The Carmelites & The Poor Clares

[Chiquitunga]

Hey guys, I just came back from a visit to the Des Plaines Carmel near my home. It's a very nice Carmel. I'm not sure if it's where I'm called though.

I talked to the sister at the turn. I did ask her about recreation, and they do have 1 hour after lunch and 1 in the evening, where they are together and talk while doing some kind of work. She said all Discalced Carmels have these 2 recreations if they are following the Constitutions. All the Carmels I visited had this: St Louis, Iron Mt., Buffalo, Schenactady .. and the others I inquired about.

It may be that a few Carmels have differences that are under the 1991 Constitutions. I believe these constitutions give more freedom to the way of life. For instance, the Port Tobacco Carmel is under the 1991's has individual hermitages and the St. Louis Carmel, 1991, has daily adoration of the Blessed Sacrament.

But I'm pretty sure, that this, the 2 hours of daily recreation in community, is a norm for all OCD Carmels, as this nun said, as it is written in their Constitutions. But I haven't read either the 1990's or the 1991's myself.

It was great to have sometime today to drive out there and visit. I told the sister about the Srs of Bethlehem and how I'm trying to discern whether I'm called to a life with more solitude or not. She said for discerning Carmel, it's best to read the works of St. Teresa, and to read the translation by Allison Peers, which is much better than the one by Kieran Kavanaugh, which are the ones I have. So I'm going to take her advice. She said you'll know if you're called to Carmel, if while reading St. Teresa's writing you find yourself saying, I have found my mother.

[MC IMaGiNaZUN]

details like community recreation is really minor to the charism of the order.

I don't know enough, I would say about the Poor Clares. But I know that Eucharistic Devotion is essential. I know that devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel is essential for the Carmelites.

Many other Orders have silence and solitude, I know the Augustinians and Dominicans do as well. And to be honest, I cannot tell you that there is much difference. A vocation to the religious life requires those things.

I think it would really be a question of who do you feel called to follow in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare, or the spirit of St. Teresa and St. John? um yeah, I dont know if that helps any lol!

[Chiquitunga]

[quote name='MC IMaGiNaZUN' post='1156976' date='Jan 5 2007, 06:04 PM']
details like community recreation is really minor to the charism of the order.[/quote]Yeah, I got'cha. But actually, it isn't a minor thing if one is called to an order with less times of community recreation like the Sisters of Bethlehem or the Carthusian Nuns, who have recreation on Sundays. A Sr of Bethlehem whom I spoke with in Livingston Manor, NY from Mexico, told me of her search, and how she felt called to more silence and solitude that all the orders she was considering, when finally she found the Monastic Family of Bethlehem.[quote]Many other Orders have silence and solitude, I know the Augustinians and Dominicans do as well. And to be honest, I cannot tell you that there is much difference. A vocation to the religious life requires those things.[/quote]That totally makes sence. It's just that, there are many different kinds of vocations, as there are many different contemplative orders. The sister I spoke with today said that the Lord definitely does call some to a life of more solitude than in Carmel. It's a different vocation. [quote]I think it would really be a question of who do you feel called to follow in the spirit of St. Francis and St. Clare, or the spirit of St. Teresa and St. John? um yeah, I dont know if that helps any lol![/quote]No, that's right. That's like what the sister was getting at today, recommending that I read more of St. Teresa's work to discern whether or not the Lord is calling me to Carmel. Thanks! :j