To speak of spirituality is to speak of inspiration, that is, of ways of seeing, of profound conviction, of attitudes and ways of being, of the dynamism of life. It is to speak of what makes us live at the very depth of
our being. The spiritual life is putting into practice the life of the Holy Spirit who is within us.
Carmelite Spirituality is all about longing and desire
The Carmelite tradition recognizes this longing in the human heart. We are made to seek and search, to yearn and ache, until finally our hearts find something or someone to match the depth of its desire and longing
- for us that goal is God. It is God who puts this longing within us - it is he who has touched us. This deep current of desire within our lives is the result of God having first desired us. St. John of the Cross
says: “If anyone is seeking God, the Beloved is seeking that person much more”. If God has given us such longings, God will ultimately fulfil them. Silence and solitude remind us of that space in the heart where
every person is called to find God’s presence. St. Teresa wrote in her famous bookmark: “Let nothing trouble you, let nothing frighten you, all things pass away. The one who possesses God, lacks nothing. God
alone suffices”. This is the basis of Carmelite spirituality.
"Contemplatives are part of the great tree of life, we hold it, for we are the roots. The tree may be axed, burnt, stripped off for medicine, but if the roots are intact, the tree will be able to give life again to all.
Everyone can come to it for shelter and solace."