Stained-Glass Scapulars-Reflections on the Rule of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites

The Rule: #16
The beatitudes are a plan of action for life and a way to enter into relationship with the world, neighbors and co-workers, families and friends. By promising to live the beatitudes in daily life, Secular Carmelites seek to give evangelical witness as members of the Church and the Order, and by this witness invite the world to follow Christ: 'The Way, the Truth and the Life" (Jn 14:6).

In the above excerpt from the Rule our Superiors instruct us to have a "plan of action" for life: the beatitudes. A plan of action takes study, preparation, discipline and commitment. How many people plan and prepare for their day spiritually before they leave the door and enter the world: the spiritual battlefield?  Our one opponent, Satan, seeks to destroy the progress we are trying to make as we grow in charity.  This plan of action is the "marching orders" from the King: Jesus Christ!  He has given a Rule for every human being to follow:

*How blest are the poor in spirit: the rein of God is theirs.
  The Carmelite is called to live a life of detachment-seeking to abide in that blessed state of soul where Christ is all we have and all that we need.

*Blest too are the sorrowing; they shall be consoled.
  A life of prayer and contemplation bring self-knowledge, the painful truth of how we have sinned against God and neighbor. This knowledge should bring us to repentance of heart so that we have true sorrow for sin. Each day we must make the choice of turning away from sin and being faithful to the Gospel.

*Blest are the lowly; they shall inherit the land.
  The Carmelite is called to walk this earth in humility. St. Teresa is very stern when it comes to people (Carmelites) seeking to steal the honor and glory that belongs to God alone-seeking honor among people, by looking for affirmation and compliments and seeking credit for one's virtues.

*Blest are they who hunger and thirst for holiness; they shall have their fill. 
  In today's society, it seems difficult to find a soul that is truly desperate for God. Of course, we cannot discern someone's interior life, but how many people speak as if they were hungry and thirsty for God?  The person who is seeking the "Bread of Life and the "Living Water" is a rare creature, indeed. This person is the "voice crying out in the desert" of our wicked and depraved society.  His voice is drowned out by the world telling us to eat and drink and be merry!  Being faithful to prayer makes us desire the bread of holiness. Prayer with the Beloved, the Living Water, quenches our spiritual thirst.

*Blest are they who show mercy; mercy shall be theirs.
  When we began this discussion on the Rule, we mentioned that these beatitudes are "plan of action." The Carmelite, by being faithful to prayer, creates an interior dwelling place for the Living God. When we go out into the world we take this most Merciful Savior with us. He is the bread of mercy that we offer to others. Mercy is not conditional, we do not dole it out when we feel like it.  A merciful person, is a blessed person. He is a person in a holy state of being-"not far from the reign of God."  This is the heart of all the beatitudes.  If you possess mercy, you will not find it hard to live a life of beatitude.

*Blest are the single-hearted for they shall see God.
   Carmelites are called to quiet prayer on behalf of the Church.  Many things distract us and keep us from our purpose and mission.  St. Teresa teaches us that self-indulgence and prayer do not go together. When we get "comfortable," when we start giving in to every whim of the body, little room is left for the difficult discipline of prayer. Our mind rebels, our body rebels, and our spirit rebels. We lose our focus of "God alone."  The heart that is divided is not in a blessed state of union that we are seeking as Carmelites.  This 
spiritual affliction reflects in our daily lives. We say one thing and do another. We profess to be merciful, but are far from it. We profess to be peacemakers, but within, we are far from it.  When Jesus saw Nathaniel, he said, "...There is no guile in him."  God is calling us to purity of heart, a state of being in which our thought, words, and actions are in a spiritual marriage pleasing to God.

*Blest too the peacemakers; they shall be called sons of God.
  Being a peacemaker requires great effort and the daily dying to our ego. Whether at work, home, or in the marketplace we have many opportunities to foster peace.  We can be peaceful people by the words we choose. We can be peacemakers by the tone of voice we choose. We can be peacemakers by having a peaceful countenance. True peace emanates from the heart. True peacemakers are known by their very presence.  Peace is not a matter of  an absence of conflict. It's the way we approach difficult situations; keeping charity in mind, keeping mercy in mind, keeping humility in mind. 

*Blest are the persecuted for holiness' sake; the reign of God is theirs.
How many of us are really persecuted for our faith?  Perhaps people don't agree with our chosen lifestyle: praying, attending Mass daily, performing works of charity. But these are things we can suffer and offer up.  Many people in our day are truly persecuted for their faith. Their churches are burned, the Gospel is burned, priests are silenced and imprisoned and martyred. Let us pray for all those who are persecuted and killed for the sake of the Gospel. 

*Blest are you when they insult you and persecute you and utter every kind of slander against you because of me... 
If you've ever been given a tongue-lashing because you were a Christian, well, you've suffered a little. Perhaps it was from a member of your own family!  Some Christians, some Carmelites, are insulted by the ones who claim to love them, simply because they want to live a godly life. Think of the person who goes to work faithfully each day and suffers the ridicule and comments from others because they know they are Catholic. Day after day they have to endure the comments. Think of the religious, the priest or nun who is falsely accused of some awful crime by someone who hates the Church. They are removed from ministry, they are falsely imprisoned...these are the martyrs of today.

Let us pray for each other, that we take our plan of action, the Beatitudes, seriously each day.  If we are faithful to prayer, they will become a part of us and flow from the heart-the heart of God dwelling within us.



Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, OCDS

CARMELITE SAINT OF THE DAY

(Click on photo to enlarge)

Chronology of Bl. Elizabeth

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

THE YEAR OF FAITH

Official Closing of the "Year of Faith"

November 24, 2013

It's not too late to read the Holy Father's document, "Lumen Fidei" (The Light of Faith)

The light of Faith: this is how the Church’s tradition speaks of the great gift brought by Jesus. In John’s Gospel, Christ says of himself: "I have come as light into the world, that whoever believes in me may not remain in darkness" (Jn 12:46). Read more...

OUTLINE OF LUMEN FIDEI

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

CARMELITE NUNS

DYSART, SCOTLAND

The Power of the Religious Habit: A True Story

Sister Mary Brendon Zajac, S.N.D., hails from a clan based in Ohio. I suppose that every Sister of Notre Dame deserves her personal Quasimodo, and for this one, I fit the bill.

Too many people are hesitant to relate to those enrolled in religious orders. True, nuns should be treated with reverence due to their special commitment and vows, and yet, like you and me, they are working out their salvation with fear and trembling. Unlike you and I, though, most of them are making great strides in sanctity because they usually keep Jesus Christ foremost in their minds—and rightly so, considering that eternity is forever, and this present life is short. Most of us are caught up in the distractions of the day.

We seem to be frightened of the idea of holiness. We get itchy and fidgety whenever we get close to it, as if suffering from an allergic reaction. We find it more comfortable to wallow in the muck of our fallen nature. This fright is silly when we stop to think about it, because we are invited by God, and to be as holy as he is. That’s why we call ourselves “Christians.” Read more...

Peace be with you!

Rosemarie, ocds

SPIRITUAL LIFE DICTIONARY

HUMILITY

Definition: A moral virtue prompting in its possessor  an appreciation and external expression of his true position with respect to God and his neighbor ; opposed, therefore, both to pride and to immoderate self-abjection.

The Catholic Dictionary by Donald Attwater

"Humility is Truth"
St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila)

As Secular Carmelites, we are seeking union with God through contemplative prayer.  St. Teresa teaches us that prayer brings self-knowledge. It can be very spiritually and physically painful when the Lord reveals to us the truth about ourselves: our sins, faults, and imperfections.  Let us not lose heart. It is false humility to think we cannot overcome our faults and failings. St. Teresa gives us a very simple description of humility: "Humility is truth."  May the Holy Spirit give us the courage to see ourselves as we really are and the humility to submit to his saving action in our lives. 

THE TWELVE DEGREES OF HUMILITY 

ACCORDING TO ST. BENEDICT

The motto of the Benedictines:
Ora et Labora (Pray and Work)

Note:  Although these teachings were directed to monks, we can benefit from St. Benedict's wisdom on this holy virtue.

1.  The fear of God ever present to the mind and causing us to keep
     the commandments.

2.  Obedience, or the submission of our will to God's.

3.  Obedience to Superiors out of love for God.

4.  Patient obedience even in the most difficult things, bearing 
     injuries without murmur, even and above all, when humiliation  
     comes from Superiors.

5.  The avowal of secret faults, thoughts included, to the Superior, 
     apart from sacramental confession.

6.  The willing acceptance of all privations, of menial offices, 
     considering oneself unworthy of even such tasks.

7.  To consider oneself in all sincerity as the lowest of men. This 
      is a degree of humility rarely found.

8.  Avoidance of singularity: to do nothing out of the ordinary, but 
     to be satisfied with what is sanctioned by the common rule...

9.  Silence: to know how to remain silent as long as conversation is 
     not addressed to us, or as long as there is no good reason 
     to speak.

10.  Moderation of laughter: St. Benedict does not condemn 
       laughter in so far as it is an expression of spiritual joy...

11.  Reserve in speech: when one speaks, it must be done quietly 
       and humbly...

12.  Modesty of behavior: to walk, sit, and hold oneself erect; to 
       practice modesty of the eyes without affectation, to keep one's 
       thoughts fixed on God...
The Spiritual Life by The Very Reverend Adolphe Tanquerey, No.1130

More on the virtue of humility by a modern-day Saint, 

St. Jose Maria Escriva:

St. Jose Maria Escriva's Seventeen signs of a lack of humility:


1.  Thinking that what you do or say is better than what others do
      or say.

2.  Always wanting to get your own way.

3.  Arguing when you are not right or when you are insisting     
     stubbornly or with bad manners.

4.  Giving your opinion without being asked for it, when charity 
     does not demand you to do so.

5.  Despising the point of view of others.

6.  Not being aware that all the gifts and qualities you have are on 
     loan.

7.  Not acknowledging that you are unworthy of all honor or 
     esteem, even the ground you are treading on or the things you 
     own.

8.  Mentioning yourself as an example in conversation.

9.  Speaking badly about yourself, so that they may form a good 
     opinion of you, or contradict you.

10. Making excuses when rebuked.

11.  Hiding some humiliating faults from your director, so that he 
       may not lose the good opinion he has of you.

12.  Hearing praise with satisfaction, or being glad that others have 
       spoken well of you.

13.  Being hurt that others are held in greater esteem than you.

14.  Refusing to carry out menial tasks.

15.  Seeking or wanting to be singled out.

16.  Letting drop words of self-praise in conversation, or words   
       that might show your honesty, your wit or skill, your 
       professional prestige…

17.  Being ashamed of not having certain possessions…

CARMELITE QUOTE

PRIESTHOOD SUNDAY

From the writings of St. John of the Cross:

...One should be distrustful of ceremonies unapproved by the Catholic Church; and the manner of saying Mass should be left to the priest who represents the Church at the altar, for he has received directions from her as to how Mass should be said. And persons should not desire new methods as if they knew more than the Holy Spirit and his Church. If in such simplicity God does not hear them, let them be convinced that he will not answer them no matter how many ceremonies they invent. For God is such that if people live in harmony with him and do his will he will give them whatever they want, but if they seek their own interests it will be useless for them to speak to God.

And regarding other ceremonies in vocal prayers and other devotions, one should not become attached to any ceremonies or modes of prayer other than those Christ taught us. When his disciples asked him to teach them to pray, Christ obviously, as one who knew so well his Father's will, would have told them all that was necessary in order to obtain an answer from the Eternal Father. And, in fact, he taught them only those seven petitions of the Pater Noster, which include all our spiritual and temporal needs, and he did not teach numerous other kinds of prayers and ceremonies...

The Ascent of Mount Carmel Chapter 44, No. 3-4

Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds

PRAYER TO ST. TERESA OF JESUS

THE V CENTENARY OF ST. TERESA OF JESUS

Saint Teresa of Jesus, holy mother,
wholehearted servant of love,
teach us to walk with determined fidelity
along the path of interior prayer,
attentive to the presence of the Blessed Trinity,
the Lord, dwelling deep in us.

At the school of Mary our Mother,
strengthen within us these foundations;
a genuine humility,
a heart free from attachment,
and an unconditional love for others.

Share with us your intense apostolic love
for the Church.
May Jesus be our joy,
our hope and energy,
an unquenchable fountain
and our most intimate Friend.

Bless our Carmelite family.
Teach us, make your prayer our own;
" I am your; I was born for you.
What is your will for me?"
Amen

"La Madre"
by Michelle Haklin








Peace be with you!
Rosemarie, ocds