Our Daily Life

Daily life in Carmel is ordered according to our Rule, Constitutions, and the Carmelite tradition, which have as their goal the nurturing of a deep relationship with God through prayer and mindfulness of the presence of God. Our day in practice then means trying to live in God’s presence.

We begin each day by turning our thoughts and hearts to God in an hour of personal prayer. Another hour in the late afternoon is also set aside for personal prayer. Daily Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours form the core of our community prayer life. Five times a day, we gather to pray the Liturgy of the Hours, the prayer of the church.

An hour of spiritual reading (Lectio Divina) provides daily nourishment for our spirits. A weekly hermit day provides time for greater solitude. Except for sisters in formation who follow set times of classes and study with the novice director, professed sisters schedule their own time of study each week.

Prayer and contemplation are our traditional mission for the Church and the world. For the Carmelite, prayer is an intimate friendship with Jesus, a “being with the one we know loves us.” This state of recollection, which is fostered by the Word of God, through the practice of Lectio Divina, helps us strive to live always in the presence of God actively seeking His loving will.

In the structure of our day, there is a balance of solitude and community activity as specified by our Rule. We come together daily for Mass, the Divine Office, dinner, and recreation. We have a community lifestyle like that of a family, governed by love. St. Teresa called it the “College of Christ”. Boston Carmel is part of a Formation Program, with classes in theology, scripture studies, and Carmelite spirituality offered twice a month given by Carmelites and professors of nearby colleges and seminaries.

In accordance with our Rule, we work for about four hours daily in silence and solitude. Work is an important part of each day and is one way we express our vow of poverty. The work we do is varied, everything entailed in the running of a household and the upkeep of our monastery and gardens. It is approached in such a way that the abilities of each are considered and the call to recollection is fostered. Among other things, our daily duties include cooking, answering requests for prayers, sewing vestments, preparing liturgies, sacristy work, answering mail, gardening, archival work, managing our bookstore, administrative duties, cleaning, and maintenance.

In order to practice evangelical self-denial each nun practices renunciation and hidden sacrifices to conform herself to Christ by sharing in His mission of salvation. This is done with detachment, humility, and love.

The Carmelite nun is essentially ecclesial and apostolic. Prayer and immolation are our service to the church and to the world. Taught by the shining example of St. Therese of the Child Jesus and the Holy Face, patroness of the Missions, all Carmelites foster an apostolic spirit. Our prayer is first and foremost for priests, “preachers, missionaries and theologians.” Our prayers also support our own Archdiocesan needs and undertakings and seek to intercede for all who contact us for prayer. We are deeply involved in the universal mission of the church, presenting to God in prayer “the joys and the hopes, the sorrows and the anguish of the human family in their times, especially the poor and suffering.” (Carmelite Constitutions)

The spirit of the Teresian Carmel is characterized by joy which is shared in our daily recreations.