“Without love, deeds, even the most brilliant, count as nothing”
St Therese of Lisieux
Carmelite Spirituality
An Invitation
The calling to the Contemplative life is an invitation from God to follow a more constant form of prayer and practice of virtue lovingly fulfilled through daily fidelity to the observance of the vows of filial obedience, consecrated chastity and evangelical poverty.
Thus the Carmelite religious is disposed to enter more deeply into the work and mystery of Christ’s life and redeeming sacrifice of love on Calvary. Christ is to be born in the religious and born again, so that she will no longer live, but Christ will live in her and all that she undertakes in union with Him shall be sealed by the power of the Holy Spirit described in Luke IV:
“The Spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for He has anointed me. He has sent me to bring the good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison, and to the blind new sight, to set the downtrodden free, to proclaim the Lord’s year of favor.”
In this way the Carmelite takes part more fully in Christ’s salvific role as Redeemer through participation in the divine life, coming to her from God through His Incarnate Word.
Work & Prayer
The Religious work to support themselves so as not to be a burden to others (Rule of Carmel).
The Nuns produce skin care products and perfumes under the trade name “Monastique”.
Other artistic works contribute to the support of the Monastery and there is a showroom where a variety of cards and books are on display for sale, with particular emphasis on Carmelite literature.
Everyone is gifted by God and reflects his glory in different ways and in many walks of life. In our contemplative life, the joy of sharing means growing as a community united in love and faith, gathered together in prayer and work.
LOVE the Greatest of all Works
Following the example and teachings of the great saints in the history of Carmel such as St Teresa of Avila, St John of the Cross, St Therese of Lisieux, St Mary Magdalen de Pazzi, St Elizabeth of the Trinity, St Teresa Benedicta of the Cross, St Titus Brandsma and many others, the nuns in their contemplative prayer and community living, try to manifest a great warmth of true and ardent friendship. The Carmelite vocation, as St Therese summed it up is “to be love in the heart of my Mother the Church!” This ardent love of God embraces all times, peoples and places and each Religious is challenged by the thousand different sacrifices of daily living, to become another Christ.
Hence a wide apostolate is carried on at the Monastery, primarily through the hidden life of prayer which is nourished by the Eucharistic Sacrifice of the Mass and many times during the day when the Community unites in Choir to sing the Divine Praises in the public Liturgical worship of the Church.
Offering Monastic hospitality takes many forms through our special concern to help those who reach out in loneliness or need. This may be through speaking with one of the nuns, by correspondence, through the phone or on line, so that it becomes a veritable lifeline and support system for many people.
A Life’s Work & More
What could be more splendid than to praise God for His goodness, beauty and love – to let oneself be transformed by His grace and power into “a living sacrifice of praise”.
The living out of the Carmelite vocation is a total gift of oneself in loving response to this invitation of Our Lord. While on earth He lived united with God His Father and sought His will in simplicity and prayer. Always referring everything He did to the Father, He gave thanks and blessed Him, until finally He gave His life for all in the great mystery of the redemption.
His challenge still resounds today,
“Come follow Me.”