( o.Carm.) and the discalced Carmelites (o.C.d.). The ancient “vine of
Carmel” has sprouted many branches,
including numerous apostolic congregations, secular institutes, hermits,
ecclesial movements, and laypeople
who live a Carmelite vocation in
many nations, cultures, and walks of
life. (For the purposes of this article,
we’ll explore Carmelite spirituality
through the lens of the discalced
Carmelite tradition.)
The journey within
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Carmelite spirituality offers a particular challenge: it’s both utterly
simple and at the same time intense
(some might think even intimidating) in its bare-bones, laser-sharp
focus on God alone.
Carmelite
spirituality is both utterly
simple and at the same time
intense in its
bare-bones, laser-sharp
focus on God alone.
“
IN THEIR CHAPEL at Mount St. Joseph Novitiate in San Jose, CA, Discalced Carmelite friars
pray the Divine Office together.
dedicated to the Blessed Virgin Mary.
Because of their devotion to Mary
and their church in her honor, they
soon became known as “the hermits
of st. Mary of Mount Carmel.”
Cross (1542-1591), monasteries of
friars also. Building on their Carmel-
ite heritage, these two great spanish
mystics developed a new expression
of Carmelite life that became the
discalced (“shoeless”) Carmelites.
The archetypal image of the mountain has always been associated with
Carmelite spirituality, both for the
physical Mount Carmel where the
order began but also for the arduous
climb to the summit of perfection
recalled by saint John of the Cross’
classic text The Ascent of Mount Carmel.
But as every Carmelite will
tell you, Carmelite living is also a
descent, an ever-challenging inner
exploration where one meets the self,
both the dark side and goodness,
on an ongoing, incredible discovery of God within. As saint John of
the Cross (1542-1591) described it,
“The treasures of Christ are like an
abundant mine with many recesses
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