Born in France sometime in the early 1100s, Bertold of Mount Carmel was the son of a count and an excellent student. He was ordained a priest, then he and his brother joined the Crusades. After surviving the siege at Antioch, he had a vision of Christ and abandoned military life. Bertold journeyed to Mount Carmel where he built a monastery and church dedicated to the prophet Elijah, and he lived there as a hermit in imitation of the prophet. His reputation for piety grew, and soon other monks were traveling to Mount Carmel to receive his spiritual direction and live together in community with Bertold as their superior. The community became known as the Hermit Brothers of St. Mary of Mount Carmel, and his life and work laid the foundation of the Carmelite order.
CHALLENGE
The prophet Elijah is the patron saint of the Carmelite order. Today, open your Bible and begin to read 1 Kings chapters 17-19. But don’t just read it. Rather, use the practice of lectio divina: While reading these chapters, pause whenever you feel the need to meditate and contemplate God’s word and take as much time as you need to work through these chapters.
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