The Vatican on Friday published a new Apostolic Constitution, Vultum Dei quaerere (Seeking the Face of God), On Women’s Contemplative Life.
I can’t help but wonder whether this new Apostolic Constitution has some relevance to us as Carmelite Seculars…who seek the face of God for the Church and the world.
I’m yet to read the document, but the themes outlined in this article certainly have significance for us, don’t you think?
- “Seeking the face of God”
- “Promotion of adequate formation”
- “Centrality of prayer and the Word of God”
- “Lectio Divina”
- “silence”
- “attentive listening”
- “the call to an interior life”
- “stability”
Looks interesting!
Here’s the Vatican Radio article to whet your appetite. The Church needs you!
Here’s a link to the full text of the Apostolic Constitution
Or download as a PDF document… Vultum Dei quaerere
While there’ll be much by way of legislative monastic matters that don’t concern us as Seculars, I think you’ll find value in the issues of common interest as outlined above.
The document was presented by Archbishop José Rodríguez Carballo, secretary of the Congregation for the Institutes of Consecrated Life and the Societies of Apostolic Life and ZENIT’s report may be viewed here: ZENIT Report
Enjoy!
I was struck by Archbishop Carballo’s observation…
“With reference to the ample space that the document dedicates to prayer, he indicated the Pope’s important clarification that prayer and contemplative life cannot be lived as a form of self-absorption, but must instead enlarge the heart to embrace all humanity, especially those who suffer.”
“If it is a profound desire in the heart of Pope Francis to have an outbound Church,” he affirmed, “this is also applicable to those who are called to live out their lives within the walls of the cloister: the attention of the heart, in its maternal care, must continually extend the boundaries of prayer, so that it not only looks upward, to contemplate the holy face of God, but also descends to the depths, to encounter the suffering of man at his loneliest and most marginalized.”
Seems to echo St Teresa’s VII Mansions “This is the reason for prayer, my daughters, the purpose of this spiritual matrimony, the birth always of good works, of good works.”