Word of Hope and Salvation
(Constitution of the Order, Art. 24)
We, the Carmelite brothers from all over the world gathered at the General Chapter in the Il Carmelo house in Sassone, Italy, from September 3rd to 20th, 2013, wish you, our brothers and sisters in the Carmelite family, grace and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.
1. We believe that God’s creator love, which has been revealed definitively in Jesus Christ, the incarnate Word, calls us to a constant transformation through the power of the Holy Spirit. Walking the path of transformation in the light of faith requires both personal and communal encounters with Christ, who is the source of our hope and salvation.
2. In the lectures, reflections, and group work during the Chapter days, we recalled important challenges that we must face. Now we remind you, dear brothers and dear sisters, of them as well. They include the need to understand today’s world, to discern the signs of our times well, and to be able to act in grace and wisdom as required by the various circumstances in which we find ourselves. In order to offer hope where we live, we are called to be brothers and sisters rooted in the experience of God, brothers and sisters full of faith, hope, and love. To bear hope, we must be attentive and open to the world and to God’s Word.
3. Discerning the Signs of the Times
We live in a time of rapid change in a world that is constantly altering. We are aware that in the hands of people are both positive and negative factors. What we observe, perceive, and understand in the realities around us demands responses from us that stem from deep discernment of the signs of the times, interpreted in the light of the Gospel (1). The situation of the world gives us the opportunity to develop new forms of presence, accompaniment, dialogue, and action, inspired by our discipleship as Christians and Carmelites. We feel called to walk with the people of today in their experiences of uprooting, dependency, isolation, activism, and spiritual emptiness. However, this is only possible if we ourselves are rooted in unity with Christ and are of one heart and one soul in vibrant communities.
4. Acting in Response to the World
We are aware that we are a small order in number. However, we possess a rich spiritual tradition and history, spanning more than 800 years since we received our rule from St. Albert of Jerusalem, whose 800th anniversary of death we commemorate. Especially during the days we have met with members of other branches of the Carmelite family at this General Chapter, we experienced that there are many nuns, religious, hermits, and laypeople who share our spirituality. We feel encouraged to provide clear and lasting responses to the situations that burden the people around us. Our sharing has encouraged us to be distinct from the world and to strive to:
a. be people of prayer
Emeritus Pope Benedict XVI said: "You Carmelites teach us how to pray." Pope Francis called us to deepen our awareness of the value of prayer: "You define yourselves as a contemplative community amidst people. ... Prayer is the 'royal way' that opens up the depths of the mysteries of God, One in Trinity, but it is also an essential path winding through the midst of God’s people on their journey through the world to the promised land." (2) Our Order is rightly considered a school of contemplation. Blessed Titus Brandsma reminds us that: "God is so close to us! All living beings exist through His work and His presence. We should perceive His presence and learn from our predecessors their intimate relationship with Him, how they spoke with Him and how they listened to Him. Then our lives will look completely different." (3) From the way we are, others should understand that every Carmel is a place where God is sought in silence and solitude. We feel called to form a community of prayer whose main service is to teach people how to pray where they are and where they work, creating a culture of prayer – through our preaching, attentive and contemplative celebration of the liturgy, practicing Lectio Divina, and being mindful of other forms of prayer. Let us appreciate in this regard the monasteries of nuns in our order and be proud of them, as they continually remind us of the value of prayer and the search for God.
b. create community
We strive to create Carmelite communities that would be places of encounter with Christ and with brothers and sisters, communities of trust, friendship, mutuality, hospitality, cooperation, and shared responsibility. We remind ourselves that a healthy balance of prayer and brotherhood manifests itself in kindness and compassion. The connection of prayer and prophetic mission leads to a more authentic conversion, and the unity of prophetic mission and brotherhood leads to solidarity with people. Therefore, it is necessary for us to renew our personal efforts to be a community of prayer and contemplation in service to the church and the world. We remind ourselves that essential elements for building such communities are: presence at communal activities of the community – during liturgy, community meetings, shared meals, fraternal gatherings – and a healthy balance between solitude and activity.
c. support vocations and ongoing formation
We urge all Carmelites, individuals and communities, to take up the responsibility of supporting vocations through: authentic and joyful witness to the Carmelite lifestyle, interest in youth ministry, participation in projects related to the general support of vocations, collaboration with brothers entrusted with the care for supporting new vocations for individual communities, provinces, dioceses, or from other orders. The acceptance of a candidate into the formation process begins the human, intellectual, spiritual, and pastoral formation that lasts a lifetime. We encourage suitable candidates to be sent for higher studies related to our charism.
d. learn to discern ever better
Discernment is a profound Christian and Carmelite value. To make our communities places of acceptance, we need to renew our effort in silence, listening, and discerning God’s will in the events of our daily lives and in encounters with the people we meet. We are aware of the feeling of fragmentation and dispersion that many people experience, and therefore we insist on cultivating balance within ourselves and in others: balance between individuality and community, between silence – solitude and speaking, between prayer and apostolate, between mysticism and social work. Community meetings are a good tool for practicing (such) discernment. (4)
e. make sound decisions
To act effectively where we are, we need to support credibility, listening, decisiveness, and service at all levels of our order’s structures. We are aware that regarding how we are decreasing in some areas or conversely increasing in others, we must make difficult decisions. Whatever these decisions might be, their principle must always be fidelity to Christ, alignment with the order’s charism, and discernment of the signs of the times.
f. live our charism missionary
Our mission is to live our charism. The heart of our witness lies in realizing the contemplative dimension of the order, in living it, nurturing it, and passing it on (5). We witness to the working of the Gospel through the transformation of our own lives, but also through the effort of dialogue with the poor, with different cultures, religions, and systems. People will be drawn to Christ when they see that our life is grounded in the Gospel of simplicity and solidarity with those on the margins, when we celebrate creation and unity in diversity in conditions that are healthy for children, youth, and adults whom we serve. Thus, we can contribute in our own way to the new evangelization to which the Church constantly calls us.
5. Have Living Hope
The current situation of our world is not a reason for despair. What humanity is experiencing gives us an opportunity to show who we are. It is as if the world is saying to us: “You Carmelites are capable of something; can you still be counted on for anything?” So let us rise and show ourselves as authentic and trustworthy witnesses of the Spirit. Through our acceptance as sons and daughters of the Father, through our faith in Christ, through the power of the Holy Spirit, we can see many hidden opportunities in this challenge. Jesus Christ is the Word of Hope and Salvation, and through that, we hope that we can change something in our communities and in the places where we live.
With Mary, our model and inspiration, and with the prophet Elijah, who stood in God’s presence, we wish to learn to await in hope for the salvation that comes only from the Lord. Let us entrust ourselves to their help and guidance on our journey into the future.
(1) The emphasis on watching the signs of the times (cf. Matt 16:3) and judging them in the light of the Gospel was highlighted by the Second Vatican Council in the constitution Gaudium et Spes, Art. 4. (Note of the editor.)
(2) Letter from Pope Francis to General Prior Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral on the occasion of the General Chapter.
(3) Titus Brandsma, Fragments. In Mystiek Leven. Editor: Bruno Borchert, Gottmer, Nijmegen, 1985, 159.
(4) Carmelite Rule, Art. 10 and 15.
(5) Letter from Pope Francis to General Prior Fr. Fernando Millán Romeral on the occasion of the General Chapter.
Translated by: Martina Vintrová
