Prayer

Carmelite Monastery of Christ the King
Christchurch, New Zealand

Prayer at the Heart Of the Church

Praying the Divine Office The call to Carmel is a call to a life of deep, personal friendship with Jesus Christ, expressed and nourished through prayer.

In addition to two hours of silent, contemplative prayer, one in early morning and the other in late afternoon, our Carmelite day revolves around the Eucharist and the Liturgy of the Hours - the Divine Office - through which we embrace the whole world with "its joys and sorrows, its problems and fears" (Vatican II).

The Carmelite nun lives with Jesus crucified for the salvation of the world, offering herself with Him, sharing in the mystery of His death and resurrection, and so Silent Prayer playing her part in His redeeming work. "The glory of God and the good of the
(St Teresa)

Silence and Solitude

Solitude Silence and solitude foster the prayerful atmosphere so typical of Carmel. "Knowledge of God is received in divine silence. " (St John of the Cross)

Enclosure ensures this climate of silence and recollection. Our separation "from the world for the sake of the world" is an eloquent symbol of our radical committment to a life of unceasing prayer and intercession. Time spent in her cell or in the small hermitages in the garden, as well as times of retreat, allow each sister to enter more deeply into the solitude of the desert.