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Home > Secular
Carmelites (OCDS)
Testing and Discerning a Vocation to the Secular Carmelite
Order (OCDS)
6. "for the sake of the Church and the world."
This leads me to the sixth element of the description "for the sake
of the Church and the world." This is the newest development in the
understanding of the place of the Secular in the Order and in the Church.
This is the result of the development in the theology of the Church on
the role of lay persons in the Church, and applying that theology to the
Order. Beginning with the Second Vatican Council's document On the Apostolate
of the Laity, and its fruition with the Synods on the Laity in 1986 and
the Consecrated Life in 1996 (Christifideles laici and Vita
Consecrata) the Church has constantly underlined the need for a further
commitment of the laity to her needs and the needs of the world. Saint
Teresa had the conviction that the only proof of prayer was growth in
virtue and that the necessary fruit of the life of prayer was the birth
of good works.
An apostolate of prayer and holiness.
At times I hear a Secular say: "The only apostolate of the Secular is
prayer." The word that makes that statement false is "only". A prayerful
and obedient attitude toward the documents of the Church makes it clear
that the role of the lay person within the Church has changed. The Rule
of Life talked about the need of each Secular to have an individual apostolate.
What Christifideles laici highlights is the importance of all associations
in the Church, and the OCDS is an association in the Church, to develop
group apostolate. Many Seculars, when they hear the mention of group apostolate,
think that I am talking about the entire community being involved in something
that takes up hours each day. That is not at all what "group apostolate"
means. Paragraph 30 of Christifideles laici gives the basic principles
of "ecclesiality" for associations and lists the fruits of these principles.
The first fruit listed is a renewed desire for prayer, meditation, contemplation,
and the sacramental life. These are things "right down Carmel's alley".
How many people there are who need to know what our Carmelite Doctors
of the Church have to say! If every Carmelite was dedicated to spreading
Carmel's message, how many people would not be confused in the spiritual
life! Walk into any major book store and see what nonsense is listed in
the section entitled "mysticism".
Each community ought to answer the question as a community "What can
we do to share with others what we have received by belonging to Carmel?"
We, as Carmelites, can help to clean up the mess by making known what
we know. It is not an option. It is a responsibility. Being a Carmelite
is not a privilege; it is a responsibility, both personal and ecclesial.
As I said at the beginning, it is not any one element that discerns the
person who has the vocation to Carmel as a Secular. It is the combination
that makes the difference.
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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