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Carmelite QuotesBlesseds Denis and Redemptus: Missionary Martyrs<blockquote>The least that any of us who has truly begun to serve the Lord can offer Him is our own life. Since we have given the Lord our will, what do we fear? It is clear that if someone is a true religious or a true person of prayer and aims to enjoy the delights of God, he must not turn his back upon the desire to die for God and suffer martyrdom.St. Teresa of Avila The Way of Perfection, ch. 12</blockquote> Courage in Mission, Journey to SanctityOn November 29, 1638, Blessed Denis of the Nativity and Blessed Redemptus of the Cross gave their lives as martyrs in Aceh, Sumatra. These Discalced Carmelite friars—one a former cartographer and naval commander, the other a soldier turned lay brother—exemplified the missionary spirit of Carmel.<ul><li>Blessed Denis of the Nativity (Pierre Berthelot): Born in Honfleur, France, on December 12, 1600, Denis distinguished himself as a cosmographer and pilot-in-chief for the Portuguese king. His cartographic expertise was renowned, and his works contributed significantly to Portuguese navigation and exploration. Despite his prominent naval career, Denis sought a higher calling. He joined the Discalced Carmelites in Goa in 1635 under the guidance of Father Philip of the Most Holy Trinity. Denis professed vows on December 25, 1636, and was ordained a priest on August 24, 1638.</li><li>Blessed Redemptus of the Cross (Thomas Rodriguez da Cunha): Born around 1598 in Portugal, Redemptus served as a soldier before <a href="https://www.postocd.org/index.php/it/biografia-redento-della-croce" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">entering the Discalced Carmelites</a> as a lay brother in 1615. Known for his humility and dedication, he became a trusted companion to Denis, offering steadfast support in their shared mission.</li></ul>Both men transformed their worldly expertise into tools for evangelization, fully committing themselves to their Carmelite vocations.The Mission in IndonesiaIn September 1638, Denis and Redemptus were assigned to accompany <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Acehnese%E2%80%93Portuguese_conflicts" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Ambassador Francisco de Souza de Castro</a> on a Portuguese diplomatic mission to Aceh. Denis served as a spiritual guide and maritime expert due to his knowledge of navigation and the Malay language. However, the mission’s arrival on October 25, 1638, was shadowed by geopolitical tensions, with the <a href="https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dutch_East_India_Company" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">Dutch East India Company (VOC)</a>, a rival of the Portuguese in the spice trade, reportedly influenced the Sultan of Aceh to betray the delegation.Upon their imprisonment, Denis and Redemptus were subjected to relentless torture as their captors tried to force them to renounce their Catholic faith and convert to Islam. Denis became a source of strength for his fellow prisoners, depriving himself of necessities to aid others and encouraging them with words of faith and hope.Redemptus was executed first, shot with arrows before his throat was slit. Denis, holding a crucifix, was martyred last, receiving a fatal sword blow that split his head.The martyrdom of Denis and Redemptus was not solely a case of religious persecution. The mission to Aceh occurred at the intersection of faith and politics, with Portugal and the Dutch VOC vying for dominance in the Southeast Asian spice trade. Their deaths highlight the challenges faced by missionaries operating in politically charged environments, even today.Faithful WitnessesDenis and Redemptus were beatified by Pope Leo XIII on June 10, 1900, as the first beatified martyrs of the Discalced Carmelite friars. Their feast day on November 29 honors their courage, missionary zeal, and faithful witness to Christ. Their deaths remind us of the sacrifices made to spread the Gospel, even in hostile and complex circumstances.Want a concise account of the mission and martyrdom of Blesseds Denis and Redemptus? Click below to listen to our podcast on YouTube and be inspired by their incredible story of faith and courage. <a href="https://youtu.be/jPffLQdavoU" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://youtu.be/jPffLQdavoU</a> Catholic Church <a href="https://worldcat.org/title/41304501" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours</a> of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.Discalced Carmelite Postulator, Biografia di Dionisio della Natività, accessed 27 November 2024, <a href="https://www.postocd.org/index.php/it/biografia-dionisio-della-nativita" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.postocd.org/index.php/it/biografia-dionisio-della-nativita</a>.Discalced Carmelite Postulator, Biografia di Redento della Croce, accessed 27 November 2024, <a href="https://www.postocd.org/index.php/it/biografia-redento-della-croce" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://www.postocd.org/index.php/it/biografia-redento-della-croce</a>.Wikipedia, ‘Pierre Berthelot (navigateur)’, accessed 27 November 2024, <a href="https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Berthelot_(navigateur)" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">https://fr.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pierre_Berthelot_(navigateur)</a>.Featured image: OpenAI DALL·E 2024, ‘Landscape illustration symbolizing Aceh, Sumatra,’ generated 27 November 2024. <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/denis-of-the-nativity/" target="_blank">#DenisOfTheNativity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/indonesia/" target="_blank">#Indonesia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/martyrs/" target="_blank">#martyrs</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/missionaries-2/" target="_blank">#missionaries</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/podcast/" target="_blank">#Podcast</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/redemptus-of-the-cross/" target="_blank">#RedemptusOfTheCross</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/st-teresa-of-avila/" target="_blank">#StTeresaOfAvila</a>

Carmelite Quotes29 November: Blesseds Denis of the Nativity and Redemptus of the Cross<blockquote>November 29 BLESSEDS DENIS OF THE NATIVITY, PRIEST, AND REDEMPTUS OF THE CROSS, RELIGIOUS Martyrs </blockquote>Optional Memorial In the houses in India and Indonesia: Memorial Denis of the Nativity, a priest, called in the world Pierre Berthelot, was born in Honfleur in France in 1600. He was a cartographer and naval commander for the kings of Portugal and France before he joined the Discalced Carmelites in Goa in 1635. It was also at Goa that the Portuguese lay brother, Thomas Rodriguez da Cunha, born in 1598, had made his profession in 1615, taking the name Redemptus of the Cross. They were sent to the island of Sumatra (Indonesia), where, in the town of Achen (Aceh), they received the martyr’s crown on November 29, 1638.From the common of several martyrsOffice of ReadingsSecond Reading From The Ascent of Mount Carmel by Saint John of the Cross(Bk 2, Ch 7:5—ed. Kavanaugh-Rodriguez 1979, pp. 122-24)True self-denial means carrying Christ’s CrossIf anyone wishes to follow my way, let him deny himself, take up his cross and follow me. For he who would save his soul shall lose it, but he who loses it for me shall gain it. Oh, who can make this counsel of Our Savior understandable and practicable and attractive, that spiritual persons might become aware of the difference between the method many of them think is good and that which ought to be used in traveling this road! They are of the opinion that any kind of withdrawal from the world or reformation of life suffices. Some are content with a certain degree of virtue, perseverance in prayer, and mortification, but never achieve the nakedness, poverty, selflessness, or spiritual purity (which are all the same) that the Lord counsels us here. For they still feed and clothe their natural selves with spiritual feelings and consolations rather than divesting and denying themselves of these for God’s sake.Through this kind of conduct, they became, spiritually speaking, enemies of the cross of Christ. A genuine spirit seeks the distasteful in God rather than the delectable, leans more toward suffering than toward consolation, more toward going without everything for God rather than toward possession. It prefers dryness and affliction to sweet consolation. It knows that this is the significance of following Christ and denying self, that the other method is perhaps a seeking of self in God—something entirely contrary to love.If a man resolutely submits to the carrying of this cross, if he decidedly wants to find and endure trial in all things for God, he will discover in all of them great relief and sweetness. A man makes progress only through imitation of Christ, who is the Way, the Truth, and the Life. No one goes to the Father but through him. This way is nothing other than a death to our natural selves.ResponsoryR./ If anyone wishes to follow my way, let him deny himself and take up his cross and follow me. * Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it. V./ They have persecuted me, and they will persecute you. * Whoever loses his life for my sake will find it.Morning PrayerCanticle of ZechariahAnt. Blessed are you when you are persecuted on my account: rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.PrayerFather, we celebrate the memory of Blesseds Denis and Redemptus who died for their faithful witnessing to Christ. Give us the strength to follow their example, loyal and faithful to the end.We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit, God, forever and ever.Evening PrayerCanticle of MaryAnt. They loved Christ in their lives and imitated Him in their death: and so they reign with Him forever. <ul><li></li><li></li><li></li><li></li><li></li></ul> Photos of Blessed Denis (white mantle) and Blessed Redemptus (brown mantle) are from the convent of the Discalced Carmelite Friars in Banda Aceh, Indonesia, courtesy of the Discalced Carmelite General Curia (used by permission)  Catholic Church <a href="https://worldcat.org/title/41304501" rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" target="_blank">1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours</a> of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome. <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/denis-of-the-nativity/" target="_blank">#DenisOfTheNativity</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/discalced-carmelite/" target="_blank">#DiscalcedCarmelite</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/indonesia/" target="_blank">#Indonesia</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/liturgy/" target="_blank">#Liturgy</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/martyrs/" target="_blank">#martyrs</a> <a rel="nofollow noopener noreferrer" class="hashtag u-tag u-category" href="https://carmelitequotes.blog/tag/redemptus-of-the-cross/" target="_blank">#RedemptusOfTheCross</a>

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