Climbing the Mountain of God

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Carmelite Spirituality. What is it? When one thinks of Carmel, one thinks of seeming opposites. Mountain. Desert. The zeal of Elijah. The quiet whispering of the wind. Joy and penance. Ascent and Descent. Light and darkness. All and nothing.

Carmel can also give the impression of being something “beyond me” when you hear words like contemplation, mystics, the indwelling connected to it. At the same time, why is it that people from all walks of life and all ages are time and time again drawn to Carmel? What is it about this particular spirituality that seems to speak to so many people?

Simply put, Carmelite spirituality speaks to the heart. It is in essence, recognizing the deep desire that resides in each person, the desire and hunger for God, whether they know it or not. Carmelites want to see God now. And prayer is that open door through which one begins to enter in, to see and experience the depths that can be explored within each soul, simply because God dwells in each human heart.

Carmel offers something extraordinary to the ordinary people of today, you and me. We come to see that God is walking right alongside me, that He enters into the messiness of my life and transforms it and me in the process. One begins to see with St. Therese how holiness comes to life in the little things. To be a Carmelite is to be like the prophet Elijah who said, “With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord, God of Hosts”. To be a Carmelite is to be like our Blessed Mother who said, “Let it be done unto me according to your word.” Seeming opposites. Yet together, a spirituality that speaks of strength and gentleness, great passion and great discipline. It speaks in all things of great love.

Are you seeking Carmel? Here is a collection of books providing an overview of the Carmelite spirit, with an emphasis on prayer, the presence of God in our daily lives, as well as the lives of two soon to be great Carmelite saints: Maria Teresa Quevado and Mother Luisita.