Very Reverend Joseph Chalmers, O. Carm., Prior General during a Eucharistic celebration during the Convocation

Over 400 Lay Carmelites from far and wide in the United States and Canada attended the 2007 Lay Carmelite Convocation, held at the Palmer House Hilton in downtown Chicago, Illinois. The Convocation was held July 6-8 and included members of the Saint Elias and the Most Pure Heart of Mary Provinces. The triennial event was organized by the Inter-provincial Commission for Lay Carmelites under the direction of Father Francis Amodio, O.Carm., and Sister Mary Martin, O.Carm., the respective Provincial Delegates to the Lay Carmelites.

The Convocation theme was Prayer—Source of Energy, School for Life. The talks were serious, deep, thoughtprovoking and inspiring and included appropriate droplets of humor. The keynote address was given on Friday by Prior General, the Very Reverend Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., and focused on contemplative prayer as an intimate relationship with God. Father Chalmers encouraged the attendees to read the word of God, reflect on it and allow themselves to “let go and listen” as we rest in the hands of God.

Saturday began with praying the Liturgy of the Hours, followed by Sister Barbara Breaud, O.Carm., whose talk was entitled Charity as the First Fruit of Prayer. Sister highlighted the teaching that in God, truth and love are always united and interjected Jesus’ definition of the two greatest commandments. She noted that as followers of Jesus, the fruit of our prayer includes love of our enemies. Sister Barbara provided Gandhi as a contemporary example of a person who combined action for justice with love of enemy. Father David Simpson, O.Carm., then opened our eyes to the Second Fruit of Prayer—Zeal. Father David noted that zeal is closely related to contemplation and that, like Elijah, we must have zeal for the God of justice as well as the God of love. Father cautioned that contemplative prayer could become an escape from our duty to satisfy the needs of the less fortunate and that true contemplation leads one to see and fight injustices locally and in the world. He included a prayer that my very own lips have uttered many times—“God, why don’t you do something about these injustices?” God’s response, “I did do something. I made you!”

During the closing celebration, Scottish bag-piper piped the entrance of Father Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm., honoring his leadership this past six years as Prior General.

The morning closed with the celebration of the Eucharist and a banquet luncheon. The highlight of the luncheon was honoring Father Joseph Chalmers for his two terms of profound leadership as Prior General. The excitement peaked when the Scottish bag-piper piped his way around the perimeter of the luncheon hall in recognition of Father Joe.

The afternoon provided six workshops on various forms of prayer, any three of which could be selected. They included Silence and Solitude— Dr. Keith Egan, T.O. Carm; Eucharist —Very Reverend Michael Kissane, O.Carm; Liturgy of the Hours— Father John-Benedict Weber, O.Carm; Lectio Divina—Father Craig Morrison, O.Carm; Centering Prayer—Very Reverend Joseph Chalmers, O.Carm; and Devotionals—Father Francis Amodio, O.Carm. The workshops provided a great deal of practical advice on integrating one’s prayer life and deepening one’s encounter with God.

After Sunday morning prayer, Dr. Keith Egan provided a talk on prayer in the Carmelite tradition. Dr. Egan presented historical examples, which included Carmelite saints and their contributions to our prayer tradition. In the following talk, Sister Angele Marie Sadlier, O.Carm., reminded us of the need for discipline in our prayer lives, pointing out that, “A spiritual life without discipline is impossible.” Sister Angele also captured my attention when she differentiated between the virtue of silence that opens us to God’s Word and silence as a vice of non-reconciliation or injustice. She noted that in the prayerful discipline of silence we enter into ourselves where we meet God, who is always present. In contrast, she asked, “Are we being silenced wrongly when someone demands ‘Don’t mix politics with religion?’”

The closing Eucharist was celebrated by Father Joseph Chalmers and though it was a very uplifting experience, it also marked the end of this special reunion of Lay Carmelites, friars and nuns. As advertised, the convocation was an energizing, life enhancing forty-one hour Carmelite experience. This spiritual encounter was not meant to end with the closing Eucharist, but like the final blessing of the Mass, it calls us to go out—out to our local communities and to the world, sharing that grace, that light, that spirit with others as it was shared with us. In my own case, I particularly walked away with a clearer realization that true Carmelite prayer must include God’s commands to love one another (John 13:34) and aim for justice for all (Isaiah 1:17).