Benedictines and Carmelites

[NotThatGuy]

I seek your guidance, please.

I’ve been discerning my vocation (though I only recently realized it) for the past 7 or so years. And really, aren’t we discerning our whole lives?

The more I pray and the more I look at myself, the more I feel drawn to contemplation, though not necessarily total seclusion as a hermit, say. I seek God. I don’t know how else I can put it. It’s all I can really think about and the things that bring me joy are prayer and reading about God, through His Word and through great spiritual writers.

I’m beginning to think that I’m called to a life that is focused on this. Specifically, it seems to me that the Benedictines or the Carmelites would be the way to go.

But I don’t know how to choose between the two, or if I’m overlooking another group that may be worth checking out.

If anyone has any experience with either of these two groups, or any advice, can they please share?

Thank you and I wish you the Peace of Christ,
Patrick

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

I seek your guidance, please.

I’ve been discerning my vocation (though I only recently realized it) for the past 7 or so years. And really, aren’t we discerning our whole lives?

The more I pray and the more I look at myself, the more I feel drawn to contemplation, though not necessarily total seclusion as a hermit, say. I seek God. I don’t know how else I can put it. It’s all I can really think about and the things that bring me joy are prayer and reading about God, through His Word and through great spiritual writers.

I’m beginning to think that I’m called to a life that is focused on this. Specifically, it seems to me that the Benedictines or the Carmelites would be the way to go.

But I don’t know how to choose between the two, or if I’m overlooking another group that may be worth checking out.

If anyone has any experience with either of these two groups, or any advice, can they please share?

Thank you and I wish you the Peace of Christ,
Patrick

First, Get a Spiritual Director.

Second, Speak to a vocations director from both groups, learn what you can about them and then visit them.

Think to keep in mind is that these are two very different groups.

The Benedictines are monastics and live in a monastery. They make vows of obedience and stability, I believe that the traditional vows of poverty and chastity are covered under the vow of stability but they may also make them explicit.

The Carmelites are active contemplatives. We have ministries out in the world though we do have a handful of hermits. We take the standard vows of obedience, chastity, and poverty.

It is also important to note that there are some groups who have taken the name Carmelite that are not affiliated with either the Order of Carmelites (O.Carm.) or the Order of Carmelites, Discalced (O.C.D.). Most of those groups have been formed under the local bishop and are on the small side and do not have the oppurtunites of the orders that are provinces that are worldwide.

I will gladly admit that I am biased towards the Carmelites (O.Carm.).

I hope this has helped, feel free to send me a private message if you want any more information.

 

[CarmeliteGirl25]

I seek your guidance, please.

I’ve been discerning my vocation (though I only recently realized it) for the past 7 or so years. And really, aren’t we discerning our whole lives?

The more I pray and the more I look at myself, the more I feel drawn to contemplation, though not necessarily total seclusion as a hermit, say. I seek God. I don’t know how else I can put it. It’s all I can really think about and the things that bring me joy are prayer and reading about God, through His Word and through great spiritual writers.

I’m beginning to think that I’m called to a life that is focused on this. Specifically, it seems to me that the Benedictines or the Carmelites would be the way to go.

But I don’t know how to choose between the two, or if I’m overlooking another group that may be worth checking out.

If anyone has any experience with either of these two groups, or any advice, can they please share?

Thank you and I wish you the Peace of Christ,
Patrick

Like ByzCath said, please get yourself a spiritual director if you don’t already have one. I am, as you can tell from my screename, a biased Carmelite aspirant. I am currently discerning with the Carmelite Sisters of the Divine Heart of Jesus in Milwaukee, WI. This is a different order. One that was founded by Bl. Mother Maria Teresa of St. Joseph in the Netherlands, which spread to the States by way of Milwaukee. They are an active order and have ministries in elder care and child care.

I looked at a few Benedictine orders when I began my discernment, and I always drew back to the Carmelites. The Carmelites are very contemplative, with a few active ministries spread out.

The Carmelite spirituality can be traced back to the time of the Prophet Elijah, before the birth of Jesus Christ. The first hermits, including St. Simon Stock (who received the Carmelite scapular in a vision from Our Lady and Jesus; now known as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel), lived in a monastery on Mt. Carmel. Here are some pictures:

bibleplaces.com/mtcarmel.htm

The Carmelites of the Ancient Observance (O.Carm.) count this as the end of their founding history. However, the Discalced Carmelites (O.C.D.) trace their beginnings to two people who began as O.Carm.–St. Teresa of Avila and St. John of the Cross. St. Teresa entered the Carmelite monastery (Incarnation) in Avila, Spain in 1535. From a time spent there, she believed that the nuns did not observe the contemplative vocation as she so desired. She began to reform (known as the Carmelite Reform of the 16th century) the Carmelite order, under permission from her Confessor, Fr. Alvarez. But she did not know how the friars were faring, so she sought to recruit a friar who could help her reform. That’s when St. John of the Cross came in. Together, they finished what they believed God sent them to do.

The Discalced Carmelites call them the Mother and Father of the order, but they look to Elijah and Our Lady as the original founders. The Carmelites of the Ancient Observance look to St. Teresa and St. John as Brother and Sister.

If you are interested in the Carmelites, I would recommend you to contact these men’s orders:

Traditional Carmelite Monks in Wyoming
carmelitemonks.org/

Discalced Carmelite Friars
discalcedcarmelites.com/

Carmelite Friars
carmelites.com/

Discalced Carmelite Friars
ocdfriarsvocation.com/

May God bless you as you search for your true vocation! Praying for you, always!

 

[Friar_David_O.Carm]

If you are interested in the Carmelites, I would recommend you to contact these men’s orders:

Traditional Carmelite Monks in Wyoming
carmelitemonks.org/

This is one of the groups I was referencing when I spoke about groups that are not affiliated with either the O.Carm. or the O.C.D., they are of Diocesen Right, that is they are directly under the local Bishop rather than being under the Prior General of the O.Carm. or the Superior General of the O.C,D,

Carmelite Friars
carmelites.com/

This is the Province of St Elias in the United States, also called the New York Province. My province, the Pure Heart of Mary Province (also called the Chicago Province) web site is http:www.carmelites.net

We have a video, The Men of Carmeli, linked on the homepage.

 

[Bebekoualy]

Dear NotThatGuy,

The Benedictine live according to the Rule of St Benedict. Did you read it? It emphasizes humility. You learn to be totally obedient before the Abbot, as though he was Christ Himself.
And the Benedictine also receive Guests. I think it’s important to mention that because a Benedictine monastery has got a guest house which is most of the time filled with Guests making retreats. They receive Guests as Christ Himself.

They alternate manual labour, liturgical celebration, and study.
sleep 8h, pray 8h and work 8h (approximately)

You’ve got a large family:
The Benedictines
The cistercian family is large:
The Cistercians (Cistercians of the Common Observance) [Lat. abbr., S.O. Cist.] :bowdown:
The Trappists (Cistercians of the Stricter Observance - 17th century) [Lat. abbr., O.C.S.D.]
The Bernardines Cistercians (nuns - 18th century) etc.

I love St Benedict, and I might look at the Carmel later.