> [[05-constitutions-following-jesus|← Previous]] | [[00-lege-index|Index]] | [[07-constitutions-serving-gods-plan|Next →]] --- # Witnesses to the Experience of God 17\. The vocation to the Teresian Carmel is a commitment to "live a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ", "pondering the Lord's law day and night and keeping watch in prayer".[[#^ocds-c-fn-16|16]] Faithful to this principle of the Rule, St Teresa placed prayer as the foundation and basic exercise of her religious family. For this reason, Secular Carmelites are called to strive to make prayer penetrate their whole existence, in order to walk in the presence of the living God (cf. [[#^ocds-c-fn-1|1]] K 18:14), through the constant exercise of faith, hope and love, in such a way that the whole of their life is a prayer, a search for union with God. The goal will be to achieve the integration of experience of God with the experience of life: to be contemplatives in prayer and the fulfillment of their own mission. ^ocds-c-17 18\. Prayer, a dialogue of friendship with God, ought to be nourished by His Word so that this dialogue becomes that, "we speak to him when we pray; we hear him when we read the divine word."[[#^ocds-c-fn-17|17]] God's Word will nourish the contemplative experience of Secular Carmelites and their mission in the world. Besides personal contemplation, listening to the Word ought to encourage a contemplation that leads to sharing the experience of God in the Secular Order community. By this means, the Community together seeks to discern God's ways, maintain a permanent energy of conversion, and live with a renewed hope. The Secular Carmelite will be able to see through events and discover God in everything. ^ocds-c-18 19\. Occupying a privileged place in nourishing the prayer life of Secular Carmelites will be the study and spiritual reading of Scripture and the writings of our Saints, particularly those who are Doctors of the Church: St Teresa, St John of the Cross and St Therese of the Child Jesus. The Church's documents are also food and inspiration for the commitment to follow Jesus. ^ocds-c-19 20\. The Secular Carmelite will make sure to have special times set apart for prayer, as times of greater awareness of the Lord's presence and an interior space for personal and intimate meeting with Him. This will lead to living prayer as an attitude of life, that will "always and everywhere recognize God... seek his will in every event, see Christ in all people whether they be a relative or a stranger, and make correct judgments about the true meaning and value of temporal things both in themselves and in their relation to mankind's final goal."[[#^ocds-c-fn-18|18]] Thus they will achieve a union of contemplation and action in history, integrating faith and life, prayer and action, contemplation and Christian commitment. ^ocds-c-20 21\. Secular Carmelites will commit themselves daily to spending a time in the practice of mental prayer. This is the time to be with God and to strengthen their relationship with Him so that they can be true witnesses of His presence in the world. ^ocds-c-21 22\. The way of Christian prayer demands a life of evangelical self-denial ([[luke-09|Lk 9]]:23) in fulfilling one's own vocation and mission, since "prayer and comfortable living are incompatible." [[#^ocds-c-fn-19|19]] Secular Carmelites accept from the viewpoint of faith, hope and love, the work and suffering of each day, family worries, the uncertainty and limitations in human life, sickness, lack of understanding and all that makes up the fabric of our earthly existence. They will strive to make all this, material for their dialogue with God, in order to grow in an attitude of praise and gratitude to the Lord. In order to live truly, simply, freely, humbly and completely confident in the Lord, the Secular Order observes the practices of evangelical self-denial recommended by the Church. Of particular importance are those days and periods in the liturgical calendar that have a penitential character. ^ocds-c-22 23\. The personal prayer life of the Secular Carmelite, understood as friendship with God, is also nourished and expressed in the liturgy, an inexhaustible font for the spiritual life. Liturgical prayer enriches personal prayer and this, in its turn, gives a lively expression to liturgical participation. In the Secular Order a special place is given to the liturgy, understood as God's Word celebrated in active hope, after having received it by faith and the commitment to live it in effective love. The Sacraments, especially the Eucharist and Reconciliation, need to be lived as signs and instruments of the freeing action of God and as an encounter with the Paschal Christ, present in the ecclesial community. They are grace­ giving structures in opposition to the structures for sin in society. Secular Carmelites strive to discover in liturgical prayer the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit, living and demanding something of us in the everyday life. In the liturgical year, they will experience the mysteries of redemption which inspire collaboration in bringing about God's plan. The Liturgy of the Hours, for its part, brings the Secular Carmelite into communion with the prayer of Jesus and the Church. ^ocds-c-23 24\. The value of the sacramental and liturgical life in the Secular Order leads its members to take part, as far as possible, in the celebration of the Eucharist. They will try to recite Morning Prayer and Evening Prayer of the Hours in union with the Church spread through the world. When it is possible they will also recite Night Prayer. Their participation in the sacrament of Reconciliation and the other sacraments of the Church will assist the process of their conversion. ^ocds-c-24 a)   The Church, the family of God who is Father, Son and Holy Spirit, is a mystery of communion. [[#^ocds-c-fn-20|20]] In fact, Jesus came among us to reveal to us this Trinitarian love and the vocation to participate in a communion of love with the Most Holy Trinity; this is something to which every human person created in God's image and likeness (cf. [[genesis-01|Gen 1]]:26-27) is called. In light of this mystery, the true identity and dignity of every human being, and specifically of every member of the Church, is revealed.[[#^ocds-c-fn-21|21]] Being spiritual in nature, the human person grows and matures by being in an authentic relationship with God and with others.[[#^ocds-c-fn-22|22]] Therefore, the local community of the Secular Order of the Teresian Carmel, a visible sign of the Church and of the Order,[[#^ocds-c-fn-23|23]] is a place to live and promote personal and communal fellowship with God in Christ and in the Spirit and with other brothers and sisters (cf. Rom 8:29) in accordance with the teresian charism. The person of Christ is at the center of the Community. Members meet regularly in his name (cf. [[matthew-18|Mt 18]]:20), drawing inspiration from the group formed by Jesus and the twelve Apostles (cf. Mc 3:14-16, 34-35)[[#^ocds-c-fn-24|24]] as well as the early Christian communities (cf. [[acts-of-the-apostles-02|Acts 2]]:42, 4, 32-35). They seek to live in accordance with the unity requested by Jesus ([[john-17|Jn 17]]:20-23) and his commandment to love as He loves them (Jn 13:34). They promise to strive for evangelical perfection[[#^ocds-c-fn-25|25]] in the spirit of the evangelical counsels, of the Beatitudes ([[matthew-05|Mt 5]]:1-12) and of the Christian virtues (cf. Col 3:12-17, Phil 2:15), and in the awareness that this reality of communion is an integral part of Carmelite spirituality. b)    St Teresa of Jesus initiated a new model of community life. Her ideal of community life is based on the certainty of faith that the Risen Jesus is in the midst of the community and that it lives under the protection of the Virgin Mary.[[#^ocds-c-fn-26|26]] She is aware that she and her nuns are gathered together to help the Church and to collaborate in its mission. Relations are marked by the virtues of a love that is genuine, gratuitous, free and unselfish, as well as by detachment and humility. These are fundamental virtues for the spiritual life and they bring peace both internally and externally.[[#^ocds-c-fn-27|27]] Teresa is aware of the importance of mutual support on the road of prayer and the importance of friendship with others in the common search for God.[[#^ocds-c-fn-28|28]] She also considers as fundamental to such friendship, culture, the human virtues, gentleness, empathy, prudence, discretion, simplicity, kindness, joy and availability, as we seek to "walk in truth before God and people".[[#^ocds-c-fn-29|29]] The doctrine of St John of the Cross points to union with God by means of the theological virtues. [[#^ocds-c-fn-30|30]] Based on this principle, the Saint also sees the purifying and unifying effect of the theological virtues in sisterly and brotherly relations. This is particularly so in the exercise of love for others: "Where there is no love, put love, and you will draw out love", because that is what the Lord does: by loving us, He makes us capable of loving.[[#^ocds-c-fn-31|31]] c)   A person, loyal to their Christian faith, begins to be part of the Secular Order through the promise made to the Community before the Superior of the Order.[[#^ocds-c-fn-32|32]] With the promise, a person is committed to live in communion with the Church, with the Order, with the Province and especially with those who are part of the Community, loving them and encouraging them in the practice of the virtues.[[#^ocds-c-fn-33|33]] In smaller communities[[#^ocds-c-fn-34|34]] it is possible to establish a true and deep relationship of human and spiritual friendship, as well as mutual support in charity and humility. St Teresa appreciates the assistance of another in the spiritual life: love grows where this is respectful dialogue, the purpose of which is to know oneself better so as to be pleasing to God.[[#^ocds-c-fn-35|35]] Community meetings take place in a congenial atmosphere of dialogue and sharing.[[#^ocds-c-fn-36|36]] Prayer, formation and a joyful atmosphere are essential for deepening friendly relationships and ensuring for everyone mutual support in the daily living out of the Teresian Carmelite lay vocation in the family, at work and in other social situations. This requires regular and active participation in the life and meetings of the Community. Absences are only allowed for serious and just reasons, evaluated and agreed to with those in charge. The Provincial Statutes are to establish a limit on unjustifiable absences, beyond which, an individual will be considered inactive and liable for dismissal from the Community. d)   The collective and individual responsibility of the Community for formation[[#^ocds-c-fn-37|37]] requires that each individual member commit to fraternal communion, in the belief that a spirituality of communion plays an essential role in the deepening of the spiritual life and formation process of the members. The Eucharistic life lived in faith [[#^ocds-c-fn-38|38]] and attentiveness to the Word of God[[#^ocds-c-fn-39|39]] help create and sustain communion. The local authority of the Community fulfills its service in faith, love and humility (cf. [[matthew-20|Mt 20]]:28; [[mark-10|Mk 10]]:43-45, Jn 13:14). It encourages a familial atmosphere as well as the human and spiritual growth of all the members. It promotes dialogue, personal sacrifice, forgiveness and reconciliation. It avoids all attachment to power and favoritism in the exercise of office. Prayer for one another, mutual concern that includes instances where there is material need, contact with members who are far away, visiting the sick, the suffering, the elderly, and prayer for the deceased members, are also signs of communion. The Secular Carmelite also realizes and expresses communion through meeting and solidarity with other communities, especially within the same Province or Circumscription, as well as through communication and collaboration with the entire Order and family of the Teresian Cannel. So, with this witness to communion in accordance with the Teresian charism, the Community of the Secular Cannel cooperates with the evangelizing mission of the Church in the midst of the world.[[#^ocds-c-fn-40|40]] e) A community that devoutly seeks God will find the balance between individual rights and the good of the community as a whole. Thus the rights and needs of each of the members must be respected and safeguarded according to the laws of the Church [[#^ocds-c-fn-4141]], but likewise members must faithfully fulfill their duties in relation to the community, as laid down in the Constitutions. In order to dismiss[[#^ocds-c-fn-42|42]] a member for the reasons set out in the Code of Canon Law (public rejection of the Catholic faith, abandonment of ecclesiastical communion, or being under imposed or declared excommunication [[#^ocds-c-fn-43|43]]) or other provisions in the Provincial Statutes, the Community Council shall observe the following procedure: 1) verify the certainty of the facts; 2) warn the member in writing or before two witnesses; 3) allow a reasonable time for repentance. If after all this there is no change, it is permitted, after consulting the Provincial, to proceed with the dismissal. In all cases, the member retains the right to appeal to the competent ecclesiastical authority.[[#^ocds-c-fn-44|44]] In the case where a member, after a serious evaluation and discernment with the Community Council comes to the decision to voluntarily leave the Community, the request is to be made in writing to the competent authority of the Community, to whom they are committed by reason of their promises._45_ [[#^ocds-c-fn-45|45]] The Provincial is to be informed of all of this. --- 16 Rule 2 and 10 ^ocds-c-fn-16 17 *Dei Verbum* 25; Way 21:4; Meditations on the Song of Songs 1: 6, 11. ^ocds-c-fn-17 18 *Apostolicam Actuositatem* 4.2 Cf. Vatican Council II, _Lumen Gentium,_ _4; Gaudium et spes,_ 24; cf. John Paul II, _Christifideles Laici,_ 19 _Ratio Institutionis OCDS,_ 25; Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and Societies of Apostolic Life, _Congregavit in uno Christi amor, 8-9._ ^ocds-c-fn-18 21 John Paul II, _Christifideles Laici,_ 8. ^ocds-c-fn-21 22 Vatican Council II, _Gaudium et spes,_ 23.; Pontifical Council for Justice and Peace, _Compendium of the_Social Doctrine of the Church,_ 34; Cf. Benedict XVI, _Caritas in veritate,_ 54. Cf. n. 34. ^ocds-c-fn-22 23 Cf. _OCDS_ _Constitutions,_ 40. ^ocds-c-fn-23 24 Cf. St Teresa of Jesus, _Way,_ 24.5; 26.1; 27.6. _Way_ (Escorial), 20.1. ^ocds-c-fn-24 25 Cf. _OCDS Constitutions,_ 11. ^ocds-c-fn-25 26 Cf. St Teresa of Jesus, _Life,_ 32.11; _Way,_ 17.7; 1.5; 3.1. ^ocds-c-fn-26 27 St Teresa, _Way,_ 4.4, 11.6-7; cf. _Interior_ _Castle,_ V, 3.7-12. ^ocds-c-fn-27 28 Cf. St Teresa of Jesus, _Life,_ 15.5; 23.4. ^ocds-c-fn-28 29 Cf. St Teresa of Jesus, _Interior_ _Castle,_ VI, I 0.6; cf. _Way_ 40.3, 41,7. ^ocds-c-fn-29 30 Cf. St John of the Cross, _Ascent_ II, 6.1; _Precautions,_ 5. ^ocds-c-fn-30 31 St John of the Cross, _letter_ 26 to M. Maria of the Incarnation, 6 July 1591; cf. _letter_ 30, to a religious of Segovia;Ascent III, 23.1; _Dark Night,_ 1, 2.1; 5.2; 7.1; 12.7-8. Cf. _Sayings,_ 27. ^ocds-c-fn-31 32 Cf. _OCDS Constitutions,_ 12. ^ocds-c-fn-32 33 Cf. _Interior Castle_ VII, 4.14-15. ^ocds-c-fn-33 34 Cf. _OCDS Constitutions,_ 58.g and the Provincial Statutes on the maximum number of members in a Community. ^ocds-c-fn-34 35 Cf. St Teresa, _Life,_ 7.22; 16.7. ^ocds-c-fn-35 36 Cf. _OCDS Constitutions,_ 18. ^ocds-c-fn-36 37 _OCDS Ratio,_ 28. ^ocds-c-fn-37 38 John Paul II, _Novo Millennio Jneunte, 43._ ^ocds-c-fn-38 39 Francis, _lumen Fidei,_ 40. ^ocds-c-fn-39 40 Vatican Council II, _Aposto/icam Actuositatem,_ 13.19. John Paul II, _Christifideles Laici,_ 31-32. Cf. Benedict XVI, _Deus caritas est,_ 20. ^ocds-c-fn-40 41 Cf. _Code ofCanon Law,_ 208-223; 224-231. ^ocds-c-fn-41 42 Cf. _Code_ _o/Canon Law,_ 308; Cf. _OCDS Constitutions,_ 47.e. ^ocds-c-fn-42 43 _Code_ _o/Canon_ _Law,_ can. 316§1. ^ocds-c-fn-43 44 Id. Can. 316§2. Cf. can. 312§2. ^ocds-c-fn-44 45 Cf. _OCDS_ _Constitutions,_ 12. ^ocds-c-fn-45 > [[05-constitutions-following-jesus|← Previous]] | [[00-lege-index|Index]] | [[07-constitutions-serving-gods-plan|Next →]]