6 Reasons to Become a Carmelite, According to St. Teresa of the Andes

  • Thread starter Thread starter Rising_Suns
  • Start date Start date
Status
Not open for further replies.
R

Rising_Suns

Guest
.
When her spiritual director asked her to give and account of why she wanted to enter Carmel, at age 15, Saint Teresa of the Andes replied with the reasons below. Although these answers were specifically in regards to Carmelites, they can also be applied to other religious communities as well.

Saint Teresa of the Andes, age 15:
  1. Because the life of prayer and union with God is what I love most of all; because I find it the most perfect; because it is a life of heaven, in a certain way, since a Carmelite is concerned only with being united to God and contemplating Him always and singing His praises. That thirst for prayer continually grows in me; my recollection is always continuous now, because whatever I do , I do with my Jesus and offer it to Him with love. When, for any reason whatever I am unable to make my prayer, I suffer at not being able to be with my God.
  2. The solitude of Carmel helps recollection. That isolation from creatures helps Carmelites exchange with God alone and, as a result, to attain greater union with Him, because this is the heart of perfection. I believe that solitude won’t tire me, as I’m always searching for it. I often become troubled when dealing with creature, because I’m with God when I’m alone.
  3. The poverty of a Carmelite is very great. She can possess nothing, which means that her whole capacity for possessing things is filled by God alone. By being poor, she is made even more like to her Divine Spouse who had nowhere to lay His head. A Cermelite must possess God alone.
  4. The penance to which she submits herself and the austerity of her life are a greater means of having her body made submissive to the soul in order to become more like her Divine Spouse who became a vicitm for our sins. She does penance for her own sins and for those of the world. And in this way she shows her love for God who has filled her with so many favors.
  5. Her sacrifice is perpetual, without mitigation, from the time her religious life begins until she dies as a victim according to the example of Jesus Christ. And she does all this in silence with no one aware of it. Yet how many are there who think of this life as useless. Nevertheless, she’s like the Lamb of God. She removes the sins from the world. She sacrifices herself to bring back to the sheepfold those sheep who have gone astray. But just as Christ did not know the world, neither does she know it. This abnegation enchants me completely. There is no room for self-love. She doesn’t even see the fruit of her prayer. In heaven alone with she know this.
  6. The goal she proposes to herself is very great: to pray and sanctify herself for sinner and priests. To sanctify herself so that the divine sap may be communicated through the union that exists between the faithful and all the members of the Church. She immolates herself on the cross, and her blood falls on sinners, pleading for mercy and repentance, for on the cross she is intimately united to Jesus Christ. Her blood, then, is mixed with His Divine Blood.
All these consideration that I make, Father, are the ones that induce me to prefer Carmel, since I believe that in that life, I will attain holiness. I have chosen the Carmelite life because I see that, in choosing it, I will find the cross; and I would travel, I believe, through the whole world with God’s grace in search of it and to possess it, because on the cross is Jesus Christ.
.
 
In the next paragraph, the saint writes her reasons for preferring the community in Andes over the one in Santiago. Perhaps these reasons, and the ones above, can be helpful to those who are also discerning a call to the religious life, seeing the inner reflections of a Saint on this subject;

Saint Teresa of the Andes
"Now I will tell you why I want to go to Los Andes:
  1. Because the monastery consists of nuns who are very observant of their Rule. The spirit of Saint Teresa is very evident among them.
  2. I’ve seen that God grants them everything (almost everything) they ask for, since God has answered everything I recommend to their prayers. My visit there was due to the fact that the novices had said a Salve Regina every day that I might come. They must be very holy if God so hears their prayers. Besides, I love their simplicity and joy, as well as the familiarity that reigns among them. Their presence and conversation has deepened my recollection and brought me great peace.
  3. Moreover, since the place is quite removed from large cities, there is as a result less contact with the world.
  4. The way I was able to prepare my trip to their convent: because there was a series of events which people aware of them couldn’t help but admire. The fact that I feel so happy, with so much peace which I hadn’t had for so long, since doubts had been increasing daily. All this made me understand that Our Lord does want me there. It must be noted that I went to the Carmel of Santiago, which is on the Alameda so that I might speak with a Carmelite and have her help me to understand the Carmelite life better. I spoke with the Mother Prioress; and despite it being my first visit to a Carmelite Monastery, it made no impression on me. On the contrary, it produced an unfavorable impression which I cannot explain. I don’t know if it could be because Mother Tomera began by asking me about worldly things and about certain people. (in a previous letter, she stated; “I noticed that the Sister at the turn asked me about all kinds of worldly things that I didn’t like. On the other hand, at Los Andes, we spoke only about God and just mentioned a few people to recommend them to God in our prayers.”). I just don’t know what happened to me. On the other hand, at Los Andes, it is true that they spoke about some people they knew, but it was a passing thing, an their conversation was all about God, and they helped me understand the life they were living.
  5. I am used to the climate at Los Andes (she was probably trying to be practical, for the priest), because it’s almost the same as that of Chacabuco. My health is very good, thanks be to God. Anyway, I told Mother that I’m not very strong, but she told me I shouldn’t worry about it, because many women who were very weak managed to put up with everything. "
 
Rising_Suns said:
.
When her spiritual director asked her to give and account of why she wanted to enter Carmel, at age 15, Saint Teresa of the Andes replied with the reasons below. Although these answers were specifically in regards to Carmelites, they can also be applied to other religious communities as well.

Saint Teresa of the Andes, age 15:
  1. Because the life of prayer and union with God is what I love most of all; because I find it the most perfect; because it is a life of heaven, in a certain way, since a Carmelite is concerned only with being united to God and contemplating Him always and singing His praises. That thirst for prayer continually grows in me; my recollection is always continuous now, because whatever I do , I do with my Jesus and offer it to Him with love. When, for any reason whatever I am unable to make my prayer, I suffer at not being able to be with my God.
  2. The solitude of Carmel helps recollection. That isolation from creatures helps Carmelites exchange with God alone and, as a result, to attain greater union with Him, because this is the heart of perfection. I believe that solitude won’t tire me, as I’m always searching for it. I often become troubled when dealing with creature, because I’m with God when I’m alone.
  3. The poverty of a Carmelite is very great. She can possess nothing, which means that her whole capacity for possessing things is filled by God alone. By being poor, she is made even more like to her Divine Spouse who had nowhere to lay His head. A Cermelite must possess God alone.
  4. The penance to which she submits herself and the austerity of her life are a greater means of having her body made submissive to the soul in order to become more like her Divine Spouse who became a vicitm for our sins. She does penance for her own sins and for those of the world. And in this way she shows her love for God who has filled her with so many favors.
  5. Her sacrifice is perpetual, without mitigation, from the time her religious life begins until she dies as a victim according to the example of Jesus Christ. And she does all this in silence with no one aware of it. Yet how many are there who think of this life as useless. Nevertheless, she’s like the Lamb of God. She removes the sins from the world. She sacrifices herself to bring back to the sheepfold those sheep who have gone astray. But just as Christ did not know the world, neither does she know it. This abnegation enchants me completely. There is no room for self-love. She doesn’t even see the fruit of her prayer. In heaven alone with she know this.
  6. The goal she proposes to herself is very great: to pray and sanctify herself for sinner and priests. To sanctify herself so that the divine sap may be communicated through the union that exists between the faithful and all the members of the Church. She immolates herself on the cross, and her blood falls on sinners, pleading for mercy and repentance, for on the cross she is intimately united to Jesus Christ. Her blood, then, is mixed with His Divine Blood.
All these consideration that I make, Father, are the ones that induce me to prefer Carmel, since I believe that in that life, I will attain holiness. I have chosen the Carmelite life because I see that, in choosing it, I will find the cross; and I would travel, I believe, through the whole world with God’s grace in search of it and to possess it, because on the cross is Jesus Christ.
.
Click to expand...
Can I put this in a video im going to do?
 
May God reward you for posting this. May I ask where did you get this information from?

God bless,
goforgoal
 
Thank you for telling me where you got this from I really appreciate it.

Yes, Brandee thank you for making the video…Awesome!
 
Status
Not open for further replies.
Back
Top