Come and See

When the disciples asked Jesus where he lived, he invited them to ‘come and see.’ When the Samaritan woman met Jesus at the well, she invited others to ‘come and see.’ Sometimes we have to go to a place, meet people and touch a reality before we can really begin to know whether it is right for us. If you think God may be calling you to religious life, and you feel attracted to Carmel, it may be important for you also to ‘come and see.’

Initially, the invitation is to the parlour, the chapel and perhaps to stay in the Guest House. After a period of meetings of this kind and of discernment, it may be right to come inside the enclosure to see and experience who we are and how we live, and to meet Jesus as you encounter him within Ware Carmel.

What if you would like to come and see? First of all, there are certain conditions that are necessary for our life. You must be a Catholic woman and be free from other commitments. Our life calls for continual and generous giving of ourselves to a daily timetable of work, prayer and community living. You must be ready to enter wholeheartedly into this way of life, to let go of much that you have known and to learn a new way of following Jesus within Carmel.  Growth in our vocation is a lifetime’s work, but you must have sufficient physical and mental health, human maturity and self-awareness to begin the journey. Of course none of us is perfect, but being ready to listen, learn, grow and change; to be honest about ourselves; to give and receive forgiveness and love as we seek daily to serve God and each-other in a very human community – this is the reality of our vocation.

If you would like to take the first step, you are invited to contact the Prioress:

[email protected]