Carmel is Simple
"I tell you solemnly, unless you change and become like little children you will never enter the kingdom of heaven." (Mt. 18:3) Children are accepting; they do not judge by outward appearances. In fact, they do not judge> They are free spirits unencumbered by possessions. They are not concerned about their image, or impressing the neighbors.
Adults, to save time, have learned how to do two or three things simultaneously, becoming adept at such things as drinking a cup of coffee, smoking a cigarette, and talking on the phone, while keeping one eye on the TV. Children are completely absorbed in one thing at a time, able to live fully in the present moment. They are natural contemplatives, watching for hours as clouds drift across the sky and change shapes, or as ants carry grains of sand for their anthill. Children are not worried that they may be 'wasting time."
They are able to enjoy simple things, and have a sense of wonder at the beauty of creation. As writers reflect something of themselves in their books, the world reflects its Creator. St. Francis of Assisi, in his Canticle to the Sun, felt that he was one with nature because he was one with God.
St. John of the Cross sensed the presence of God all around him, and was moved by it: "My Beloved is the mountains, And lonely wooded valleys, Strange islands, And resounding rivers, The whistling of love-stirring breezes, The tranquil night at the time of the rising dawn, Silent music, Sounding solitude, The supper that refreshes, and deepens life." (Spiritual Canticle, in the Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, trans. Kieran Kavanaugh, OCD and Otilio Rodriguez, OCD) "The poetry and mysticism of St. John of the Cross are dedicated not only to a personal God, but to His sensible presence, perceptible to each of us. This presence animates the entire world created for man." (Edith Stein, by Henry Bordeaux)
Children's treasures are simple, a colored lead or pretty rock, but children would give their most valued possession to one they love, for the nature of love is to give. They are not concerned that they are picking 'only weeds," but bring buttercups and dandelions to their mother who treasures them.
Children love God without first presenting information to the intellect for a rational explanation. Bishop Sheen once said that we will never reach God with the intellect, for there are boundaries to our knowledge, but love, like God, is infinite. Love goes beyond itself; it transcends. It is a force that propels our hearts toward God. At the sight of his risen Lord on the shore, the Apostle Peter, under an impulse of love, threw himself into the water, he was so impatient to reach Him. "The heart rears wings bolder and bolder, And hurls for Him, O half hurls earth for Him off under his feet." (Gerard Manley Hopkins)
Some people are afraid to let other people get close to them, are afraid to get involved. To care is to make us vulnerable, to risk is getting hurt. But like David facing Goliath, we must be trusting enough to lay aside our armor of defensiveness. At a Carmelite Congress, Fr. Anthony Morello, OCD told us in one of his conferences: "If you cannot be intimate with another human being, you cannot be intimate with God."
The Saints were able to highlight points of the Gospels, thus brining them into focus for the rest of us. St. Therese emphasized the "little way of spiritual childhood." She reminded us, like St. Teresa of Avila before her, that God does not ask for great works from us, but only for great love. "Let the little ones come to me, it is to such as these that the kingdom of heaven belongs." (Mt. 19:14)
Children have a sense of humor. Humor comes from the same root word as humility. Proud people are not able to laugh at themselves, or the humor of their situation. While attending a retreat at Peterborough, NH, we were told by Fr. Brian Hennigan, OCD: "laughter is for those who are free, not imprisoned by institutions or conventions. The martyrs were the great humorists, the clowns." "Here we are, fools for the sake of Christ." (1 Co. 4:10) "The wisdom of the world is foolishness to God." (1 Co. 3:18)
In the business world we may need certain qualities, but they must be left behind as we come before God like trusting children, letting the little child in each of us lead us to the father. "The calf and lion cub feed together, and a little child shall lead them." (Is. 11:6)
From "Welcome to Carmel"
Teresian Charism Press
1525 Carmel Rd
Hubertus, WI 53033
