hence, even prudence requires that we cleanse our
hearts from all these human motives, and that we
practice detachment and renunciation. After Jesus had
spoken of the prudence necessary for the man who
wished to build a tower, and for the king who was about
to make war against another king, He said: “So likewise
everyone of you that doth not renounce all that he
possesseth, cannot be My disciple” (Lk 14:33). In other
 Flos Carmeli October 2012
words, the prudence needed by one who wishes to be a
true follower of Christ, consists in the renunciation of all
that can be an obstacle to the attainment of eternal life; it
consists in that renunciation of self which frees the heart
from selfish personal impulses. Only this renunciation
will permit the soul to triumph over the spontaneous
reactions of self-love, the impulses of egoism, thus
allowing it to form right judgments and impartial
decisions.
Above all, in the case of important judgments or
decisions which would affect our neighbor or about
which we have a personal bias, prudence requires a
conscientious examination as to whether we are really
moved by supernatural motives, independent of human
considerations. Finally, when something has greatly
disturbed us, prudence will teach us to suspend all
judgment and deliberation until calm has returned;
otherwise, we would be exposing ourselves to act by
passion rather than by a sincere love of the good.
“Love is prudent, circumspect, upright,” says the
Imitation of Christ (III, 5,7), which means that prudence
is the indispensable characteristic of all genuine virtue.
COLLOQUY – “O God, one work performed with prudence
is more pleasing to You than many done carelessly and
imprudently, for this virtue thoroughly examines and
Clarion Calendar, OCDS 2012 Intentions of the Month
Celebration of Carmelite Saints & Blessed
October 15 – St. Teresa of Avila, virgin & Doctor (Feast)
November 5 – Bl. Frances d’Ambrose (o.m.)
November 6 – Bl. Josepha Naval Girbés, virgin (o.m.)
November 6 – Bl. Luke of St. Joseph & Companions,
priest’s & martyrs (The Spanish Martyrs) (o.m.)
November 7 – Bl. Francis Palau y Quer, priest (o.m.)
November 8 – Bl. Elizabeth of the Trinity, virgin (o.m.)
  2011-2014
Edith Bellisari, OCDS President
James Bellisari, OCDS Councilor
Maria Teresa Garnica, OCDS Councilor
Judith Gideon, OCDS Councilor
Marcia Ball, OCDS Formation Director
Fr. Stanley (Stash) Dailey Spiritual Assistant
  2011-2014
Leslie Malek, OCDS Secretary
Vicki Federico, OCDS Treasurer
2011-2014
Teresa Mauricio, OCDS Infirmarian
Carl Konopka, OCDS Librarian
Sandy Stewart, OCDS Hospitality
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites
Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace, Worthington, Ohio
weighs every action so that it may be turned to Your
honor and glory.
“True and supernatural prudence belongs to You
and is in You, O Lord. Few there are in whom we find it,
because many seek it through cunning, using their own
wisdom to scrutinize Your designs; thus they lose their
time and find nothing. Anyone who really desires to
possess prudence must come to You, the Incarnate
Word; he will find it in You, together with all the other
virtues, but vastly different from human prudence, which
tends to what exalts and not to what abases. In You he
will find the prudence which teaches us to humble and
abase ourselves, as You willed to humble and abase
Yourself, in order to show us the way which leads to
salvation. You, O Lord, have said: ‘If you wish to be My
disciple, renounce yourself, take up your cross and
follow Me.’ Oh! this is prudence in the highest degree!
Yet to human prudence it looks like utter madness. For,
O crucified Christ, to the wise ones in this world it is the
height of madness to take up one’s cross and follow
You! But You teach me that the foolishness of the cross
is supreme wisdom, and to deny oneself is supreme
prudence. What wiser folly can there be than to take up
the cross with You and follow in Your footsteps? And
what greater prudence can there be than to die to self in
order to find life in You, from whom everything receives
life?” (St. Mary Magdalen dei Pazzi).
 That Catholic voters will form their conscience according
to the teachings of the Catholic Church and exercise their
obligation to vote.
 Pray for our Fr. Dailey’s efforts to bring communities of
sisters to our Diocese.
 And also, for our extended members, Theresa Ficek and
Lucy Salamony.
 Health of Marian Costa.
Council  
(614) 888-6825 edithbellisariocds@gmail.com
(614) 499-1005 (cell) jbellisari@worthington.k12.oh.us
(614) 370-4208 maite45@hotmail.com
(614) 261-8696 carmeljude3@gmail.com
(614) 545-8715 daveball226@gmail.com
5750 N. High Street;
St. Michael’s Church Worthington, OH
Officers  
(614) 481-3155 LMalek@BizAmericas.com
(614) 761-3287 planetditz@gmail.com
Committees
(614) 468-1120 jmjroche@yahoo.com
(614) 430-0001 carljong2003@yahoo.com
(614) 837-1893 sstewart47@gmail.com
Flos Carmeli October 2012

If you wish to correspond with our community’s adopted seminarian his address is:
Scott Perry
6616 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45230

If you wish to correspond with our community’s adopted seminarian his address is:
Scott Perry
6616 Beechmont Avenue
Cincinnati, OH 45230

Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites

Our Lady, Mother of Divine Grace, Worthington, Ohio