October 11, 2025: Foundations of Prayer – Lecture 5
On Saturday, October 11 @7:00pm will be the fifth lecture in the Foundations of Prayer Course, on the theme, “Praying in the Company of Mary.” The Foundations of Prayer is an online course that forms part of the Deepening Prayer Series run by the School of Prayer at the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS). The course invites participants to explore the richness of Christian prayer and deepen their spiritual lives through engaging teachings, practices, and reflections. It is designed for those who feel called to grow in intimacy with God, guided by the wisdom of the Carmelite tradition. Over ten sessions, participants will be guided through a progressive series of teachings, each focused on an aspect of contemplative prayer. Each session offers insights, practices, and an opportunity for personal reflection, aiming to cultivate a deeper connection to God and a richer prayer life. For further information, please visit https://www.carmelite.uk.net/uncategorized/contemplative-school-of-prayer
October 15, 2025: Feast of St Teresa of Ávila
The Church, along with the Discalced Carmelites, celebrates the feast of St Teresa of Ávila, on October 15. Teresa, born in 1515 in Spain, is remembered as a mystic, reformer, and Doctor of the Church. Her courageous spirit led her to renew the Carmelite Order through a return to contemplative prayer, simplicity, and enclosure, and she founded seventeen convents across Spain, opening the way for women of all backgrounds to encounter God intimately. Her teachings in works like The Interior Castle and The Way of Perfection continue to inspire souls to seek divine friendship and deeper prayer, making her legacy a living source of encouragement for Christian discipleship and spiritual renewal. A favourite story about St Teresa illustrates the intimate relationship that the saints have with God. When she was on one of her innumerable journeys across Spain, her horse threw her as she was crossing a river. Soaked to the skin she looked up to heaven and said, “If this is how you treat your friends, no wonder you have so few of them!” She teaches us to bring everything to God in our prayers, even our reproaches. For a reproach, in the end, is simply our way of offering up to God our incomprehension of what He is giving us. The festal mass in her honour will be celebrated on Wednesday, October 15, 2025, at 6 p.m. at the Carmelite Priory, Boars Hill, Oxford.
October 15, 2025: SDFP Graduation
On October 15, the Feast of St. Teresa of Ávila, the students of the Spiritual Direction Formation Programme (Carmelite Tradition) 2023-2025 will celebrate their graduation in Ávila, Spain, the home of the great mystic, where they will receive their Diplomas as certified spiritual directors in the Carmelite tradition. The SDFP, which has been running since 2019, draws principles from the Carmelite saints on the journey towards intimacy with God. This spirituality centres on prayerful listening and a relational response to a God who seeks to befriend us, fostering a life of contemplative awareness and friendship. The programme prepares lay people, the clergy and religious to accompany others in deepening this personal relationship, recognizing that the path is guided by the Holy Spirit rather than rigid rules, and welcomes all who have a heartfelt desire to draw from this rich tradition to grow their bond with God and walk with others on their spiritual journey. For further information, please visit https://www.carmelite.uk.net/courses/spiritual-direction-formation-programme-2025-2027/
October 15, 2025: Autumn Edition of Beacon
The Autumn edition of Beacon will be released on October 15, dedicated to the theme of Friendship. The Beacon, a quarterly magazine of the Centre for Applied Carmelite Spirituality (CACS), focuses on the insights and reflections rooted in Carmelite spirituality that serve to guide the journeying soul on the way of perfection. This issue lights the path to a place of spiritual growth and wholeness, through a life transforming friendship with God, central to the Carmelite Spirituality. It is indeed a feast for the soul, empowering its readers to adopt a contemplative approach to life, in their ministries and careers. For copies, subscriptions or further information, please visit https://www.carmelite.uk.net/featured/newsletter/