Carmel of the Infant Jesus

The life of "Christ who contemplates on the mountain" was always nourished by filial conversation with his Father.  Imitating him, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns should give witness in the Church to a life of unceasing prayer. Since prayer is "an intimate sharing between friends, a frequent lingering in solitude, with him who we know loves us", it involves every aspects of the nuns' being.  It informs their life with faith, hope and love that marks out the path leading to evangelical sanctity. (Const. No. 78)

In compliance with Teresian tradition, every community will spend two hours daily meditating in common.  One of these hours will be in the morning and the other in the evening, as shall be laid down in the horarium.  The choir is to be the place for this prayer, unless in special circumstances the Chapter of the monastery decides that some other place is more suitable. A religious who for some good reason is prevented from participating in the common prayer, should set aside some other time, with the agreement of the Prioress. (Const. No. 79)

Since prayer is a friendly conversation with God "who speaks to men and women as to friends and who remains with them in order to draw them and admit them to communion with himself", progress in the life of prayer is not possible without sufficient knowledge of God's word.

For that reason the Rule lays down that the nuns must continuously keep the word of the Lord in their minds and hearts.  And so they will study all of the Scriptures with special care - especially the Gospel - and meditate on them so that they may come to the pre-eminent knowledge of Jesus Christ (Phil. 3:8).

Besides using the Scriptures for their spiritual reading the religious must nourish themselves with the works of the Church fathers, with the documents of the Magisterium, with the writings of the saints and other authors of our Order especially Saint Teresa of Jesus and Saint John of the Cross, and with other theological and spiritual books.  In that way, they will renew their spiritual formation. They will dedicate about an hour each day to spiritual reading. (Const. No. 80)

In order to foster the prayerful and solitary atmosphere that is the hallmark of Carmel, all the sisters shall carefully keep silence, except when they are required to talk by necessity or by reason of their duties, or when they have the permission of the Prioress to speak with sisters in response to some need.  All the same, work and every other occupation must be reconciled with silence so that the monastery truly becomes a house of prayer. The silence prescribed by the Rule will be faithfully observed from after Night Prayer until the end of Morning Prayer the next day. (Const. No. 82)

For all the time in which the sisters are not with the community or are occupied with house duties, they will keep each to her own cell, as the Rule prescribes they will remain in God's presence in solitude and give themselves to prayer, study or work. No sister may enter the cell of another without the permission of the Prioress. (Const. No. 83)

The monasteries are not to have a common workroom.  That does not, however exclude the possibility of having different sisters work successively on a piece of work or of having several sisters together attend to task that require collaboration.  Even in these cases silence and recollection are to be safeguarded. (Const. No. 84)

For Contemplative Life

The ceaseless quest for God in solitude is like an exodus into the desert.  God draws and guides us there in order to speak to our heart (Hos. 2:16)  Under the impulse of the Holy Spirit, many have responded to Christ's invitation to his disciples (Mk. 6:31) and have retired to solitude where they adore the Father and listen to his word.  They have chosen the one thing necessary the better part, and it will not be taken from them. (Lk. 10:39-42) (Const. No. 105)

The institutes which are wholly consecrated to the contemplative life of cloistered solitude, hold a distinguished place in the Mystical Body of Christ; for they offer a singular sacrifice of praise to God, they enrich God's people with the choicest fruits of their sanctity, they encourage it by example, and they extend it by their mysterious apostolic fruitfulness. (Const. No. 106)

This kind of life imitates Christ "in contemplation on the mountain".  It shares in his paschal mystery, because it is a dying for the sake of rising again.  Furthermore, in a special way, it fulfills the contemplative vocation of the Church as Bride which it reveals for all to see.  For the Bride, hidden with Christ in God, always seek the things of above, while she keeps watch for the final manifestation of the Lord (Col. 1:1-4). (Const. No. 106)

Teresian Enclosure

Holy Mother Teresa, from the beginning of her reform, chose the enclosed life as both an expression and a means of following Christ, according to the evangelical counsels, in the original contemplative vocation of Carmel.  She did this in order to combat spiritually for the glory of the Lord on behalf of his Church. (Const. No. 107)

Benefits

According to St. Teresa, the freely-chosen life of enclosure brings about a radical detachment from exterior things that leads to interior detachment, and it involves a life of silence and solitude ordered toward finding in the Spouse the living water of contemplation.  It is also a great aid for reaching holy liberty of spirit, in a joyful experience of sisterly union in Christ, of those who are "alone with him alone." (Const. No. 107)

Teresian enclosure's purpose and requirements continue to be valid.  They are consistent with radical Christian discipleship and with evangelical self-denial.  They safeguard the freedom and harmony of community life and so foster the full gift of self to God in contemplative life for the Church. (Const. No. 108)

Papal Enclosure

In conformity with their contemplative vocation, the Discalced Carmelite Nuns are obliged to observe Papal enclosure, that is, enclosure according to the laws established by the Apostolic See and by the present Constitutions which contain the fundamental norms of their proper law. (Const. No. 109)

Boundary

The law of papal enclosure extends to all the residential spaces of the nuns, including the gardens and orchards reserved to them.  The boundaries of the area subject to the law of enclosure will be fixed in a way that constitutes a material separation that protects the privacy and recollection proper to a Teresian community.  Apart from the safety exits which may be prescribed by civil law, this fixed separation must prevent people from coming in or going out.  The doors for entering and leaving the enclosure are to be locked with a key. (Const. No.110)

The material separation between the choir reserved to the nuns and the church will be made by means of a grille of solid material. It is to be arranged in such a way that the nuns can see the altar, the tabernacle and the ambo, so that they may participate better in liturgical celebrations.  An opening is to be made in the grille, or some other place in the sanctuary, which is large enough for distributing communion to the nuns.  A suitable place must be chosen for confessions.  It must be provided with a fixed grille. (Const. No.111)

In the parlors, the separation will be made by means of a fixed grille of solid material. Holy Mother wished them to be an expressive sign of separation from the world and of forgoing the most cherished human things.  (Const. No.112)

In order to pass necessary things from the enclosure to the outside and vice-versa, turns will be installed according to the tradition of the Order. Where the particular needs of the monastery require it, the Superior General, by a special concession of the Apostolic See, may authorize the use of another means that is more functional. (Const. No.114)

Entering and Leaving

In virtue of the law of enclosure, the nuns, the novices and the postulants must live within the boundaries of the monastery set apart by enclosure.  It is not permitted for them to go out except in the cases foreseen in  universal law and in the present Constitutions.

This law also prohibits anyone else from entering within the bounds of the monastery's enclosure, except in the cases listed in universal law and in these Constitutions.

Nuns who leave the enclosure and other persons who enter it will spend only as much time there as is necessary.  They will not allow themselves to become involved in other things besides that for which they left or entered the enclosure.  (Const. No. 115)

Parlor and Means of Communication

Care will be taken that visits to the parlor serve for mutual edification in truth and in charity so that the persons who go there may derive benefit for their life.  However visits must not be allowed to disturb community life or harm the recollection proper to a contemplative life.  Nor must they take place at a time that should be spent in prayer and work.

In making use of means of communication, due discretion and sobriety will be observed.  Everything that can harm the contemplative life and sisterly union is to be avoided. (Const. No. 120)