Carmelite Spirituality and the Brown Scapular

[jmjZelie]

Hello everyone!

I was invested with the Brown Scapular by my pastor a year ago, after considering it for a couple of years. I read as much about it as I could, and finally felt ready. But I was still surprised when my pastor, after going through the rite, urged me to live out Carmelite spirituality in the manner that best fits my vocation. He knew that I am a homeschooling mother of a larger family. He said it is not just a matter of saying a daily Rosary and always wearing the Scapular, but that it should be part of an overall living out of the Carmelite spirituality. I have read a little bit about Carmelite spirituality online, but I must admit that I am still struggling to understand how to put into practice what he said. I have since moved thousands of miles away, and he has gone on a much-deserved Sabbatical, so I cannot ask for further guidance from him. So I finally decided to ask here. Maybe one of you lovely people can give me an idea of what Carmelite spirituality might look like for a layperson in my situation. What say you?

Thanks for reading and thanks for any feedback you can offer. God bless!

Oh and one more thing that might be relevant. I am a convert of only five years from Protestant/pagan background. So things that often seem obvious to cradle Catholics are very often things of which I am totally unaware.

 

[JimR-OCDS]

Well, you might want to look and see if their is a Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites OCDS, near you, which you might be interested in. This is a 3rd Order, Secular, of the Discalced Carmelites, but for lay people, hence the term, “secular.”

Anyway, here’s a website of a group in New Hampshire.

Click on “Daily Life” and see what it involves.

You can follow their prayer life without actually being a members, but it would be a blessing if you had a group near you. This way you could get better instruction.

secularcarmelite.com/

Jim

 

[Don_Ruggero]

Hello everyone!

I was invested with the Brown Scapular by my pastor a year ago, after considering it for a couple of years. I read as much about it as I could, and finally felt ready. But I was still surprised when my pastor, after going through the rite, urged me to live out Carmelite spirituality in the manner that best fits my vocation. He knew that I am a homeschooling mother of a larger family. He said it is not just a matter of saying a daily Rosary and always wearing the Scapular, but that it should be part of an overall living out of the Carmelite spirituality. I have read a little bit about Carmelite spirituality online, but I must admit that I am still struggling to understand how to put into practice what he said. I have since moved thousands of miles away, and he has gone on a much-deserved Sabbatical, so I cannot ask for further guidance from him. So I finally decided to ask here. Maybe one of you lovely people can give me an idea of what Carmelite spirituality might look like for a layperson in my situation. What say you?

Thanks for reading and thanks for any feedback you can offer. God bless!

Oh and one more thing that might be relevant. I am a convert of only five years from Protestant/pagan background. So things that often seem obvious to cradle Catholics are very often things of which I am totally unaware.

In addition to the suggestion you investigate the websites associated with the Discalced Carmelites, I would suggest that you visit websites for the Carmelites of Ancient Observance and know of the opportunity for laity to be part of the Carmelite family.

ocarm.org/en/content/ocarm/third-order (International)

carmelnet.org/toc/html/about.htm

And, one of my favourite shrines in all the world:

thefriars.org.uk/