The central purpose of the process of formation in the Secular Order is to prepare the person to live the charism and spirituality of Carmel in its following of Christ and in service to its mission.
With sincere interest in the teachings of the Church and the spirituality of our Carmelite Saints, Carmelite Seculars seek to be men and women who are mature in the practice of faith, hope and love, and in their devotion to the Virgin Mary. They commit themselves to deepening their Christian, ecclesial, and Carmelite life. Christian formation is the solid basis of Carmelite and spiritual formation . Through the Catechism of the Catholic Church and Church documents, Secular Carmelites receive the necessary theological foundation.
Both initial and ongoing formation in the teachings of Teresa and John of the Cross help to develop in the Carmelite Secular a human, Christian, and spiritual maturity for service to the Church. Human formation develops the ability for interpersonal dialogue, mutual respect and tolerance, the possibility of being corrected and correcting with serenity, and the capacity to persevere commitments. Carmelite identity is confirmed by formation in the Scriptures and Lectio Divina, in the importance of the liturgy of the Church, especially the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours, and in the spirituality of Carmel, its history, the works of the Order’s Saints, and formation in prayer and meditation.
Formation for the apostolate is based on the theology of the Church concerning the responsibility of the laity and on understanding the role of Seculars in the apostolate of the Order. These help members to know the place of the Secular Order in the Church and in Carmel and give a practical way to share the graces received through the vocation to Carmel.
Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites 