CAMERON COUNTY GID
Who We Are
We are a Secular Discalced Carmelite Community (O.C.D.S.) in the Brownsville Diocese. We are under the guidance of the Oklahoma (Central) Province of the O.C.D. Friars. *Our group is currently a group in discernment (GID) that belongs to the St. Miriam Community. Our President, Formation Director, and Council Members are from the St. Miriam Community.
(*Every Carmelite Community begins as a group in discernment.)
Our members come from throughout the Rio Grande Valley and we are a bilingual community. We are Catholic lay people who have been called to seek a transforming union with God by living a life of prayer, Christian charity, sacrifice, and holiness; as well as service to our families, our Carmelite community, our church, and the larger community.
VOCATIONCarmelite Spirituality & Charism
Each Catholic order has its own unique charism (special grace and style) and role in the Church. Our Teresian charism is prayer and contemplation. Secular Carmelites are members with the Friars and Nuns in the same spiritual family and share the same call to holiness and apostolic mission, but according to our own state in life.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
Our Lady of Mount Carmel
is our patroness, and we model ourselves after her contemplative example, as she “pondered in her heart” (Luke 2:19) her Son’s life and teachings. Elijah is considered a spiritual father of Carmelites in his zeal for God, in his finding God in a still small voice or breeze (1 Kings 19:12-13); and his witness, “As the Lord of Hosts lives, before whom I stand” (1 Kings 17:1). The original Christian Carmelites founded a group on Mount Carmel, near the fountain of Elijah, where they could live as hermits “in allegiance to Jesus Christ” and “meditate on the law of the Lord day and night” (Rule of St. Albert).
St. Teresa of Avila & St. John of the Cross
St. Teresa of Jesus
and St. John of the Cross, founders of the Teresian Carmel, provide us with teachings on contemplation and holiness, as do our later saints, such as St. Therese of the Child Jesus. Anyone thinking about joining OCDS might want to study the life and works of these saints. A major aspect of Teresian Carmelite charism is a rich prayer life, cultivating an ever awareness of God’s presence and workings in one’s life and the world, that leads to humility and goodness, drawing others to the Church or a deeper life in the Church, and to eternal salvation.
Discerning a Vocation
Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD, has written well about discerning a vocation to OCDS. His six main discernment points, summarized, are:
1. A Carmelite must be a practicing member of the Catholic Church, with capacity to participate fully in the sacrament of the Most Holy Eucharist.
2. The OCDS (as with the other Carmelite Orders) is under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and has a special devotion to her. “She attracts and inspires a Carmelite to a contemplative way of understanding the life of the mystical body of her Son, the Church”. Like Mary, a Carmelite has “an inclination to ‘meditate in the heart’”.
3. Teresian Carmelites are inspired by St. Teresa of Jesus (Our Holy Madre and foundress of our order), St. John of the Cross (Our Holy Father and cofounder of the order), St. Therese of the Child Jesus, and other Carmelite saints. A Carmelite would have a burning interest in learning from these saints, which would lead to “a deeper interest in Scripture, theology and the documents of the Church.”
4. A Carmelite has a commitment to the Order and to his/her OCDS community, which “ought to be more important than other movements or groups” that the person is involved in. The Carmelite takes on the identity of a Carmelite and “Discovers that Carmel becomes essential to his/her identity as a Catholic.”
5. The Carmelite Seeks the face of God, engages in contemplation, “a wondering observation of God’s word and work in order to know, love and serve Him.” The Carmelite is committed to personal holiness and the practice of virtues, which flow from “a life of prayerful searching for God’s will…” The Carmelite finds God in the various events of life.
6. A Carmelite leads a life of prayer and goodness not only for his/her own sake, but also “for the sake of the Church and the world.” Secular Carmelites have individual apostolates to address the needs of others (especially spiritual), as well as a group apostolate. Each OCDS community “ought to answer the question as a community ‘What can we do to share with others what we have received by belonging to Carmel?
Formation
Formation may not be as rigorous as formation in a religious order, but may be more difficult, since the person does not have the helpful structure of a convent or monastery and must cope with all the demands and distractions of the outside world, while making spiritual progress. Of course, our community is there for mutual support, and we keep in contact between monthly meetings.
We feel we do not need to take on great penances, but rather deal well with the little and sometimes great penances God allows in our daily lives, learning to trust in God’s providence with a peaceful heart. A well-formed Secular Carmelite, having been with our OCDS community for many years, should be as holy, prayerful, and detached from selfish clinging as a well-formed cloistered nun or monk. We ourselves are not there yet, but are striving to be. Through our ongoing formation we Carmelites seek a humble life of union with God through prayer and the goodness that flows from that.
APOSTOLIC ACTIVITIES
Members participate in religious activities that share in the Catholic Church's mission to evangelize and serve others.
PRAY NOW
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Want to join our Community?
The process begins by becoming an ASPIRANT after visiting us during a monthly meeting and discussing our charism with a current member. He/she may then join the next Aspirancy Class which starts each OCTOBER and begins to discern whether he/she has a vocation in the Teresian Carmelite community. After one year, the Community council may allow the aspirant to be admitted to the formation as a NOVICE. After further instruction and discernment for two more years, one may upon the positive decision of the Council make TEMPORARY PROMISES for three years. After further instruction one may make DEFINITIVE PROMISES for life. Reach out to us today!
Membership Involves
• Saying Morning and Evening Prayer
• A half hour of daily meditation
• A daily devotion to Our Lady (i.e. Rosary)
• Attendance at monthly meetings,
• Attendance of a yearly day of reflection, and
• Attendance at a weekend retreat once a year.
We meet once a month on a Saturday for four hours at Immaculate Heart of Mary Parish in Harlingen, TX. If you wish to find out more, please contact us via phone, email, or visit our Facebook page.