Introduction to the Virtuous Life and Spiritual Insight of Madame Barbara Acarie/Blessed Mary of the Incarnation, OCD

What a difference one soul can make! If it weren’t for Madame Barbara Acarie, who later in life became Blessed Mary of the Incarnation, we might not have had the likes of St. Therese of Lisiuex, St. Mary of Jesus Crucified, or Blessed Elizabeth of the Trinity, all of whom were Discalced Carmelites in France. This daughter, wife, mother, mystic, and Discalced Carmelite Nun, gives an example of how to live the “interior life” at all stages of life. Through her openness to God’s call in her life and her receptivity to His gifts, she was a “light” shining in the dark to all those around her. She was gifted with prophecy, the reading of hearts, the gift of healing, discernment of spirits, as well as having the invisible stigmata. How did Madame Acarie become a foundress for the Carmelites in France? How did she handle the many trials and tribulations of her life? The insights given will help us live the interior life with greater charity and clarity.

Resources: Website: www.madame-acarie.org

Scripture: John 3:30 “He must increase, but I must decrease.”

The Carmelite Conversations Podcast is an apostolate of the Secular Order of Discalced Carmelites community of Our Mother of Good Counsel in Dayton, Ohio. Discalced Carmelite Seculars are practicing members of the Catholic Church who, under the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and inspired by St. Teresa of Jesus and St. John of the Cross, make the commitment to the Discalced Carmelite Order to seek the face of God for the sake of the church and the world. For more information about Secular Carmelites, visit our website.