The Call of Carmel

I now know St. Therese's agony as she waited for her entrance into our glorious Carmel! I am 15, just at St. Therese was, and have already tried for a special dispensation, but the laws of the United States hold me back. Until that glorious day when I enter, I must content myself with prayer and spiritual reading of the Carmelites. I faithfully wear the habit of the carmelites ( The Brown Scapular ) in hopes that one day, I may be fully clothed as a carmelite!

Satan is much at work in my life right now. I see how terrified he is of losing a soul to the Blessed Mother and her Holy Order! The Carmelite Monastery that I wish to enter is of ancient observance, and very strict in their rule. As I read on their website and talked with Fr. Prior over the phone, I have learned that these monks abstain from meat. Being a good cajun that I am, my mind and heart shrank from the prospect of never being able to eat meat again, I was quickly snatched back by the Blessed Mother through the Holy Rosary, and I saw the great spiritual graces that I will recieve in Carmel compared to the small sacrifice I would be called to make.

I continue to ask for your prayers, as I pray for all the readers of this blog!

Pax Christi!

Jude Graham

Carmel Again!

I still feel the call of Carmel in my soul! How beautiful a vocation! Carmel is "a desert place" as St. Therese so eloquently put it.
After having sopken to a very holy priest in confession, I believe that I may be sure of my vocation! I asked him if it were ok for me to want to enter Carmel to be seperated from this world and its immorality or if this was a selfish trick of Satan. He then asked me if I did it out of love for God. I said with all my heart YES! This has strengthened my desire for Carmel. Although I am still open to Gods will, this had become a very strong desire in my soul! I think about Carmel day and night and I try to conform my life as it is now to that of these holy brothers and sisters.
The idea of neverending prayer in a community of others who share the same love of our Jesus attracts me so much!
Also, this dive into Carmelite spirituality has deepened my devotion to the Child Jesus! What simplicity he lived his life in Nazereth! How out of the way and unnoticed he went! For surely, if he would have done something great during these holy years of his life, the evangelists would surely have recorded them. My great-grandmother gifted me with a beautiful holy card of the Child Jesus in payment for cleaning up her apartment. I will have to scan it and upload it soon. I take much joy in looking at this very old Holy Card of the Divine Child! I keep it in my pocket and never get tired of pulling it out when I finish my schoolwork and gaze lovingly at the Child. For Christmas if I only recieved one small picture or Holy Card of another Child Jesus, I would be more overjoyed than if I recieved all the riches of the world!

O miraculous Infant Jesus, we beseech You to cast a merciful look on our troubled hearts. Let Your tender Heart, so inclined to pity, be softened at our prayers, and grant us that grace which we so ardently implore.

Take from us the affliction and trials with which we are laden. For the sake of Your sacred Infancy, hear our prayers and send us consolation and aid, that we may praise You with the Father and the Holy Spirit forever and ever.

Amen.

Pax Christi!
Jude Graham

A Little Suggestion.......

Although I normally write about my life or spirituality, I do like to share small things that I believe will help my readers on their path to holiness. This is a great book on the life and spirituality of St. Therese of Lisieux. You can get it on Amazon. This book has helped me tremendously and I hope it can also encourage you on the "Little Way"

Pax Christi!

Jude Graham

Carmel is Calling!

I feel my Carmel tugging at my heart! I have begun reading into the life of St. Therese of Lisieux, and her "Little Way." Just as Therese felt called when she was but fourteen, I also feel myself called. I feel called to the seperation from the world, in order to live in "the desert place" with Jesus. And although I feel this deep and strong calling that comes in waves everytime I put on my brown scapular or see it, I know that I still have many problems that I need to sort out. St. Therese has showed me the way to do that. In her biography, she shows that her improvments were made over time, years even, not like some saints who appear to have become holy overnight. She comes from a place I can relate to. She also went to a place I can relate to. But one day, I know, I will enter the Carmel beloved to many, many great saints of the past! It shall be sheer happiness as I enter, and if it is not, so be it. I will stay.

Pax Christi!
Jude Graham

Carmelite Spirituality Part 2

Now on to what draws me into the Carmelite Spirituality. While doing my research and reading St. Teresa of Avila's book, "The Way of Perfection", I came to meditate on their seperation from the world. They are so caught up in the Holy Spirit and so united to the Holy Trinity in prayer that the outside world seems to melt away before them. They are seperate from the world that we know, and in the spiritual realm of hapiness.
One thing you may not realize is that everyday, a carmelite somewhere, is praying for you. They take generalized topics and pray, such as "for all with addictions" or "for all who have suffered loss," etc. Somewhere you are being prayed for and when you turn back to God and are converted, even if you are Catholic and have fallen in sin, those religious can say that they have won a soul for God!
This complete seperation from the world is what attracts me. It is the idea of giving up everything you know, everything you love, everything in your life to completely follow God and be with God. Although I love the Carmelites, I will continue to pray for God's will in my life and not follow my own inclinations. But if it is his will, I will follow joyfully.

In Love,
Jude Graham

Carmelite Spirituality

As is apparent from the pictures on my blog, I have discovered my spiritual niche in the Carmelite family. I have been enrolled in the brown scapular for about a year now (although not always keeping up with my rosaries), but I never understood that by being invested and wearing the scapular, I had become a part of the Carmelite family and share in their spiritual benefits.

Now to the story of what got me interested in the Carmelite spirituality. The other day, as I was flipping through the channels on the TV, I stopped on EWTN. There was a large church building that looked rather like St. Peter's basilica, so I was expecting a papal mass, or something of the sort. But instead, I came to find out that this was the basilica of St. Therese of Lisieux. I then continued to watch the documentary on this wonderful saint's life. While watching, I was reminded of a series on the life of St. Teresa of Avila that I had watched just a year before. As soon as the documentary was over, I said a quick prayer of thanksgiving for the finding of this new saint in my life, and then proceded to my computer where I pulled up all kinds of information on the Carmelite order and it's history. Then I was reminded of the parish I grew up in, St. Teresa of Avila. This great Carmelite mystic had been in my life since it's very begining on that day in 1994 when I was baptised into the Holy Church. So that night, my grandmother and I decided to go out to the theater and see a movie. When the movie was finished, I asked that we stop at the bookstore on the way home, which we did. I was originally planning to purchase "Story of a Soul", the autobiography of St. Terese of Lisieux, but the good lord had other plans for my reading material. It seemed that they only had one copy left at the store and it was nowhere to be found. So, God sent his spirit and showed me two books, both by St. Teresa of Avila, "Interior Castle" and "The Way of Perfection." I have just begun "The Way of Perfection" and am currently on chapter four.

During my research I came across a group of Discaled Carmelite Friars in Wyoming. I don't know if you have ever heard of "Mystic Monk Coffee" but these guys make it! They live a contemplative life in a strict cloister. The bonds of family and friendship is prevalent in the community along with a sense of constant prayer and peace. Although I have not been to their lowly and humble monastery, their joy and peace radiates from their website alone! If you are curious yet as to what I am rambling about, you can visit their website here: www.carmelitemonks.org.

In Love,

Jude Graham

Welcome!

Welcome to my new blog! I am a person who enjoys constant change, so in honnor of the anniversary of the Teen Catholic Family, I have created a new blog which is just an extension of TeenCatholic. Since the start of my last blog I have grown and matured much in my faith. I have learned constantly and have formed solid opinions, which is something that my last blog had lacked. I learned many lessons through the challenges of life. In the past year, my youth director, deacon, and parish priest have tested my faith and challenged me in it. I have grown as a person and want to share this with my readers.

I chose my new blog title from a quote of a great saint that really touched my heart: "Holiness is not the luxury of the few, it is a simple duty, for you and me." - Mother Teresa. This quote has been reaffirmed by Pope John Paul II in his Apostolic Exhortation "Christfideles Laici". Holiness is one thing that I strive for in everyday life through the simple things we do each day. Heaven is ultimatly our goal, but for now all we can do is pray and strive to achieve.

Another new thing about this blog is it's new patroness, Our Lady of the Smile. I came across this image of the Blessed Mother while researching the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. The image is one beyond compare in my opinion because it is one of the few where the Blessed Mother has a smile on her face. It shows how our Mother rejoiced in her son, Jesus, and how happiness is what we recieve when we say "yes" to God.

I pray that this blog will inspire the hearts of many to go out into the world and be witnesses to the truth wich God has revealed to us in his son, Jesus Christ.

In love,
Jude Graham