Carmelite Conversations

Anyone familiar with the writings of St. Therese of the Child Jesus knows that she struggles in dealing with difficult people, both as a young child and as a religious sister.  Importantly, she also triumphed in learning how to embrace difficult people.  What practical tips would Therese tell us about living with difficult family members, friends, neighbors, or co-workers?  

God Feels Distant.  How often have you felt that way or heard another person say that?  How is this manifested?  Is it normal in the spiritual life?  How much are we attributing this to our feelings rather than our intellect?  What are some examples of when this happens?  How should we respond?  What is the purpose of this in the spiritual life?  These are some of the questions Deacon Baldwin answ...

The Ratio Institutionis is a document found in The Book of Documents used in the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites as found at www.ocdswashprov/store/book .  It basically addresses how to put the Carmelite charism into practice in our daily lives.  It guides us in living out our Carmelite calling. The Ratio presents the purpose or philosophy behind a program of formation for the members of the...

What is “discernment”?  That word is used frequently in Christian circles, especially in regard to answering the call to our vocation in life.  Many souls have a fundamental misunderstanding of what discernment is.  Deacon Baldwin clarifies what discernment is NOT, and what it IS. He then clarifies our understanding of the Christian essence of discernment.  He points out and explains how true disc...

After being fully professed by making the Definitive Promise in the Order, a member may choose to discern whether he/she is being called to make a vow.  What is a vow?  How does a vow differ from a promise?  What kind of vow can one make?  How is a soul prepared for making the vow?  What is involved?  Who is eligible and what time frame is involved?  Most importantly, why would a member want to ma...

Aug. 9th is the feast of St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (aka Edith Stein).  Deacon Baldwin gives a short background on this wonderful Saint and then zeroes in on how she lived out the “love of the Cross.”  What was that like?  Who was she?  What did she believe?  How did love change her?  She indeed made the supreme sacrifice of the Cross, dying at Auschwitz.

In John 17: 14-16, Jesus states that we do not belong to the world. Still, He prays not that we be taken from the world, but that we may have the strength to resist evil. What do the Carmelite Saints have to say about remaining in God while being in the world?         Examples are provided from Br. Lawrence of the Resurrection, General Gaston de Sonis, and St. Teresa of Avila.

How are we (as Carmelites/Christians) to be to the world what the soul is to the body?  What do our Carmelite Doctors of the Church teach us?  How are we in the world but not of the world?  What is the soul?  How does it operate? What is its relationship to the body?  How does the soul and the body work together?  How does this relate to our Carmelite/Christian calling? Secular Carmelites/Christia...

Deacon Baldwin helps the listener to understand the word “mystery” as it applies to faith in God.  He explains how the mystery of God goes beyond our intellect and reason.  He then proceeds to introduce the steps to enter into the mystery of Divine Love.

4th in the Series:  featuring Père Jacques de Jésus, OCD (1900 – 1945) Père Jacques (aka Lucien Bunel) was a French Roman Catholic priest who became a Discalced Carmelite Friar.  He was born in France in 1900 and died in 1945.  He lived through two earth-shattering wars in a country scarred by intense class conflict. Père Jacques was a talented preacher and youth group leader; a teacher with a rev...

3rd in the Series:  featuring St. Maria Maravillas of Jesus, OCD (1891-1974) During the life of St. Maria Maravillas, a Discalced Carmelite nun and foundress, Spain was going through much upheaval.  Religious persecution increased daily.  In this conversation, you will learn how St. Maria Maravillas displayed courage in the face of opposition, even face to face opposition!  The revolutionaries wer...

Second in the Series:  featuring General Louis-Gaston de Sonis In this podcast, the conversation focuses on the life of General Louis-Gaston de Sonis, from France.  Born in 1825 and 1887.  He was a husband, father of 12, a military officer and a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites. He displayed courage in the midst of many struggles, both in the military and in the world, personall...

In our day, there is much social upheaval and unrest and a strident political atmosphere.  Additionally, living during the pandemic of Covid-19, has caused many pressures and struggles for the whole world. “Courage in the Face of Opposition” is needed as much, or even more, today as in previous times.  Our guest, Colleen Sollinger, has put together several teaching points  and nuggets of wisdom fr...

We all are called by Heaven, but how many of us hear it?  How many answer the call?  What help do we receive in order to answer the call and fulfill the call?  In this podcast, Deacon Rusty Baldwin, OCDS, examines the “call.” Here, he specifically addresses the call to Carmel as indicated in the “Promise” made by members.  The content of this talk, however, pertains to every call from Heaven. With...

Laura Reece Hogan is a is a professed Third Order Carmelite and the award-winning author of the chapbook O Garden-Dweller and a book of spiritual theology, I Live, No Longer I. Laura earned a law degree from the University of California, Los Angeles School of Law, and an Masters in Theology from St. John’s Seminary in California. She is also a poet and her poems can be found in America, First Thin...

The blessings from God are considered in this presentation in the light of Evangelical Perfection.

St. Joseph is becoming more and more prominent in the eyes of the Church.  It wasn’t long ago that St. Joseph’s name was added to the Eucharistic Prayers in the Masses of the Catholic Church.  Fr. Don Calloway also wrote a wonderful book in 2020 called “Consecration to St. Joseph: the Wonders of Our Spiritual Father” that has meditations to warm your heart greatly toward St. Joseph.  Now, we have...

Brother Lawrence of the Resurrection's book The Practice of the Presence of God is a spiritual classic and provides great insight into the important of our secular work to uniting us with God. In this podcast, Tim Bete, OCDS, summarizes Brother Lawrence's wisdom for our daily lives.

Poet Sarah Law talks about her new book Therese: Poems, which is a wonderful way to meditate on the life of St. Therese of Lisieux. Sarah also reads several poems. The book can be purchased at: Paraclete Press: https://paracletepress.com/collections/vendors?q=Sarah%20Law&contributorID=100447 Amazon.com: https://www.amazon.com/Thérèse-Paraclete-Poetry-Sarah-Law/dp/1640603948  

Dec. 14th is the Solemnity/Feast of St. John of the Cross, a Discalced Carmelite and Doctor of the Church.  He is often referred to as Doctor Mysticus or Doctor of Love.  He is a great Saint for Advent with his writings centering on mystery, darkness, intimacy, light and flame of love.  This presentation will help us ponder these questions: What is a mystic? What are we called to? What is the Dark...

St. John of the Cross is known as one of the greatest Spanish Poets.  Thankfully, he was asked to expound upon his poems which resulted in the classics we may be familiar with…such as “The Spiritual Canticle,” “The Dark Night,” and “The Living Flame of Love.”  Someone new to St. John of the Cross may complain, however, that he didn’t write very much about the Blessed Virgin Mary.  This presentatio...

On this day, Nov. 8, the feast day of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, join me in praying her famous prayer known as “O My God, Trinity whom I Adore.”  It is a prayer that is very deep with much to ponder.  This translation came from the book, “Drink of the Stream:  Prayers of the Carmelites” compiled by Penny Hickey, OCDS, pg. 299-300.

What are the obligations of a person who becomes a member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites?  An easy way to remember them is to abbreviate them and call them the “6 M’s.”  Colleen Sollinger, a professed member of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites, and also the Director of Formation for her community in Dayton, OH, shares with us a description of each of the M’s, but also challe...

The famous sun miracle at the Church approved apparition in Fatima, Portugal on Oct. 13, 1917 remains a topic of discussion among many Catholics.  Over a hundred years have passed since it occurred, yet we are still deriving great fruit from it.  In this conversation, guest Angela Winfield will shed some light on the Carmelite connections to this great miracle and what it means for us today.

On Oct. 15, 2020, Fr. John MacQuarrie gave this homily at the Feast Day Mass of St. Teresa of Avila. What is piercing your heart?  Is it the anger and confusion of our times in this world, in the church, in politics?  Or is it the flaming arrow of God’s love?  Fr. John MacQuarrie leads us in a reflection on this feast day of St. Teresa of Avila by recalling the great statue by Bernini of St. Teres...