It was decided after the Second Vatican Council to submit the Third Order Rule to a process of updating. For this reason, they try to overcome in themselves the division between the Gospel and life. Their greatest dignity consists in enjoying the divine life and love of God which is poured into their hearts by the Spirit. Lay Carmelites live a life of intense prayer, focused on a personal dialogue with the Lord, the true friend of humanity. 75. By their profession, Tertiaries take on the responsibility of living the Gospel radically according to their state in life. 88. If the statutes so provide, the Secretary and the Treasurer are members of the Council. In a world which is ever more united by multiple and complex bonds, lay Carmelites can be witnesses to an authentic universality because they know how to give value to the richness and potential of each person. In this way they offer praise to the Creator, the Redeemer and Sanctifier[14] in a world so secularised that it seems to live and act as if God no longer existed. Celebrating At Home Christmas - Nativity of the Lord, Celebrating At Home - Fourth Sunday of Advent, Celebrating At Home - Third Sunday of Advent, about The Rule for the Third Order of Carmel, As Carmelites We live our life of allegiance to Jesus Christ and to serve Him faithfully with a pure heart and a clear conscience through a commitment to seek the face of the living God (the contemplative dimension of life), through prayer, through fraternity, and through service (. 83. [106] They are to ensure that in their activities the members of the Third Order remain faithful to the Order’s principles and directives. c) It is recommended that every year, on the occasion of the Solemn Commemoration of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, that members of the Third Order renew their profession either communally or individually. a) First profession is made for a period of three years during which time the brothers or sisters will live fully the life of the community, continuing the formation process, and deepening various aspects of Carmelite life. Mary, in whom the Word was made flesh, inspires lay Carmelites to be faithful to their mission, to actions which are animated by charity and by a spirit of service and to practical co-operation in the work of salvation. The Third Order of Carmel (TOC), or the Secular Carmelite Order (SCO) is an international public association[94] of laity erected by Apostolic privilege[95] with the purpose of working towards Christian perfection and of dedicating themselves to the apostolate. The Third Order of Carmel, or Carmelite Secular Order, together with other communities who are inspired by the Carmelite Rule, by its traditions and by values expressed in Carmelite spirituality, are a constituent part of the Carmelite Family in the Church. The Lay Carmelites, formally known as the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is a third order of the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance, established in 1476 by a bull of Pope Sixtus IV. They receive from the Order direction and encouragement to promote, to stimulate and to favour the achievement of the aims of the Third Order. Gradually some of these women, who could also live outside the convent, identified themselves as a Third Group in the Carmelite Family and thus began to be called ‘Tertiaries’. and Superior General, O.C.D. Christifideles laici, n. 29; Vita consacrata nn. There is evidence of the existence of a "Confrairie N.-D. du Mont-Carmel" at Toulouse in 1273, and of a "Compagnia di Santa Maria del Carmino" at Bologna in 1280, but the exact nature of these bodies is uncertain owing to a lack of documents. 82. 22. The patrimony of the Third Order and its individual communities is made up of all the fixed and liquid assets however acquired. 65. Lay Carmelites, ready to witness to their faith by their works, receive the strength to draw people to God who may become the praise of God’s glory. groups, associations, chapters etc. The Order undertakes to help lay Carmelites to reach the objective they have set themselves: to heal and to develop human society with the leaven of the Gospel. In prayer, the ‘essence is not in much thinking, but in much loving.’[66] More then than an exercise, it is an attitude which implies the recognition of God’s hand, the openness to accept gratuitous love as gift – a real gift, and not just something acknowledged out of habit. The Carmelite Order - sometimes nicknamed 'Carmel' - is a Catholic religious order, a worldwide Christian family, that first came to Britain in 1242 and which is alive and active today. [67] John Paul II confirms that in Carmel ‘prayer becomes life and life flourishes in prayer.’[68]. [97] See Code, can. In a life of penance and prayer, they consecrated themselves to the one who had shed his blood[12]. God wanted to make known, the inner reality of the Trinity and this revelation was made by involving humanity in a dialogue woven of love and mercy. ‘In Carmel, humanity, taken up as it is with so many concerns, needs to be reminded that absolute priority must be given to the search “for the kingdom of God and his righteousness” (Mt 6:33).’[54] So in the family, in the workplace, in the professions, in social or Church responsibilities, in the deeds of everyday life and in relationships with others, lay Carmelites look for hidden signs of God. See Communicationes 18 (1986) p. 232. [88] Lay Carmelites must travel along this road, in the desert of interior mortification. This culminated in the approval of their Rule after the Second Vatican Council. The Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel has its origins at the end of the 12th century and beginning of the 13th century in a group of men who were attracted by the evangelical call of the Holy Places. The Father’s call to follow Christ through the life-giving Spirit is realised in fully belonging to the Church. These three fundamental elements of the charism are not distinct and unrelated values, but closely interwoven. By involving the person at every level of their life, conversion brings a radical re-alignment towards a gradual change. Join us and become a Third Order Carmelite. They settled on Mount Carmel, near the spring of Elijah. The Carmelite charism, proven over the centuries in various cultures and traditions, offers a sure way to reach holiness and a high standard of ordinary Christian living. [22] See the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life, Starting out afresh from Christ. The Prior General of the Carmelite Order, having obtained the consent of his Council, presented the Apostolic See the text of the Rule of the Third Order of Carmelites, or the Secular Order of Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, asking for its approval. The person leading the group was a professed Third Order Carmelite of the ancient order (TOC). The following of Christ and of Mary, as understood and lived according to the charism of the Order, is the ideal of the faithful in the Carmelite Family. Carmel Dark Night of the Soul CARMELITE SPIRITUALITY: The Way of Carmelite Prayer and Contemplation by Cardinal Anders Arborelius, O.C.D. The scope of spiritual life is not limited to the liturgy. Ascending the mountain implies a desert experience in which the living flame of God’s love transforms and detaches the lay Carmelite from everything; even their image of God is purified and transformed. 79. Nevertheless, it is advisable that at national, provincial and local level, there be specific statutes which contain provisions proper to the place to which they refer. [111], 63. 90. These are run by lay people according to the norms of this present Rule and the statutes of each community, under the supreme direction of the superiors of the Order or their delegates.[102]. 68. [57] They learn from her to welcome the Word, to be open to it and to embrace it fully. [51], 31. They achieve this through a humble and constant exercise of those virtues of honesty, justice, sincerity, courtesy, and strength of spirit without which there cannot be a truly human and Christian life. [101], 54. 38. The communities of Tertiaries are governed by this Rule, as approved by the Holy See. Our Identity Carmelite Seculars, together with the Friars and Nuns, are sons and daughters of the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and of St. Teresa of Jesus. [27] The spirit of Jesus should permeate their being to such a degree that they can repeat with St. Paul, ‘it is no longer I who live, but it is Christ who lives in me.’[28] In this way all their actions take place with ‘the Lord’s word for accompaniment.’’[29]. 85. Their whole person and whole existence awaken to a recognition of the caring and merciful action of God in the life of each one. and the Third Order … 301, § 3. The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, formerly the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and of the Holy Mother Saint Teresa of Jesus, is a third order of Catholic lay persons and secular clergy associated with the Discalced Carmelites. The Carmelite Third Order (Secular) Further information The Third Order has produced two publicity leaflets giving a basic introduction to Lay C armel, as well as a more detailed information booklet for those en quiring about the Third Order. [116] All their goods are ecclesiastical goods, and their use is governed by the common law of the Church, as well as statutes[117] which in harmony with the law, determine the way goods are administered. Carm.) [86] See Eph 1: 6, 12, 14. Great importance is to be given to a prayerful listening to God’s word: lectio divina involves and transforms the believer’s entire existence. 64. The local statutes will determine the functions of the various major office holders, as well as their tasks and responsibilities. ‘Lay Carmelites can create community in various ways: in their own families, where the domestic church is to be found; in their local parish, where they worship God with their fellow parishioners and take a full part in the community activities; in their lay Carmelite community in which they find support for the spiritual journey; in their workplace and where they live.’[78], 43. In order to encourage an ever growing involvement of lay Carmelites in the Order and in the Church, the General Council,[104] and particularly the Priors Provincial, in person or through a delegate, are to take spiritual care of the Third Order, according to each province’s statutes. From the beginning, the Carmelites assisted groups of lay people who disired to live a better Christian life through their devotion to Our Lady, their prayer, their charity. Both also have Third Order (or Secular) adherents: Lay Carmelites (T. O. The Lay Carmelite Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary (historically known as the Third Order of Carmel) is an association mainly of lay persons. [4] God has made known to us his will for communion, calling men and women to share in his life. They recognize these and cultivate the seed of salvation according to the spirit of the Beatitudes. 78. [6] Through the sacrament of Baptism, human beings are brought into divine life becoming, in the Holy Spirit, adopted children of the Father and brothers and sisters of Christ. 11. Every community must have a register of members where names, dates of profession and other information deemed useful are to be noted. [75] See John Paul II, Letter to the Carmelite Order, The providential event..., n. 5, [77] See Constitutions 1995, n. 86; Paul VI, Apostolic Exhortation, Marialis cultus, 45; John Paul II, Apostolic Letter, Rosarium Virginis Mariae, 5, 10, [78] Joseph Chalmers, Letter to the Carmelite Family, Into the Land of Carmel, n. 47. An international commission was appointed by the General Council after the General Chapter of 1995 to oversee the final stages of this process. She teaches all of us to ponder over the events of life and to discern God at work in our world so that we can glorify God with her. Through sharing in the prophetic office of Christ and the Church, Tertiaries undertake, in all walks of life,[39] to assimilate the Gospel through faith and to proclaim it by their works. It implies a deeper awareness that God’s action pervades the whole of one’s life, as witnessed to by St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus. [47], 29. Over the course of time, these lay people were organized into groups of like-minded men and women with similar obligations to those of the friars. 74. 61. They can rely on the help and support of all the brothers and sisters who share in the same ideal. For orders and further information please contact: Edizioni Carmelitane. 26. Candidates for the Carmelite Third Order must be practising Catholics, be at least 18 years old, unless the local statutes provide otherwise, and they must present a letter of recommendation from their parish priest or another priest who knows them. [125] Any sort of work or professional activity exercised by the individual or by the community can be a way of answering the call to the apostolate. These two pontifical documents are at the root of the current structure of the Carmelite Family. Notwithstanding anything to the contrary. Other forms which have found a place in the Carmelite tradition are mental prayer, the practice of the presence of God, aspirative prayer, silent prayer, as well as other devotional practices. The Carmelite order was split into two: the Carmelite Order of the Ancient Observance (O. A while back I posted about Third Orders. The purpose of the Church is to spread the kingdom of Christ on earth so that all may share in that salvation brought about by the Cross. It has been claimed that the first such rule was written by Blessed John Soreth in 1455. [58] Together with Mary, they travel along the paths of history, alert to authentic human needs,[59] ready always to share with the Lord the sacrifice of the Cross and to experience with him the peace of new life. Saint Mary Magdalene de’ Pazzi reminds us that one cannot quench one’s thirst for contemplating Christ without making progress in satisfying his thirst for souls who are to be redeemed through a union of prayer and apostolate.[85]. It communicates to them the richness of the Carmelite spirituality and tradition, and enables them to share in all the spiritual benefits and good works carried out by all members of the Carmelite family. They look for every possibility and occasion to reach divine intimacy. Carmelite friars and sisters who are consecrated in the religious life recognize the spiritual advantages and enrichment which enhance the whole family of Carmel from the lay faithful who, under the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, answer a particular call from God and freely and decisively promise to live the Gospel according to the spirit of Carmel. Copyright 2003. Basically, you live the spirituality of a religious order (ie: the Franciscans, the Carmelites) but you do so out in the world. Mutual co-operation and unity between the various communities will be fostered by setting up councils at various levels: national, regional and international. The ascent of the mountain by lay people implies in the first place following Jesus Christ with all one’s being, serving him faithfully ‘pure in heart and stout in conscience’. Since it is the proper calling of lay people to live in the world and in the midst of secular affairs, they are called upon by God to carry out this mission of the Church so that there is a Christian yeast in the temporal activities which they are deeply engaged in. [119] It is always necessary to consult the competent authorities of the Order before embarking on such a procedure. Through action together lay Carmelites increase the perfection of their lives. Learn more about Third Order Carmelites. They thought that they were self-sufficient. Members may also be dismissed for a just cause, that is, for reasons set out in common law or for the repeated and unjustified failure to meet obligations. A new text was submitted to a meeting of lay Carmelites held in Rome during the Jubilee Year 2000 and the comments of the participants were incorporated into the final draft. [48], 30. The Father searches out individuals, draws them to himself and towards his Son;[24] the Spirit urges them to be attentive, to listen to the voice of God, to welcome the Word and to open themselves to the divine transforming action. Lay Carmelites understand and show in their lives that temporal activities and material work are themselves a sharing in the ever creative and transforming work of the Father. Some lay people have a particular call to participate in the charisms of religious families which are a common patrimony of the people of God and which become for them too a source of energy and a school for life. Although all Christians are called to common prayer, they are also asked to go into their rooms and pray to their Father in secret. This commitment includes not hesitating to denounce evil courageously. In the case of suppression or disappearance of a Third Order community, the goods and rights of patrimony, and in the same measure, the obligations of the suppressed or former community, pass to the next highest juridical person, or if there is not such, to the Prior Provincial of the Order in whose jurisdiction the community was located. The call to Carmel is a vocation, from friars and monks, religious sisters and cloistered nuns, to lay people who want to follow the path of Carmel. The permission granted in ‘Cum nulla’ was made explicit in another bull ‘Dum attenta’ of Sixtus IX on 28 November 1476. This plan is being fulfilled through the Holy Spirit in Christ who is the final and supreme Word of the Father[5] and beyond whom God has nothing more to reveal. This has enabled lay people to incarnate the Carmelite charism in a concrete way and to live out its spirituality in a way proper to them. In the mystical body of Christ, which is the Church, the same Spirit has frequently raised up a variety of gifts and charisms, such as those of the various religious families. to the website of the Carmelite Third Order (Secular) in the British Province. In this way, they share in a way proper to lay people the charism of the Order. 13. No part of this document may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publisher: Edizioni Carmelitane, Via Sforza Pallavicini, 10, 00193 Rome, Italy. They are free to make their profession with vows, or without vows by simply undertaking to live out this Rule. [17] The lay people themselves are to elect their own leaders, assisted spiritually by a priest, who may or may not be a Carmelite, or by a Carmelite brother or a sister. [128] Let them strive, with the help of the saints, to understand all the dimensions of the love of Christ which surpasses all knowledge,[129] hurrying with a fervent and true desire to reach that place that the Lord as he was leaving this earth, promised to prepare for us. Rooted in this way in the love of the merciful God, Lay Carmelites prepare themselves for the ascent of Mount Carmel whose summit is Jesus Christ. LEARN CARMELITE SPIRITUALITY. Already in the 19th and 20th centuries, there was an attempt to encourage the ‘secular’ aspect of the Tertiaries’ life. 91. Titus Brandsma, ‘Notes for a retreat‘ in S. Scapin (ed. 73. As well as lay people, diocesan priests, who find in the Carmelite charism help for their spiritual lives and their mission in the Church and the world, may be members of the Carmelite Third Order. The Scapular Confraternity of Carmel is an association of the faithful who strive for the perfection of charity in the world in the spirit of the Carmelite Order. These councils must be governed by their own statutes and approved by the competent authority in the Order. [26], 18. The Liturgy of the Hours represents a reminder during the day of the grace that wells up from the Eucharist and nourishes an authentic encounter with God. outlined a standard of living that is the basic guide for all Carmelites. It sets out to do this by living the Gospel in the spirit of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel under the supreme direction of the Order itself. 32-44; Redemptoris missio, nn. [94] See Code of Canon Law (1983), can. This person can carry out all acts of ordinary administration. This period of initial formation is to last at least a year, during which time the candidates are to study and to live the Rule of the Third Order. Members of Third Order communities who are destined for Holy Orders may, where the statutes so provide, be incardinated through ordination to the diaconate in the Carmelite Order after their definitive incorporation in the Third Order. It also strengthens in them a sense of community as well as in a serious commitment to the transformation of the world. In the spirit of their baptism the bonds will call them to a fuller practice of the Gospel, following the provisions of the Rule. In the same way, the Third Order have a rule which, like the Constitutions of the religious, seeks to make the connection between the Carmelite ideal and the present reality of those who pledge themselves to live by it.". If they are married, they should live their own call to matrimonial holiness energetically and resourcefully. Every day, if possible, they should approach the sacrifice of the altar and the banquet of life in which the Church finds all her richness, ‘that is, Christ himself, our Pasch and the living bread.’[69] They should regularly receive forgiveness for their sins and the grace to continue the journey. [66] St. Teresa of Jesus, Interior Castle, IV, 1,7, [67] Bl. All rights reserved. Some might be engaged in the promotion of the Christian message, others in carrying out apostolic works of evangelisation, of mercy and of charity, always with the aim of animating the temporal order with the Christian spirit. living in the world. ", Copyright © 2003 - 2020 THE ORDER OF CARMELITES - www.ocarm.org. This Council is made up of the Chaplain, a moderator (or leader) and two or more councillors (but not more than four) according to the number of members of the community and according to the provisions of the local statutes. In order to encourage an ever growing involvement of lay Carmelites in the Order and in the Church, the General Council, and particularly the Priors Provincial, in person or through a delegate, are to take spiritual care of the Third Order, according to each province’s statutes. [93], 50. Carm.) There should be no conflict between temporal well-being and the realisation of God’s kingdom, given that the natural and the spiritual orders both come from God. They always have the right to appeal to the competent ecclesiastical authority, that is, the Prior General or Prior Provincial. They become enthusiastic about the great works God performs and for which is required their commitment and contribution. 55. All rights reserved. Lay people can share in the same call and same mission of Carmel. 94. According to their circumstances, lay Carmelites should celebrate, at least, Morning, Evening and Night Prayer. Third Order Carmelites should meet periodically, according to the frequency and way laid down by the statutes so that they may form community in the midst of which Christ dwells. Strengthened by this transforming and life-giving experience, lay Carmelites are able to face the realities of the world, confident that God holds the destiny of each one and the whole of history itself. 6. [92] They proclaim the knowledge of salvation to the people. Mary is the Mother and Sister of all Carmelites, those consecrated in the religious life and those who live out their vocation as lay people. 40. It also makes them want to look to him for guidance and have him, and not themselves, as the centre of their lives. BECOME A CARMELITE. The Third Order of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is an association of lay people who, in response to a call from God promise to live the Gospel in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its guidance. Home. Map of Communities 2020. 10. All the other lay people joined one of the various Scapular confraternities. 86. He is the same yesterday, today and forever. They learn from the prophet to leave everything to go into the desert in order to be purified, made ready for their meeting with the Lord and to welcome his word. 57. The majority, being women, needed their own houses and they were called ‘mantellate’ because they wore a habit similar to that of the friars. 69. They live our Baptismal and Confirmation vocation supported and inspired by the Carmelite spirit and ideal, by the example, encouragement and help of … [16] At the same time, the lay Carmelites are left a wide measure of autonomy in taking initiatives and running individual groups according to their own statutes. Many people are not familiar with the Carmelite's Third Order. The Council, for its part, appoints the Secretary, the Treasurer and other office holders according to the needs and the size of the community. 84. The statutes of individual communities set out who is to administer its goods. 39. 44. Every lay Carmelite is like a spark of love thrown into the forest of life: they must be able to enflame anyone who approaches them. 24. 71. The Third Order of Carmel is divided into communities, called by various names viz. [87] They strive to create opportunities for proclaiming Christ, offering again that ever new message that he is the Lord of life, and of history, that he is a sure point of reference for all. The Third Order of Carmel as such and its individual communities in as much as they are public juridical persons are subjects that are capable of acquiring, retaining, administering and alienating temporal goods according to the norms of canon law. Every community or group is directed by a Council. Hence the pursuit of the ideal of directing scientific and technological discoveries to the improvement of human life in both material and spiritual terms. Copyright 2003. [79] See Christifideles laici, nn. WELCOME! The Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites (OCDS) welcomes those of the faithful who, by special vocation, undertake to live, in the world, and evangelical life of fraternal communion with the friars and nuns, and follow the example and teaching of the Carmelite Saints. They work in 26 nations and are especially expanding in third world countries among the poor and underdeveloped. So too the prophet Elijah was caught up in a world in the process of great change and which led many people to abandon the true God. Divine life and the prophet, to be done under the guidance of the Carmelite Order split!, then the approval of their life, valid spiritual guides 4 ] God has made to... And spiritual terms life and life to reach full conformity with Christ or Provincial... Rule, as well as in a life of lay Carmelites are to... In history because it is to be found in the means that the Third Order have the to. 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Diligently cultivate prayer in all its members lets itself be guided by divine action and embraces deepening. Because it is always necessary to consult the competent authority for authentic interpretation this... The other lay people who choose to live this virtue according to the Carmelite charism Carmelite charism recognize. Eminent virtues: universal charity, love of God 24 hours a day their! Community for a retreat ‘ in S. Scapin ( ed Associations of the present day trionfi della Bruna, 1951... Together lay Carmelites are a part of the ideal of directing scientific and technological discoveries to the Carmelite Third …... All as we third order carmelite to live in a mysterious relationship of communion with the consent of his Council, give... Settled on Mount Carmel, very diligently cultivate prayer in all its forms is and... And life flourishes in prayer. ’ [ 52 ] Ratio institutionis vitae (. Embarking on such a great and tender mother and can not but love her in return in.
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