Welcome Me!

Sister Helena · #1 Apr 19, '12, 11:10 am

I apologize for the very long absence from this group. I completely forgot that I am on this forum and when I remembered, I completely forgot my password and email and could not re-log. I created another profile but decided to contact the admin for help. I was surprised to see that the membership has grown to over 200! That is exciting! I hope I have not let the members down by being silent for a while there.

ggawlik · #2 May 17, '12, 4:40 am

Hi, Sr. Helena. Hope you'll visit the group again soon! I'm guessing without you, things get pretty dead.

Dorothy · #3 Mar 11, '13, 6:59 pm

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sister Helena

I apologize for the very long absence from this group. I completely forgot that I am on this forum and when I remembered, I completely forgot my password and email and could not re-log. I created another profile but decided to contact the admin for help. I was surprised to see that the membership has grown to over 200! That is exciting! I hope I have not let the members down by being silent for a while there.

I just joined this group, and it seems that no one has been posting here for a while.

Does anyone want to talk about Carmelite spirituality? I have been a Third Order Lay Carmelite since 1976. It has been a source of great blessings to me, and every monthly meeting I attend is inspiring!

In Our Lady of Mount Carmel,

Dorothy

ggawlik · #4 Mar 13, '13, 7:35 am

Hi, Dorothy.

I am an almost brand-new Lay Carmelite. I will be received on April 20. I'd be glad to join in a discussion. What would you like to talk about?

Gail

Dorothy · #5 Mar 14, '13, 4:07 pm

Hi Gail,

One of the really great parts of our meeting is when we have a community spiritual study for the last hour and a half of our meeting. We have done our homework by reading certain pages of the book we are studying (Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity), and the lady who is presenting this study, which will last for many months, makes up some pertinent questions which causes our small groups of 5 or 6 members to have a great discussion.

We learn from and are inspired by one another that way.

Another great part is the 1/2 hour of whole group Lectio Divina that we do every month, on te upcoming Sunday's gospel. This helps us to be still and listen to the Holy Spirit.

I always go home refreshed and inspired at the meetings. It is special to be with like-minded people who are called to learn more about prayer and Carmelite spirituality.

ggawlik · #6 Mar 18, '13, 7:51 am

Yep, that sounds like our meetings, too. I love the study part. We are going through Climbing the Mountain. You've probably heard of it ... it's the British book that their new members study. Very well written, and it's fun to see things from their perspective.

Lectio Divina is very special. And it's always reassuring to hear when others are working on the same issues you are.

I also really like the Divine Office. It's taken a while to get the hang of it, but it has really enriched my prayer life ... plus made it more regular.

I really thank God for this special group of women -- so different, and yet so alike.

Gail

Mary LA · #7 Apr 1, '13, 3:36 am

Just discovered this group forum and hoping it isn't too quiet.

I have a great devotion to Carmelite spirituality although much of my initial training in prayer and meditation was through the Spiritual Exercises. I'm too geographically isolated to join any lay Carmetite group but am looking for online community.

Dorothy · #8 Apr 1, '13, 5:17 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mary LA

Just discovered this group forum and hoping it isn't too quiet.

I have a great devotion to Carmelite spirituality although much of my initial training in prayer and meditation was through the Spiritual Exercises. I'm too geographically isolated to join any lay Carmetite group but am looking for online community.

Dear Mary,

There are many good books on Carmelite spirituality that I can recommend. I don't know what you have been exposed to so far.......would you like to talk about it?

I am 76 years old, and first joined the Third Order Lay Carmelites in 1975. I moved in 1986, and was without a community until 2000, when a wonderful lady with many gifts initiated a community where I now live. (I did not feel gifted to begin a community).

Have you read the autobiography of St. Therese of Lisieux?

Biographies of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa of Avila?

The Springs of Carmel (very informative and basic about Carmelite spirituality)

In Carmel,

Dorothy

Mary LA · #9 Apr 1, '13, 5:34 am

Hi Dorothy

Yes, I have all the collected works of St John of the Cross, Therese of Lisieux' Story of a Soul, her letters and various biographies on her life (my favourite is Ida Gorres' The Hidden Face), Teresa of Avila's autobiography, The Way of Perfection and The Interior Castle, the collected works of Edith Stein and some of Elizabeth of the Trinity.

I have done several retreats in recent years and used the insights of St John of the Cross -- although I could meditate imaginatively with Ignatian methods when younger, I now feel drawn towards a wordless contemplative method and I have learned a great deal from the 14th-century text The Book of Privy Counsel.

I haven't read Springs of Carmel.

What an interesting journey you have had!

In Carmel

Mary

Dorothy · #10 Apr 1, '13, 8:22 am

Hi again Mary!

I can see that you have a strong attraction to Carmelite spirituality.

I am giving you this website, in case you are not familiar with it. It has contributions of articles and teachings by both branches of the Carmelite order. There is a lot to explore at this site.

http://www.carmelstream.org/

If you are adept at the computer (I'm not!) you may even want to take an online course at that site. I tried that last year, and it was interesting to read the input of others, but I didn't do too well in understanding how to maneuver about the site to upload my "homework".

We were reading and commenting on "The Way of Perfection". I had done that with the lay community I am in, and thought it would be inspiring to do that online.

In Carmel,

Dorothy

Mary LA · #11 Apr 1, '13, 10:33 pm

Thanks very much Dorothy, I bookmarked the site and it looks like a great resource.

In Carmel

Mary

Dorothy · #12 Apr 2, '13, 5:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mary LA

Thanks very much Dorothy, I bookmarked the site and it looks like a great resource.

In Carmel

Mary

You are welcome....God bless you!

Dorothy

Mary LA · #13 May 18, '13, 12:13 am

Just popping in to see if anything new had been posted.

Right now I'm busy with Edith Stein's On the Problem of Empathy. An extraordinary woman and Carmelite.

Dorothy · #14 May 18, '13, 3:32 am

Quote:

Originally Posted by Mary LA

Just popping in to see if anything new had been posted.

Right now I'm busy with Edith Stein's On the Problem of Empathy. An extraordinary woman and Carmelite.

I glean a lot from the Carmelite saints! I have the book "Edith Stein, Essential Writings", writings selected by John Sullivan, O.C.D.

Our community just finished a study on Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity. Very inspiring! We read an assigned chapter for homework, and then at the monthly meeting a member led the study and we had discussion and sharing together.

Welcome Mary!

In Carmel,

Dorothy