Carmelite Spirituality: The Way of Carmelite Prayer and Contemplation

by Anders Arborelius

Centered on prayer and contemplation, Carmelite spirituality seeks to awaken in its practitioners an intense thirst for an immediate and direct experience of God, from which can grow a deep and loving friendship with Him. Most fully developed by St. John of the Cross (d. 1591) and St. Teresa of Avila (d. 1582) and then further enriched by St. Thérèse of Lisieux (d. 1897), Carmelite spirituality flourishes in solitude and silence, nurtured by quieting external noise and turning away from interior distractions. Not at all limited to persons in monastic or convent life, Carmelite spirituality is meant for all who yearn for a deeper and sustained union with God. That is, it is meant for you. In this illuminating book, the Swedish Carmelite Cardinal Anders Arborelius shows you how, by praying, sacrificing, and meditating in your own particular circumstances, as the great Carmelite saints did in theirs, you, too, can awaken to the sweet presence of God within you and grow ever more eager to hurry toward Him in your daily pilgrimage toward eternity. With the help of good Cardinal Arborelius and these enlightening pages, you’ll • Why true silence is necessary if you are ever to be transformed by the Word of God • How to access — or create for yourself — such a transforming silence • Why temptations are an essential part of every living spiritual life • How, even amid tasks and temptations, you can recognize the enduring presence of Christ in your life • How, if you ask with sincerity, the Holy Spirit will rush to your aid as you advance step by step toward an abiding intimacy with Jesus and with God the Father

Genres: Catholic, Spirituality, Prayer, Faith

114 pages, Kindle Edition

Published June 25, 2020

About the author

Lars Anders Cardinal Arborelius O.C.D. , born 24 September 1949, is a Swedish Catholic cardinal. He has been Bishop of Stockholm since 1998. Pope Francis made him a cardinal, the first ever from Sweden and Scandinavia, on 28 June 2017.

Reviews

[Audrey Monahan · Rating 2 out of 5]

I was pretty disappointed with this book, both with the content it contains and the quality of writing. While Cardinal Anders Arborelius has some good things to say, I kept getting frustrated by how short and choppy his sentences were—his name may be a mouthful but his writing certainly isn’t. I found myself internally begging him to just quote the Saints and move along which made the reading process itself far less enjoyable and made it difficult to follow the continuity of his thoughts.

Additionally, I was expecting the content of the book to dive much deeper into the Saints and contemplative prayer but instead it just gave some information about the Carmelite perspective on Catholic theology. It felt more like a book about general spirituality and theology and didn’t particularly highlight what distinguishes Carmelites from other orders. I love St. Thérèse of Lisieux’s spirituality and am very curious about St. Theresa of Ávila and St. John of the Cross so I was disappointed that this book didn’t teach me much more about them. The title, description, and summary were extremely misleading but if you’re looking for a book about Trinitarian theology with a hint of carmeliteness, this is a good one to start with!

Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us!

[Katie · Rating 2 out of 5]

Part of why I found this book slightly jarring was the mismatch between my expectations of the book and what it actually contained - rather than a step by step guide to/explanation of Carmelite prayer, it was a broader overview of the order's general attitude towards God and our relationship with Him. Furthermore, whilst I found the quotes and prayers from notable writers (both Carmelite and not) interspersed throughout to be beautiful and attractive, I found the resulting explanation/digressions from the author to be a bit too basic for my liking. I am a Carmelite enthusiast, but I would hesitate to recommend this to many.

[Chad Coates · Rating 4 out of 5]

“Prayer is a waste of time, and it should be a waste of time, because God is worth it.”

“Sinners give saints the possibility of becoming saints by sacrificing themselves for the salvation of their brother sinners.”

“Infancy is not only a part of life, but the symbol of all existence.”

Wish that I had more time to pull together my thoughts and right a review but I am confident these little gems above will do this little book justice. Great read—grounded me each time I opened it. Beautiful window into what a life of contemplation looks like.

[Fr. Nicholas Blackwell, O. Carm. · Rating 5 out of 5]

A great overall picture of Carmelite spirituality. He offers excellent insights on Trinitarian theology from a Carmelite perspective along with an ecclesiological perspective near the end of the book. What a great read before lent. One drawback is that he uses many different quotes from Carmelite Saints and other writers and he attributes the The quotes to the people but there are no notations to show from what text the quotes come from sadly. Overall solid recommendation!!

[Tim Grumbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

A little gem that pulls from many of my favorite Carmelites. Not as systematic in prayer as some other summaries of Carmelite spirituality. But it does simplify some of the aspects, and that can be much needed. A good reminder throughout that this way of prayer really is something everyone can begin.

[Tricia · Rating 4 out of 5]

I found this book to be extremely helpful in answering certain questions I had about the spiritual life. Highly recommended!

[Adalyne Lorek · Rating 5 out of 5]

woah