The Way Of The Carmelites

A collection of the writings of this 14th century Catalonian Carmelite formed the basis of the legendary history of the Order that forms the basis of its spirituality. The text, also known as The Book of the First Monks, was widely read across medieval Europe. Called both a spiritual masterpiece and a work of fantasy, Ribot attempts to demonstrate the Order's antiquity, its privileged place within the Church, and its unique role in Salvation History.

This book offers one of the most fruitful and popular practices of Christian devotion: the Way of the Cross, or Stations of the Cross, from a Carmelite perspective. The reader has the opportunity to make the Way of the Cross with five inspiring Carmelite saints: John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) and Elizabeth of the Trinity. In effect, the book provides five different Ways of the Cross which the reader can use for prayer. A complete set of reflections from each saint includes a brief Scripture passage, followed by a selection from the saint’s writings; footnotes identify the source document for each. These saints have a perennial message for us, helping us to mine, as St. John of the Cross described it, the deep, inexhaustible love and riches of Christ, especially demonstrated in his Passion, death and resurrection. The Way of the Cross with the Carmelite Saints is an ideal prayer resource for the Lenten season, or for personal prayer and reflection at any time throughout the year.

For Carmelites, prayer is friendship with God in a silent communion of love. By fixing our eyes on the vulnerability of Jesus and on his unrequited love for us, we are transformed. For a life permeated by closeness to him, contemplation becomes the source of action. This beautifully written book, replete with reflections on the Bible, is a spiritual companion and guide for Lent – and the rest of the year – that will introduce readers to the riches of the Carmelite tradition. It also includes questions at the end of each chapter that enable us to follow the profound and practical way of the Carmelites. ‘This book . . . [allows] the gentle light of Carmel’s wisdom to bring insight to our own dark nights.’ Margaret Silf, author and retreat facilitator ‘In a world marked by division and uncertainty . . . too many hearts are beset by lingering weakness and unhealed wounds . . . God beckons with silence . . . Father McCaffrey poignantly captures this spiritual adventure.’ Monsignor Joseph Reilly, Rector and Dean of Immaculate Conception Seminary School of Theology ‘Scholarly and practical, humble yet brilliant. I warmly commend it.’ Professor Peter Tyler, St Mary’s University, Twickenham, London

An introduction to Carmelite spirituality that focuses on two major moments in the Carmelite tradition: the beginnings of the Carmelite Order in the thirteenth century and the reform of the order by Teresa of Avila in the sixteenth century. +

All who wear the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel are called to be Carmelites, at least of the Third Order. The author explains: “Those who are not specially interested in our Carmelite Tertiaryship, but desire to obtain a knowledge of Carmelite spirituality, are advised to read from chapter xi to chapter xv of this book. By Carmelite spirituality we mean the methods and principles of prayer and the interior life which inspire the lives and counsels of the three great saints, Teresa of Jesus, John of the Cross and Teresa of the Child Jesus. We trust readers will find in those pages in simple language all that is necessary to give them such an appreciation of the spirit of those saints as will make them resolve to take the means to acquire it. This book is devoted to the explanation of those means.” Thus this book is dedicated to all of us who should have a Carmelite spirituality, following the great masters, Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross and Teresa of Lisieux.Chapter 11 begins with this from the Third Order Rule, which applies al all sincere Christians: “Tertiaries, following the advice of St. Paul, should be sober and earnest in the practice of piety, and avail themselves of all means calculated to foster it in their souls.” The author explains: “In the language of the Apostles the word 'sober' has not the restricted meaning it bears in the English language. It rather means a calm." The Apostle then exhorts us to be temperate, deliberate, prudent, gentle and calm in all our actions. Tertiaries can best follow the advice of St. Paul and of their Rule in being sober and earnest in the practice of piety by striving after that active purgation or purification of which we have written in dealing with mental prayer.They will "avail themselves of all means calculated to foster it in their souls" by the greatest fidelity to the various points of their holy Rule, to their vows, vocal and mental prayer, spiritual reading, examination of conscience, hearing of Holy Mass and the frequentation of the Sacraments.”We pray this book will help all to acquire the true spirit of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and her humble devotees.

Centered on prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality seeks to awaken in its practitioners an intense thirst for an immediate and direct experience of God, from which can grow a deep and loving friendship with Him. Most fully developed by St. John of the Cross (d. 1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582) and then further enriched by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (d. 1897), Carmelite spirituality flourishes in solitude and silence, nurtured by quieting external noise and turning away from interior distractions. Not at all limited to persons in monastic or convent life, Carmelite spirituality is meant for all who yearn for a deeper and sustained union with God. That is, it is meant for you. In this illuminating book, the Swedish Carmelite Cardinal Anders Arborelius shows you how, by praying, sacrificing, and meditating in your own particular circumstances, as the great Car

This book offers one of the most fruitful and popular practices of Christian devotion: the Way of the Cross, or Stations of the Cross, from a Carmelite perspective. The reader has the opportunity to make the Way of the Cross with five inspiring Carmelite saints: John of the Cross, Teresa of Avila, Thérèse of Lisieux, Edith Stein (Teresa Benedicta of the Cross) and Elizabeth of the Trinity. In effect, the book provides five different Ways of the Cross which the reader can use for prayer. A complete set of reflections from each saint includes a brief Scripture passage, followed by a selection from the saint’s writings; footnotes identify the source document for each. These saints have a perennial message for us, helping us to mine, as St. John of the Cross described it, the deep, inexhaustible love and riches of Christ, especially demonstrated in his Passion, death and resurrection. The Way of the Cross with the Carmelite Saints is an ideal prayer resource for the Lenten season, or for personal prayer and reflection at any time throughout the year.

This book recounts the dramatic true story of the Discalced Carmelite nuns of Compiègne, martyred during the French Revolution's "Great Terror," and known to the world through their fictional representation in Gertrud von Le Fort's Song at the Scaffold and Francis Poulenc's Dialogues of the Carmelites. At the height of the French Revolution's "Great Terror," a community of sixteen Carmelite nuns from Compiègne offered their lives to restore peace to the church and to France. Ten days after their deaths by the guillotine, Robespierre fell, and with his execution on the same scaffold the Reign of Terror effectively ended. Had God thus accepted and used the Carmelites' generous self-gift? Through Gertrud von Le Fort's modern novella, Song at the Scaffold, and Francis Poulenc's famed opera, Dialogues of the Carmelites, (with its libretto by Georges Bernanos), modern audiences around the world have become captivated by the mysterious destiny of these Compiègne martyrs, Blessed Teresa of St. Augustine and her companions. Now, for the first time in English, William Bush explores at length the facts behind the fictional representations, and reflects on their spiritual significance. Based on years of research, this book recounts in lively detail virtually all that is known of the life and background of each of the martyrs, as well as the troubled times in which they lived. The Compiègne Carmelites, sustained by their remarkable prioress, emerge as distinct individuals, struggling as Christians to understand and respond to an awesome calling, relying not on their own strength but on the mercy of God and the guiding hand of Providence. The book includes an index and 15 photos.