God's dwelling place

Stay each one in one’s own cell, or near it, meditating day and night on the Law of the Lord, and watching always in prayer, unless engaged upon other righteous occupations. (Rule ch.5)

This chapter has always been considered the most important of the whole Rule, because “the interior life is the essence of the Carmelite vocation” (Brother Telésforo Marie).

"This chapter of the conservation of importance is due to the fact that the primitive spirit of the order is apparent." (Brother Jean Brenninger)

"This rule precept, in fact, is the central precept which commands all the others." (Brother Jerônimo of the Mother of God)

The end of every monk, whatever Rule he follows, according to the Holy Fathers, is perfection of heart: this means a continuous and uninterrupted perseverance of prayer and, when given to human frailty, it aims to achieve unalterable tranquility of the soul and perpetual purity.

The cell isolates us from everything. St John of the Cross affirms that, in order to pray, this isolation is necessary: "Our Lord wanted to confirm it and give us the example, although being the very inviolable source of holiness, he does not need outside help to withdraw and from the benefit of solitude to acquire it (for the fullness of purity could not be stained by any misery of the crowd, nor be contaminated by human coexistence, the one who purifies and sanctifies all that is defiled), went to a mountain to pray alone (Mt 14,23) thus instructing us with the example of his isolation so that, if we also want to pray to God with a pure and upright heart, we go with him from the restlessness and confusion of others. »

What does staying mean? - This verb, very present in the Gospel of Saint John, indicates a continuity, a perseverance of the will in this object. This order: Remain in the cell (Maneat) must be very well engraved in our hearts, because the great temptation that we face every moment is to leave, to dissipate, even thinking that you are doing good. The Holy Desert Fathers said: "Do your best in your office, in your cell, persevere in prayer with compassion, care and continuous tears..." "Sitting in your cells, remember God, lift up your spirit above all things and prostrate yourself in silence before God, pour out at your feet all the feelings (all the dispositions) of your heart, cling to him through love and charity." “Trapped in a quiet, dark cell, he will no longer be divided and diverse, so to speak, by sight and gaze. So, whether you like it or not, the mind will partially calm down and withdraw into itself. “Sit in your cell, as you were told, and she will teach you all things. The rest you will learn, with God's help, to practice guarding the mind and to hold Jesus in your heart.” "Close the cell door to the body, the door of the lips to the words, the inner door to the spirits." Saint Basil, in his Constitution for monks, says that we must return to the cell, like the innocent dove which, not finding where to land, returned to the Ark.

Saint Bernard comments that the cell is the workshop of all goods and that it is not for nothing that its name is so similar to paradise (cella-caelum), because it is already a beginning of life from heaven. “By day, that is to say in joy, by night, in tribulation” (Blessed Jean Soreth) At all times, we must try to maintain a loving attention in God. “It is our duty to love God with all our strength and continuous occupation in Him. This is the true spirit of our holy fathers”. (Jean de Saint-Samson) "Let all who take vows under our Rule keep in mind what you have promised: I have solemnly promised to live by a Rule which commands uninterrupted prayer." (Venerable Brother John of Jesus Mary) This cellular obligation, says Saint Therese, "is the most important of all and, in doing our best to observe it, we will also observe the fasting, discipline and silence that the Rule tells us. asked." (Path IV, 2) Saint Macarius says: “a monk who sits in his cell must concentrate his thoughts on himself, far from all the cares of the world. Let him not let her waver in the vanities of this age, but let him have one goal, to place his thought only in God, to persist in him at all times, without any other care; and let nothing mundane enter your heart tumultuously... but that you are, both in spirit and in all your senses, in the presence of God...”