Lay Carmelites

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I’m very excited…The parish we are planning to join (we just relocated to Florida for those who didn’t know this) has literally around 20 or more different clubs…programs…etc…and one of them is the Lay Carmelite order. Does anyone belong to this in your own particular parish? Can you share some of what you do as a Lay Carmelite? I’m going to pray about this–but think that God is calling me to something contemplative, yet outreaching to the community.

Appreciate your replies, in advance.🙂
 
Membership in the Lay Carmelite order is really a vocation, and there are literally years before you take “final” profession.
After approx. 1 year you are “received” into the Order without profession (this is where I’m at now). After about 2 more years of formation you make temporary profession for 3 years. After that, if you have discerned a permanent calling you make permanent profession which is lifelong unless you are released from your profession by the Order.

Lay Carmelites strive to live our lives in prayer, community, and service, in the spiritual tradition of the Carmelite Order.
Typically Lay Carmelite communities meet about once per month.
The first several years, as I mentioned, are fairly intense formation in a structured way with standardized formation materials, and then when you make your profession you would participate in ongoing formation which is more up to the community to choose in terms of topics and materials, although they are generally taken from Carmelite sources.
Our community has an annual Day of Recollection around the time of the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel (July 16) as well as opportunities for retreats periodically throughout the year.
 
whatevergirl said:
I’m very excited…The parish we are planning to join (we just relocated to Florida for those who didn’t know this) has literally around 20 or more different clubs…programs…etc…and one of them is the Lay Carmelite order. Does anyone belong to this in your own particular parish? Can you share some of what you do as a Lay Carmelite? I’m going to pray about this–but think that God is calling me to something contemplative, yet outreaching to the community.

Appreciate your replies, in advance.🙂
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Here is a website that may help answer some of your questions

therese.kashalinka.com/thirdorder/
 
Thank you for the link. I was reading over again the description in the pamphlet…but it does sound like a total life change. I thought this was something I could participate in…a ministry of sorts. Hmm…I’ll have to research a bit more.
 
drforjc said:
Membership in the Lay Carmelite order is really a vocation, and there are literally years before you take “final” profession.
After approx. 1 year you are “received” into the Order without profession (this is where I’m at now). After about 2 more years of formation you make temporary profession for 3 years. After that, if you have discerned a permanent calling you make permanent profession which is lifelong unless you are released from your profession by the Order.

Lay Carmelites strive to live our lives in prayer, community, and service, in the spiritual tradition of the Carmelite Order.
Typically Lay Carmelite communities meet about once per month.
The first several years, as I mentioned, are fairly intense formation in a structured way with standardized formation materials, and then when you make your profession you would participate in ongoing formation which is more up to the community to choose in terms of topics and materials, although they are generally taken from Carmelite sources.
Our community has an annual Day of Recollection around the time of the feast of Our Lady of Mt Carmel (July 16) as well as opportunities for retreats periodically throughout the year.
Click to expand...
Thank you so much for taking the time to explain this–can someone not have a secular job, while belonging to the Lay Carmelites then?
 
I work full time at a major medical institution and am discerning Lay Carmelite life.
We are not friars and nuns, we are lay people. We have jobs, families, other responsibilities…
We live out the Carmelite charism precisely in the world- through prayer, community, and service we seek to transform the world according to Christ’s command to be leaven, salt, light.
Yet at the same time we seek, by following the Carmelite charism of prayer, to be transformed in love into conformity with Christ.

You’re right, though, it is a commitment not to be taken lightly. The benefits, though, if you discern the call to the Order, are great: membership in the order, and a proven means to acquire holiness by means of the spirituality of the Order.
 
drforjc said:
I work full time at a major medical institution and am discerning Lay Carmelite life.
We are not friars and nuns, we are lay people. We have jobs, families, other responsibilities…
We live out the Carmelite charism precisely in the world- through prayer, community, and service we seek to transform the world according to Christ’s command to be leaven, salt, light.
Yet at the same time we seek, by following the Carmelite charism of prayer, to be transformed in love into conformity with Christ.

You’re right, though, it is a commitment not to be taken lightly. The benefits, though, if you discern the call to the Order, are great: membership in the order, and a proven means to acquire holiness by means of the spirituality of the Order.
Click to expand...
It sounds amazing beyond words…I truly feel a calling to this…I will discuss with the woman who runs this particular order here through my parish. Thank you for the info. 🙂
 
whatevergirl said:
It sounds amazing beyond words…I truly feel a calling to this…I will discuss with the woman who runs this particular order here through my parish. Thank you for the info. 🙂
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Ask about an opportunity to visit with the order when they have their monthly meeting. This gives you an opportunity to see what is going on, and an opportunity for you to discern.

In the Lay Carmelite order I am a member of we allow newcomers to come and visit and see what is going on. We assign them a mentor to answer their questions, and encourage them to come again if they wish.

Then, when a Candidate class starts they may decide to look into it further.
 
Dorothy said:
Ask about an opportunity to visit with the order when they have their monthly meeting. This gives you an opportunity to see what is going on, and an opportunity for you to discern.

In the Lay Carmelite order I am a member of we allow newcomers to come and visit and see what is going on. We assign them a mentor to answer their questions, and encourage them to come again if they wish.

Then, when a Candidate class starts they may decide to look into it further.
Click to expand...
So…is this similiar to Knights of Columbus, only in the fact that it is an actual organization…you have to belong to it…come to weekly/monthly meetings…and follow a certain protocol? I know that it’s vastly different from K of C, but just curious if it has a similar structure?

What exactly do you do, Dorothy? Do you visit the sick in hospitals…or are you ‘assigned’ certain duties, montly? I am going to take your advice…I would not have thought of that. I truly want to check this out, further.
 
whatevergirl said:
So…is this similiar to Knights of Columbus, only in the fact that it is an actual organization…you have to belong to it…come to weekly/monthly meetings…and follow a certain protocol? I know that it’s vastly different from K of C, but just curious if it has a similar structure?

What exactly do you do, Dorothy? Do you visit the sick in hospitals…or are you ‘assigned’ certain duties, montly? I am going to take your advice…I would not have thought of that. I truly want to check this out, further.
Click to expand...
It is not at all like the Knight of Columbus. It is a religious order for lay people. Here, I will give you an example of our monthly schedule:

8:00 - 8:30 Mass
8:40 - 9:00 Morning Prayer said aloud as a Community
(Liturgy of the Hours)
9:00 - 9:15 Transition/Refreshments (parish hall)
9:15 - 10:15 General Meeting
Business (10 min.)
Study of Provincial Statutes (20 min.)
Community Lectio Divine (30 min.)
(prayer)

10:15 - 10:30 Break
10:30 - 12:00 Spiritual Study for all - (Candidates, Novices &
Professed)
We are starting on “The Way of Perfection” by
Teresa of Avila - we read one chapter a month,
get a 20 minute teaching on it, and then have
small group discussions the rest of the time.

12:00 - 2:00 Those who will stay bring a bag lunch and go to
their respective areas for their Instruction for
that month. There is a separate class for
Candidates (new people), and a class for
Novices.

We meet once a month on a Saturday, and that is the structure of the meeting. We say, every day, Morning, Evening, and Night Prayer of the Liturgy of the Hours, and are committed to at least one half hour of mental prayer a day. Each member is led to the type of service they are gifted for, and do it on their own. We have members that range in age from 25 to in the 70’s. Most of them are women.

We have one three-day retreat a year, and two days of reflection.

If you have any other questions just ask. 🙂
 
Thank you Dorothy…so, this is somewhat similiar to a retreat. I have been on retreats, where the meetings are very structured like this…not to keep asking you to compare to something–lol, but it helps me have a reference point. This is something that takes place mainly on the weekends then…the meetings?
 
Our group meets on the third Saturday of each month - it may differ with other communities…

Other communities may have a separate day for the Instructions - it depends on what they agree on and what works for them.

The charism of the Carmelite order is about prayer, contemplative prayer in particular. Spiritual formation is basically the meaning for all our meetings.

Remember, we are lay people who live in the world, and so our first priority is our state in life (marriage, student, nurse, etc.)
 
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