I returned home today to find the card with your prayers and holy wishes. I am truly moved to tears, and miss you all more than you know.
As I was reading your words, it suddenly occurred to me that perhaps we can keep our “communion of saints” alive by blogging! This is the first time I’ve ever done anything like this, so if you haven’t done it either, we’ll learn together. The next item on my agenda is to link this to our CINCICARM website and make it so that everyone in our community can post. Actually, I think they can now. I thought this might be a great way to share our thoughts and prayers…I KNOW that it will be a good way for me to keep my own vocation alive during the time that I can’t be with you at our community meetings.
What shall we blog about? Well, I’ve just read a fabulous book about the spiritual journey, which I’ll try to speak about next time. We could also blog about our prayers, trials, insights. Since you can post here, you can just add your tidbits of holy humor for us all to share!! And I’d love to hear about what you are studying in community, since I won’t be able to come so often. In short, whatever is on the mind of a Secular Carmelite is, I think, good to blog about.
We can also blog about the extraordinary ways that God works in our lives. I have felt all week a strong sense of God’s presence, in the beauty of the day and even in the midst of trials which kept me away from the even greater trials of the workplace. Having read your beautiful prayers, I know now where all those blessings came from! I am always amazed when I realize that our (your) prayers actually DO have a real effect in the world.
During the week, I had the opportunity to read that fabulous book which you may know: Till We Have Faces. It is quite a masterpiece on love, finding God and oneself amidst what we Catholics call the communion of saints. I hope one of these days to be able to blog more on that incredible piece of work!
Until then, I look forward to hearing from you holy friends, and hearing what is going in your spiritual lives, very soon!
In Christ & in Carmel,
Joni
P.S. If someone will send me a recent community photograph, I will post it on this blog, and also on the cincicarm website!
Tags: carmelite spirituality
January 31, 2009 at 2:18 pm |
Dear Joni,
I think this is an excellent idea!!! May God bless us with holy conversation here!
Who is the author of “Till We Have Faces”? I have heard it highly recommended.
In our monthly meeting, we finished up to Chapter 5 in the Sixth Mansions of St. Teresa’s book, and one comment I’d like to make is that, when I return to her writing, her works always seem fresh and new to me. I’m sure that is the unction of the Holy Spirit showing forth in her writings.
With ‘apologies’ to St. Teresa, if I may make an observation regarding our small group formation classes (and I’m sure you will have noticed this, Joni), it is that each table reminds me of bees coming into the hive to make honey. (St. Teresa used this analogy in regard to the prayer of recollection, I believe.)
Thanks again, Joni, for taking care of our website! In this day and age, it is invaluable. So many individuals who find our community do so via the website, they tell me. (I always ask how they found us!)
Blessings to you from Our Lord and Lady of Mt. Carmel,
Debbie
January 31, 2009 at 8:55 pm |
DEAR JONI:
A SPIRIT THAT IS NOT ACTUALLY SPIRITUAL AS IS OUR SOUL AND OUR INTELLIGENCE…THIS IS THE MIND WHICH IS A PHANTOM EVEN TO OUR OWN SELF.
YOU HAVE INGENIOUSLY FOUND A WAY TO SHARE YOUR INNERMOST SELF WITH ALL THE MEMBERS OF OUR CARMELITE COMMUNITY BY INSCRIBING YOUR CARMELITE SELF (I.E., SPIRIT) INTO THIS BLOG.
OF COURSE, THERE ARE MANY OTHER BLOGS ON THE INTERNET BUT THEY ARE NOT STEEPED IN THE “SPIRIT” OF CARMEL. YOUR INVITATION TO EACH OF US TO SHARE OUR OWN “SPIRIT” WITH EACH OTHER (WHICH ALSO INCLUDES, I DARE SAY, OUR “HEART”) IS A ROBUST INVITATION WHICH ALLOWS US TO DO SO IN HUMILITY (PLEASE GOD) WITHOUT EVEN A SHADOW OF HUBRIS.
THANK YOU FOR THIS INVITATION AND FOR ENRICHING OUR OWN WEB SITE WITH THIS ADDITIONAL BOUQUET REDOLENT OF THE FLOWERS ON CARMEL.
PRAYERFULLY, GRATEFULLY, AND CORDIALLY YOURS IN CARMEL, RICHARD OCDS