During the final apparition of Fatima Mary appeared briefly in the brown habit of Carmel, or as “Our Lady of Mt. Carmel,” a silent witness to Carmelite spirituality and the order’s special and unique relationship with her. Carmel is a Marian order. Our devotion to Mary is intimate and deep. We have long considered ourselves… [Read More]
Five Minute Guided Meditation with St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
Join me and my daughter, Roise, in this five minute, guided prayer break with the newly canonized St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, feast day November 8. (see below) [powerpress] “May nothing distract me from You, neither noise nor diversions. O my Master, I would so love to live with You in silence. But… [Read More]
Carmel-covered: My life as a Carmelite
During my years of Carmelite formation, and through my time since I made my final promise as a Discalced Carmelite Secular, my spiritual life has changed immeasurably. I feel I could say, as Alice did to the caterpillar, “I really don’t know, Sir! I’ve changed so many times since this morning, you see.” I sometimes… [Read More]
The Beauty of The Dark Night
Saint John of the Cross has a reputation for being a guy who does not care much for your feelings. His name sometimes sounds like a penance. People hear “dark night” and think of an isolated exile with little or no hope. While I cannot correct that error in a short article, I would like to… [Read More]
Mary, Sister of the Carmelite Soul
We are holding hands as we walk together along a rocky path on a hot July evening. We are talking about this and that. She asks me questions, listens thoughtfully as I talk about my life. She has a lot going on too, these days, and she unburdens her heart to me about her work,… [Read More]
Contemplative Prayer as a service to the Church
“Our Lord has so many enemies and so few friends, I was determined the friends he had should be trusty ones.” When St. Teresa of Avila wrote those words, she was in great distress for the Church, for the schism happening within it, for the attacks against it, and she wanted to defend it. So… [Read More]
“What do nuns do for Christmas?” Learning about Consecrated Life
During Advent, I asked the Friars, Priests and Sisters what they do for Christmas in their communities. I called a cloistered Carmelite convent and asked what the nuns do for Christmas. I read accounts in articles and on web sites of Christmas at monasteries. I didn’t really know why I was doing it, or… [Read More]
Five Minute Mystic
The Church remembers Our Lady of Mt. Carmel today, Patroness and Exemplar of the life of the Carmelite Order, which began on Mt. Carmel in Israel 800 years ago and is still with us now. We have received a great treasury of Saints, of wisdom on prayer, and the map of the lived experience of… [Read More]
