Catholic Spirituality - Carmelite Spirituality

Carmelite Spirituality

Carmelite spirituality is characterised by interior detachment, silence, solitude, the desire for spiritual progress and insight into mystical experiences. The roots of the Carmelite Order go back to a group of hermits living on Mt. Carmel in Israel during the 12th Century. Ss. John of the Cross (1542–1591) and Teresa of Ávila (1515–1582) were both Carmelite mystics whose writings are considered to be spiritual classics. In his work The Ascent of Mount Carmel, St. John of the Cross teaches that purgation of the soul through mortification and suppression of desires is necessary for the soul while it journeys through darkness before entering into divine union with God. Teresa of Avila emphasized the importance of mental prayer which she defined as "spending time with a friend whom we know loves us."

Other important figures in Carmelite Spirituality include Thérèse of Lisieux (Doctor of the Church), Mary Magdalene de Pazzi, Sister Lúcia of Fátima, Nuno of Saint Mary, Elizabeth of the Trinity, Marie-Antoinette de Geuser known as "Consumata", Edith Stein, Teresa of the Andes, Teresa Margaret of the Sacred Heart, Joaquina de Vedruna, Angelus of Jerusalem, and Brother Lawrence