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Home > Secular
Carmelites (OCDS)
Testing and Discerning a Vocation to the Secular Carmelite
Order (OCDS)
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4. Commitment to Carmel as an Ecclesial event
The fourth element of the description is "who makes the commitment to
the Order". There are so many committed Catholics who are devoted to Mary
and even experts in Saint Teresa, Saint John of the Cross-or one of our
saints-who do not have the vocation to the Secular Order. These people
may be contemplatives or even hermits, who spend hours in prayer and study
each day, but do not have the vocation to be a Carmelite. What is the
element that differentiates these people from those called to follow Christ
more closely as Secular Carmelites?
Commitment to Carmel
It is not the spirituality, nor the study, nor the devotion to Mary.
Simply put, the Secular Carmelite is moved to commit himself or herself
to the Order and to the Church. This commitment, in the form of the Promises,
is an ecclesial event and an event of the Order in addition to being an
event in the life of the person who makes the Promises. In a certain sense,
remembering always the person's context of family, work and responsibilities
that are involved in his/her life, the person who commits him/herself,
becomes characterised as a Carmelite.
An ecclesial event within the Order
As I said, it is an ecclesial event and an event of the Order.
It is for this reason that the Church and the Order have the essential
say, in union with the candidate, in accepting and approving the commitment
of the person. It is also for this reason that the Church and the Order
give the conditions and set the terms for the content of the Promises.
A person may want to commit him/herself to certain things, daily meditation
or the divine office for example. But the Church, through the Order establishes
the basic and broad lines of understanding with regards to this commitment.
The Secular belongs to Carmel. Carmel does not belong to the Secular.
What I mean by that is that there is a new identity, one developed from
the baptismal identity, which becomes a necessary point of reference.
As the Church is the point of reference for the baptised person (the baptised
person belongs to the Church), so Carmel becomes the point of
reference for the Secular. The more "Catholic" one becomes, the more
one recognises the catholicity of the church. The more one becomes Carmelite,
the more one recognises the catholicity of Carmel as well. In fact, the
person who commits him/herself to Carmel in the Secular Order discovers
that Carmel becomes essential to his/her identity as a Catholic.
It is because the Promises are the means by which one becomes a Secular
Order member that formation for the Promises is so important-formation
and on-going formation.
Commitment to Community
An important aspect to this commitment is the commitment to the community.
A person who wishes to be a member of the OCDS must be able to form community,
be a part of a group that is dedicated to a common goal, show interest
in the other members, be supportive in the pursuit of a life of prayer
and be able to receive the support of others. This applies even to those
persons who for various reasons cannot actively participate in a community.
In the formation of the future of the community, this social characteristic
is one that should develop. There are many people who are introverted
and quiet, but who are still quite sociable and capable of forming communities.
And there are many people who are quite extroverted and at the same time
incapable of forming community. In this question it is necessary to use
common sense. Answer the question: "What will this person help the community
to be in ten years?"
There is also the question of people who belong to other movements-for
example the New Catechumemate, Focolare, Marian Movement of Priests, Charismatic
Renewal. If a person's involvement in other movements does not interfere
with that person's commitment to Carmel and that person does not introduce
elements that are not compatible with OCDS spirituality to the community,
then there is generally no problem. It is when the person distracts the
community from its own purpose and style of spiritual life that problems
begin. Sometimes there are people so confused that they come to Carmel
and talk about Our Lady of Medjugorie and go to a Medjugorie meeting and
talk about Teresian prayer.
The most important point is that the person must choose the Secular Order,
and that commitment ought to be more important than other movements or
groups.
This commitment to the Church through Carmel has both content and purpose.
These are expressed in the final two elements of my description of who
is a Secular Carmelite.
OCDS (Secular Carmelites) - home
Constitutions of the Secular Order NEW!
Six Elements of discernment:
1. "Practising member of the Catholic Church."
2. "Under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel."
3. Inspired by St Teresa of Jesus
4. Commitment to Carmel as an Ecclesial event
5. Seeking the Face of God
6. "for the sake of the Church and the world."
Discerning a Vocation - Acrobat PDF format
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