Carmel and the Interior Life

Transcript of a 2018 Webinar presented by Fr. Jack Welch, O.Carm. on Carmel and the Interior Life. An interior or a spiritual life can sound like a luxury to people who are occupied with the problems of daily life.

Welcoming Seekers into the Depth of Carmel

Renewed interest in church life invites us to listen closely and give witness to the spiritual transformation our tradition offers.

The Prayer Journey of St John of the Cross

To those struggling on the path of meditation there are figures and forms and similitudes of faith; in the way of contemplation there is simply darkness, a presence in absence.

Why do we Pray a Novena?

Novenas can take many forms. They may focus on preparation for a feast, petition or intercession, communal solidarity, remembrance and mourning, or spiritual formation.

The Enduring Wisdom of Carmel: Prayer as Presence

“Genuine prayer begins in the real world, in our real selves, with all the relationships with other people and our tasks in life. Prayer is not an escape. It is contact with God where He comes to us. That means real life, in the depths of our own identity, in our human contacts with one another.”

The Enduring Wisdom of Carmel: Amazing Grace

Fr. Ernest Larkin is an American Carmelite theologian and teacher. He gave the keynote address at the first Australian Catholic Charismatic Conference in Melbourne on 1 June 1974; this article is the text of that address.

Contemplative Prayer in Carmelite Spirituality

In Carmelite spirituality, contemplative prayer is the practice of becoming present to God so that God may increasingly become present within us. It is less about saying something to God and more about creating the interior silence in which we can listen, receive, and simply remain with God.

Rediscovering The Institution of the First Monks

Among the treasures preserved in the Carmelite Institute of North America Archives is a remarkable four-part lecture series recorded in 1996 by Paul Chandler, O.Carm.

Patterns of Prayer

Heart to Heart with Mary, Our Sister – A reflection on the talk presented at Into the Land of Carmel 2026 by Mother Madonna of the Assumption and Sister Veronica of the Immaculate Heart of Mary

A Week of Prayer, Learning & Fraternity

This past week, approximately 60 people gathered at the Carmelite Spiritual Center in Darien, Illinois, for the annual Into the Land of Carmel retreat.