{'VoACOlS

The Spirit and

Prayer of Carmel

By FRANCOIS J AMART, O.C. D.

Translated by E. J. ROSS (j
 Digitized by the Internet Archive
in 2016

https://archive.org/details/spiritprayerofcaOOjama
THE SPIRIT AND PRAYER
OF CARMEL
The Spirit and Prayer

by FRANCOIS JAMART, O.C.D.

( Vaux-sous-Chevremont, Belgium)

T ranslated by E. J Ross
.

THE NEWMAN PRESS WESTMINSTER^ MARYLAND

Imprimi potest:
Fr.Petrus-Thomas a Virgine Carmeli praepos generalis.
Romae die 24 Aprilis 1946
,

Nihil oh st at:
Eduardus A. Cerny, S.S., D.D.
Censor Librorum

Imprimatur:
Franciscus P. Keough, D.D.
Archiepiscopus Baltimorensis
die 7 Maii 1951

Copyright ig$i by The Newman Press

Printed in the United States of America

asddtffed
 CONTENTS

I. THE HISTORY OF CARMEL I

II. THE AIM OF CARMEL II

III. THE SPIRIT OF CARMEL 19

IV. CARMELITE ASCETICISM 39

V. CARMELITE PRAYER 47

NOTES 77

author's bibliography 86

v
 CHAPTER

THE HISTORY OF CARMEL

 HE ORDER OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT
I

Carmel takes its name from Mount Carmel in Palestine

where it originated. Yet historical records give us no
clear idea of its beginnings. Mount Carmel was inhabited
by the Prophet Elias and the so-called sons of the
prophets about the year 850 B. C. There are no records
extant of any disciples of Elias and Eliseus. Neither is

there any definite information about others who lived

on Mount Carmel in the centuries prior to the coming
of Our Lord, or about those who may have followed in
their footsteps at the dawn of Christianity. Saint Jerome,
Cassian, and several Fathers of the Church considered
the prophets Elias and and mod-
Eliseus as the founders
els of the rhonastic life. Since both of them had lived
on Carmel, it is natural to believe that others followed
their example. Some ruins mentioned by Phocas confirm
1
this view.

3
4 The Spirit and
In the twelfth century we find the first historical rec-
ords testifying to the origin of the Carmelite Order. A
Jewish pilgrim, Benjamin of Tuleda, who visited Mount
Carmel about the year 1163 reports that he noticed a
chapel had been built by the Christians in honor of
Saint Elias at the top of the mountain, near the grotto
2
named after the saint. The Greek monk Phocas, in his
account De locis sacris (On the Holy Places) which
dates from about the year 11 77, 3 relates that he saw the
ruins of a very large building at the top of Carmel, at
the place where the grotto of Elias is to be found. For
some years, he writes, a white-haired monk, who is a
priest from Calabria, has lived there in obedience to a
vision of the prophet Elias. He has surrounded these
ruins with a rampart and built a tower there and a
4
chapel. He lives there with some ten brethren. This
old monk is Berthold of Malifaye, a native of Limousin.
His brethren were Crusaders and pilgrims.
Between the years 1226 and 1228, Jacques de Vitry,
the bishop of St. John of Acre, also saw hermits on
Carmel. They lived in little cells in the rocks. Some of
these cells were to be found near what was known as the
fountain of Elias.
5
A French traveller in the twelfth
century speaks of Latin hermits, called Brethren of
Carmel, living near the fountain of Elias, and those who
6
live near El Chader or the School of the Prophets.
From these documents it appears that hermits were set-

tled on Carmel at least since the twelfth century. Some

of them lived in different parts of the mountain, or near
the fountain of Elias, while St. Berthold had gathered
Prayer of Carmel 5
others around himself in the ruins of an old building
7
near the grotto of Elias. It seems that his relative,

Aymeric of Malifaye, who was patriarch of Antioch and

who had visited Carmel about the year 1155, approved
his foundation and established him as superior of this

community. He likewise outlined a rule of life to be ob-

8
served by his brethren. Such was the origin of the Car-
melite Order.
Inasmuch as these first Carmelites tried to imitate the
life of the prophet Elias (it was as the result of a vision
of the holy prophet that St. Berthold established himself
on the mountain), the Carmelite Order is justified in

claiming a spiritual relationship with Elias. From the be-

ginning, too, the Carmelites paid special honor to the
Mother of God. They dedicated their first monastery to
her. why they are called Hermit Brethren of
This is

Holy Mary of Mount Carmel. 9 It seems that about

55

the year 1187 St. Berthold began the construction of a

regular monastery near the fountain of Elias, but he died
before it was finished. St. Brocard, who succeeded him,
10
finished this work.
We know nothing about the rule which the first Car-
melites followed. It is likely that their religious life drew
inspiration from the rules of the first monastic founders
11
and legislators. But their first way of life soon proved
to be insufficient. St. Brocard, elected about the year
1200, asked St. Albert, patriarch of Jerusalem, to give
him a rule adapted to their new kind of life in which the
religious lived together in a community. Albert Avo-
grado, the patriarch of Jerusalem, was the hierarchical
6 The Spirit and
and ecclesiastical head of the religious of Carmel. He
wrote the rule which still governs them. 12 It presents, in

broad outline, the fundamental principles of Carmelite

life:

A life of solitude, of retirement in ones cell, and of

silence;

A life of renunciation and penance, by means of se-

vere poverty, manual labor, perpetual abstinence
from meat, and fasting for the greater part of the
year;
A life of prayer.

All who could read chanted the Divine Office. The

liturgy used by the Carmelites was that of the Holy
Sepulchre of Jerusalem, simplified and adapted to their
way of life, for the monks were mostly poor laymen. Al-
though the life of thefirst Carmelites was thoroughly

contemplative, they did not refuse to go to the aid of

13
their neighbor when the need of souls required it. How-
ever, such occasions seem to have been comparatively
rare.
The Rule given the Carmelites by St. Albert in 1210
was approved by Pope Honorius III in 1226, and by
Pope Innocent IV in 1247. Meanwhile the Order grew
in numbers. William of Sanvic, in his Chronicle written

at the end of the thirteenth century, relates that the

Carmelites had established themselves in various places
in Palestine and Syria. But the increasingly dangerous
situation resulting from the incursions of the Saracens
was soon to produce a great change for the Order. Al-
ready some Carmelites who had originally come from the
Prayer of Carmel 7

West were alarmed by the massacres and destruction

and decided to return to Europe. They established them-
selves successively at Valenciennes in the year 1235; at
Aygalades near Marseilles; on the Island of Cyprus in
1238; in Sicily; at Aylesford in England in 1242. Within
a few years the monasteries of Palestine and Syria were
to disappear one after the other, destroyed by the Sara-
cens. In the year 1291, the monastery on Mount Carmel
itself was destroyed and the monks were massacred while

they sang the Salve Regina}*

Once in Europe, the Carmelites increased rapidly in
numbers. In 1229 Pope Gregory IX had included them
among Mendicant Orders. From a purely con-
the
templative Order they evolved into an Order combining
the contemplative and the active life. It became neces-
sary, then, to modify the Rule somewhat. St. Simon

Stock, who had recently been elected Prior General,

probably received a commission from the general chapter
held at Aylesford in 1247 to ask Pope Innocent IV to
let him make certain changes and to approve the new
Rule. Innocent IV granted the desired modification that
same year. The Order itself was approved at the Council
of Lyons in 1274.
A modification of the Rule, occasioned by the
final

calamities which had befallen Europe, was to be under-

taken later. While the earlier change had merely adapted
the Rule to the situation which arose when the Car-
melites were officially classed with the Mendicant Or-
ders, the final modification reduced the rigor of the Rule,
chiefly by lessening the requirements of fasting and
8 The Spirit and
abstinence, and of retirement in the monastic cell. This
change was authorized by Pope Eugene IV in 1432.
Carmelite nuns made their first appearance in the
fifteenth century. In earlier times a number of pious
women had been associated with the Order, but now a
community of Beguines at Gueldre in Holland asked
Blessed John Soreth for permission to be affiliated with
the Order. Their request was approved by Pope Nicho-
las V, who gave them the same rule as the Carmelite

friars. This was in 1452. Between 1455 and 1457, sev-

eral convents of Carmelite nuns were established in

Belgium, and the house at Liege was especially impor-
tant. From the Liege foundation, Blessed
John Soreth
led Blessed Frances of Amboise and several other nuns
to found the convent at Vannes in France.
Meanwhile, some reactions against the mitigated rule
developed, but they did not succeed in becoming general
or persistent until the time of St. Teresa. It was St.
Teresa who restored the Rule as sanctioned by Pope In-
nocent IV, and so she initiated a reform, first for the
Carmelite nuns on August 24, 1562, and then for the
friars on November 28, 1568. A brief of Pope Gregory

XIII, dated July 22, 1580, granted the Discalced Car-

melites the right to form a separate Province under the
jurisdiction of the General of the Order.
Finally, a new brief of Pope Clement VIII, dated
December 20, 1593, separated the Order of Discalced
Carmelites from that of the Carmelites called Calced, or
of the Primitive Observance. Since then, the family of
Carmel has been composed of these two branches, both
 ;

Prayer of Carmel 9
originating from the same source: the Calced and the
Discalced Carmelites.
Each of these two Orders includes friars, nuns, and a
secular Third Order. Several congregations of religious
women engaged in various kinds of good works are also
affiliated with them. In almost all parts of the world
they have established either contemplative or missionary
and everywhere they have produced a great
cloisters,

harvest saints. To mention a few, there are: St.

of
Berthold and St. Brocard; St. Simon Stock, who received
the Holy Scapular from Our Lady; St. Peter-Thomas
St. x\ngelus; St. Albert of Sicily; St. Andrew Corsini; St.
John of the Cross; the Blessed Martyrs Denis and Re-
demptus. Among the Carmelite nuns one may cite: St.

Mary Magdalen of Pazzi; St. Teresa of Jesus; St.

Therese of the Child Jesus, patron of the mission; St.

Theresa-Margaret; and Blessed Frances of Amboise,

Blessed Ann Marie of the In-
of St. Barthelemy, Blessed
carnation, the Martyrs of Compiegne, Venerable Ann of
Jesus, Sister Elizabeth of the Trinity.
Faithful to the spirit of their Institute, the Friars have
spread devotion to their Patron, the Blessed Virgin
Mary, Mother of Jesus, wherever they go, and also the
habit which she gave to them. They were among the
first to propagate devotion to St. Joseph, the spouse of
Mary, whom they love to call by the name of Father.
Finally, it may be said that no other Order has pro-

duced so many writers on mysticism as has Carmel.

Above all, from the beginning the reformed branch of
the Carmelites has had a great number of such writers.
10 The Spirit and Prayer of Carmel
It suffices to name St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross,
the Doctor of Mystical Theology. Their works are as au-
thoritative in this field as the Summa Theologica of St.

Thomas Aquinas in Dogmatic Theology. And side by

side with them, there is St. Therese of the Child Jesus,
who by her little way of spiritual childhood, has taught
a simplified approach to God by emphasizing His merci-
ful love, and the virtues of humility, trust, and simplicity
of soul, without departing from the doctrines of her great
predecessors.
 CHAPTER

THE AIM OF CARMEL

 |
HE GENERAL AIM OF ALL RELIGIOUS
1
life is the perfection of charity . But in addition to this
purpose, each religious Order pursues some special aim,
which is assigned to it by its Founder, and is ordinarily
to be found in the constitutions of the Order. It is this

which gives a religious institute its specific character and

type of perfection, and which inspires its lawgivers in
drawing up the rules which are to govern the life of its

members.
The aim of Carmel is not clearly indicated in the
Carmelite rule, although it can be inferred from what
the Rule says, since it prescribes that the religious should
remain in their cells, there to meditate day and night
on the law of the Lord, unless a legitimate occupation
requires them to attend to other things. This is at least

a declaration that Carmelite life is characterized by a

13
14 The Spirit and
special application to prayer. The lack of a precise in-
dication in the Rule is supplied by the book de Institu-
tions primorum monachorum (On the Rule and Life of
the First Monks), which is one of the main sources for
Carmelite spirituality in the middle ages, probably dat-
ing from the thirteenth century. It defines the aim of
Carmel as follows:
The Carmelite life has a twofold aim. We attain the
firstby our work and by the exercise of the virtues with
the aid of divine grace. It consists in offering to God a
pure heart, free from all actual stain of sin. We reach
thisaim when we are perfected in charity.
The other aim of our life is something which is be-
stowed on us as a pure gift of God not only after . . .

our death, but even during this mortal life: namely, to

taste in some measure in ones heart and to experience
in ones spirit the strength of the divine Presence and the
sweetness of the glory from on high.
Obviously, this second aim is infused contemplation.
History, furthermore, shows that the life of the first

Carmelites was purely contemplative. Later, when they

had emigrated to Europe, they were obliged to adopt a
mixed life; but contemplation always remained their
chief occupation. Their active life derived its strength
from contemplation, and was, in a sense, the fruit of
contemplation.
The reform of St. Teresa reaffirmed the predominance
of the contemplative side of Carmel, so that the same
principles are always at the foundation of the Carmelite
way of life. The Constitutions, indeed, say this: God in
Prayer of Carmel 15

His goodness has given us the twofold blessing of prac-

tising the love of both God and our neighbor, but in
such a way that the principal part is contemplation and
the love of things divine; and the second, action, espe-
55 2
cially that which has to do with the salvation of souls .

Moreover, St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross ex-

emplified this lesson both by their manner of living and
in their writings. In these they manifested that the re-
ligious of Carmel are called to a life of contemplation,
and it was in order to direct their disciples in this way
3
of life that they wrote their books .

One could raise the objection: Since infused contem-

plation is a gift which God grants to whom He pleases,

and which cannot be acquired by ones personal efforts,

how can it be assigned as an aim? Obviously a true end
must be capable of attainment. How can one be obliged
to observe rules prescribed as a means of arriving at con-
templation, if their observance does not enable one to
attain this contemplation? There is, nevertheless, no real
contradiction here. Contemplation is not proposed as
the aim to be attained immediately by the Carmelite
way of life, but as its ultimate aim. The immediate aim
of this life is to create the necessary dispositions for con-
templation. The Rule, likewise, has as its object the
preparation of the Carmelite for contemplation.
St. Teresa writes in her Way of Perfection: It does
not follow, because all the nuns in this convent practice
55 4
prayer, that they must all be contemplatives . How-
ever, she wished that all her daughters should apply
themselves to prayer, to humility, to detachment, and to
i6 The Spirit and
the other virtues which dispose the soul to contempla-
tion, so that they would be ready to receive this gift if
5
God deigned to grant it to them.
Father John of Jesus and Mary, one of the principal
authors of the constitutions of the Italian Congregation,
speaks in the same vein: The religious who applies
himself to prayer, he says, and to the exercise of the
contemplative life, fulfils his obligation to tend towards
contemplation, even if he never arrives at it. For it is

not the act of contemplation which is the means chosen

to make progress in charity, since this act is a gratuitous
gift from God; rather it is the contemplative life which
is the means, and this has contemplation as its term and
6
goal.
It is not, therefore, necessary for the Carmelite to
reach the contemplative state to satisfy his obligation
within the Order and to realize his vocation. The imme-
diate end to which the Carmelite must tend, the proper
object of the Rule, is the contemplative life, that is to
say, the practice of continual prayer and complete self-

denial. And as this contemplative life itself leads to in-

fused contemplation, one can say that this is the aim of
Carmel.
One may rightly aspire to this contemplation. The
hope of obtaining it from the goodness of God is a mo-
tive that can inspire the generosity necessary to foster

the dispositions that lead to it, and by acquiring these

one could move God to grant the gift of contemplation.
However, this contemplation itself has perfect charity as
its object. Actually, perfection consists in love of God
 ,

Prayer of Carmel i7

and neighbor. It will be realized when our will is com-

pletely united with that of God by love when it becomes
;

one with the will of God.

To this principal aim, which is contemplation, there
is added for Carmelites a secondary aim, which is action
because their life combines these two elements. This ac-
tion, in Carmel, more than in any other Institute that is

both contemplative and active, is derived from contem-

plation and is also directed towards it. From his con-

templation the Carmelite must draw the enlightenment

and the zeal which he puts at the service of souls, and
he will communicate to them the fruits which he has
derived from his relations with God. Further, without
neglecting anything which, within the framework of the
Carmelite life, can contribute to the salvation of souls,

the main object of his ministry is to spread the spirit and

the life of prayer which he himself lives. In its turn, this
action sustains the life of prayer of the Carmelite re-
ligious. Because fromexperience he knows the needs
his

of souls, and because he understands that he will be so

much the more useful to them the more he is united to
God, he makes generous efforts to grow in Christ and to
perfect his union with God. Carmelite nuns, of course,
are exclusively contemplative. Yet the salvation of souls
plays so large a part in their prayers and sacrifices, that

they are among the most apostolic groups in the Church.

Following the wish of their mother Saint Teresa, they
pray especially for priests.
 CHAPTER

THE SPIRIT OF CARMEL

way of thought
1 \
*.
HE
and manner
SPIRIT OF
of life
AN ORDER IS

which are charac-

THE

teristic of the Order; it is the guiding ideas and aspira-

tions which determine the daily life of its members in the
pursuit of perfection in their chosen state. This spirit is

derived from the Founders and the principal members,

and is directly related to the aims of the Order.
As we have said, the aim of Carmel is contemplation.
The means which its Founders and lawgivers have in-
dicated to attain this end are: continuous prayer, prac-
tised within the framework of solitude and silence, and
complete detachment from created things; each of these
being realized through the action of the theological vir-

tues. The spirit of Carmel is therefore a spirit of rec-

ollection, of prayer, of contemplation, of absolute
renunciation, all directed towards the attainment of
union with God.
21
22 The Spirit and
It is very necessary for a person to know the spirit of
his Order, to understand it thoroughly and to be pene-
trated As long as an Order
by it. is faithful to the spirit

which inspired its Founder and his Rule, it lives and

prospers. An Order which departs from the Founders
spirit naturally weakens and dies. This spirit must above
all inspire those who govern; if it is not alive in the su-
periors, they cannot instruct and direct their subordi-
nates as they ought. But it must also inspire each of the
other members, who otherwise run the danger of living
an adulterated and diminished life and may infect

others.

Enlightened by this spirit, religious will better under-

stand the meaning and the purpose of their rules and
regulations, and will adapt themselves more readily to
them. Without this spirit, their training will be defective.
They will perhaps realize a certain degree of religious
observance, but they will not have the formation re-
quired by their Institute. Consequently, they will not be
able to attain the end of their Order nor the perfection
of their state of life.

As the Founders of Carmel wrote their works ex-

pressly to inspire in their disciples the spirit of the Order,
let us review briefly the principles underlying their
teaching.

1. PRAYER
Prayer is the characteristic of Carmelite life. It is its
very soul. The other constitutive elements of the Car-
Prayer of Carmel 23
melite spirit have no purpose except that of fostering the
life of prayer, which in its turn reacts on these elements,
because one cannot, without prayer, realize complete
detachment or develop the generosity necessary for con-
templative life. The aim of prayer is to lead the soul as
quickly as possible to contemplation. Even from the be-
ginning, the Carmelite method of prayer includes as its

central point an act called contemplation, accompanied

by an affectionate colloquy. Little by little this colloquy
becomes simplified, leading finally to a simple loving
look at God, which is the essence of contemplation. The
Carmelite must, then, keep his mind fixed on God, lov-
ing Him in silence, giving himself to Him, and enjoying
Him. This prayer is, of course, always nourished by
faith, but its essential act is love.

However, the Carmelite is not to devote himself to

prayer only during the two hours which are especially
assigned for this. He is expected to pray the whole day
long. His love should lead him always to seek God, and
to keep himself orientated towards Him. Under the ac-
tion of the Holy Spirit, he must strive to keep himself
in constant contact with Christ living within his soul.

With Christ, he should always strive to live in sinu Patris

(in the bosom of the Father). If sometimes an occupa-
tion or distraction interrupts this communion, he should
hasten to return to it the moment he becomes aware of
the interruption.
Such is the life of prayer which the Carmelite seeks to

realize : to live in God with Christ.

 1

24 The Spirit and

2. SOLITUDE AND SILENCE

To practise this life of prayer more efficaciously, the

Carmelite seeks solitude and keeps himself in silence.

The Carmelite Order originated in solitude. The first

Carmelites were hermits. The Order has retained this

eremetical character. The Rule and the Constitution
want Carmelite convents and monasteries to be outside
the cities, so that the religious can live in retirement in

their cloisters and cells. St. Teresa wanted this eremetical

spirit to be maintained. She said expressly: The end

we pursue is not only to live as religious, but as
55
hermits .

This spirit is characterized by a profound silence. The

Rule puts great emphasis upon silence, and declares ex-
pressly that to speak when there isno sufficient reason

for doing so distracts, dissipates, and defiles the soul.

Silence, on the contrary, enables the soul to keep itself

pure, fortifies and concentrates its powers in God.

it,

Besides, the soul which seeks God avoids all conversa-

tion which has no relation to Him, knowing that He is
not to be found in idle talk and noise, and that it is only
in silence and by keeping oneself alert that one perceives
2
the divine Word and receives His light .

3. SELF-DENIAL AND DETACHMENT

FROM CREATURES
Detachment from creatures must be related to the
union with God which the soul is constantly seeking. St.
John of the Cross said of this union that it is: a union
of the will, the will of the soul being so completely in
Prayer of Carmel 25

Gods will, that the two become one and the soul moves
3
only by the will of God.
Again he said: This union is so intimate that the soul
is entirely illumined by it and transformed in God who
communicates to the soul His supernatural being so that
it seems to be God Himself; the soul is God by partici-
4
pation and possesses what God has.
And again: The soul in this union is an altar where
God receives adoration, praise, and love, and where He
5
alone dwells.
It is obvious that far from being a means to realize
such a union, creatures are an obstacle to the soul, be-
cause they are nothing compared to the infinite Being of
6
God and have no relation to the Divine Being . Thus the
soul which desires to unite itself with God must detach
itself from creatures. As
John of the Cross writes:
St.

Give nothing to creatures if you wish to preserve the

image of God clear and pure in your soul. Empty your
soul of them all and turn away from them, and then you
will walk in the divine light, for God does not resemble
7
His creatures.
Even one attachment, however small it may be, if it
8
is voluntary, is sufficient to hinder union with God.
The reason for this is that he who attaches himself to a
creature subjects himself to and makes it impossible to
it

attain the absolute purity which is necessary for union

with God.
On the other hand, the senses and the faculties of the
soul cannot attain God through their natural mode of
operation, because He surpasses them with all the in-
26 The Spirit and
finity of His Being. The imagination cannot picture
Him; the understanding cannot know Him as He is;

neither can the will enjoy Him. It is by not knowing

rather than through knowledge that we can approach
Him who exceeds all knowledge; it is by not enjoying
thatwe can taste Him who is the Sovereign Good 9 .

This is why the powers of the mind must abstract

from their natural way of knowing and enjoying and put
themselves in obscurity and darkness by means of the
theological virtues with which we shall deal later. St.

John of the Cross compared this detachment to a

death, to a voluntary annihilation of all that is of time,
10
nature, and spirit, because one must truly renounce
oneself both interiorly and in all exterior things and de-
vote oneself by love of Christ to suffering and the com-
11
plete mortification of ones own inclinations.
At the same time, the more the spiritual man an-
nihilates himself for love of God in both the sensitive
and the spiritual parts of his soul, the more will he be
united to God. . . . When he reaches the stage where
he will be reduced to nothing and is in the greatest hu-
miliation, his soul will achieve spiritual union with God.
This is the most glorious and the highest state to which
one can aspire in this Union does not therefore
life.

consist in enjoyment, consolation, or spiritual feelings,

but in the real death of the cross both from the sensitive
and the spiritual point of view, both interiorly and in all
12
exterior things.
This renunciation of self, this detachment from crea-
tures, must be continuous. It is not at haphazard, when
Prayer of Carmel 27
an occasion presents itself, that we must practise this.
We must be constantly on the alert, ready to put these
dispositions into acts. Because of our nature which is

wounded by sin, and because of our self-love which is

always active, we are moved to seek ourselves, constantly

and To combat this tendency with suc-
in everything.

cess, we must practise renunciation, moved by the love

of God, who is Himself always working within us. Let
us note, however, that it is not to suppress our tendencies
and appetites that we must work in this manner. It is

impossible to suppress them. Rather, we must mortify

and deny them what they seek.
This negation of the appetite is characteristic of the
asceticism of St.John of the Cross. Instead of making a
frontal attack on them, he wants us to bypass them.
Whenever an evil tendency arises, he wants us to turn
aside from it by going immediately to God. He aimed
in this way to wean the appetites and to empty the pow-
ers of the soul of everything that has to do merely with
creatures, in order to lead them ceaselessly into the All-
ness of God. This is the asceticism of the nada or noth-
ingness, so dear to the mystic doctor.
What St. John of the Cross, the proponent of abnega-
tion, expressed so energetically, St. Teresa taught us no
less forcefully. In her Way of Perfection she proposed to
show way which leads to contem-
to her daughters the
plation and intimate union with God. But before speak-
ing to them of prayer, she first showed the necessity of
acquiring the virtues: Believe me, she wrote, the
King of Glory will never come into our soul to unite
28 The Spirit and
Himself to it, unless we try to acquire some real vir-
55 13
tues .

She demanded the most complete detachment: Try

55
to understand thoroughly , she said, that to merit the
gift of contemplation, God wishes that we reserve noth-
ing for ourselves. Little or much, He claims all for Him-
55 14
self . And again: The Lord cannot operate freely

within the soul unless He find it detached from every

15
creature and belonging wholly to Him .
55
She con-
cluded: Detachment is all-important for us. It is our
55 16
most important business and our only concern .

But Saint Teresa was a practical woman. She did not

content herself with asking for this renunciation in a
general way. She indicated the virtues necessary to ac-
quire it.

First, we need humility to enlighten us on our noth-

ingness and our misery, and to establish us in the truth,
a virtue in her opinion most necessary, which obtains
55 17
everything else .

Then, obedience must crush our self-will and rule

55
over it. Study how to break your will , she said, in
55 18
things that are most repugnant to it . Later she
showed how to succeed in this: To put an end to all the
struggles which the devil and our sensuality wage against
us, and to employ our will purely and simply in the
service of God, there is no other way than to submit it to

a Superior by obedience. Further, one must obey what-

55 19
ever this may cost .
5
And this is the reward: The
soul which obeys has no need to seek the way, or to
Prayer of Carmel 29

choose it. . . . God takes care to lead it by the path

20
which profits it most.
Finally, only patient and gentle charity will correct
our blind self-love and facilitate union with Christ
through love of our neighbor. We must strive for this
especially because perfection consists precisely in loving
21
God and our neighbor .

It is evident that St. Teresa was not less exacting than

St. John of the Cross. She, too, demanded complete self-
denial. The King 55 she said, will give Himself only to
,

55 22
those who give themselves wholly to Him .

To arrive at union with God, he who would follow

the Carmelite way of life must radically mortify even*
satisfaction sought for its own sake; he must empty the
interior senses and faculties the imagination, the mem-
ory, the intelligence, the will, and the heart that of all
is not of God or not a God; above
means of union with
all, he must practise absolute self-denial and keep him-
self in profound humility so as to be perfectly free and
pure. When these conditions are realized, he is ready for
the action of God in his soul.

4. THE WORK OF THE

THEOLOGICAL VIRTUES
The first of the theological virtues is faith, which is,

according to the Council of Trent, the foundation and

55
root of all justification . St. Paul had already stated that
it is the substance of things to be hoped for, the evi-
55 23
dence of things that appear not . Although we can
come to know God through the exercise of our reason, it
30 The Spirit and
is above all by faith that we enter into contact with Him.
It is faith alone which reveals to us the mystery of the
Trinity of persons in the one divine Nature and dis-
closes to us the mysteries of Christ. It is faith which
teaches us that we are the children of God, bom of Him
by grace, and that we must try to reproduce the divine
life within ourselves, if we wish to share in the happiness
of God in Heaven.
Hence, the Carmelite ideal asks the soul to keep itself

habitually in the presence of God with its gaze fixed

upon Him, to live in Him who is present everywhere,
but present especially in Heaven and in the soul. Again,
the soul keeps itself united with Christ who lives in it,

by making efforts to live as He lived, to remain as He

does in sinu Patris (in the bosom of the Father). Living
according to the Carmelite ideal, the soul judges every-
thing in the light of faith, although it does not neglect
reason on that account. John of the Cross himself
St.

invites us to take counsel from reason in order to fulfill

what it dictates to us regarding the way to God 24 But .

faith must rise above reason and change reasons natural

25
mode of being to take on a divine form .

Faith is made for love. The more lively faith is, the
more does it engender and enkindle love. Love plays the
principal role in Carmelite spirituality. The Carmelite
seeks union with God. Now it is love which unites the
soul with God and effects our transformation in Him.
Therefore, the Carmelite seeks to do all things out of
love, in such a way as to live in a continual act of love.

Finally, there is hope. Enlightened by faith and ani-

Prayer of Carmel 3 *

mated by love, knowing that he is only a transient on

earth, on his way to his Fathers house, to which Christ
has already introduced him by hope, the Carmelite
tends thither always and lives there in spirit.
Under the influence of these virtues the soul lives a
truly supernatural life. However, St. John of the Cross
assigns another role to these virtues in the practice of the
contemplative life. By contemplation, the soul tends to
union with God. Now there is no proportion between
God and His creatures. It follows that no created thing
can be a means of union with God; no natural activity
of our intellectual powers can unite us to Him. Hence
the soul, in order to arrive at union with God, must
despoil and empty of all created things and must
itself

cease all its modes of activity in its search for

natural
God. It must detach itself from everything that comes to
it through the senses, empty itself of all distinct or par-

ticular knowledge even though it be clearly supernatural,

and establish itself in obscurity and in a complete free-
dom from these things. This purification of the faculties
of the soul is accomplished through the exercise of the
theological virtues.
faith purifies the intellect. By adhering to faith, by
relying upon it alone on its journey to God, the soul is
purified and enlightened and takes hold of God, as it
were. Faith, indeed, is the only proximate and pro-
portionate means for union of the soul with God. The
Son of God, says St. John of the Cross, communicates
Himself to the soul only through faith. Between faith
and God the resemblance is so great that there is no
32 The Spirit and
other difference than that which exists between seeing
God and believing in God. It is therefore in the ob-
scurity of faith that God is found hidden, and it is with
the aid of darkness that the mind is united with God.
Further, the more faith a soul has, the more it is united
26
to God.
Just as faith purifies the understanding, so hope emp-
ties the memory of the remembrance of earthly things to
turn the soul towards the things that we hope for. To
arrive at the union of love, says St. John of the Cross,
the soul must despoil itself of everything and walk with-
27
out any other support than hope in God alone.
God, indeed, so greatly values the hope of a soul which
is always turned towards Him without ever lowering its

gaze on anything else, that we can say in truth: it ob-

28
tains all it hopes for.
Finally, charity must free the will of all affection or
attraction for created things so that it loves God alone.
This love of God, St. John of the Cross insists, must be
29
absolute and continuous . The soul that desires God to
give Himself wholly to it must give itself wholly and
unreservedly to Him. It must be content with Him alone
and surrender everything to Him. Consequently the soul
must keep itself from loving anything as much as it loves
God, because to put into the balance with God what is
infinitely below Him is really to belittle Him. It must

even avoid seeking itself in God. It must live for Him in

30
complete detachment .

Such, in outline, is the special role attributed by St.

John of the Cross to the theological virtues in the pursuit
Prayer of Carmel 33
of contemplation. In the measure that we realize this, in
that measure do we approach God.

5. THE SPIRIT OF TOTALITY

IN CARMEL
We would fail to explain fully the spirit of Carmel if

we did not call attention to the character of totality in

the elements of which it is composed. St. Teresa and St.

John of the Cross are perfectly in agreement on this

point. The terms todo, nada (all, nothing), recur con-

stantly in their writings.
St. Teresa wants her daughters to be generous and to
give themselves to God without any reservation. God has
given us so much that the least return we can make to
Him is to give Him ourselves, whole and entire. It is,

moreover, in the proportion that we give ourselves to

God that He communicates Himself to us. It is only by
giving all that we can enter into intimate union with
Jesus. She wishes her daughters to despoil themselves of
everything. In their desire to please their Spouse, she
wants them to listen neither to reason nor to the fears
that the understanding suggests, but only to faith ; to seek
what is more perfect in everything; to apply themselves
to love God with all their soul; to have no other will

than that of God; and to be ready to suffer everything

31
for Him .

St. John of the Cross is no less uncompromising, and

it is with reason that he has been called the Doctor of
Nothingness (
nada ). The character of totality in Car-
melite spirituality shows itself especially in his teachings
 :

34 The Spirit and

regarding the practice of renunciation. But this absolute
self-denial is demanded by love and is practised for the
32
sake of the union of love; it is love . Several passages
have already been quoted which show how great a de-
gree of detachment must be practised. It will suffice,
therefore, to cite those classic passages from St. John of
the Cross which leave no doubt about the degree of
renunciation required and the demands of love

Strive always to choose

Not that which is easiest, but that which is most diffi-

cult;
Not that which is most delectable, but that which is
most displeasing;
Not that which gives most pleasure, but that which
gives least;
Not that which is greatest, but that which is least;
Not the best of temporal things, but the worst, and for
Christs sake desire to enter into complete detach-
ment (with emptiness and poverty) from all that is

in the world.

Note, however, the wisdom of the Doctor of Mystical

Theology. For fear that nature might become disheart-
ened, he recommends that renunciation be practised
with love, intelligence, and discretion. On these condi-
tions, he says, one will find only delight and consolation
in self-denial. He insists, however, and repeats the same
advice in another form:

In order to arrive at having pleasure in everything,

desire to have pleasure in nothing.
To know everything, desire to know nothing.
Prayer of Carmel 35
To possess everything, desire to possess nothing at all.
To be everything, take care not to be anything at all.
When you are detained by anything, you cease to
abandon yourself in everything;
For in order to pass from all to the All, one must re-
nounce oneself wholly in all.
And when you come to possess everything, you must
possess it without desiring anything.
For if you wish to have anything at all, you have not
purely God as your treasure. 33

In brief, the Carmelite and anyone who wishes to live

in the spirit of Carmel, disengages himself from created
things and renounces himself resolutely and completely.
Then, when the powers of the soul are quiet, he tries in

an habitual movement of meditative prayer to know and

to contemplate God in the light of faith; to unite himself
to God by love; to tend towards the eternal possession
of Him by hope. Round about himself, he has created
a void; within himself, all is forgetfulness; he no longer

knows anything, no longer desires to know anything save

God alone, for He is all, and the rest is nothing.

6. CHRIST IS THE MODEL

OF CARMELITES
In order the better to acquire this Carmelite spirit, St.

Teresa and more especially St. John of the Cross, recom-

mend that in all ones conduct one draw inspiration
from the sentiments and the actions of Christ. Jesus is

the model proposed by the heavenly Father Himself to

all Christians, and all spiritual writers urge us to imitate

Christ. But St. John of the Cross seems to propose His

36 The Spirit and
life as a model which is especially appropriate for Car-
mel. I have said ,
55
he writes, that Christ is the Way
to go to the Father, and that this way is death to our
nature in things both sensible and spiritual. I wish now
to explain this .
55
He goes on to explain in masterly fash-
ion how
was a perfect model of renunciation and
Jesus
death to which he concludes: The spiritual
self, after

man must understand by this the mystery of the way and

of the gate, that is Christ, through whom we must pass
55 34
if we are to unite ourselves with God .

Since absolute renunciation is the foundation of Car-

melite life, it is evident why St. John of the Cross in-
sisted on this special aspect of the life of Christ, although
it is not the only one which he has in view. In another
place he wrote: Your greatest concern must be to en-
kindle in yourself an ardent and affectionate desire to
imitate Christ in all His works. Strive, therefore, to ac-
complish each of them as the Lord Himself would
55 35
do . And again: Do nothing, say nothing which
Christ would not do or say if He found Himself in the
55
same situation as yourself .

The mystic doctor evidently proposes the entire life of

Christ for imitation by the Carmelite. The life of Christ
was fundamentally contemplative. At the same time that
He sojourned amongst us He enjoyed the vision of God,
He lived in the bosom of the Father. His actions were
directed towards God and had no other purpose than to
please His Father. Then, too, the life of Christ, at least
during the first thirty years, was a life of silence and of
solitude. Even during His public life, He loved to retire
Prayer of Carmel 37
to pray alone. These are the dispositions which are also
characteristic of Carmelite life.

It was, therefore, natural that St. John of the Cross

should recommend so especially that we be animated by
the sentiments of Christ. We are the more successful in
this, more we become aware of
the Christs presence in
us and the more we become united to Him. This union
with Christ who lives in us is particularly recommended
36
by St. Teresa, who speaks of it in several of our works .

The Carmelite must keep himself habitually united

with Christ, not only to adore Him and to love Him, but
to familiarize himself with His thoughts, desires, and
sentiments. He will ask Jesus to work in him; he will

surrender himself to the action of His spirit; he will keep

himself under His influence and be guided by Him
alone. He will thus reproduce in himself the virtues of
Christ and be for Him another humanity in which He
37
relives all His mystery. In every circumstance he will
ask himself what Jesus would have done and what He
would have thought, begging Him to enlighten him, to
fortify him by His Spirit so as to fashion his conduct ac-

cording to the pattern of the divine Master.

This union with Christ, this life in Him and by Him
is, without question, the best way to practise the Carmel-
ite life. For it is in this way that the soul is inspired in
everything by the spirit of Christ and makes efforts to
imitate Him, renouncing its own spirit and denying it-

self. In this way the spiritual life is greatly simplified.

Moreover, this habitual contact with Christ by faith and
love merit for the Carmelite a special grace, a more
38 The Spirit and Prayer of Carmel
abundant participation in the virtus Christi (the strength
of Christ) which helps him the better to realize the Car-
melite ideal.

7. DEVOTION TO MARY
From the earliest beginnings of the Order, the Car-
melites have cultivated devotion to Mary, the Mother of
God. They took her for and tried to model
their patron
their life on hers. The Carmelites were hermit solitaries,
like Elias, and were related through him to the tradition

of the Old Testament. They participated in the spirit of

the New Testament through Mary and tried to imitate
her interior life. They knew that there is no better way
of living Christs life than to imitate Mary, because
Mary is all is all for God.
for Jesus, as Jesus
Carmelite and nuns, therefore, strive to live in
friars

intimate union with Mary. They have recourse to her

in all their activities, begging her to enlighten and direct
them. They take care to remain under her guidance, so
that she may protect and defend them. They entrust
themselves to her in all their needs of body and soul, and
they especially take her as a guide in the way of con-
templation. In short, they expect from her that she will
form Christ in them.
 CHAPTER

CARMELITE ASCETICISM
 SCETICISM IS THE EFFORT PUT
forth by the soul, under the action of grace, to overcome
the unruly tendencies of human nature, to cleanse the
soul of everything that can hinder the action of God in
it, and to strive for union with God. Carmelite asceticism
is definitely orientated towards contemplation. This is

logical, since contemplation is the objective of Carmelite

life. Carmelite asceticism has yet another characteristic:
its center is love. There is nothing astonishing in this:

love is the principal element of Carmelite spirituality;

it is not merely its final goal, it is already there at its

beginning and it is upon love that the soul relies all dur-
ing its journey. Carmelite prayer is orientated towards
contemplation, and while it does not undervalue reason-
55
ing, it consists much more in loving than in thinking .

The efforts which the Carmelite will make to conquer

his passions, his evil tendencies, and his defects, will
42 The Spirit and
therefore consist rather in acts of love for God than in a
direct struggle against these unruly inclinations. At least
1
this is the way recommended by St. John of the Cross.
He does not underestimate the efficacy of a direct strug-
gle consisting in reflections on the ugliness and the mal-
ice of sin and the consequences it entails; or in acts of
the virtue opposed to the defect or the temptation to be
overcome. Instead, the manner of behavior recom-
mended by him is to turn away from the temptation and
to turn towards God and cling to Him by love. He con-
siders this method easier, more fruitful, more perfect.
In fact, not only does it free the soul from the attraction
and attachment of created things, it raises the soul up to
God and makes it grow in love.
As soon, therefore, as the soul experiences some dis-
orderly attraction of the senses or a temptation of the
spirit an inclination to self-love, pride, or impurity, a
movement of antipathy for someone, or a lack of charity
it turns immediately to God, and contemplates Him in
His infinite beauty and admires His love. The Carmelite
professes to God his complete and exclusive love, his

desire to avoid all that can displease Him, and his wish
to be united with Him. He asks God the Father, or the
Sacred Humanity of Christ, to preserve him, telling Him
that he relies on Him, and begging Him to draw him to
Himself.
The Carmelite will renew these acts as long as may be
necessary to establish himself peacefully in God. He will
put into them all the fervor of which he is capable, tak-
ing care always to act calmly, for he will not be able to
Prayer of Carmel 43
repose in God unless he avoids all excitement and fa-
tigue of mind and heart.
St. John of the Cross is consistent with himself in

recommending this method, for he writes: In order to

overcome the appetites and to mortify the attraction for
created things towards which the will is naturally drawn
with desire to enjoy them, there is need of a much deeper
2
love which can only be the love of Christ. However,
this method presupposes that the soul is already experi-
enced in love and has made progress in it, because it will
succeed only if it is fervent. Hence the necessity of prac-
tising the love of God, loving Him for Himself and for

what He has done for us; hence, the need of devoting

oneself to contemplation and to the love of Christ.
It is certain that this intimate converse with God will

develop in the soul a great facility for turning towards

Him the moment an unruly tendency of nature or an
attraction for creatures manifests itself. Accustomed to
live in the company of God, and becoming captivated
by Him, the soul will overcome temptations without
great difficulty by rising above them, and will find itself

united with God ;

recollected in Christ.
If, however, our love is not sufficiently lively to calm
the temptation, the thoughts or the feelings which agi-
tate us, St. John of the Cross recommends that we have
recourse to the ordinary manner of acting: rational re-
flection and making acts of the virtue opposed to the
source of temptation. We should then consider how vain
and passing is the thought or idea which presented itself
to us and the satisfaction which attracted us; how vile
44 The Spirit and
and despicable is the act suggested by passion. We will
then conclude that would be unreasonable to let our-
it

selves be carried away by such things; this would be a

debasing of human nature, a degradation from being a
child of God and a consecrated person. Then one mtist
consider the consequences which the fault could have:
the loss of the divine life and eternal punishment.
On the other hand, one must consider how much
more worthy it is to overcome ones passions and to be
conscious of ones dignity as a Christian, living a life of
detachment for God, and taking Christ as ones model.
One can dwell on the advantages that will follow from
this: growth in Christ, benefits accruing to His mystical
body, and the eternal possession of God.
Yet, to remain true to the Carmelite spirit it would
be preferable to make use of considerations inspired by
love. Then every compromise with created things will
appear as an infidelity to the love of God. Any satisfac-

tion taken in created things will be an ingratitude to-

wards Him who sacrificed Himself for us. From our

meditation on what He has done for us, we can draw
courage to bear up under our burdens, courage for the
struggle facing us.
Referring to the testimony of Fr. Eliseo de los

Martires, we have thus far considered only the struggle

against temptations, the disorderly attractions of the
senses, or the manifestations of some vice or defect. But
it is clear that the method recommended by St. John of
the Cross can be applied just as reasonably and effi-

caciously in the struggle against useless thoughts, vain

Prayer of Carmel 45
imaginations, idle memories, affections for others, futile
worries; in a word, all that can distract one from God

and hinder our union with Him. God alone and what
can unite us to Him must be all-important to us. As
soon as any other object begins to take hold of our facul-
ties, we must brush it aside and continue going towards

God by loving Him alone.

St. Teresa does not distinguish explicitly between these
two methods of combatting the obstacles of spiritual
progress. But she nevertheless teaches both of them. In-
deed, she sometimes recommends considerations such as
those which we have just given, and counsels that one

should make acts of the virtue opposed to the evil tend-

ency against which we At other times,
are struggling.
she makes an appeal to our love of God of which it is
characteristic to be always active in all things. Love is
the method which she prefers. Although she develops it
less clearly, her teaching is the same as that of St. John

of the Cross and reflects the essential principle of Car-

melite spirituality which gives the first place to love. It
follows that the genuine practice of Carmelite asceticism
requires the practice of the love of God.
 CHAPTER

CARMELITE PRAYER
 IP I RAYER IS A CHARACTERISTIC OF
Carmelite life. The aim of Carmelite spirituality is, in-

deed, contemplation, and the proper means to arrive at

this goal is prayer. For this reason prayer will be the
chief occupation of the Carmelite, and ought, so far as
possible, to be continuous and to animate every act of
the Carmelite. The Carmelite Rule and Constitutions
prescribe this life of prayer, and the Holy Founders of
the Order insist on it.

Each day, morning and evening, Carmelite religious

They prolong this
devote one hour exclusively to prayer.
prayer through the whole day by remaining in contact
with Christ who lives in them. If occasionally there are

free moments in their occupations, they are employed in

holding conversation with Christ and in recollecting
themselves in God. Their life is truly a life of prayer.

49
50 The Spirit and
Beginners must ordinarily be instructed how to pray,
first because they do not know how to go about it, and
in the next place, because the method of prayer varies
with the aims pursued by the different Orders. Thus
most Orders have a method of prayer adapted to their
purpose.
The method of prayer characteristic of Carmelite
spirituality is affective and designed to lead to contem-
plation. It is a conversation with God and consists above
all in loving Him. It might seem that no special method
is needed for this kind of prayer. However, to hold
proper converse with God and to draw from it all the
profit that it can bring, a method is necessary. Beginners
must be instructed in prayer, because in the beginning
prayer is ordinarily discursive.
St. Teresa and St. John of the Cross have expressly
1
taught this . Nowadays it is fashionable to criticize

methods of prayer and even to express contempt for

them. They are considered a hindrance and are said to
prevent spontaneity in ones dealings with God. There
is no need, it is said, of any scientific regulations in order
to speak to Him. One can speak to God directly, without
needing to be instructed in any method.
Some methods may, by their complexity, lay them-
selves open to such criticism. However, the objection
often proceeds from pre-conceived ideas or prejudices.
Sometimes it is the word method which causes displeas-
ure. In this event it is necessary only to replace it by the
word direction or advice . Sometimes that which is sig-

nified by the word is condemned. People insist that they

Prayer of Carmel 51
are incapable of practising any method and say they are
seriously hampered by it. In any case, the objection
against a method which is as natural, as simple, and as
adaptable as that of Carmel, is not justified, because it is

nothing else than the judicious use of means which

spontaneously suggest themselves in the practice of
prayer. It no more than the application of our rational
is

faculties to this exercise. Whether one wishes it or not, a

prayer well made is composed of acts which in them-

selves conform to the Carmelite method of prayer. What

are these acts, one may ask.

First, there is the preparation. One cannot pass sud-

denly from noise to meditation. One cannot approach
God without suitable preparation.
Then there is reading. So long as one is not familiar
with the practice of prayer, one will find in suitable
reading matter a subject capable of inspiring thoughts
which will enlighten, instruct, enkindle love and guide
our conduct.
The meditation itself : the intellect reflects on some
chosen subject; the imagination represents the subject to
itself, if this is possible; the memory retains it and asso-
ciates with it that which will complete the idea. The
operations of these last two faculties are not, however,
indispensable.
Finally, the will, influenced by these considerations, ex-
presses itself in affective acts. These can be more or less
numerous and varied. They end in loving, silent con-
templation.
Prayer is concluded with a resolution, because
52 The Spirit and
prayer has also a practical purpose. It is not merely
establishing contact with God; nor a conversation with
Him which would run the danger of producing little

practical fruit. Its aim is to transform our life, to share

the sentiments of Christ and to model our life on His, to
unite ourselves with God.
It is clear that these acts are usually to be found in
every well-ordered prayer, and it is these precisely which
form the method recommended by John St. Teresa, St.

of the Cross and other Carmelite writers. One may note,

indeed, that this method is very similar to that practised
in antiquity. While it is claimed that the ancients did
not have any method and, of course, one will not find
them practising the same order as that followed in mod-
ern methods, yet their prayer included : reading, medita-
tion, affectionate colloquy and contemplation .
2
A
disciple of St. John of the Cross relates that he some-
times analyzed prayer into these same elements. It seems,
therefore, that there is no reason to condemn a method
of this kind, especially if it is not employed any longer
than is necessary. The soul will reduce the complexity of
themethod in the measure that it makes progress.
However, for a soul which seeks God, prayer is not
limited to this passing exercise. This latter is rather a
more intense phase in a life devoted wholly to prayer.
The soul must strive to keep itself united with Christ all

the day long, to live in God by an habitual act of loving

faith, in order to reproduce in itself the life of Jesus so
far as it can.
The Carmelite method of prayer can be found set
The Newman Press, Westminster, Maryland,
presents for review the following new book:

Title: HIE SPIRIT AND PRAYER OF CARMEL

Author: Francois Jamart, O.C.D.

Price: $1.00

Publication date: November 1951

9,

It will be appreciated if two copies of your re-

view are forwarded to us at the above address.

Prayer of Carmel 53
down in a little treatise published in Spain at the begin-
ning of the Reformation. It is entitled Instruction de
novicios descalzos (Instruction for Discalced Novices)
and is dated 1591. Composed by order of the Consulta
for the instruction of novices and revised by St. John of
the Cross, it divides mental prayer into seven parts:
preparation, reading, meditation, contemplation, thanks-
giving, petition, and conclusion. About the same time,
Father John of Jesus-Mary Aravalles, who had been a
novice under St. John of the Cross at Pastrana, follow-
ing the instructions hehad received, edited a Tratado
de oration (Treatise on Prayer) which had the same
seven divisions.
However, the Instruction for Novices composed by a
father of the same name (John of Jesus-Mary) for the
3
novices of the Italian Congregation has only six parts.
The conclusion has been lost. This would make little dif-

ference, but the author made another change which has

some importance. He left out the act of contemplation
and introduced in its stead an act of oblation or offering.
The six parts, then, are as follows :
preparation, reading,
meditation, thanksgiving, oblation, petition. Father John
of Jesus-Mary, who was also a novice at Pastrana, seems
therefore to have departed from the primitive tradition.
He claimed that he reserved the term contemplation for
infused contemplation and feared that in wanting to
undertake contemplation too soon there is a danger of
going astray.
The influence which the latter father had on his Con-
gregation in Italy because of his holiness and knowledge
54 The Spirit and
led several later Carmelites, such as Thomas of Jesus,
Philip of the Holy Trinity, and Joseph of the Holy
Ghost (a Spaniard) to adopt his division. The difference
is, however, more apparent than real, because these later
authors, notably Joseph of Jesus-Mary in his exposition
of the doctrine of St. John of the Cross entitled Don que
tuvo (The Gift Possessed), also advise that one should
sometimes suspend the activity of the intellect. The soul
then fixes its attention on the truth to be meditated
upon, while the will makes acts of love and engages in
an affectionate colloquy with the Most Blessed Trinity,
or singles out Christ, the second Person, as the object of
his devotion. Thus contemplation in the broad sense,

without being mentioned expressly, is made an integral

part of prayer. Now it is this contemplation which char-
acterizes, properly speaking, the discursive prayer of the
Carmelites. The other parts are to be found in the
methods of other Orders.
We shall explain briefly the different elements of
prayer, by following the two works cited above, and
making use also of the works of St. Teresa and St. John
of the Cross. The first two parts, preparation and read-
ing, do not constitute prayer properly so called; they
are only the introduction to it.

THE PREPARATION
By this we mean the immediate preparation. But to
enter into contact with God by means of prayer, it is not
enough to dispose oneself merely at the moment when
Prayer of Carmel 55
one wishes to speak to Him more intimately. In several
places St. Teresa develops at length the need to prepare
oneself by the practice of virtue. She demands from souls
who wish to find God in prayer a great purity of con-
science, a complete detachment from created things,
true humility, recollection of soul, fervent desires, con-
4
fidence that one will succeed, and a great generosity .

This is easy to understand: God cannot freely act in

the soul until He finds it detached from all creatures
and belonging to Him alone .
55
He does not force our
will; He only takes what we give to Him. But He does
not give Himself to us entirely unless we give ourselves
to Him without reserve .
55 5

As for the immediate preparation, this consists in

purifying ourselves, being recollected, and becoming

aware of the infinite greatness of Him with whom we
are about to hold converse. The Majesty of God, as well

as our position as creatures and sinners, makes this a

duty for us. On the other hand, the more conscious we

are of the infinity of Gods Being, the greater will be the
reverence with which we keep ourselves in His presence.
It is true thatGod is also our Father and we are His
children. But we do not always behave as real children
of the Heavenly Father should, by being docile and ea-
ger to please Him in everything. That is why, before
speaking more intimately with Him, the soul prostrates
itself before God and adores Him. It confesses before
Him its nothingness, its misery, and its faults ,
6
and im-
7
plores His pardon .
 :

56 The Spirit and

READING
After thus evoking the dispositions necessary for
prayer and entering into contact with God, the soul
completes its preparation by choosing a subject for
meditation. At the beginning of the spiritual life this

can be taken from a book, because the mind is not yet

sufficiently conversant with the things of God. St. Teresa
8
recommends this . Later, the need to have recourse to
reading will be less great; one will easily find in ones
mind ideas upon which to meditate. Reading will, how-
ever, always be useful to suggest new subjects, because
our ideas too easily turn back on the same themes, and
9
then they have less power to move us . The Sacred
Scriptures and the spiritual writers can always provide
us with abundant and varied material.
Generally, St. Teresa leaves one full latitude in the
choice of subjects. Here are some of them

God and His divine Perfections 10 .

The things of Heaven 11 .

The Person, life and mysteries of Christ 12 .

The Holy Eucharist 13 .

The Words of the Gospels 14 .

The Blessed Virgin and the Saints 15 .

The divine Perfections as manifested in creation and

16
the beauty of creatures .

17
Self-knowledge and consideration of our faults .

18
The ugliness of sin and its malice. Death, hell .

However, she advises that we should preferably choose

which best accord with our temperament and
subjects
Prayer of Carmel 57
19
the disposition of the soul at the time ,
and from which
we can hope to profit most, taking into account also the
20
liturgy of the season . She also recommends taking the
21
advice of an experienced director .

St. Teresa insists that we meditate especially on the

love shown by God in giving us His Son; on the love of
Jesus Himself, on His life, His mysteries, and especially
55
His passion and death, through which ,
she says, all
55 22
good things have come to us and still come . In this
23
she is in agreement with St. John of the Cross and
with the Instruction for Novices cited above. This is be-
cause Christ is the way, the truth, and the life. No
24
one can come to the Father except by Him . Further,
He is the head; we are His members; and He is our
sanctifier. God has deposited in Him all the graces
which are to be given to us. And, finally, He is our
model. Christ wished to live our way of life so that we
could have before our eyes a concrete example of the
life of a child of God.
This contemplation of Christ and His mysteries in
faithand love makes us share in the dispositions of His
own soul and communicates to us that virtus Christi
which emanates from His Person and enables us to live
His The contemplation of the Humanity of Christ
life.

is pure Carmelite doctrine. Some spiritual writers, men-

tioned by Teresa, believed that the Sacred Humanity of

Christ could be an obstacle for souls who already enjoy
infused contemplation. St. Teresa undertook to refute
them. She declared on the basis of the Gospels that the
contemplation of the Sacred Humanity is suited to every
58 The Spirit and
moment of the spiritual life; she even added that many
souls, after arriving at union with God, advance no
25
further because they neglect this . Carmelite spirituality
is therefore centered in Christ.
The reading must be done deliberately and atten-
tively in order to grasp the full meaning of the sentences
read and to furnish the mind with clear and precise
ideas. When the person who is meditating feels that he
is sufficiently enlightened and instructed, he stops read-
ing. To prolong it would be mere curiosity or study. If
after the reading is finished a person feels inclined to
meditate or to contemplate some other subject, then the
first subject can be dropped. The Spirit breathes where
He wills.

THE MEDITATION
Once the preparation and the reading are finished,
there follows the meditation. A person will meditate on
those thoughts which have seemed particularly striking,
seeking to penetrate into their meaning and to derive
from them considerations that can convince the mind
and move the will to act. If the subject allows it, one
must use the help of the imagination to represent the
subject in a living and striking image. St. Teresa makes
the suggestion to imagine Our Lord near us or within
26
us, that we gaze upon Him while we speak to Him .

She even advises one to make use of a holy card or pic-

27
ture .

At the beginning, the number of considerations will

be rather large. At that time it is necessary to enlighten
Prayer of Carmel 59
and instruct the mind and to persuade the soul. One
must take care then not to abandon the meditation when
there is only a slight movement of the will. If the mind
is not sufficiently enlightened or convinced, there is

danger that such a movement or emotion will only be

superficial.

On the other hand, when the will is thoroughly

moved, the work of the understanding must be sus-

pended. To would be study, or in any case,

continue it

work unrelated to our purpose and harmful to prayer

properly so called, because the only aim of meditation is
to dispose the mind to contemplation and the will to
resolutions and acts of love.

CONTEMPLATION
Contemplation, according to Father John of Jesus-
Mary Aravalles, is the application of the will to truths
which the mind presents to it as the conclusion of its

considerations or meditation. After thoroughly consider-

ing a subject, the mind tries to reduce all the considera-
tions concerning it to one principal thought and to
concentrate everything into one practical conclusion. The
mind dwells on this thought and contemplates it, while
the will adheres to it and firmly resolves to put it into
practice. Being resolved to act, the soul then addresses
itself to the Most Blessed Trinity, or more commonly to
Christ, the second Person, who ordinarily exemplifies
the truth one is meditating upon. The soul then tells

God the Father, or Our Lord, of its love for Him and
28
its desire to belong to Him entirely . It humbly be-
6o The Spirit and
seeches Him for help to carry out its resolutions, with
29
absolute confidence in its detachment from self . The
soul thus surrenders itself to Him and asks Him to ac-
complish in it what it cannot do itself.

It is this simple gaze fixed on the Most Blessed Trin-

ity, or on Christ, with the loving colloquy which ac-
companies it, that the Carmelite authors we have cited
above call contemplation. For them this is the central
point of discursive prayer, as can be seen especially in
the writings of St. John of the Cross and St. Teresa. For
St. Teresa, prayer is above all a friendly converse in
which we speak intimately with God by whom we know
we are loved. She wants us to tell God of our love for
Him, familiarly, without trying to compose beautiful
soliloquies or prolonging these more than necessary, with
the intent above all to give ourselves to Him, to please
Him, to do the divine Will in everything, and to become
30
one with Christ in the practice of virtue .

Sometimes the soul becomes silent, engages in con-

templation, makes acts of love; then it listens to what
God wants it to hear. For He speaks to those who love
Him, not precisely in words that the ear hears, but by
enlightening them. God speaks to us, said St. Teresa,
even though we do not hear Him. He speaks to the
31
heart when we pray from the heart.
acts in which the soul gives expression to its
These
love and its desire to belong entirely to God are, at first,
rather numerous; they become fewer as the soul makes
progress, for then the soul comes to prefer certain acts
of love which keep it better united to God Our Lord.
Prayer of Carmel 61

THANKSGIVING
The thanksgiving, says Father John of Jesus-Mary
Aravalles, ought to grow out of the contemplation, so
that there is no division or interruption between them.
Thanksgiving, therefore, is only the prolongation of the
loving colloquy which forms part of the act of contem-
plation and should even, according to the author, in-
crease its fervor. The soul gives thanks first of all for the
graces which are related to the object of the medita-
32
tion . Thus, for example, if one has been meditating on
the Passion, one thanks God for the grace of Redemp-
tion and salvation. If one has been meditating on
heaven, one thanks God for the hope of attaining it.

The soul recalls also the other blessings received from

God: its creation and the dignity of being a child of
God; His gift of Jesus to us; the Incarnation, the Passion
and the other mysteries of the Word made Flesh; the
Holy Eucharist; the gift of Mary our Mother; our pre-
destination to heaven; our religious vocation, etc. . . .

The soul praises God for His goodness and takes de-
light in Him.

PETITION
Encouraged by this remembrance of the blessings of
God and filled with confidence, the soul then makes its

petitions. It prays for itself, begging God to have pity on

its weakness and misery, telling Him of its sincere desire
to belong entirely to Him and surrendering itself to all of
Gods designs. It prays for those who are dear to it, for
62 The Spirit and
the Church, for the Holy Father, for priests, for the con-
version of sinners and unbelievers, for the spiritual and
temporal needs which one has at heart; asking, in short
that the name of God may be sanctified, that His king-
33
dom may come, and His will be accomplished .

The soul unites its prayer with those of Christ, who

continually offers for us His satisfactions and His merits
and those of His Mother Mary.

EPILOGUE OR CONCLUSION
Finally, the meditation is concluded by calling to mind
once more the truth or the conclusion which was the
object of ones contemplation, and by renewing ones
resolution to put it into practice. It is good to remind

oneself of it now and then during the day, to make it

the subject of prayer, or express it in the form of ejacu-

lations. In this way prayer will be continuous and will
constantly influence the soul.
This particular resolution will always be directed to-
wards the complete renunciation of oneself and all cre-

ated things, and towards perfect conformity with Christ.

For this is the object towards which prayer must tend.
It must create the likeness of Jesus in us. It should de-
liver us so completely to God that we have no other will
than His, with the result that He can do with us what-
ever He wills. The soul which devotes itself to prayer
does not do so in order to seek consolations in it, nor in
34
order to receive favors . There must be no intention
other than to give God what He expects of one, and to
reproduce the life of Jesus Christ in oneself; that is to
Prayer of Carmel 63

say, to live in God and to do all things as He did in the

person of His Son Incarnate.
In her discussions of prayer, St. Teresa considers only
these parts: the preparation, reading, meditation, and
contemplation with an affectionate colloquy. In this last

she includes the thanksgiving and the petition, and con-

cludes it with the resolution.
To summarize, this method of prayer has no other ob-
ject than to furnish us with instructions on how best to
succeed in that conversation with God which is prayer.
It teaches us how to speak to God, to adhere to Him
with an habitual act of love, and to reproduce in our-
selves the life of Jesus for the glory of the Father. Be-

ginners who wish to make progress in prayer must

practise this method carefully. However, it is not so rigid
that one cannot depart from it when the disposition of
the soul or some other reason seems to make this neces-

sary. One can therefore sometimes abridge it, or invert

the order of the different parts which we have discussed.
But the contemplation and the affectionate colloquy
must always be kept, because they are the center towards
which all the other parts of prayer are directed and

around which they are grouped, either as preparation or

conclusion.

A WORD OF ADVICE
We said that prayer will be fruitful only if one takes
pains to perform it well. God, of course, will help us to

do this, but in the beginning it is we ourselves who must

do the work. We must therefore undertake it with gen-
64 The Spirit and
erosity and confidence. The greater the effort we make,
the sooner we shall succeed 35 But we must be careful to
.

avoid excesses. If we work too much,

let the imagination
we run By wanting to
the risk of falling into illusions.
meditate, to reflect and analyze too much, we run the
danger of fatiguing the mind so as to make it incapable
of any work requiring application. In any case, the
important thing is not to do a lot of thinking, but to love
3
much! The affections themselves ought to be tem-
pered so that the soul may not be drawn into an excess
37
of sentiment . Meditation requires effort, but also mod-
eration.

THE SIMPLIFICATION OF PRAYER

When the soul has faithfully practised discursive
prayer for a period of time, the acts which were so nu-
merous at the beginning gradually become more simple.
For souls given to the contemplative life, a life of soli-
tude and recollection in prayer, a life ordinarily well
nourished by instruction and reading, this simplification
comes rather early.

First, the considerations entertained by the mind and

discursive reasoning decrease. Once the soul is instructed
and persuaded, it needs little reasoning to be enlightened
and to make decisions. A few discursive movements, an
idea or two recalling previous considerations, are enough
to nourish the mind and move the will. The soul passes
quickly to contemplation and acts of love. Prayer is then
characterized by the affectionate colloquy, words of
thanksgiving and praise, and acts of petition.
Prayer of Carmel 65
For this reason spiritual writers have called it affec-
tive prayer. Usually they consider this as a special type
of prayer, or at least as the second degree in the life of
prayer. But Carmelite authors, who regard prayer as
essentially affective, see in this only the simplification of

the same type of prayer. However, these affective acts,

too, are reduced little by little. Immediately upon put-

ting itself God, the soul is recollected

into the presence of
in Him and love upon Christ, and
or gazes with faith
without engaging in any reasoning process, without any
noise of words, the soul contemplates and loves. St.
Teresa treats of this type of prayer in her Way of Per-
fection under the name of prayer of active recollec-
tion.
In the prayer of recollection, she says, one withdraws
from all created things, recollects all ones powers, with-
draws into oneself, and there contemplates God, the
Three Persons of the Blessed Trinity, or Christ the Son.
The soul represents Our Lord to itself in some one of His
states which it prefers, and speaks familiarly to Him,
now as a Father, now as a Brother or a Spouse, or as to
its divine Master.
The senses, both interior and exterior, experience the
effect of this recollection; the eyes close of themselves;

and the soul, entirely occupied with Him whom it loves,

is enflamed with divine love. It is then on the right road

to receive the gift of infused contemplation. Once the
soul has freed itself from all created things and given
itself entirely to God so that He can dispose of it as He
pleases, He will make His presence felt and also give
66 The Spirit and
38
Himself to the soul . The better to prepare oneself for
this, St. Teresa advises that recollection be prolonged
during the day or at least that contact with God be re-

newed from time to time 39 She discusses this type of.

prayer again more explicitly in her Interior Castle .

40
In this work St. Teresa treats of persons who, hav-
,

ing been raised to higher levels of prayer, cannot medi-

tate as they did formerly. When once the understanding
has enjoyed God, the soul can no longer seek Him as it

formerly did by meditation. However, as the will is not

always enflamed with love, the activity of the under-
standing is sometimes necessary to revive the flame. But
there will be no need to have recourse to reasoning or
other considerations, because the soul is no longer ca-
pable of these. It will be enough for the memory to recall
the mysteries of Christ and His love, which the soul will
consider by a simple glance, and this alone will be
41
enough to enflame the will. In the same work ,
she
speaks also of another type of prayer of recollection, in
which the soul is passive and makes no further progress
other than that which may properly be called mystic.
St. John of the Cross also knew about this interme-
diary state between ordinary meditation and contempla-
tion properly so called, or infused contemplation. He
deals with it in his Ascent of Mount Carmel * 2 What he
writes there can be summarized by saying that after the
soul has actively practised meditation and has thus ac-
quired an enlightened knowledge of the Most Blessed
Trinity, its love is therefore increased; it derives from
this form of prayer all the benefits to be found there, and
Prayer of Carmel 67

it acquires the habit of recollection. Then, as soon as

the soul puts itself into the presence of God, it finds itself
plunged into a confused and loving knowledge of God,
full of peace and calm, without anything distinct or

particular in this knowledge. Henceforth meditation be-

comes tasteless and impossible. If, nevertheless, the soul
wanted to return to the practice of meditation, out of
fear of idleness or from a desire to enjoy the sensible
consolation to be found in it, the soul would only experi-
ence dryness and would lose the fruits of contemplation
without obtaining those of discursive prayer.
The soul must then be content to raise its attention
with love to God, without making any particular acts.

It must conduct itself passively, without making the least

effort (of reasoning), applying itself to God with a lov-

ing attention, simple and pure, as one does when one
43
opens ones eyes to look on someone with love.
Hence it can be seen that between discursive prayer
and infused contemplation there is a state of prayer
which consists in keeping a loving, confused, and general
attention on God, and in giving Our Lord a glance that
is full of love, but not distinct or particular. Spiritual
writers have called this prayer by various names: the
prayer of recollection; the prayer of simplicity or the
simple glance at God They also call it active or acquired
.

contemplation.
This type of prayer is already a form of contempla-
tion, but it is not of the mystical or supernatural type,
in the sense given to this word by St. Teresa. We can
acquire it by our own generous efforts, aided by Gods
 :

68 The Spirit and

grace. There is already to be found in it the influence of
the gifts of the Holy Ghost, although these are hardly
perceptible as yet. This type of contemplation rewards
the efforts of generous and faithful souls fairly soon,
44
especially those who are in the religious life .

However, we ought not to try to attain to this type of

prayer before the time for it has arrived; otherwise, we
risk daydreaming and accomplish nothing. St. John of
the Cross indicates three signs by which we can recog-
nize whether a soul enjoys this kind of contemplation
First, one finds it impossible to meditate, as formerly,
and finds only dryness in this kind of prayer instead of
the satisfaction which one used to get from it, or instead
of the activity which made it possible.

Second, one does not feel inclined to think about

other things, either external or internal.
Third, one feels attracted to God and wishes to oc-
cupy oneself with Him in calmness and silence, without
45
making any effort at reasoning .

When these three signs are found together, then the

soul must leave meditation for contemplation. This does
not mean that we must never go back to discursive
prayer. For at the beginning the soul is not yet estab-
lished in perfect contemplation. If sometimes it finds it-

self favored by this contemplation as soon as it places

itself in the presence of God, it will at other times be
unable to enter into this state except with the aid of
some considerations.
Besides, this initial contemplation is not always of
long duration; and as soon as the loving attention to
 ,

Prayer of Carmel 69
God slackens, one must revive it by considerations. It

can even happen that contemplation needs to be initiated

by means of some brief considerations. Then we must at
46
once take up discursive prayer. To maintain that we
can no longer return to it because we have enjoyed the
beginnings of contemplation, even supernatural contem-
plation, would be the result of pride and would lead to
47
idleness.

Meditation remains an excellent and very safe way,

55 48
until Our Lord raises us to other supernatural things.
It is a form of prayer which is within the reach of all

souls. As St. Teresa says: all that is necessary is the

habitual practice of love. For God will always give us
the opportunity to practise it if we desire it. 49 55

Over and above this prayer of recollection or active

contemplation come the different kinds of infused
prayer These are a gratuitous gift of God; none of our
.

own efforts can procure them for us, and one must not
try to attempt them on ones own. According to St.
Teresa, a soul which God has not elevated to this degree
of prayer will do well not to try to undertake it of its

own accord. It could only suffer harm and risk falling

50
into self-deception.

SPECIAL TYPES OF SOULS

St. Teresa speaks also of special types of souls. These
are, first of all, persons who do not know how to engage
in discursive prayer and whose imagination is not very
lively so that they cannot represent a subject to them-
selves. Their way is difficult, for if the will is not very
70 The Spirit and
firm and their love not fervent, they are exposed to
many distractions and to dryness. They need a greater
purity of conscience than do others, as well as patience
to bear the struggle and dryness. Nevertheless, the soul
must strive to keep its gaze fixed with love upon Our
Lord, begging Him for His help. St. Teresa urgently
recommends that such persons use a book during the
time of meditation. If they are faithful and generous,
despite the dryness they experience, they will arrive even
51
sooner than others at contemplation .

Some persons can practise only vocal prayer , or vocal

prayer mixed with a few reflections; or they cannot keep
their minds fixed on one subject They need not be . dis-

turbed over this. Our Lord knows what

them is suited to
and what He thinks best. If they are humble and de-
tached, they will receive as much as the others and per-
haps more 52 They must be humble and persevering.
.

Other persons suffer from a state of dryness Aridity, .

inability to engage in discursive prayer, may come from

a poor state of health. One must then avoid tiring the

mind by thought. A few acts, the offering of ones con-
dition or ones illness, will be enough. Sometimes it

would be better to take some rest, or to occupy oneself

53
with active work . Aridity may also be merely a trial, ac-
companied even by frivolous or evil thoughts. We must
then remember that prayer must mean giving something
to God, not simply receiving, and that we engage in it
to please Him, not to gain satisfaction for ourselves. We
must try to be content with what He does. He knows
what is useful to us. Just as He can make flowers grow
Prayer of Carmel 7i

without water, so He can also make our virtues increase

without watering them with consolations. At such times
we must think of what Jesus suffered for us. If we are
54
faithful, He will reward us at the proper time .

ON INFUSED PRAYER
It is not our intention to deal at length with infused
prayer. We shall only reply to some of the questions
which are asked about it.

1. IS INFUSED PRAYER NECESSARY FOR PERFECTION?

It is quite certain that it is not necessary. St. Teresa
declares that her daughters, although devoted to
prayer, need not all be contemplatives properly so
called. She says that is impossible. A soul will not be
prevented from being perfect without this gift and can
achieve perfection just as the greatest contemplatives
55
do. The way of contemplation is a short-cut by
which God gives powerful aid and accomplishes His
work in a very short time. But He distributes His grace
when He wishes, as He wishes, and to whom He wishes,
without taking account of time or the service one has
rendered Him. He acts in this way for reasons known
56
only to Himself.
However, side by side with this way of contemplation,
there is another, which is the way of conformity to the
divine Will and which, too, can lead to perfection. Real
union with God, says St. Teresa, can easily be
achieved if we make efforts not to have any will of our
own and to embrace everything demanded of us by the
72 The Spirit and
55
divine Will . No doubt, this will demand more effort

from us because the soul works more with its own

55
energy but it will also have much more merit, and its
,

reward will be greater. Ultimately, however, the infused

kinds of prayer themselves have no other purpose than
to bring us to that union of conformity in which true
55 57
perfection consists .

St. John of the Cross is of the same opinion. God

55
does not elevate all those to contemplation , he writes,
who are faithful in the practice of the spiritual life. Not
even half of these are so privileged. Why? He alone
55 58
knows the reason . The reason, say the Carmelite au-
thors who have interpreted this statement, is to be found
sometimes in a lack of generosity in these souls, some-
times in the Will of God.
59
There are, then, two ways of arriving at perfection .

However, even souls who do not walk in the way of in-

fused contemplation or mystical prayer can sometimes
be favored by contemplation.

2. What is the path ordinarily indicated for

souls by God, at least souls in contemplative
Orders?
On several occasions St. Teresa clearly showed that
55
the Lord calls everyone to drink at the fountain of
living waters, which is synonymous for her with infused
55
contemplation. He calls souls to this , she writes, pub-
55
licly, and in a loud voice . She makes this clearer when
she says: All of us who wear this holy habit of Carmel
are called to prayer and contemplation. Such was the
Prayer of Carmel 73
55
purpose of our Order from the beginning . Yet, she
adds: There are very few who have the dispositions
55 60
needed if God is to grant them this contemplation .

For this she demands a life of self-abnegation, humility,

generosity, and the total gift of oneself to God.
St. Teresa hardly doubts that those who possess these
virtues will attain to contemplation. God truly has but
one desire: to find souls to whom He can give Him-
55 61
self . She exhorts her daughters to make strenuous
55 62
efforts and not to stop halfway . Sometimes the Lord
is late in coming, but then He rewards handsomely, and
He gives as much in a single visit as He gave others in
55 63
small amounts over several years .

According to St. Teresa, all generous souls and all who

give themselves completely to God are called to contem-
plation. Not that they will all be led by the way of
contemplation. There are two ways. But all will at least

drink a little at the fountain of living waters, that is,

they will occasionally receive some mystical grace. To

those who want to follow Him, she writes, God grants
a great number of ways of drinking the living water, so
that no one need be deprived of its consolations or die
of thirst. From this source spring up streams, some large,
55 64
others small .

Although John of the Cross stated that the way

St.

of contemplation was not for all souls, he also recog-

nized that those who resolutely make efforts to practise

virtue participate in the passive nights and enjoy the

65
favors of contemplation . Other Carmelite writers on
mysticism repeat the same teaching. For them, as for
74 The Spirit and
their founders, infused contemplation is granted to all

generous souls.

From these passages one can see clearly enough that

infused contemplation is the ordinary and natural de-
velopment of the spiritual life and is to be expected as a
66
result of a life of generosity towards God . It is not an
extraordinary grace. However, the way of contemplation
is not the only way which leads to perfection. God leads
some souls by another path, which will arrive at sanctity

as well as the others.

3. Since contemplation is a gratuitous gift of
God, is one justified in hoping for it?
Sometimes the question is asked whether it is not con-
trary to humility to hope for the gift of contemplation,
and does not this open the door to illusions. Most Car-
melite authors allow one to hope for it. Without exclud-
ing this hope, St. Teresa thought it better to dispose
oneself for it by humility and by the total gift of oneself
67
to God . The Constitutions of the Carmelites want them
to strive to realize the aim of their Institute, which is

contemplation.

4. Can souls who thus dispose themselves to re-

ceive THE GIFT OF CONTEMPLATION, MERIT THIS
GIFT FROM God?
In the strict sense of the term merit, this is not possi-
ble, for contemplation is always a gratuitous gift. St.

Teresa and other Carmelite writers are quite firm on this

point. But they are of the opinion that God rewards
generous and faithful souls by giving it to them. This
Prayer of Carmel 75
seems to lend authority to the opinion that one can merit
68
contemplation in the wider meaning of the term .

RSUM
As will be evident from the foregoing, Carmelite life

is especially directed towards contemplation. The soul

seeks to meet God in solitude and silence. There it strives

to detach itself from created things, to purify its faculties

from everything that hinders its union with God, and

to occupy itself with Him alone. The Carmelite concen-
trates all his thoughts on God. He seeks Him and con-
templates Him in the light of faith, which alone enables
him to attain God. He is drawn to God with all the
ardor of his soul filled with love. Prayer is his principal

occupation. The Carmelite devotes his whole day to this.

Even while he works he strives to retain a spirit of

prayer. In this recollection he glorifies God; gives him-
self to Him; and is full of zeal for His glory. He is not
unconcerned for the welfare of other souls, but knows
that he will save more souls, the more he is united with
God.
Thus the Carmelite strives for this union in all his
thoughts and actions. He knows that God invites him to
do this. On the other hand, he is conscious of the fact
that God gives Himself to souls only when they have left

all for Him. This is why, with his eyes fixed on Christ
whom he strives to reproduce in himself, with his heart

tending towards Him, he produces a void in himself to

make room for God and gives himself to God in the
 ;

76 The Spirit and Prayer of Carmel

hope of finally achieving union with Him in the measure
that God deigns to communicate Himself here below.

CARMELITE LIFE IS OPEN

TO OTHER SOULS
It has been our special purpose here to give an ex-
position of Carmelite ideals. But these teachings are not
so completely the property of Carmel that they cannot
be suitable to other souls as well. Indeed, grace makes
69
us all partakers of the divine nature ;
we are all

predestined to be made conformable to the image of

70
His Son we have all within us the Holy Spirit, who
71
prays for us with unspeakable groanings. Ah of us,
ifwe have true charity, may hope that the Holy Trinity
72
will make Their abode with us, and that we will be
united to Them.
However, we shall not attain to this union unless we
carry out the necessary retrenchments, purifying our
faculties,and tending towards God by the practice of
the theological virtues and meditative prayer.
The Carmelite doctrine can be proposed as suited to
every soul which seeks to unite itself with God. St. John
of the Cross is the Doctor of Mystical Theology for the
universal Church. St. Teresa has the title of mater
the whose
spiritualium mother of all things spiritual,
73
heavenly teaching ought to nourish every soul.
 NOTES AND
BIBLIOGRAPHY
 NOTES

i HERE ARE SEVERAL SPANISH EDI-

tions of the writings of St. Teresa and St. John of the
Cross with differing chapter arrangements. This leads to
difficulties when referring to precise chapters in the text.
Although translations from these two authors were made
from the various versions of the French original of this

book, it was thought advisable for the convenience of

English-speaking readers to give reference to available
English translations. The Spanish editions from which
these English translations were made differ sometimes
from the editions used by the French translators to which
the original French of this book referred; for this reason
chapter references sometimes had to be changed. Refer-
ences may also differ from other English translations
recently published.
For St. Teresa, unless otherwise indicated, the refer-
ences given are to the translations of David Lewis and
the Benedictines of Stanbrook, published by Thomas
Baker, London, 1911, 1912, 1919.
79
8o The Spirit and Prayer of Carmel
For St. John of the Cross, unless otherwise indicated,
the references are to The Complete Works of St. John
of the Cross, translated and edited by E. Allison Peers,
3 vols., Westminster, Maryland: Newman, 1945.
The translator wishes to acknowledge the help espe-
cially of Rev. Ernest Kilzer, O.S.B., of Collegeville,
Minn., and also of Rev. Angelus, O.C.D., and Rev. Al-
bert of the Blessed Sacrament, O.C.D., of the American
Carmelite Province.
Translators Note .
 , .

I THE HISTORY OF CARMEL

1
Zimmerman, article Carmes, Dictionnaire de theologie
catholique, Vol. II, Part 2, p. 1777; Liffert de Buffevent, Les
plus vieux textes du Carmel p. 53.
2
Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 270;
ibid., article Carmes, p. 1777; Brandsma and Devos, article
Carmes, Dictionnaire de spirituality ascetique et mystique:
doctrine et histoire, Fasc. VII, p. 152.
3
Or from the year 1185, according to some authorities.
4
Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 270.
Zimmerman, article Carmes, op. cit., p. 1777; ibid., Mon-
5

umenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 280; Brandsma and Devos,

op. cit., p. 152.
6
Brandsma and Devos, op. cit., p. 158.
7
Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 270;
Liffert de Buffevent, op. cit., p. 54.
8
Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 271;
Liffert de Buffevent, op. cit., p. 56.
9
Zimmerman, article Carmes, op. cit., p. 1779; ibid., Mon-
umenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 271; Brandsma and Devos,
op. cit., p. 158.
10
Zimmerman, article Carmes, op. ibid.,
cit., p. 1778;
Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, pp. 271, 277 , 280, 285;
Sanvic, Ch. II.
11 Zimmerman, article Carmes, op. cit., p. 1778; Brandsma
and Devos, op. cit., p. 160; Liffertde Buffevent, op. cit., pp. 69,
100 .

12 Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 277

13 Sagitta Ignea, Ch. VI.
14 Zimmerman, Monumenta Historica Carmelitana, p. 285;
ibid., article Carmes, op. cit., p. 1779.
8i
82 The Spirit and
II THE AIM OF CARMEL
1
St. Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, II II, q. 186, a. 2
and 3.
2
Prologue to The Constitutions.
3
St. Teresa of Avila, Interior Castle, 5th Mansion, Ch. 1.
4 Ibid., Way of Perfection, Ch. 17.
5
Ibid., 20.
6
Rev. John of Jesus-Mary, Schola de oratione, Not. XI; ibid.,
Instruct. Fr. Disc. n. 575.

Ill THE SPIRIT OF CARMEL

1 Way of Perfection, 13.
2
St. John of the Cross, Vol. Ill; Maxims, 53.
3
Ascent of Mount Carmel, Book I, Ch. 11.
4 Ibid., II, 4.
5
Ibid., I, 5.
6 Ibid., I, 4.
7 Maxims, 25.
8 Ascent of Mount Carmel, I, 9.
9 Ibid., II, 8.
19 Ibid.

11 Ibid.
12 Ibid .

13 Way of Perfection, 16.

14 Interior Castle, 5th Mansion, Ch. 1.
15 Way of Perfection, 29.
18 Ibid.,
8.
17 Interior Castle, 1st Mansion, 2; Way of Perfection, 32.
18 Way of Perfection, 11.
19 Foundations, Ch. 5; Way of Perfection, 39.
20 Foundations, 5.
21 Interior Castle, 1st Mansion, 2.
22 Way of Perfection, 16.
23 Heb. XI, 1.
24 Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, Maxims,
21, 23; 41, 42, 43.
25 Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 1.
28 Ibid., II, 9.
27 Maxims, 37 (Transl. by David Lewis, London, 1919).
 , ,

Prayer of Carmel 83
28 Ibid.,
46 (Transl. by David Lewis).
29 Ascent of Mount Carmel II, 6.
30 Maxims, 71, 75, 77 (Transl. by David Lewis).
31 Way of Perfection, 28; Autobiography, Ch. 9; Thoughts on
the Love of God Ch. 3.
32 Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 7.
33 Ibid.,
I, 13.
Ibid., II, 7.
35 Ibid., I, 13.
36 Way of Perfection, 38; Autobiography, 4, 9.
37 Elisabeth of the Trinity.

IV CARMELITE ASCETICISM
1
Cf., Works of St. John of the Cross, Declaration of Fr.
Eliseo de los Martires (Vol. Ill, translation of E. Allison Peers,
pp. 309 ff.).
2
Ascent of Mount Carmel, I, 14.

V CARMELITE PRAYER
1 Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 12; Living Flame of Love,
Stanza III, 32.
2
Cf., Leclercq, Rev. Jean, O.S.B., Reponse dun historien:
la lecture et loraison, La Vie Spirituelle, May 1944, pp. 392-
402.
3
At this time two religious had the same name, one living in
Spain, the other in Italy.
4
Cf., Autobiography and Way of Perfection.
5 Way of Perfection, 28.
6 Ibid., 22, 24, 25; Autobiography, 13.
7
St. Teresa (Way of Perfection, 26), advised her daughters,
and Fr. John of Jesus-Mary Aravelles (
Treatise on Prayer)
recommended to his novices, to begin their prayer with an ex-
amination of conscience and a Confiteor, and with a sign of the
Cross.
8 Autobiography, 4, 9, 13; Way of Perfection, 19, 26.
9 Autobiography, 13.
10 Way of Perfection, 22; Autobiography, 12. Nevertheless she
84 The Spirit and
states that she herself never considered these subjects, saying that
she was unable to do so.
11 Autobiography, 12.
12 Ibid.,
9, 11, 12, 13; Way of Perfection, 26, 28; Interior
Castle, 6th Mansion, 7.
13 Autobiography, 22.
14 Way of Perfection, 21.
15 Interior Castle, 6th Mansion, 7.
19 Autobiography, 13.
9,
17 Ibid.,
13; Way of Perfection, 38.
18 Autobiography, 13.
8,
19 Ibid ., 13, 22.
20 Interior Castle, 6th Mansion, 7.
21 Autobiography, 13.
22 Interior Castle, 6th Mansion, 7; Autobiography, 9, 13, 22.
23
St. John of the Cross, Maxims, 1, 2, 4, 250 (Transl. by
David Lewis).
24 Interior Castle, Autobiography, 22.
6th Mansion, 7;
25 Autobiography, 6th Mansion, 7.
12, 22; Interior Castle,
26 Way of Perfection, 26, 28, 29; Autobiography, 4, 9, 12, 13.
27 Autobiography, 9; Way of Perfection, 34.
28 Autobiography, 13.
29 Ibid.,
12.
30 Ibid.,
8, 12, 13, 32; Foundations, Ch. 5; Way of Perfection,
29; Interior Castle, 2nd Mansion, 1, 3rd Mansion, 2, 4th Man-

sion, 1.
31 Autobiography, 12; Way of Perfection, 24.
32
Thus, for example, if one has been meditating on the Pas-
sion, one thanks God for the grace of Redemption and salvation.
If one has been meditating on heaven, one thanks God for the
hope of attaining it.
33 Autobiography, 13; Interior Castle, 4th Mansion, 1.
34 Autobiography,
22; Interior Castle, 2nd Mansion, 1.
35 Autobiography,
11, 13.
11, 13; Way of Perfection, 29; Foundations,
36 Ibid., In-
5;
terior Castle, 4th Mansion, 1.
37 Way of Perfection, 19.
38 Ibid.,
29.
39 Ibid.,
28, 29.
49 Ibid.,
29, 35.
 ,

Prayer of Carmel 85
41 Interior Castle, 4th Mansion, 3; 6th Mansion, 7.
42 Ascent of Mount Carmel, II, 13, 14.
43 Living Flame
of Love, Stanza III, 33.
Ibid., Ill, 32.
45 Ascent
of Carmel, II, 13.
Ibid., II, 15.
47 Interior Castle, 4th Mansion, 3.

48 Autobiography
13.
49 Ibid.,
7.
50 Ibid.,
13.
51 Ibid.,
4, 9, 13; Way of Perfection, 26.
52 Way Perfection,
of 17, 19, 30.
Autobiography, 7, 11; Way of Perfection, 24.
53

Autobiography 11, 22; Way of Perfection, 17; Interior

54

Castle, 2nd Mansion, 1, 3rd Mansion, 1, 4th Mansion, 1.

55 Way of Perfection, 17.
56 Interior Castle, 3rd Mansion, 2, 4th Mansion, 1, 5th Man-
sion, 3; Autobiography, 21, 34.
57 Way of Perfection, 17, 18; Interior Castle, 2nd Mansion, 1,

5th Mansion, 3.
58 Dark Night Book
of the Soul, I, 9.
59 Way of Perfection, 20.
60 Ibid., 3rd Mansion, 5th Mansion,
19, 20; Interior Castle, 1,

1, 6th Mansion, 4.
61 Thoughts on the Love of God, Ch. 6; Way of Perfection,
25.
62 Way of Perfection, 17, 20, 21.
Ibid., 17.
64 Ibid.,
20.
65 Dark Night
of the Soul, II, 1.
66 Cf. also the Congress of Madrid.
67 Autobiography,
22; Interior Castle, 3rd Mansion, 1, 4th
Mansion, 2, 5th Mansion, 2.
68 Autobiography,
10; Interior Castle, 3rd Mansion, 1, 4th
Mansion, 2.
69
2 Peter, I, 4.
70 Rom., VIII, 29.
71 Rom., VIII,
26.
72
John, XIV, 23.
73 Oration of the feast of St. Teresa.
 AUTHORS BIBLIOGRAPHY
Brandsma, Rev. Titus, O. Carm., and Devos, Rev. Gabriel de
Ste. Marie-Madeleine, O.C.D., Cannes, Dictionnaire de
Spirituality Ascetique et Mystique : Doctrine et Histoire,
Fasc. VII, pp. 156-209. Paris: Gabriel Beauchesne et Fils,
1937.
Devos, Rev. Gabriel de Ste. Marie-Madeleine, O.C.D.,
LEcole dOraison carmelitaine, Etudes carmelitaines, pp.
1-38, October 1932. Paris: Desclee de Brouwer et Cie.
Devos, Rev. Gabriel de Ste. Marie-Madeleine, O.C.D., La
vie contemplative, Etudes carmelitaines, pp. 1-38, April
1933. Paris: Desclee de Brouwer et Cie.
Liffert de Buffevent, Rev. Francois de Ste. Marie, O.C.D.,
Les plus vieux textes du Carmel. Paris: Aux Editions du
Seuil, 1944.
No. 2, LOraison. Bruxelles: Avenue
Spiritualite carmelitaine,
de Toison dOr, Editions Chronique du Carmel, 1938.
la
Zimmerman, Rev. Benedict, O.C.D., Monumenta Historica
Carmelitana. Lerins, France: Abbaye des Benedictins, 1907.
No copies in circulation.
Zimmerman, Rev. Benedict, O.C.D., Carmes, Dictionnaire de
theologie catholique, Fasc. XV, pp. 1776-1792. Paris:
Letouzey et Ane, 1905.
 A NOTE ON THE TYPE
IN WHICH THIS BOOK IS SET

This book is set in Baskerville, an Intertype face, created

from the original types used by John Baskerville, the

eighteenth-century typefounder and printer. This type

has long been considered one of the finest book types ever
developed. The letters are wide and open and have a busi-
nesslike approach. The finer hairlines give exquisite deli-

cacy. The heavier strokes give color and strength. The

relation of the two in combination gives a brilliant effect

and makes for easy reading. The book was composed and
printed by the York Composition Company of York , Pa.,

and bound by Moore and Company of Baltimore. The

typography and design are by Howard N. King.
 THE SPIRIT AND PRAYER OF CARMEL * /

By FRANCOIS JAMART

O.C.D.,

f
Translated by E. J.
ROSS

$ 1.00 - -

Carmel rises in mens minds as the stronghold of chosen

souls and the school of a lofty spirituality. Yet few know much
about it. For them this book will provide an unusual insight
into CarmelS' spirit and way of life.

Father Jamart opens his work with two short chapters: a cap-
sule history of the Order and a statement of its aims contempla-
tion and action. Fie then delves into the central part of his study:

inquiries into the spirit, asceticism, and prayer of Carmel. Under

"spirit he considers solitude and silence, detachment and self-

denial, the theological virtues and the complete gift of self, the

imitation of Christ and the love of Mary. The chapter on

asceticism shows how the Carmelite ascesis, based on love, is

aimed directly at purer contemplation. So important is contempla-

tion that the author devotes an entire chapter to its usual fore-
runner prayer. He here discusses the method of prayer, analyzing
the acts that enter into it; he maps out every step of the journey
between spiritual reading and acquired and infused contemplation,
points out every difficulty which the soul will meet on its way,
and indicates the right remedy. Completing the book are refer-

ences to the works of the great Carmelite writers.

THE NEWMAN PRESS

Westminster Maryland