"I have found a very nurturing and joyful community at the Carmelite Centre with lots of opportunities for inquiry and growth."

Clare McArdle

The Psalms, Centering Prayer Meditation August 2024

  Our theme for August’s reflection looks at the messages the Psalms have for us. We’ll acknowledge that we are known by God, in Psalm 139, protected by him when we call his name, Psalm 116, and strengthened, Psalm 16. * Psm 139. You have searched me Lord, and...

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Lectio Divina: an inspiring way to start the day

I was given the link for the daily Carmelite Lectio Divina by a friend four years ago and have made it a daily habit to use it. I was delighted when I discovered the weekly Friday Lectio on Zoom, led so wonderfully by Irene and Damien. Since then I have put the...

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Silent Prayer, Centering Prayer Meditation July 2024

Our theme for July – Silent Prayer, comes from Jan Harris’ book, Quiet in His Presence.  We’re encouraged not to pay attention to any words or thoughts...coming to Him for himself, as a gift…empty-handed, humble and speechless…encouraged in our meditation to use a...

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Courage, Centering Prayer Mediation, June 2024

We continue our reflections from Gerald May’s book, the Wisdom of the Wilderness, for this month – on the theme of courage. Gerald May says: Sometimes you just take your chances. There’s a sort of freedom when you’ve done what you can do and you just have to give up...

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The Power of Slowing, Centering Prayer Meditation, May 2024

The theme for this month of May is a reflection on the Power of Slowing, using themes from Gerald May’s book, The Wisdom of the Wilderness, with epigraphs from Saint John of the Cross, a sixteenth-century Spanish Carmelite friar. Gerald May says: The call of...

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Divine Beauty, Centering Prayer Meditation, April 2024

Over the last few months we have reflected on themes of Peace and Gratitude, Choosing Life, and this month Divine Beauty, using John O’Donohue’s book of that title. John O'Donohue tells us: ~ At birth we were awakened and emerged to become visible to the world. At...

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First Tuesday – a day for me

On the first Tuesday of each month the Carmelite Centre offers opportunities for stillness and silence and also community. This begins at 9.30 with a Contemplative Walk around the streets of Middle Park. We begin with a reflection in front of the church and then a 30...

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Easter Triduum – Good Friday

The Lord is here, present among us. We are gathered with the whole Church in this moment of prayer. What is the meaning of ‘good’ in Good Friday? Perhaps the title takes up a now lost sense of ‘holy’ found within the range of ancient usage of the word ‘good’. Indeed,...

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Eco-Spirituality Reading Circle: Ten Love Letters to the Earth

On Tuesday 20 February, our first meeting for the year, we had eleven participants. I think this is the largest group at a zoom meeting. We shared our thoughts about the "Ten Love Letters to the Earth" which are a series of meditations on Mother Earth written by the...

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My experience of the Carmelite Centre community

I walk my dog every evening around the streets of Middle Park. On one of these walks, some years ago now, I noticed a flyer in the Carmelite Centre advertising poetry evenings. I heard Les Murray read his poems. What a fantastic night. Another time on the way back...

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Who are the Lay Carmelites?

In this "Carmelite Conversation" on 1st November 2023, Gabrielle Fogarty, Moderator of the Lay Carmelites in Australia and New Zealand and several other Lay Carmelites situate the Lay Carmelites today within the history of the Order. They share what it means to be a...

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Practicing Presence, Centering Prayer Meditation, September 2024

Our theme for this month comes from Henri Nouwen’s book, Following Jesus, in particular - Practicing Presence. Henri tells us: * Prayer is entering into the presence of God here and now. Prayer is the way in which we become present to the moment and listen to God who...

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The Psalms, Centering Prayer Meditation August 2024

  Our theme for August’s reflection looks at the messages the Psalms have for us. We’ll acknowledge that we are known by God, in Psalm 139, protected by him when we call his name, Psalm 116, and strengthened, Psalm 16. * Psm 139. You have searched me Lord, and...

read more

Lectio Divina: an inspiring way to start the day

I was given the link for the daily Carmelite Lectio Divina by a friend four years ago and have made it a daily habit to use it. I was delighted when I discovered the weekly Friday Lectio on Zoom, led so wonderfully by Irene and Damien. Since then I have put the...

read more

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In 2016, my husband and I ventured forth on the Carmelite Way Pilgrimage ... What a great experience both spiritually and physically.

Lyal Warren