THE CARMELITE CHARISM

The Carmelite Charism: Exploring the Biblical Roots
By James McCaffrey O.C.D.

Thomas Merton once wrote: 'There is no member of the Church who does not owe something to Carmel". This book reaffirms the relevance of the Carmelite charism for all believers and opens up the biblical foundations of the Carmelite way of prayer.

While there have been a number of books on Carmelite spirituality and the origins of the Order, this is the only one that explores the charism in relation to the scriptures. 'The Carmelite Charism' opens up a rich 800-year-old tradition of prayer to readers of all denominations who wish to enter more deeply into it through the word of God. It is a response to the call of Vatican II to return to the scriptures as 'the food of the soul, the pure and perennial source of spiritual life'. Practical guidelines are given for lectio divina, each stage based on the prayer of Mary, while she and other biblical figures are presented as models of the interior life.

'The Carmelite Charism' shows this inner journey to be a path of growing intimacy with God, focused on the person of Jesus and leading ever more deeply into the mystery of the Trinity dwelling within. It presents Carmelite prayer as essentially a heart-to-heart communing with God.