Rector’s Reflections
Tuesday 11th June 2024
Carmelite Spirituality for Today’s World
I thought I would start a fresh series of reflections, which seek to provide an introduction to some of the riches of the Carmelite tradition within Christian spirituality. It is not a tradition which resonates with everyone, but many find it helpful. It is also perhaps not quite as well known or as popular as some other traditions, for example Ignatian Spirituality or Benedictine Spirituality. But I think Carmelite spirituality has much to say to us in our own generation, as we seek to live out the Christian faith in our day to day lives.
I will start with a brief introduction to what is meant by the phrase “Carmelite Spirituality”. I will then look at some of the themes within Carmelite Spirituality which I think have particular relevance for us today.
The word “Carmelite” refers to a religious order within the Roman Catholic Church, known as the Carmelites. Carmelites are friars, like the Franciscan friars and the Dominican friars. The Carmelites trace their origins to Christian hermits who lived on Mount Carmel, in the Holy Land, back in the days of the Crusades. Some Carmelites have traced their origins even further back, to the days of the prophet Elijah, who lived in the 9th Century BC. In the course of the 13th Century AD, the Carmelites became established in various European countries. Over the centuries, there have been various reform movements within the Carmelite tradition, and these have resulted in the establishment of different branches within the Carmelite family. The Carmelite tradition remains strong today. There are Carmelite monasteries, for men and for women, but there are also lay Carmelites, who live out their Carmelite spirituality within the circumstances of ordinary family life. I should add that the Carmelites are definitely rooted within the Roman Catholic tradition, and some of their practices might be considered a bit too “Catholic” for Protestant tastes. Having said this, I think even the most confirmed Protestant has much to learn, and nothing to fear, from engaging with the riches of the Carmelite tradition.
The phrase “Carmelite Spirituality” is intended to describe the traditional beliefs and practices of the Carmelite tradition. Of course, it is impossible to do full justice to the variety and development of Carmelite spirituality as it has been practiced in different countries and cultures since the days of the 13th century. I will therefore focus on three of the most famous exponents of the Carmelite tradition. The three are: St Teresa of Avila (1515- 1582), a Spanish Carmelite nun and mystic; the poet and theologian St John of the Cross (1542-1591), who was a Spanish Carmelite friar who worked with St Teresa; and St Teresa of Lisieux (1873-97), a Carmelite nun from France. The writings of these three Carmelite saints continue to be read and studied today. Their insights are held in high esteem, and in the Roman Catholic Church, all three have been awarded the status of “Doctor of the Church”. There are other important Carmelite writers, for example St Edith Stein, who was put to death at Auschwitz in 1942. But the famous three are the two St Teresas, and St John of the Cross. It is impossible to under-estimate the influence which these three writers have had, and the influence which they continue to have today.
So what are some of the features of “Carmelite Spirituality”? We shall explore this in more detail in the days ahead.