Detachment is one of the many virtues of Carmelite Spirituality. It means getting rid of our selfish clinging to things or persons other than God. This is how the Carmelites all over the world live their spirituality daily – by completely detaching the soul from everything but the love of God.
All Carmelite saints, especially our Holy Father St. John of the Cross, co-founder of the Discalced Carmelites, insisted that detachment was necessary for holiness. Even our Holy Mother St. Teresa of Avila writes that the entire edifice in the life of a Carmelite must be built upon the virtues of detachment, humility, and poverty of spirit. "Detachment, if practiced perfectly, included the other two necessary virtues, love of others and true humility", says St. Teresa of Avila.
This Carmelite doctrine, taught by the Church in every generation and exhorted by all saints, is the doctrine of detachment. We need to live a fidelity to contemplative prayer with the spirit of detachment it entails. We need detachment in all things through absolute attachment to Christ.
Mary teaches us by example of her life to become humble, filled with faith, detached and willing to suffer, if needed. “The Carmelite wisdom - Humility and Detachment – are two sisters, who are inseparable”, says Stephen Cherry.
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