Vocation
The discernment of a vocation is a journey of love, in which a person seeks to discover the mysterious plan of God for her life. The call to Carmel can be understood as a “pearl of great price” which is both precious and rare. When a person realizes, in the depths of her being, that God is offering her such an amazing gift, she joyfully sells all she has to buy that treasure.
To discover this call, this vocation, is to realize that Christ is looking on you and inviting you by his glance to give yourself totally in love. Before this glance, before his love, the heart opens its doors gradually and is capable of saying yes.
…always say yes to God and he will fill you with his happiness.
~ Pope John Paul II
Be sure that if someone learns to listen to this voice and to follow it with generosity, they are afraid of nothing, they know and feel that God is with them… The secret of vocation lies in the relationship with God, in prayer… And this remains true both before making the choice, in other words, at the moment of deciding to start on the journey, and afterwards, if we wish to be faithful and persevere.
~ Pope Benedict XVI
Additional Information about a Vocation in Carmel
Requirements for Entrance
* Sincere desire for a life of prayer in service to the Church * Aptitude for both solitude and community life * Good physical and psychological health * Between the ages of 18 and 35
Discernment
Before all else, it is prayer that allows us to hear the Lord’s voice, and to discern the path on which the Holy Spirit is leading us. Consider some of the following ways in which it is possible to create more space for God. * Scheduling a regular time for
Formation Process
Stages of Initial Formation The period of initial formation allows a candidate to experience the lived reality of Carmel in preparation for the total consecration of her life to God at Solemn Vows. Initial formation lasts approximately nine years and can be extended up to twelve, during which both…
Frequently Asked Questions
Why has the Church always valued the contemplative life so highly? Religious life is modeled on the example of Christ, and it is Jesus Christ himself who has revealed the importance of prayer, as we read in the gospels. Just as the ministry of Jesus flowed from his intimate prayer
