Blog | Carmelite Spirituality | Carmelite Sisters of the Most Sacred Heart of Los Angeles

Meditation and Contemplation – What is the Difference?

Dear Sister, I have heard of meditation and contemplation and sometimes the words seem to be interchangable. Is there a difference between the two?

Is My Prayer Good Enough?

Dear Sister, My prayer experiences don’t seem good enough or holy enough, long enough or intense enough. Do you have any suggestions as to how I can pray better?

Those Pesky Reptiles

“Dear Sister, In the Interior Castle, St. Teresa talks about ‘pesky reptiles’ and other creatures. What exactly does she mean when she is saying these things?”

Can a Lay Person Be a Carmelite?

Question: Can a layperson be a Carmelite, or is it only for those who are called to be priests, nuns, and sisters?

Although cleaning a house or an office can be an overwhelming task, have we ever thought about other areas of our life that might need “spring cleaning”? Oftentimes, this type of clean up can be more difficult and daunting that the physical spring cleaning because it requires more determination, thoughtfulness, and resolve to change.

Distractions During Prayer

Dear Sister, I have a hard time dealing with the silence that prayer requires. My mind never stops racing every time I sit down to pray. Is it possible to overcome this problem?