Prayerful Environment
Our prayerful environment is structured around a schedule of prayer, both individual and common, which fosters greater union with God. Does this mean that only cloistered contemplatives may attain closeness to God? By no means! The life itself however, is geared toward union with God through the medium of a regular prayer life and cooperation with God’s grace. It is being open to inspiration in the great adventure of discovering the joy of life lived walking in beauty.
Authentic happiness, we believe, lies not in doing what makes me happy — but in being fully who I am — learning the truth about myself and living it for God and God’s people. This is a ‘possessing’ of my life so that I can give it back to God. This lifetime ‘search’ is authenticated in prayer.
Many people say to us here in Hudson: “you must have such a strong faith to live that type of life.” We perceive, however, that when Jesus speaks of faith, it is not doctrinal faith or a philosophical reading or a creed — but He is speaking of a certain capacity of a person to affirm life in spite of what life may bring. It has sometimes less to do with intellectual beliefs, but much to do with one’s soul, with our capacity for love, with being in touch with the meaningfulness of life, and thereby inspiring faith in others. (cf. Matthew 17:20)
We feel here at Carmel of the Sacred Heart a fundamental connection to the wholeness of things. We strive to make our prayer of faith a real prayer of the soul which will be effective against the evils in our world today. If you have a petition to include in our (along with your own!) prayers, please go to our link and add it to the prayer/blessing reservoir. Thus we all together will send healing love, thanksgiving and praise for that intention.
The Psalmist says in Psalm 147:1:
“How good to sing God praise! How lovely the sound!”
What is a prayerful environment? Is it just as eight-foot fence, grills and curtains, or is it an open heart, a loving, joyful response to God’s direction in our lives and a willingness to be “at the service of all for the good of all.”
For all of us, dear friends of Carmel, our relationship with God is to be the anchor of our lives as we go about our daily living, working and loving. We, as a small group of contemplative women, strive to make it become more and more the heart of all our lives. We feel especially compelled to live this as our particular Monastery is dedicated to the Sacred Heart of Jesus.