Begin Your Ascent of Mount Carmel

Praised be Jesus Christ!

With joy we introduce to you the steps to take to become a Third (Secular) Order Carmelite. Members of the 3^rd Order are called Carmelite Tertiaries, who live the Contemplative Life in the world, with the desire to aim at perfection, in the spirit of, and under the direction of the Discalced Carmelites.

Please find several documents attached for your use listed below, followed by an outline of the steps necessary to to become a member of the 3^rd Order.  Read them in order, and take your time.

The documents attached are:

In short, there are four steps for becoming a member of the 3^rd Order.

• Step 1: The Aspirant is interested in Discerning the Carmelite Tertiary (3^rd Order) vocation.
• Step 2: The Postulant begins the daily practices of the Carmelite Tertiary with instruction.
• Step 3: The Novice is clothed in the Carmelite Tertiary scapular, the habit, and hopes to persevere until death as a Carmelite Tertiary.  During this time regular instruction continues.
• Step 4: The Professed promises to persevere until death observing with all perfection possible the rule of the 3^rd Order.

The Aspirant.

This is the time of discernment and becoming familiar with life as a Tertiary.  Recommended practices while discerning include reciting every day the Litany of the Blessed Virgin Mary, and on Wednesdays and Saturdays perform some special mortification.  Wear the small scapular, not the scapular medal, and go to Holy Communion at least once a week (from the Way of Perfection for the Laity).

Read the “With Zeal” booklet, fill out the registration form, and acquire and begin the recommended readings listed in the booklet.  In particular become familiar with the Little Office and 3^rd Order rule, and begin practicing mental prayer. To take the next step, a Postulant, you should already have begun praying the Little office and Mental Prayer.

The Postulant.

Having begun the discernment and daily practices of the Tertiary, as Our Lady is calling you to Carmel, you may ask to become a Postulant.  Do so by e-mail, explaining briefly your discernment, and the steps you have been taking.  If you do not have email, please send a letter.  The Postulant learns to practice the rule, especially daily mental prayer and Little Office.  Set up a schedule for mental prayer and for each of the offices during the day. Become familiar with the calendar noting Carmelite days of fast and abstinence.

A Novice Master or Mistress will be made available to help answer questions and make suggestions as to the nuts and bolts of living as a Tertiary.  They can also help you find and use the other resources in the dropbox link, especially ceremony pamphlets and certificates.

Make known to your confessor or spiritual director your desire to become a Tertiary, and give to him a copy of the Ministry Guide.  The first page of the Ministry Guide is a form for your spiritual director to recommend you to the order, and helps with understanding the particular spiritual dispositions for the contemplative life of Carmel.

The time of a Postulant must be at least two months, but should be as long as it takes to become familiar with the rule and somewhat consistent with your daily prayers.  If new to tradition, the Postulant should not become a Novice until having remained in tradition for at least one year.  The Postulant should stay in contact with the Novice Master or Mistress, and spiritual director for instructions along the way.

The Novice.

To become a Novice, please send a recommendation from your confessor or spiritual director found on the 1^st page of the Ministry Guide.  You may email as a scan or picture from the first page.

The Novice is received into the order with the Clothing Ceremony, taking a religious name, and receiving the large brown scapular, the habit of the Tertiary.

From the rule, paragraph 22, Postulants, being clothed with the holy Habit, become novices, and will then for the space of a year give proof of their vocation by the exact observance of the Rule they will also dispose themselves by prayer and the practice of Christian virtue to merit the grace of profession.

And paragraph 24, During their novitiate, Tertiaries should present themselves at least once a month, unless otherwise hindered, to the Superior or Director to be instructed in their duties, afterwards every now and then, for example, every two months. Novices are always at liberty to choose their own confessor.

The Profession.

To Profess, a recommendation from your confessor or spiritual director is also necessary.

From the rule, paragraph 26, Towards the end of the year of novitiate, the novice having completed his twenty-fifth year, unless a dispensation has been obtained, the Superior or Director, being assured of the divine nature of his vocation to this state of life and of his perseverance in his good intentions, may admit the Tertiary novice to profession.

From the rule, paragraph 29, It will be made in the hands of the Superior or his Delegate in the following terms:

I, N. N. , make my profession and promise to God, to Our Blessed Lady of Mount Carmel, to Our Holy Mother S. Teresa and to the Superiors of the Order, obedience and chastity, according to the Rule of the Third Order, which I purpose to observe with all perfection possible to me, until death.

And paragraph 30, Twice a year, that is, on the feast of the Exaltation of the Holy Cross, the 14th of September, and on the feast of Epiphany, the Tertiaries will renew their vows in presence of the Superior or the Director, or, if this be not possible, they will make the renewal privately after Holy Communion.