Introduction: Carmelite Roots as Signs of Hope
Our communities are founded on the Carmelite charism of prayer, community and service, that our lives may be a sign to the world that God lives—in whose presence, along with the prophet Elijah, we stand. The Rule for the Third Order states:
‘In Jesus Christ, born of Mary, the invisible God speaks to all people as a friend, and he dwells amongst them to bring them into communion with God and with one another, with a view to the unity of the human race in the Kingdom.’
The Second Vatican Council teaches in Lumen Gentium that:
‘The Church is in Christ like a sacrament or as a sign and instrument both of a very closely knit union with God and of the unity of the whole human race.’
In baptism, we are united under Christ’s great commission—who, as priest, prophet and king, calls us to bring the Gospel to every creature under heaven, and who gave his Spirit to us for this purpose. As St Paul stresses, the gifts of the Spirit are many, but of the one Spirit; and in Carmel, Christ shares out different gifts to priests, friars, hermits, enclosed nuns, lay apostolate sisters, members of secular institutes, tertiaries and distant members.
Jesus Christ is our foremost model of community living, born into a humble community. He was formed by St Joseph—a worker within the community of Nazareth, a community of family, town and synagogue. At the outset of his mission, he called a community of disciples to learn from him as he preached the Kingdom of God—the community or people of God into which all are ultimately called. His first community included the Apostles, other disciples, and women who supported his mission from their means—and, of course, Mary.
After Christ’s death and resurrection, the community waited in the upper room for the outpouring of the Holy Spirit, when the community of the Church was founded. We are promised that when two or three are gathered and agree on earth about anything they ask for, Christ is there among them. The first community of Mount Carmel took for their model that first community of Pentecost: which prayed regularly; went regularly to the Temple; held all things in common; held the breaking of the bread and the prayers in their homes; and were at one in heart and soul.
The first Carmelite community were enjoined to: personal prayer and watchfulness; liturgical prayer in common; putting all goods to common use; celebration of daily Eucharist; regular review of the state of the community.
Their way of life was based on the Old Testament tradition of the Brotherhood, or Company, of the prophets—a community of Elijah’s followers who gathered around Elisha (see 2 Kings 2:7). They formed a traditional way of life in solitude and company. As Carmelites today will know, the tensions and challenges between solitude and company can be highly creative in bringing out the Good News in the way they choose to live.
Mention of Elijah and Elisha brings to mind the sources of Carmelite life in Old Testament prophecy. Some of their miracles foreshadow the signs worked by Christ in the Gospels, and by the Apostles in Acts—for example, the story of the widow of Zarephath and the miracle of the flour and oil, the raising from death of the widow’s son, and the raising of the young man Eutyches by St Paul in Acts 20:10. These were acts in small communities, showing that groups do not need to be large to work miraculous signs.
The Church was founded at Pentecost, gathered in the presence of Mary, whose intercession it was that called down the Paraclete upon all present. By the miracle of speaking in other tongues, the curse of Babel—which brought about the breaking of the Babel community—was rescinded, and the old prophecies of the world community of peoples were foreshadowed. The first Carmel was also gathered around Mary, whom they called the Lady of the Place, and they dedicated a chapel to her. From the community of Nazareth, Mary became the motherly heart of the Church and of Carmel. As Daughter of the Father, Spouse of the Holy Spirit and Mother of the Son, she holds a uniquely privileged place at the heart of the community of the Holy Trinity, the community of the faithful, the Communion of Saints.
There is a legend which tells that at one priory, Mary would appear during the singing of the Salve Regina. A young novice with a beautiful voice entered the community, and they all agreed that he should sing it solo. But then Our Lady did not appear. They prayed to her for an explanation. She said she had not been able to hear their singing—it was their singing together which drew her to appear.
Pilgrims of Hope in Everyday Life
From the 13th century onwards, the hermits became mendicant friars, moved into Europe’s towns and cities, and formed communities within communities—being ‘in the midst of the people’. The Rule for the Third Order speaks of living ‘in the world in the midst of the people’, dedicated to the cares and tasks of the world in the ordinary ups and downs of family and society. The Rule speaks of the vocation of lay Carmelites being ‘to transform the secular world’. It is their calling ‘to illumine and order the world’s activities so that these may be carried out according to Christ’s intention and to be a source of praise to the glory of the Creator’.
If this sounds daunting, we might remember the parable of the mustard seed—the future of the world is in God’s hands. And in a spirit of vacare Deo, of clearing a way for God, we can each play a part in helping our communities to flourish.
One great help, especially for distant members, is our technologies of communication. It is self-evident that communities need communication, and internet communication has made our meetings possible.
As well as these, the Order has, through the centuries, developed new forms of community. St Teresa of Jesus worked tirelessly to found new types of community—away from large urban houses to smaller and more intimate centres, where ‘all must be friends, all must be loved, all must be held dear, all must be helped.’ In our country, Aylesford Priory has become a place where different vocations within the Order live together. We also have Carmelite Spirituality Groups open to all enquirers, including Christians of other communions.
New forms of Carmelite community must be bound together by the Carmel story, its traditions of spirituality, and common aims. The Rule of St Albert is foundational to this. The shared goal is contemplation, expressed through the Carmelite charism of prayer, community and service. Among our great Carmelite saints are some of the earliest teachers of spirituality and contemplation, including three Doctors of the Church and a Patron of Europe, St Edith Stein. Through their teaching, we learn how to move from formal vocal prayers through meditation, mental prayer and Lectio Divina, towards the prayer of quiet—resting in the loving presence of the Lord—and contemplation. We learn to become more deeply aware of the presence of God in others, and we come to see others through God’s eyes.
The Hebrew word ‘Karmel’ is related to kerem—vineyard, olive grove or orchard. Recall how Pope Benedict XVI, in his first address after election, said he wished to be a fellow-worker in the ‘vineyard of the Lord’. Vineyards, gardens and orchards need careful tending. St Thérèse described herself as the smallest and least significant flower in the garden of the Lord. We become saints through being nurtured in a Carmelite community. Where the Spirit gives many gifts—but of the one Spirit—nurturing those gifts calls for developing our relationship skills: listening, openness to diversity, a willingness to respond to challenging situations, and giving others room for growth.
Creative Paths to Communion
The end of all communal living is entry into the community of the Blessed Trinity. Mention of St Elizabeth brings to mind her prayer to the Most Holy Trinity:
O my God, Trinity whom I adore, help me to forget myself entirely as to establish myself in you, unmovable and peaceful as if my soul was already in eternity. May nothing be able to trouble my peace or make me leave you, O my unchanging God, but may each minute bring me more deeply into your mystery! Grant my soul peace. Make it your heaven, your beloved dwelling and the place of your rest. May I never abandon you there, but may I be there, whole and entire, completely vigilant in my faith, entirely adoring, and wholly given over to your creative action.
