https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/15373 2026-06-20T03:51:14Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147546 Title: Kenotic and trusting love according to Thérèse of the child Jesus of the holy face Abstract: During a period of six years from 2021 to 2027, the Discalced Carmelite Order and the Shrine of Lisieux in particular, as well as the Church in general, will celebrate • in 2023: the 150th anniversary of the birth of Thérèse of the Child Jesus; • in 2025: the first centenary of her canonisation; • in 2027: the 130th anniversary of her death, and the 30th anniversary of her proclamation as Doctor of the Church. All of the recognised Doctors of the Church, thirty-six in total, have provided the Church with sound doctrine on particular areas of the Church's living faith. Pope John Paul II officially recognised Thérèse of Lisieux as a teacher of the 'Science of Love' in the Church. 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/147371 Title: Structural reform and pastoral renewal : an ethical framework for the process of synodality Authors: Agius, Emmanuel Abstract: When I embarked on my research through printed and online literature on synodality, to my surprise I found no specific article with explicit reflections on the ethical perspectives of the synodality process. This lack of resources on this issue has encouraged rather than discouraged me to take this task earnestly in order to sift out the ethical implications of synodality endorsed in the Preparatory Document for the 16th Ordinary General Assembly of the Synod of Bishops, the Vademecum for the Synod on Synodality, the Working Document for the Continental Stage: Enlarge the Space of your Tent (DCS), the report of the Digital Synod for the Continental Stage, the Instrumentum Laboris for the first session of the 16th Ordinary Assembly of the Synod of Bishops ( October 2023) , the document on "Synodality in the Life and Mission of the Church" published in 2018 by the International Theological Commission, and the reflections articulated by Pope Francis in his homilies, addresses, and speeches. [extract] 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/146072 Title: Recognising treasures in the dross : prayer according to Ruth Burrows OCD Abstract: The main focus of this dissertation is to elucidate the nature of prayer as understood by Sr. Ruth Burrows, OCD. Her experiences led her to believe that prayer should be viewed as our primary way of communicating with God. Therefore, we must have the confidence to stand before Him as we truly are—His children—while surrendering to and trusting Him as our Father. We need to embrace our humanness, with its inherent limitations, as a necessary aspect of our fundamental obedience to God. This calls us to follow the perfect example of Jesus Crucified, who fully emptied Himself in order to receive all that God wanted to offer. Burrows asserts that it is precisely our emptiness that creates the capacity to receive God and His love, which she believes is the essence of authentic prayer. Description: M.A. Spirit.(Melit.) 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z https://www.um.edu.mt/library/oar/handle/123456789/145793 Title: Mdina, Carmelite priory Authors: Camilleri, Charló Abstract: Constructed between 1660 and 1675, the priory and its adjoining church were designed by the French military engineer Mederico Blondel des Croisettes. Notably, the church was the first in Malta to be built with an elliptical plan, marking a significant development in Maltese Baroque architecture. Throughout its history, the priory has played a pivotal role in Mdina's religious landscape. During the French occupation in 1798, the church was stripped of its silver and precious hangings, events that contributed to the Maltese uprising against French rule. Additionally, following the 1693 earthquake that damaged the Mdina Cathedral, the Cathedral Chapter temporarily relocated to the Carmelite Church until the new cathedral was consecrated in 1702. [excerpt] 2026-01-01T00:00:00Z