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| CARMELITE SPIRITUALITY If we take the word spirituality, and if we are honest many of us would wonder just exactly what this word means, what is this about. We hear others declare that they are "spiritual people" and as we may have little idea what this truly means we may imagine them as being quite lofty, prayerful, holy people and we see ourselves as being not quite that type. The word spirituality comes from the word spirit, which in traditional religious language refers to that part of a person which seeks for a purpose and a meaning in life. Spirituality refers to how we see life and how we deal with situations in life. It guides us. It is a picture of life which inspires us and helps us with life's daily struggles, and it gives us hope for the future. What we mean by spirituality is to find the way to eternal life and a personal relationship with God. As Carmelites we have a great wealth of saints who have left behind them many spiritual writings to which we can look to for advice or for guidance for our own life. Their examples and their struggles can give us hope and strength amidst the troubles of our own lives. They left behind them the ways which they themselves found God, showing us pathways we can follow to help us to find God also. Three of these great saints whose works are perhaps most widely read are St John of the Cross, St. Teresa of Avila and St. Therese of Liseux. There is however, one, to whom all Carmelites look to for advice and guidance. They look to her as looking in a mirror and try to imitate in their own lives what they see, and she is the mother of Jesus, known by Carmelites as Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Mary is the greatest of all the saints. The one who is closest to Christ. She is an outstanding example of virtue - of hope and faith and love for God and for all people. Having concieved Jesus by the power of the Holy Spirit, she nurtured her son to adulthood, was at his side throughout his ministry, she sorrowfully stood at the foot of the cross as her son died. She joyfully recieved the fact of his resurrection, and she awaited with the rest of the disciples the coming of the Holy Spirit on Pentecost. At the end of her life Mary was taken up into Heaven, body and soul, where she continues to intercede for her children on earth as our spiritual mother and as a model for us the highest level of human sanctity. The lives of our saints have one thing in common, they all served God by imitating his Blessed Mother and in doing so have reached great heights of sanctity. Mary's life was like our own. She cooked, cleaned, looked after her family. Knew joy and sorrow. As our Mother, we look to her and try to imitate her so that, the way she kept the word of God in her heart, her spirit of silence, recollection, humility, patience, purity, modesty and charity may be born in us. The more we grow in her likeness the more we live in God. All her ways lead us to God. Mary is in a special way, the life, sweetness and hope of every Carmelite, and the first rule of Carmelite spirituality is true devotion to her. ' |
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