Geographically Separated | Connected by Faith
The Life and Faith of Isolates
“I’ll be serving
God and my Jesus
in the person
of my neighbor.”
St. Teresa de Jesús de Los Andes
Among the Lay Carmelites are men and women known as Isolates: members who are geographically separated from a local Lay Carmelite community. Although they may be unable to gather regularly with fellow Carmelites, they continue to live their vocation and share in the spiritual life of the Carmelite family.
Like all Lay Carmelites, Isolates seek to follow Christ through prayer, community and service within the circumstances of everyday life. They bring the spirituality of Carmel into their homes and relationships, finding opportunities to grow in faith and respond to the needs of others wherever they live.
Daily prayer, reflection on Scripture and spiritual reading help sustain that commitment. Their sense of community can also be nurtured through correspondence and the knowledge that they pray with, and for, others who share their vocation. A neighbor in need, a parish ministry or someone seeking encouragement can offer an opportunity to put faith into action. Even when circumstances limit what a person can do physically, offering prayer for others remains a loving expression of service.
Across the miles, Isolates remain brothers and sisters in Carmel, supporting one another and contributing to the life of the Church. Their shared vocation gives them a place in a spiritual family whose prayer and care reach beyond any one location.
The reflection below first appeared in Carmelite Witness, the newsletter of the Isolate community. Through a familiar story, it invites all of us to consider how we nourish one another through the gifts we have been given.
A monk once asked to visit heaven and hell. He was shown hell first and was amazed to find people seated around a banquet table. The table was rich with an abundance of delicious foods.
Looking more closely, the monk noticed that everyone at the table was hungry and miserable. They were actually starving! Although there was a mountain of food in front of them, they were all given long-handled spoons. It was impossible to carry the food to their mouths with such spoons, and so no one could eat.
The monk then visited heaven. To his surprise, he found the exact same banquet table as he had seen in hell. People were gathered around the banquet table with an abundance of food. They too held long-handled spoons. However, in heaven, everyone was happily eating the delicious food, as they were using their spoons to feed one another.
Our Carmelite charism of Service calls us to nourish one another, to express our active love to all around us.
As Isolates, we may not be part of a community; however, we are bonded together in a profound way through our Carmelite charism of Service. Service takes many different forms: a phone call, a letter or card, but most importantly, a simple offering of prayer from the heart. In the story of heaven and hell our prayer is the food on the banquet table which nourishes all our brothers and sisters in Carmel and in our local and parish communities and families. It is a perfect expression of the love we hold in our hearts for all.
Though geographically separated, we are deeply connected in faith and love. Trust and know that many of us are serving YOU through prayer – right now!
Lourdes Crabtree, T.O.Carm
Regional Coordinator – Isolate Community
USA: 202.922.3636
Canada: 416.567.2848
isolates@carmelites.net
The Carmelites of the Province of the Most Pure Heart of Mary, in allegiance to Jesus Christ, live in a prophetic and contemplative stance of prayer, common life, and service. Inspired by Elijah and Mary and informed by the Carmelite Rule, we give witness to an eight-hundred-year-old tradition of spiritual transformation in the United States, Canada, Peru, Mexico, and El Salvador, and Honduras.
Please consider supporting their mission
https://carmelitemedia.tiny.us/supportpcm
to make a financial donation.