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Soundings from the Carmelite Monastery, Ormiston, Queensland
For Young Adults
Issue 6 (March 2003)
Even though pondering the Word of God and watching in prayer is at the very heart of our Rule, we as Carmelites are being urged today to allow the Word of God to permeate all aspects of our community life. The communal sharing of Lectio Divina is one way we are doing this. Sitting in a big circle with some visual aid to prayer in the centre, eg. an open Bible on a cloth, candles, an icon etc., we each have our copy of the scriptures open before us. We follow the format which you will see in the ‘Praying with....’ section. If you can find a few people willing to join you, you could try it as a group.
You’ll notice that this issue has been delayed. We want to move away from New Year, which is a rather busy time, so from now on, the two editions will be dated March and September. What would Carmelites know about being busy? Well, so much has happened in the last eight months that lack of space prevents us from sharing it all with you .
We have had two visits from the young people involved in NET ministries: the 2002 teams, who returned to tell us of their experiences during the year, and the 40 enthusiastic members of the 2003 teams, who came to see us before their commissioning. Our thoughts and prayers accompany them as they travel all over Australia and even New Zealand this year.
One morning last October, the Archbishop came down with a beautiful young woman, Shannon Cavanaugh, who was to have major surgery the following day for a malignant tumour. During the Mass, which he offered for her, he invited her to address us. Shannon’s faith and courage were an inspiration. No wonder she had been chosen to represent Australia at World Youth Day a few weeks previously! The prayers of many people were amazingly answered. The surgery was not as radical as the doctors had feared, and today Shannon is back at work. May she continue to grow in God’s love.
If you have questions, comments, stories, prayer requests, anything at all
write to us here:
Carmelite Monastery,
287 Wellington St,
Ormiston. QLD 4160.
e-mail: Click here to contact us by email
Marguerite Nowlan
Marguerite is a young woman who spent some months in Carmel at Ormiston during the mid nineties. She had hoped to spend her whole life here, but God had other plans.... We asked her to write something about her experience.
In a very simple word, it was ORDINARINESS that led
me to Carmel, Ormiston. I was in England at the time, when I found myself quite
often browsing through Catholic papers, always looking for something, but never
sure what. One day I found an ad that spoke of a Carmelite retreat. I booked in,
highly delighted with myself, only to receive the reply that this retreat was
for men. What I needed to do was get in touch with Carmelite nuns. Having rung
the nuns, a visit soon followed. Much instruction finally led to my entry. However,
as yet it was too early in the day for such a huge leap, and with homesickness
heavy in my heart, I returned to Australia, whereupon a young woman gave me the
address of the nuns in Ormiston.
Write I did, but only once or twice as I recall. Sr. Katherine answered my letter, St. Joseph did the rest. Within a few months I came to visit and did a two month ‘come and see’. How happy I was in the Order: the daily prayer routine and just doing the same work here as I did in my home-help jobs. Mutually, we decided that I would come back and enter. The date was set for March 25, 1994 - Feast of the Annunciation. How happy I was, and what ripples of joy it brought to my mother, who had long been a great lover of St. Thérèse. Kneeling before the heavenly Mother, I re-made my ‘Louis de Montfort consecration’ and crossed the threshold. Oh, how happy! How happy I was!
Carmel was, in my mind then, as it still is today, the womb of Mary, where she nurtures and brings to life her only Son, i.e. she forms the true sons of God. It is this which is the mystery - who we really are, what our dignity is. It was this person that God was calling me to be - that I was coming to find.
Now I began this article telling you that it was ordinariness that brought
me here and truly there was nothing out of the ordinary in this entry. But St.
Thérèse was considered so ordinary that one of the nuns from Lisieux
is quoted as having said: ‘When she dies, what shall we say about her?’
In fact, it was Thérèse who spoke of the wonder of her life. Where
did that wonder lie? It was found in her intentions - in the faith with which
she saw God in everything. She would be ‘love in the heart of the Church’,
and always, all she did had the INTENTION of love behind it. Here lies her secret
- here lies the mystery. The ordinariness of my entry to Carmel has nothing in
it for those whose faith is not alive, not active. The life of Carmel, as with
any life, will be dull and without real purpose without that life-giving faith
and, as Jesus said to the Pharisees: ‘What did you expect to see?’
If you enter Carmel - or any vocation in life - without a sincerity that is seeking only the Beloved, you will go away; you will be disappointed. If you are coming for an ‘experience’, you will go away disheartened. But for those of you who are sincerely seeking Jesus, He’s there, waiting and calling. You will not find perfect women, without fault. You will not find anything spectacular, but if your sincerity is true, every day your living faith will find the ‘water’ of daily living ‘turned into the wine’ of a relationship with Jesus. The truth is that what you find is up to you and you alone.
I am no longer in Carmel, as the gentle Jesus had an altogether different plan for me. As I was about to receive the Habit, I was found to be quite unwell with an incurable disease. My stamina could not hold out to the long days and constant routine of the Carmelite life.
My happiness did not cease due to the new discovery. It remained, and still remains. I am happy; happy because of Jesus, and I’ve never regretted a day, an hour, or a minute that I spent in the cloister, but nor have I desired the cloister since knowing it was not His will. I say to you: JESUS - Set your eyes on Jesus. All else will fade away. If you think He’s calling, listen to His Vicar: ‘BE NOT AFRAID’.
YCG BrisbaneFr. Greg Homeming has returned from a two month break in London to take up his new position as Novice Master in Varroville. Now that he is relieved of his position as Regional Vicar he hopes to be more free for the Young Carmelite Group. The first meeting for 2003 will be on Saturday, 1 March. All 18-35 year olds are welcome. Ring, write or email if you’d like to be notified of the dates. David Wood has been to only one meeting so far, and these are his impressions: In the relentless pursuit of happiness, it’s so easy to forget Christ’s presence. Often we are lured by false idols: advertising, peer pressure and the all-too-pervasive belief that religion is ‘on the way out’. In such times - in fact, now more than ever - Christ’s message is yearning to be heard. I found the YCG meeting the perfect opportunity to re-emphasize the importance of Christ in my life. Not only did I learn a great deal about the Church - both past and present - about Scripture readings and current social issues, it was also heartening to meet other youths with similar interests. For me, the highlight of the day was sharing a special prayer session with the young at heart... the Carmelite sisters, of course! [David, 18] If you would like more info on the YCG, or to be notified of the
next meeting, Ph: (07) 3286 1401 |
An interview with Sister Cynthia Mary
Q. As a child, you did a fair bit of travelling around. Was that because of your Father’s work? Can you tell us some of the places you lived?
I was born in Roma where my parents were starting a sheep and cattle property.
Two years later, however, my father enlisted in the AIF, in which he served for
six years. My mother and we two children followed him around the various army
camps. We spent some time in Brisbane, then went back out west, where I started
school by correspondence. When I was six, my parents sold the property and we
moved to Melbourne, then to Seymour, near the big army camp at Puckapunyal in
northern Victoria. Eventually we returned to Brisbane. After my father was discharged
from the army, we bought a farm near Maryborough. When I was 19, my family moved
again, this time to Cairns.
Q. After school, you went to the University of Qld to study medicine. Why did you leave that to enter Carmel?
I was very satisfied with my studies in Med. and life at Duchesne University College. I tried to lead some sort of spiritual life, with daily Mass - on the premises, so no real effort - and some spiritual reading. It was through reading Thomas Merton’s book ‘Elected Silence’ I became convinced that God was calling me to a contemplative life, so I applied to enter the Carmelites, as they were the only contemplatives I knew.
Q. You have always been excited about the changes brought about by Vatican II, and particularly by the Church’s new understanding of law. Can you explain it to us?
Since the Reformation, the Church had become very legalistic and caught in structures, so that the spirit which should have been the animating force in the Church’s life was stifled. The Spirit was always there, but the Spirit’s voice could hardly be heard. Vatican II returned the Church to the scriptural understanding that the New Law written in our hearts is the Holy Spirit (Rom 5:5). So the law is essentially spiritual and the norms which guarantee some order and coherence to our daily living must always be at the service of the spiritual principles which govern our laws. There is an ever-present human tendency to find security in doing rather than following the lead of the Spirit to being and becoming.
Q. During our community periods of quiet prayer each day, an hour morning and evening, you avail of the option to spend that time down at ‘Carith’, the remotest part of our grounds, overlooking the bay. Would you share with us something about your prayer?
I find the whole atmosphere conducive to stillness and an awareness of the
presence of God, and I try to remain in that presence of Mystery by repeating
the name of Jesus, sometimes with variations, sometimes peacefully, sometimes
a cry from the depths of dejection. I never find it helpful to read. I just want
to be still or open to stillness: “Be still and know that I am God”
Ps 45. In recent years I have written some poetry of sorts, and most of the inspiration
comes from and is filtered through this place of God’s presence in nature.
Q. At present you are studying towards a Bachelor of Theology with the Catholic Correspondence Centre in Sydney. Do you see reading and study as important for living the contemplative life today?
I do, as it broadens a person’s outlook and opens her to all the strands of thinking in the Church, and to some extent, the wider world. While there is no need to be an authority on this, there is need to be exposed to it, to be aware of legitimate diversity and the richness it brings, and to be aware, likewise, of the need for dialogue and tolerance in listening to other traditions and to others in the Church. For me, doing a course such as this is a way to focus one’s reading and is a good discipline.
Q. What would you say to a young person who is serious about his or her faith and realises the importance of prayer for uplifting society?
St. Teresa says that when we are trying to come closer to God, it is very important to have the support of like-minded friends. So I would recommend joining with others for regular ‘lectio divina’ - praying the Word of God together. This will change you so that you become a leaven in society, whether in a quiet way, or whether in a more active way, if you are drawn to that.
Translated literally as ‘Divine’ or ‘Holy’ Reading, the ancient monastic practice of lectio divina, - pronounced: lexio diveena - a slow, prayerful reading of scripture, is being re-discovered today by Christians everywhere as a means of allowing the power of God’s Word to touch our lives and transform them.
Most of what we read each day is for information, be it serious study or idle curiousity. Lectio divina is about a relationship with a Person: the Word, who was with God in the beginning, and was made visible in Jesus. Therefore we come to it with deep reverence, faith and love. We come with open hearts and minds, prepared to be challenged and changed by this Word.
While lectio is usually done privately, the Holy Spirit seems to be moving us as a Church to break open this Word with one another. This is a different dynamic from the Liturgy of the Word, which forms an important part of our Eucharist. We assemble to spend time together, reading, listening and praying quietly over the text, and sharing with the group whatever wells up from the depths of our personal encounter with the Word. This can be a very moving experience, as we have not only the written Word of God, but also the presence of the Word, Jesus, who promised to be with those who gather in His Name.
While lectio itself is not about the literary and historical aspects of the Biblical text, it does help if we regularly study some of the many good commentaries available now. In this way we avoid a fundamentalist approach which could distort God’s intended meaning.
There are four recognised elements in lectio: reading, meditation, prayer and contemplation. Reading is done very slowly, aloud, if possible, so as to engage the entire person: an audio-visual impact. Time is given for quietly reflecting on the text. ‘What is it saying to me/us at this point in time? Where does it fit in with my life experience?’ One listens for the voice of the Beloved, whose Word is always creative. Our response in prayer follows. Sometimes it is simply a prayer of love and gratitude. Usually there is a challenge for us. Are we going to allow the Word to draw us into a deeper commitment to Jesus and our Christian discipleship? Contemplation is pure gift; it allows us to ‘taste and see that the Lord is good’. We discover a new vision.
As we return to the humdrum of everyday life, we are able to recognise the presence of God in unlikely situations, and say, like St. John, “It is the Lord!”
Praying with. . .
St Teresa
"Praying with..." is designed to introduce you to Carmelite spirituality
and help you to seek God in silence and prayer.
| St. Teresa, the sixteenth century Spanish Foundress of the Discalced Carmelites, was asked by her sisters to write something for them about prayer. She wrote the forty-two chapters of what came to be called ‘The Way of Perfection’, based on the simple words of ‘The Lord’s Prayer’. Let’s try Lectio Divina using St. Matthew’s version of this prayer, and adding a few thoughts from Teresa to help us along. You can do this alone or in a group. |
First, choose a quiet place which will be conducive to prayer. If it’s indoors, you may like to have a lighted candle and/or an image of Jesus which speaks to you. Take your Bible and open it at Matthew 6: 9-13.
Try to unwind; take a few minutes to relax; some reflective music may help.
Now read the text, slowly, VERY SLOWLY.
Take some time - about 10 minutes - to be silent and ponder on the text.
Now read the text again, VERY SLOWLY.
Listen to what the Lord is saying to you. What words or phrases is He addressing
to you personally? Whisper them quietly, slowly, one at a time.
|
‘You have a good Father: throw yourself
into His arms.’ |
Read the text a third time, again, VERY SLOWLY.
Now it is your turn to speak. Let some prayer rise up from your heart in response
to God. Do you feel He is calling you to change something in your life? Perhaps
to forgive an injustice? Ask for the courage to do it.
|
‘Speak with Him as with a Father, a Brother,
a Lord, and a Spouse, and sometimes in one way, and sometimes in another, He will
teach you what you must do to please Him.’ |
End your prayer with a song or a ‘Glory be....’ and take away with you one or two words to help you to recall your encounter with the Lord in prayer.
Meet Sr Cecilia Our New Prioress
Last
October we had our community elections, and Sister Cecilia is our Prioress for
the next three years... at least! Here she is in the place she most loves to be:
her garden. Born in New Caledonia, Sr. Cecilia knew no English when she entered
our community. She has been Prioress once before, from 1993-1996. A true artist,
Sister takes beautiful photos, which she then mounts on cards to sell. They go
like ‘hot cakes’! Unfortunately, she will have to spend a little more
time behind a desk now, and has promised to write a few words for our next issue.
Sr. Katherine still takes care of the emails that come and go.
Graphic version of Ormiston Carmel homepage:
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Soundings from Ormiston Carmel for Young Adults: Seeds of Carmel - no. 1 |
