For
the Sake of the Church and the World
This is the newest development in the understanding of the place
of the Secular in the Order and in the Church. This is the result of the
development in the theology of the Church on the role of lay persons in the
Church, and applying that theology to the Order. Beginning with the Second
Vatican Council's document On the Apostolate of the Laity, and its
fruition with the Synods on the Laity in 1986 and the Consecrated Life in 1996
(Christifideles Laici and Vita Consecrata) the Church has
constantly underlined the need for a further commitment of the laity to her
needs and the needs of the world. Saint Teresa had the conviction that the only
proof of prayer was growth in virtue and that the necessary fruit of the life
of prayer was the birth of good works.
At times I hear a Secular say: "The only apostolate of the
Secular is prayer." The word
that makes that statement false is only. A prayerful and obedient
attitude toward the documents of the Church makes it clear that the role of the
lay person within the Church has changed. The Rule of Life talked about the
need of each Secular to have an individual apostolate. Christifideles Laici
highlights the importance of group apostolates of associations in the Church,
and the OCDS is an association in the Church. Many Seculars, when they hear the
mention of group apostolate, think that I am talking about the entire community
being involved in something that takes up hours each day. That is not at all
what a group apostolate means. Paragraph 30 of Christifideles Laici
gives the basic principles of ecclesiality for associations and lists the
fruits of these principles. The first fruit listed is a renewed desire for
prayer, meditation, contemplation, and the sacramental life. These are things
right down Carmel's alley. How many people there are who need to know what our
Carmelite Doctors of the Church have to say! If every Carmelite was dedicated
to spreading Carmel's message, how many people would not be confused in the spiritual
life! Walk into any major book store and see what nonsense is listed in the
section entitled "Mysticism". Each
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?"
We, as Carmelites, can help to clean up the mess by making known
what we know. It is not an option. It is a responsibility. Being a Carmelite
is not a privilege; it is a responsibility, both personal and ecclesial.
As I said at the beginning, it is not any one element that
discerns the person who has the vocation to Carmel as a Secular. It is the
combination that makes the difference.
(Fr. Aloysius Deeney, OCD)
General Delegate to the Discalced Carmelite Secular Order
|
| Back |