The highest activity of the human creature is contemplation of the Triune God, and cloistered-contemplative nuns are called exclusively to that activity as a service to the Church and to all mankind. A nun’s heart embraces all. Her life is a complete gift of self for the good of the other out of love for her Spouse, Jesus Christ. What concerns Him, concerns her, and what concerns Him most of all is the salvation of souls, that all may come to know the goodness of the Father and spend eternity with Him in Heaven. For us Discalced Carmelite Nuns, the way we love Jesus – therefore, the way we pray for the salvation of souls – is by praying for our priests, who have been appointed by Christ to be bridges to that Heavenly Kingdom. That is the specific charism our Foundress St. Teresa of Avila received when founding the Discalced Carmelites, and that is what we still strive to live out to this day.
Here, at the Carmel of St. Joseph in St. Louis, MO, we have the unsurpassed privilege of adoring Jesus present to us in the Blessed Sacrament…every day. Our vocation as Brides of Christ, who He calls to keep Him company, who pray for the salvation of souls by begging for the holiness of all priests, easily takes on a more intense dimension because of this exclusive daily encounter with Our Lord. The Eucharist is the Sacrament of Love, par excellence. We are those who receive that love which He longs to give, and we spread it throughout the world by our prayer and sacrifices.
As the great day of my Solemn Profession approaches, I pray that this little explanation will help you to understand more fully, so that, with me, you can enter more deeply into this amazing grace being offered by God. For, knowing now how good and merciful and generous God is, will He not also greatly reward anyone who offers this sacrifice of my life with me? “Everyone who has given up houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or lands for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times more, and will inherit eternal life.” ~ Jesus (Matt 19:29) There will be many souls in Heaven indebted to you for your loving cooperation with God’s Will. You will find that for your little “yes”, the recompense you’ll receive will be beyond your imagining. “No eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the human heart conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him” (1 Cor 2:9). If this is so, let us not waste our lives on things that don’t matter, but ran as fast as we can into the arms of God Who loves us so.
That’s what I’m doing.
Are you following?
Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D.
(Catherine “Cat” Lamlech)
August 22nd, 2025
Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Please pray for Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, O.C.D. (Catherine “Cat” Anne Elizabeth Lamlech) as she will be making her final profession of the religious vows of poverty, chastity and obedience, where upon the Catholic Church will solemnly receive and recognize her undivided, exclusive love for Jesus Christ.
Memorial of the Queenship and Veiling to be celebrated on Saturday, August 22, 2026 at 10:30 AM.
At the Carmelite Monastery of Saint Joseph
9150 Clayton Road
Saint Louis, Missouri 63124
