Carmelite Shoes

Becoming materially poor in order to be spiritually rich  

Hosea 14:2-10  

Thus says the LORD: Return, O Israel, to the LORD, your God; you have collapsed through your guilt. Take with you words, and return to the LORD; Say to him, “Forgive all iniquity, and receive what is good, that we may render as offerings the bullocks from our stalls. Assyria will not save us, nor shall we have horses to mount; We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.”   

          Before I became pastor of Immaculate Conception Church, I spent 3 months as a Carmelite wondering if God was calling me to that vocation. Even though I decided not to become a Carmelite monk, I learned a lot about the spiritual life. For instance I learned there is an “inverse proportion” between the spiritual and the material worlds, that is, the less material stuff you have, the more spiritual stuff you have. Or, you might say, “less is more” in the spiritual life.   

          St. Teresa of Avila, the 18th century Carmelite mystic and reformer, encouraged her nuns to practice poverty. She wrote in her classic book, The Way of Perfection, this telling statement: “If the house of 13 poor Carmelite nuns collapses, it should not make any noise.” In other words, their convent should be so simple and uncluttered that it should collapse in perfect silence. But while these poor nuns have nothing materially, spiritually-speaking they are so rich they make Bill Gates look like a poor, orphan child.  Even though their name “Discalced Carmelites” means they go “without even sandals,” the Carmelites wear very big spiritual shoes.  You see, the smaller your carbon footprint, the larger your spiritual footprint.   

          In the first reading today, the prophet Hosea preaches practicing poverty, too. He writes: “We shall say no more, ‘Our god,’ to the work of our hands; for in you the orphan finds compassion.” In other words, the people should not put their trust in material things, “the work of their hands,” but rather be like an orphan, who has nothing materially, but “finds compassion” in God alone; the orphan is spiritually rich. Hosea wants people to catch this inverse proportion: the less you have materially, the more you have spiritually. Try to walk a mile or two in Carmelite shoes.   

          Let me give you a few examples of how to practice this inverse proportion. A few weeks ago I received a check from our parishioners for $32,000 to buy a new car.  But do you know what my first thought was? I asked myself: “How many students can I put through Catholic schools with this?” Now, my second thought was: “Hey, this is enough for a down-payment on a BMW!” In the past, parents used to send their children to Catholic schools: making themselves materially poor, but their children spiritually rich. One family told me they have left a significant portion in their inheritance for this church. Do we spend our money on church and charity or on more material things? Be a little less critical of foreign priests with thick accents. Ask yourself: why is there a priest-shortage in the United States and Europe, but not in India and Africa and Vietnam? That’s the inverse proportion: material lack often leads to spiritual abundance.   

          St. Teresa of Avila said: “If the house of 13 poor Carmelite nuns collapses, it should make no noise.” In the spiritual world, such a collapse would sound like an atomic explosion. Boom.    

          Praised be Jesus Christ!