Vocation

by Mary Jean

Carmel is home. It took me awhile to find it, but once I did, the best way to describe it is, "I’m home."

My first introduction to the Carmelite saints was through my uncle, Father Richard Donovan. He had a great devotion to St. Thérèse of Lisieux, and he felt that she was with him in a special way throughout his priesthood. My uncle passed that devotion onto me. I loved reading her Story of a Soul, and St. Thérèse has been an integral part of my journey to Carmel. The ascent of Mount Carmel can seem daunting at times, but by following St. Thérèse’s Little Way to holiness, we are assured of reaching our goal one step at a time.

My mother had a great devotion to Mary. My given name Mary Jean reflects the extraordinary privilege of growing up with two mothers – my heavenly mother Mary and my earthly mother Jean. Carmel would be impossible without a firm foundation in the Catholic faith, and my Catholic faith is the greatest gift my parents gave me.

I would have become a Lay Carmelite much sooner if I had know about them sooner. The fact that the Carmelites had a third order consisting of mainly lay people is something that I did not discover until much later in life. In 2010, Lourdes and Daniel started a Lay Carmelite Community in my area. They opened the doors of Carmel to me, and I am grateful to have such excellent role models. Their self sacrifice and tireless efforts have made the Blessed Trinity Lay Carmelite Community what it is today. I am blessed to be part of a community that truly embodies the Carmelite charisms of prayer, community, and service.

I was received into Carmel on September 14, 2011, and I made my final profession on September 14, 2016. It is no accident that both these momentous events in my life occurred on September 14, the day on which the Church celebrates the Triumph of the Cross. Christ is the centre of my life. Christ is the centre of Carmel. Our ascent of Mount Carmel, like Christ’s ascent of Calvary, necessarily involves taking up our cross and following Him. If we persevere, His Triumph will also be ours.

by Stephen

I always considered myself a faithful Catholic.  I went to Church every Sunday without fail and did my best to live a good Christian life.  However a few years ago I felt God was calling me to something more; that there was more to being Catholic than how I was living.  

One Sunday as I was sitting in Church I was browsing through the Parish bulletin and noticed an advertisement describing the Carmelite Third Order.  I felt a nudge inside to contact the Formation Director – Lourdes – who graciously invited me to their next Community Meeting.  After attending the meeting I was given the article “Nine Themes in Carmelite Spirituality” by Fr. Patrick McMahon, OCarm to read.  The idea that Carmelite Spirituality stresses the centrality of Christ, the Eucharist and the Sacred Scripture spoke to my heart and I knew this was something I needed to pursue further.  

It has been 5 years since I joined the Blessed Trinity Community and I feel blessed to be part of this wonderful group of people.  The graces I have received by learning and living Carmelite Spirituality are beyond measure.  I have grown in my relationship with God, deepened my prayer life through the practices of Lectio Divina and the Liturgy of the Hours and I have learnt to reflect on the different aspects of my life to discern where and how God has been present.  I have come to appreciate that becoming a faithful Catholic is something which takes a lifetime to achieve and requires openness to accepting God’s invitation to enter ever deeper into the mystery of God’s love.

by Daniel

Hello, my name is Daniel.

I am blessed with a loving wife and two children, and I serve in public life as a data analyst. Last November, I quietly celebrated the 31st anniversary of my Final Profession as a Lay Carmelite ... and no, I didn't make my profession when I was 12.

I first encountered the Lay Carmelites at a time when I was discerning a possible vocation to religious life. My spiritual director sensed strong Carmelite leanings in my writing and lifestyle. Then, through Providence, a Lay Carmelite community from two cities away placed an invitation in my parish bulletin that very weekend. I attended a meeting, and from the moment I walked through the door, I recognized something deep and familiar. I knew I had found the place where God wanted me to walk.

Carmel teaches humility. It may sound contradictory, but after all these years, I know less about the spiritual life. Prayer, community, and service illuminate who I am, who God is, and how I am called to live in the world. But the more I learn, the more I discover how little I truly understand.

Carmel teaches attachments. I have more attachments than when I started my Carmelite journey. The closer I try to follow Christ, the more clearly I see the many things that distract me from his Will.

Carmel teaches to not do as many good things. A Carmelite hermit once told me: “You can do many good things, but unless they are God’s Will for you, they are not the best things.” That wisdom changed me. It taught me not to seek everything that is good, but to focus on the good things that are God's Will for me.

Carmel is an ancient path shaped by saints, prophets, and mystics, yet walked by ordinary people with ordinary lives. It is a journey of love, prayer, community, and service. It continues to be one of the greatest blessings of my life, and a beautiful vocation for lay people who long for God in the midst of everyday life.