One Day in Carmel

"Love is the genuine fruit of Prayer when prayer is rooted in humility." Life 10:5

Every Carmelite Nun is called to be a person of deep prayer. Everything in Carmel is centered on the primacy of prayer life. The daily Eucharist and the two hours of mental prayer are the peak moments of encounter with God. Besides the Nuns come together seven times a day to pray the Liturgy of the Hours. The personal spiritual reading, silence and solitude during the hours of work are all meant to foster prayer life. When not occupied with work one is expected to return to her cell for personal prayer and reading. Devotions and novenas are kept to bare minimum so that the person enter deep in to the depth of the soul to encounter the living God.

"...for everything done with pure intention is perfect love" Way of Perfection 7:7

You must give yourself to work of some kind, so that the devil may find you always busy. (Rule Article 17)

Work is essential part of Monastic discipline. This is in keeping with the teachings of St. Paul who said, "We kept working day and night so as not to be a burden to any of you... we did it to be to be an example for you to follow." 2 Thess. 3: 8, 9 This was also the mind of St. Teresa of Avila our Mother.

We do all the work within the monastery such as cleaning, cooking, stitching etc.

We also make alter bread (host), stitch sacred linen and make Rosaries as a source of income.

"Truly I tell you I fear an unhappy Nun more than a devil" St. Teresa of Avila

A good night's rest, one hour of free time in the afternoon and two hours of recreation are essential part of Teresian Carmelite life style. Having enjoyed good amount of time in silence, solitude and work the Nuns look forward to the time of recreation to talk, to share a bit of joke and exchange a piece of information. It's a time to laugh and relax. To the extend one is serious about the time of silence to that extent a person enjoy the time of recreation. This was the mind of St. Teresa of Avila our Mother.