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 The Whitefriars community got off to a vigorous opening of the new semester by hosting the traditional All Student Gathering on January 2-4, 2009. The guests included pre-novices from Carith House in Chicago, and Saint Eliseus House in New Jersey, the novices from Middletown, New York, and the students on internship, as well as several of those veterans who have already joined the “working world.” There were also three sisters from the Baltimore Carmel as special guests. So it was certainly a full house.
This year’s agenda was built around the practice of Lectio Divina, as directed by Father Craig Morrison, currently reigning gloriously at the Biblicum in Rome. Father Craig described his process as being something between a retreat and a workshop. Friday night’s introductory episode was a carefully crafted exercise of Lectio Divina and the Carmelite Rule. Saint Albert of Jerusalem, the crafter of the Carmelite Rule, knew Scripture intimately, and everything he wrote was permeated with the spirit and language of the Bible. Chapter 19 of the Rule is an example of how a massive re-quoting of scripture produces a harmonious paragraph on spiritual armor. Albert’s Rule is a formula to harmonize daily life with the Word of God. So a Carmelite who follows this pattern will actually DO the word of God in his or her life.
 Saturday’s activity was a single, extended reflection on the scriptural story of the Road to Emmaus (Luke 24:13-35). Father Craig began with a power point presentation, using the art of Caravaggio. The Lectio element was a prayerful presentation of the biblical passage—the response was “what does the text say?” The Meditatio component was a spoken commentary, followed by small group reactions to selected questions. The Oratio part sought to envision “ourselves in dialogue with the text,” using silence, small group reflection, and a short debriefing. Finally, the Contemplatio element addressed transformation—“What prayer is emerging in my heart?”
There seemed to be general agreement at the end of the day that the exercise was highly successful. Cooperative learning was the key. Many expressed the sentiment that it was easier and less complicated than they had anticipated. Art and technology was a useful help, of course, but the personal encounter with the real power of the Scripture remains very close to the Carmelite soul. Our ancestors in the Wadi did much the same thing in their own struggle with the Word of God. What better way to launch another term of study!
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