Love
Our Carmelite vocation is all about love and Divine Union.
Love is the origin, means and goal of the Carmelites.
God loves us and creates us as the object of his love.
God's love draws the souls to seek him.
Carmel is the soul, in love, that goes to a place apart, in silence and solitude, seeks God, who is love, finds him and enjoy divine intimacy with him.
Our Carmelite vocation is to love God and love our neighbor.
In unceasing prayer, our life is to stand before God to give him praise, thanks and honour. Our life of prayer and sacrifices is to serve Christ's Church, the People of God, our brothers and sisters in the world.
Marian, Elijan & Teresian
The first Carmelites were hermits of the 13th century who called themselves "Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary." The Order belongs to Mary and takes Mary and the Prophet Elijah as the patron, model and inspiration of a life of allegiance to Jesus Christ. In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Jesus renewed the Order and with St. John of the Cross formed the first Discalced Carmelite nuns and friars. She gives the reformed Order its distinctive ecclesial and apostolic spirit: her sons and daughters' life is to return to the Carmel's traditional contemplative spirit, and all their prayer and strict observance are directed to support the missions of the Church.
Prayer
Prayer is the primary activity of the Carmelites. Pondering Christ and his words day and night, in solitude or with the community, during Mass or Divine Office, with the universal Church, we continue Jesus' praise to God the Father, and in petition to him for the well-being of God's people.
Community
As hermits living in community, the Carmelites enjoy being alone with "whom their hearts love", but we also enjoy the company of others who are of the same desire, so that we can support and encourage each other in our Carmelite vocation.
Service
The Carmelites' vocation is to serve Christ in his Church with our apostolic and consecrated life, offering our prayer and evangelical self-denial, penances and mortifications for the needs of the Church, the salvation of souls, the sanctification of priests and for all those in need.
