← [[ocds-fh-06|Accompaniment]] | [[formation-handbook-toc|Table of Contents]] | [[ocds-fh-08|The OCDS Syllabus]] → # Charism of the Order — Prayer First and foremost, the Program of Formation supports the Discalced Carmelite charism of prayer. “With a progression suitable to the various stages, the candidate should get a clearer idea of how important, indeed necessary, our charism is for [one’s] personal life…” (Ratio 23, cf. Ratio 20). “Charism” refers to the distinct spirit that animates a religious order and gives it a particular character and identity. The OCDS formation syllabus is designed to accommodate and explain the Order’s charism based largely on the writing of the three Discalced Carmelite Doctors of the Church, namely, St. Teresa, St. John of the Cross, and St. Therese. Primarily, it is the responsibility of the formators to stress the importance of the Discalced Carmelite charism of prayer at each level of formation. Candidates in formation should have a basic understanding of the following key elements of our charism to discern their vocation in Carmel: a. Carmelite prayer is to be understood as being present to God, as relationship with God, rather than as an exercise to be performed. Interior prayer involves no rigorously prescribed method and has little to do with techniques. The primary focus is on the search for God in silence and solitude, our longing for union with Him. “For mental prayer in my opinion is nothing else than an intimate sharing between friends; it means taking time frequently to be alone with Him who we know loves us” (Life, 8.5). b. A grasp of the history of our charism is needed for a genuine living of it. The Discalced Carmelite charism of prayer develops from Elijah to Our Lady, from the hermits on Mount Carmel to the Rule of St. Albert, from St. Teresa’s reform to St. Therese’s Little Way, from our Saints to us with our modern-day contributions and challenges. “Let us keep before us our true founders, those holy fathers [the hermits on Mount Carmel] from whom we descend, for we know that by means of that path of poverty and humility they now enjoy God” (Foundations, 14.4). Note: when examining our charism, the focus should be on the origin and development of the charism as opposed to the history of the Order. c. The Carmelite charism of prayer has an apostolic dimension and overflows with missionary fervor based on a fervent interior life. While most orders are founded for an apostolic mission, the Carmelite Order is not restricted to one such apostolate. Instead, the apostolic activities result from our intimate relationship with God, and love permeates all our activities and services. “Taking into account the origins of Carmel and the Teresian charism, [one of] the fundamental elements of the vocation of Teresian 11 Secular Carmelites [is] ‘to seek mysterious union with God’ by way of contemplation and apostolic activity, indissolubly joined together, for service to the Church…” (OCDS Constitutions, Art. 9, emphasis added). --- **Source:** [[maps/bibliography#^biblio-ocds-fh|OCDS Formation Handbook]]