ABOUT THE CARMELITE THIRD
ORDER
The Third Order of the
Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel is an association of lay people who,
in response to a call from God, freely and willingly, promise to live the
Gospel in the spirit of the Carmelite Order and under its guidance.
As well as lay people,
diocesan priests, who find in the Carmelite charism help for their spiritual
lives and their mission in the Church and the world, may be members of
the Carmelite Third Order.
The Third Order member
is connected to the Carmelite Order by means of the promise which he or
she makes. It is possible, following a very ancient custom, to make private
vows of chastity and obedience according to one's state in life in order
to be consecrated more closely to God.
Lay Carmelites, filled
with the spirit of the Order, seek to live their own vocation by silently
listening to the Word of God (Lectio Divina). According to the constant
tradition of Carmel, they will especially cultivate prayer in all its forms.
The members of the Third
Order follow the charism of the Order which takes its inspiration from
the figures of Our Lady and the Prophet Elijah.
In the midst of their
normal family lives, in the work place, in their social commitments and
relationships with other people, Carmelite Third Order members seek out
the hidden image of God. They try to live in the spirit of the Beatitudes,
humbly and consistently exercising the virtues of honesty, justice, sincerity,
courtesy and fortitude, without which no Christian or human life is possible.
The Carmelite Third Order
is divided into communities, fraternities or sodalities which are accompanied
by the superiors of the Carmelite Order or their delegates. These groups
are instituted by the Prior General of the Carmelite Order according to
the law of the Church with the previous approval of the local Bishop.
Those who wish to be members
of the Carmelite Third Order must be practising Christians (who frequently
participate in the sacraments of Eucharist and Reconciliation). They must
not be members of any other Third Order or Secular Institute, except in
special cases, and they must be at least sixteen years of age. After a
period of initial formation, candidates are accepted for profession.
There are very many enthusiastic
members of the Carmelite Third Order throughout the world at present. In
recent years many new communities of lay Carmelites have been set up in
various parts of the world. There has been a marvelous growth in the Third
Order especially in the USA, Italy, Puerto Rico, Trinidad, Kenya, The Philippines
and Indonesia.
Within the Third Order,
there are various other groups like "The Family" of Castellina (Florence)
and the International Missionary Family "Donum Dei". These other groups
have found in the Carmelite Third Order and its Rule of life a great help
to live their own vocation in the Church and the world.
Over the centuries, the
Carmelite Third Order has given many models of holiness to the Church.
At present there are a number of Third Order members whose causes for beatification
are being considered. Among these there are, Liberata Ferrarons (a young
Spanish woman who worked in a textile factory), Anita Zelickova (a young
Czech woman who offered her life to God in reparation for the sin of abortion),
Carmen de Sojo i Anguera (mother of a large family), Fr. George Preca (a
Maltese diocesan priest who founded the "Society for Christian Doctrine").
Fr. Killian Lynch, who
was the Prior General of the Carmelite Order from 1947 to 1959, talking
to lay Carmelites, said, "The Third Order is an extension of the Order
among those who believe. They are members of the Carmelite Order living
in the world. In the modern world, the Third Order has greater significance
than in past centuries. It is a firm anchor for those working for the transformation
of the world." |