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The Carmelite Conversations podcast discusses Carmelite Spirituality and its application to our busy, modern lives. The podcast provides counsel on how to live the Carmelite call to combine contemplative prayer with service to the Church, while at the same time providing guidance on how to make progress in holiness. Carmelite Conversations is of particular interest to Secular Carmelites as it is produced by the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites Community of Our Mother of Good Counsel in ...
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Our Aptitude for Receiving God’s Grace by Deacon Mark Danis
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What can we do to be better predisposed to receive God’s Grace leading to Union with Him? We know that “only the pure of heart see God.” So, how do we purify our hearts most effectively? Discalced Secular Carmelite Deacon Mark Danis gives us great insights on this topic and quotes St. Elizabeth of the Trinity to help us understand.…
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On the Mountain by Deacon Rusty Baldwin, OCDS
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Mountains play a prominent role in Carmelite Spirituality and in Prayer. What does the mountain represent? In the scriptures, we read about the Prophet Elijah and mountains. What did the mountains represent for Elijah? Even our Lord went to the mountains many times in His life. How does that connect to our lives today?…
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How did the title of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel come about? What is the connection with the Prophet Elijah? How did the spirituality of Elijah spread across the world? What happened on July 16th that is so significant to Carmelites? What is the connection of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel to the Church approved apparitions of Our Lady in Lourdes and in Fatima?…
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Marriage is Free, Full, Faithful, and Fruitful
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In marriage preparation, Catholic couples are instructed about the Covenant of Love. The elements in particular that are addressed are being free, full, faithful, and fruitful. Deacon Rusty Baldwin, OCDS, analyzes these same elements as it relates to Carmelite spirituality. It is very enlightening and enriching.…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 9)
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The “Will” in the Prayer of Contemplation (Ch. 13 of the book). Soren Kierkegaard said, Purity of Heart is to Will One Thing. This one thing of course is God's Will. St. John of the Cross speaks about the activity of the will as much if not more than any of the other faculties of the human person. The other two are intellect and memory. But it is t…
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Thinking about the Samaritan Woman During Lent
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During this Lenten season, and by focusing on a few important points in the scripture passage on the Samaritan Woman, Deacon Mark Danis uses the lense of contemplation to highlight the importance of coming to know the truth about ourselves so that by coming into the light, we may be transformed by God.…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 8)
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So often in the spiritual journey, we can run into roadblocks. We can mistakenly perceive that we have gotten off course, and we might immediately seek to turn back to find the right path again. However, if we are walking the path of contemplation, there will most certainly be times of darkness, instances where we may feel we have done something wr…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 7)
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If you feel as though you have reached a plateau in your prayer life, or after many years of active prayer, you feel as though you are suddenly stuck, it may be the Lord is calling you to a deeper encounter with Him. The spiritual life is not static, it moves through different phases. And, like any relationship, if it is going to continue to grow, …
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Interior Castle (part 12): Seventh Dwelling Place; Ch. 1-2: The Grand Entrance and Spiritual Marriage
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What is like to enter into the 7th Dwelling Place? What was it like for St. Teresa? Then we turn to a discussion about spiritual marriage. We focus on what this experience/union with God was like for St. Teresa. These chapters truly help us to have Holy Amazement! RESOURCES: “Interior Castle, Study Guide, 2nd Edition” by St. Teresa of Avila; Transl…
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Deacon Mark Danis, OCDS, shares ways to prepare during Advent for the birth of our Lord. He provides suggestions specific for Secular Carmelites. This talk was given during a Holy Hour.By Carmelite Conversations
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Interior Castle (part 11): Sixth Dwelling Place; Ch. 10-11: Preparing to Enter the Kingly Chambers
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In the final rooms of the 6th Dwelling Place of the Interior Castle, St. Teresa teaches us about some special favors our Lord gives to prepare the soul with wedding garments for entrance into His Kingly Chambers, the Throne Room. The Lord gives us the light to know we are in God and God is in us and how damaging it is for us to sin in God. In order…
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The Determined Determination of St. Teresa of Avila
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On the Solemnity of St. Teresa of Avila, Deacon Mark Danis gave an inspiring reflection. His focus was on the famous quote of St. Teresa: “You must have a very determined determination.” He then asks what are we to be so determined about. Secondly, he asks how do we reconcile our determined determination with our total abandonment to God’s will. Th…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 6)
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The most challenging phase of our spiritual journey is the transition from meditative prayer to contemplative prayer. This transition literally requires us to begin to abandon the comfortable methods of prayer, and the use of our faculties, that we have come to rely on. In this conversation, Mark and Frances explain the disposition the soul must ad…
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Interior Castle (part 10): Sixth Dwelling Place; Ch. 7-9: Keeping Christ Present
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The Lord (the Bridegroom) continues to draw the soul (the Bride) closer to Him through the purification of the soul as well as mystical favors that may occur. In this episode, we talk about the importance of keeping the humanity of Christ present in our prayer. Additionally, we focus on two very special favors that St. Teresa of Avila experienced: …
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 5)
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One of the most difficult phases in the spiritual life of prayer, is the transition from meditation to contemplation. In this conversation, Mark and Frances continue their discussion on Fr. Donald Haggerty's Book on the writings of John of the Cross. Here, they explore the five critical means for identifying if a soul is being invited to move from …
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Interior Castle (part 9): Sixth Dwelling Place; Ch. 4-6: Mansion of Spiritual Betrothal & Mystical Communications
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God continues to draw the soul closer to Him through the purification of the soul as well as mystical favors that may occur. In this episode, we talk about ecstasies, raptures, flights of the spirit, spiritual betrothal, gift of tears, and the prayer of jubilation. These are all communications from God to the individual soul to draw the soul closer…
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The Active Night of the Purification of the Spirit
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In this homily, Deacon Mark Danis asked himself what can souls do to prepare themselves in the Active Night to enter into the Passive Night of the Spirit, which St. John of the Cross discusses in his book, “Ascent to Mount Carmel” as well as in book, “The Dark Night of the Soul.” Deacon Danis helps us understand why there is a need for the purifica…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 4)
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In the life of prayer, there are always transitions. We cannot remain static in our pursuit of God. In this particular program, Mark and Frances identify the seven vices that often hold us back from progressing into deeper, more interior stages of prayer. They also identify how St. John of the Cross counsels souls to respond to these impediments to…
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The Third Spiritual Alphabet and St. Teresa of Avila
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The 16th Century Spanish Franciscan Friar, Francisco de Osuna, was the author of a book considered to be a great masterpiece and spiritual classic called: “The Third Spiritual Alphabet,” which profoundly influenced the great Discalced Carmelite, St. Teresa of Avila. She particularly focused on his description and practice of the prayer of recollect…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 3)
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As we continue the journey with Fr. Haggerty, through the works of St. John of the Cross, we now wrestle with one of the least understood, and little practiced requirements for entry into contemplative prayer. This program focuses first on the practice of asceticism, the healthy denial of our desires so that we can create space for God to fill us w…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 2)
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In our first program on the topic of contemplation in St. John of the Cross, we discussed that we can expect to experience God’s concealment, which means we need to proceed in the darkness of pure faith. But this faith comes with its own measure of certitude; we do not need to feel as though we are lost. Indeed, in pure faith we proceed with the gr…
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Exploring Contemplation with St. John of the Cross (part 1)
1:07:34
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St. John of the Cross did not write for beginners in prayer. His works are for those who have been practicing prayer for some time and have begun to make progress on the spiritual journey. In this conversation, Mark and Frances discuss two of the most critical aspects of our maturing relationship with God. The first is the sometimes difficult reali…
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Interior Castle (part 8): Sixth Dwelling Place; Ch. 1-3: Greater Trials & Greater Favors
1:36:51
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Here in the 6th Dwelling Place, the soul goes through an intensification of the Dark Night, specifically the Dark Night of the Spirit. It’s no surprise that St. Teresa of Avila begins in the first chapter with the trials and sufferings of this mansion. However, she quickly draws the souls attention to the LOVE of God in the second chapter through t…
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Interior Castle (part 7): Fifth Dwelling Place; Ch. 3 & 4: True Union with God
1:09:24
1:09:24
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As we continue the journey through the interior castle, we grow deeper and deeper in our intimacy and relationship with the Lord. The 5th Dwelling Place/Mansion can be understood to be the deeper revelation of God to the soul and the joining of hands in spiritual courtship with our Divine Spouse. It is in anticipation of a deeper union to come in t…
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What are the Evangelical Counsels and why are they important to Carmelites? This homily by Deacon Baldwin was given to the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites in Dayton during a Community meeting Holy Hour.By Carmelite Conversations
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