Catechism Corner | Who Is Carmelite?

Carmelite History

Unlike most other Religious Orders, who had founders, the Carmelite Order had its origin in a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel in Palestine in the thirteenth century. They followed the way of life of hermits living an eremitical life common in Palestine in the thirteenth century. These hermits on Mount Carmel can be seen as a group of pilgrims who had come to the Holy Land and had stayed on to live a life of prayer and silence in the tradition of the Old Testament prophets.

A sketch of their way of life is given by Jacques de Vitry, Bishop of Acre at the time: "Others imitating the saintly and solitary man, the Prophet Elijah, lived apart on Mount Carmel … near the fountain of Elijah … dwelling in little cells in the rocks."

The hermits' choice of Mount Carmel was logical: it had caves, water and a variety of fruit trees. The name 'Carmel' means orchard or vineyard. The mountain is closely associated with the life of the Prophet Elijah and the hermits took him as their model and inspiration. They tried to live "as Elijah in the presence of God."

The hermits built a small chapel dedicated to Our Lady. The hermits themselves seem to have lived in caves in the hills. About the year 1210, they approached Albert, the Patriarch of Jerusalem, to ask him for a "formula of life" to guide them. Albert gave them a Rule of Life, which received the approval of Pope Honorius in 1226. The hermits were known as The Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, or Carmelites.

Due to a number of different circumstances life became more difficult for the early Carmelites on Mount Carmel. They left their home and place of prayer. Some on leaving the Holy Land founded monasteries in Cyprus and Sicily about 1237. Others went to France and by 1240 reached England. Within sixty years the Order grew to 150 houses in many countries: The Holy Land, Sicily, England, Cyprus, Italy, France, Spain, Germany, Ireland and Scotland. Arriving in Europe they adopted the mendicant way of life like the Dominicans and Franciscans.

Allegiance to Jesus Christ in Our Lady's Order

We are committed to a consecrated life of allegiance to Jesus Christ. In this we are sustained by the companionship, the example and protection of our Lady. Her life of union with Christ we regard, as it were, the prototype of ours.

The Carmelite Charism: Prayer, Community and Service

Prayer is at the very heart of our lives as Carmelites. Our Rule calls us to spend time alone reflecting on the Word of God and also to come together each day to celebrate the Eucharist and to join in praying the psalms in the Prayer of the Church.

In prayer, we begin to learn God's language which is silence. This is not the silence of non-communication, a refusal to speak to the other. This silence is about listening to God. It is a communication that goes beyond words, that words can no longer sustain, a being together in love.

As Christians we never really pray on our own. We always pray as members of the Body of Christ and our prayer is Christ's prayer. This is experienced in a special way when we pray the psalms together.

If our prayer is authentic, it must bear fruit in moving us to reach out in love to others. Prayer nourishes and strengthens our community life and our lives of service for others. Prayer helps us to see with God's eyes and to love with God's heart.

As Carmelites we try always to make time in our lives for prayer – no matter how busy our apostolate or how many demands may be made upon us. "Prayer is life, not an oasis in the desert of life" [Blessed Titus Brandsma O. Carm.].

Community is at the core of Carmelite life. The first Carmelites were inspired by the image of the early Church in Jerusalem presented in the Acts of the Apostles. – the whole group of those who believed were of one heart and soul, and nobody claimed private ownership of any possessions, but everything they owned was held in common (Acts 4:32).

In the Carmelite Rule, drawn up for those early Carmelites who lived on Mount Carmel, we read of a common refectory, common ownership and daily gathering for prayer and Eucharist (Rule 7, 12, 10, 14).

Carmelites are called to live as members of a community. They seek God not as isolated individuals but as brothers who are committed to supporting one another in prayer and in the service of other people. Living in community involves close personal interaction on a daily basis which helps each member to grow as a human being.

In community, Carmelites try to accept one another in all their diversity and to see in this reality something of the richness of God and humanity. Building community always demands commitment and generosity but it gives much in return, especially through companionship, support and solidarity in facing the challenges of human living, the needs of the Church and the world.

All Carmelite service and ministry flow from community living and prayer. Our ministries are varied and, like all Christian service, are directed towards the coming of the Kingdom of God in response to the words of the Lord's Prayer – your kingdom come, your will be done on earth as in heaven.

As members of an international brotherhood, Carmelites are working in all five continents - in friaries and churches, in parishes, in schools and universities, in centres of spirituality, in hospitals and prisons, and among the poor.

Fr. Antonius David Tristianto, O.Carm.