PRAYER

 

The Carmelites are known most of all for prayer. Having their origins in the land of the great prophet Elijah gave them the early Carmelite hermits the dual gift of an active apostolate with a zeal for contemplative prayer. The Carmelite tradition requires we learn about the various techniques of prayer, so we can help others find their particular path to the Father. Our houses practice community prayer, which involves the recitation of the Divine Office, and times where we meet and pray Lectio Divina, the practice of prayerful reflection on a spiritual passage or scripture. While community prayer is part of our daily life, personal prayer is extremely important. Some of the friars engage in Eucharistic Adoration, some recite the daily rosary, or the Divine Mercy chaplet, others sit in their cells in silence meditating on the scriptures.

 

These are all personal ways to meditate or reflect. The goal of every Carmelite is to go to God as Father, and see the Trinity in every aspect of our lives. Our constitutions point to our allegiance being to Jesus Christ, and everything we do has to be examined based on our Orders desire for her sons to walk with a pure heart and a stout conscience. To cooperate with the Holy Spirit in an effort to proclaim the goodness of the Kingdom of God.