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Dear brethern,

Tomorrow I will be traveling to Arizona and Nevada to visit family and will try to check in. I should be back home Monday pm.

Prayers for all,
james

James ICCBF,
May Almighty God keep you and yours safe on your trip and delivery you safe to us again.

Pray without ceasing...Michael ICCBF

Dear Alex,

The spirituality of the holy mountain to which you refer is indeed the path to wisdom. It has its source in a heart given to the Holy Trinity, which yearns for union with God, and to do His divine will throughout life, in joys and trials. This is the spirit of Carmel. Certainly, a soul may travel this upward path without a "community", so to speak. May our Mother, the Theotokos, reveal the way for us in simplicity and peace. We must remember always, that many worldly desires can interfere, including pride in our "spiritual" accomplishments. We must always be obedient to our state in life, and accept the counsel of our spiritual Father.

One who has too often left the path, Tammy

Dear Tammy,
I know you post was not to me but I feel I must speak. I tell you, from the bottom of my heart and soul, that if I have said or implied a pride in "spiritual" accomplishments, then I have failed to speak clearly to you. I have seen my place in hell (not literally, I have no visions) and if I am not there now is is owing to the undeserved Mercy of the Holy, Mighty, Imortal One in continuing to forgive me. Please don't let anything I have said dissuade you from any course to which you feel Called. I am positive Alex feel the same.

Pray without ceasing....Michael ICCBF

Dear Tammy,
....Just another thought after searching my posts.

Reading that line I wrote, I think it may have given you the impression that I was saying it with pride. Actually, I was trying to answer what I thought was your "real" question. What experience was available in the ICC. Was it Carmelite or "Carmel lite. In an attempt to assure you, I may have seemed to be prideful. I apologize for giving you that impression.

Everyone who reads our posts is not Called to Carmel and that is fine. There are other paths, most of them excellent.

Remember Rule # 1: "A soul MUST love and respect the Theotokos as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel."

Pray without ceasing...Michael ICCBF

Dear Abbot Michael,

The Christian East sees the Jesus Prayer itself as the perfect "Mental Prayer" or "Umnaya Molitva."

I think that what the West refers to as "mental prayer" is a kind of contemplation or discursive meditation - which is likewise very important.

Under the Mantle of Our Lady of Mt Carmel,

Alex
ICCBF

My Dear Brother Alex,
Much confusion is generated by semantics. Very much depends on what you mean by Mental Pray. If you mean what I meant by the term I used in #3 of the list of 6, I wanted to use "Contemplative Prayer" but thought it might be confusing to untrained souls, for the time being.

Meditating on a line of Scripture or some other Sacred Writing or Sacred Mystery can be Mental Prayer. The Rosary (RC term)while actually a Vocal Prayer can be meditative through the Mysteries.

Still, to many souls not practiced in Meditation the Rosary is not a Mental Prayer because that requires more than thinking about the words of the prayers.

I feel the same about the Jesus Prayer. If a soul thinks about the words, that is good prayer and can be Mental Prayer but not Contemplative Prayer. The soul who has been blessed to take the Jesus Prayer to the "Prayer of the Heart", on the other hand, can practice Contemplative Prayer which I feel is the better term for the words "mental prayer" I used in #3 of the list of 6.

To me Contemplative Prayer surpasses words. It is simply being in the Presence of God. Loving and being loved. A soul can lead into this with the Jesus Prayer or something else, but soon the need for words is gone. That is what I am trying to persuade souls to try with the help of the Holy Spirit.

I wish I had the words to explain myself more clearly, but I'll try harder.

Pray without ceasing...Michael ICCBF

Dear Michael,

Oh, No. I was not referring to you by any means! Please do not construe my remark to mean anything other than the normal temptations we all have. I had not even thought about the "spiritual pride" thing in relation to you. I am sorry if I have caused you any grief. Forgive me. Peace in Christ, Tammy

Dear Tammy,
Thank you very much. I do worry about that sort of thing and I appreciate your post.
Pray without ceasing...Michael ICCBF

Dear Abbot Michael,

Yes, you make a very important point.

For me, the charism of Mt Carmel is to experience a kind of continuous contemplation in all spiritual exercises, to experience them in the light of contemplation of Christ.

This means, again for me, slowing down and taking the time to smell the spiritual roses of our daily prayers before the Rose of Sharon and the Lily of the Valley, the Most Holy Mother of God of Mt Carmel and the Scapular.

Alex
ICCBF

Alex, Greetings in Carmel,
I suppose what I was trying to say in #3 was, for souls NOT to pray for a few minutes now and then through the night and day for a total of 15 to 30 to satisfy the requirements of #3.

Certainly, pray throughout the night and day! Fill the nighs and days with prayer.

What I am asking in #3 is for souls to practice and exercise for at least 15 to 30 of continous Prayer of Quiet. To give that time in silence, in the Presence of the Holy, Mighty, Imortal One
without any formula. To exist for a length of time in silent adoration. Listening instead of speaking.

Prya without ceasing....Michael
ICCBF

Brothers,
From the Philokalia:

Pray without ceasing....Michael
ICCBF

Dear Abbot Michael,

I thought I'd post this scripture relating to the Scapular of Mt Carmel from Ezekiel 16: 8-14:

I saw you as I was passing. Your time had come, the time for love. I spread part of my cloak and covered your nakedness, I bound myself by oath, I made a covenant with you - it is the Lord who speaks - and you became Mine. I bathed you in water, I washed the blood off you, I anointed you with oil. I gave you embroidered dresses, fine leather shoes, a linen headband and a cloak of silk. I loaded you with jewels, gave you bracelets for your wrists and a necklace for your throat. I gave you nose-ring and earrings; I put a beautiful diadem on your head. You were loaded with gold and silver and dressed fine linen and embroidered silks. Your food was the finest flour, honey and oil. You grew more and more beautiful, and you rose to be Queen. The fame of your beauty spread through the nations since it was perfect because I had clothed you with my own splendor - it is the Lord who speaks!

Alex

Dear Friends,

Here is another scripture from the book of Baruch 5:1-5 that can relate to the Carmelite Scapular and a reference to both Latin and Eastern Carmelites (O.K. I'm really stretching things ).

Jerusalem, take off your dress of sorrow and distress, put on the beauty of the glory of God for ever. Wrap the cloak of the integrity of God around you, put the diadem of the glorhy of the Eternal on your head; since God means to show your splendor to every nation under heaven, since the name of God gives you for ever will be, "Peace through integrity and honor through devotedness." Arise Jerusalem stand on the heights, see your sons reassembled from west and east at the command of the Holy One, jubilant that God has remembered them!

Alex

Dear Friends,

O.K., here is yet another!

Isaiah 61:1-2,10

The spirit of the Lord has been given to me, for the Lord has anointed me, He has sent me to bring good news to the poor, to bind up hearts that are broken, to proclaim liberty to captives, freedom to those in prison, to proclaim a year of favor from the Lord!

I exult for joy in the Lord, my soul rejoices in my God, for he has clothed me in the garments of salvation, he has wrapped me in the cloak of integrity, like a bridegroom wearing his wreath, like a bride adorned in her jewels."

The Word of the Lord!

Alex
ICCBF