Our Lady of Mount Carmel

By TOM DENNEHY

We celebrate the feast of Our Lady Of Mount Carmel on July 16, which was first instituted in the late 14th century in commemoration of the Carmelite Order founded a hundred years earlier.

Mount Carmel is the mountain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on which the prophet Elijah successfully challenged the priests of Baal and their false gods and won the people to the true God. I. Kings 18.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a title given to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. This title was in honour of her having given the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel to Simon Stock.

Our Lady appeared to St Simon Stock at Cambridge, England, in 1251, in answer to his appeal for help for his oppressed order. She appeared to him with a scapular in her hand and said; “Take beloved son, this scapular of thine order as badge of my confraternity and for thee and all Carmelites a special sign of grace; Whoever dies in this scapular, will not suffer everlasting fire. It is a sign of salvation, a safeguard in dangers, a pledge of peace and of the covenant. This promise is extended to all who out of devotion to the Mother of God wear her habit or badge; they are as if they were affiliated to the Carmelite Order.”

The spiritual focus of the Carmelite Order is on contemplative prayer. Tradition traces the origins of the order to a small group of hermits - some of them crusaders- who gathered near the well of Elijah on the slopes of Mount Carmel in the Holy Land at the end of the 12th century. They saw themselves as succeeding the schools of the prophets in ancient Israel.

Today Carmelites live and work in 50 nations throughout the world. They work through Mother Mary to bring people to know God’s love. Wherever there is a spiritual need, the Carmelites reach out in unique fashion as contemplatives in action. They engage in preaching, teaching and spiritual direction. Other serve as missionaries, as university teachers, or in pastoral care.

Among the great Carmelites figures are:

St. Therese of Lisieux,

St. Teresa of the Andes,

Blessed Titus Bradsma, a Dutch scholar killed in Dachau because of his stance against Nazism,

St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (Edith Stein), a Jewish convert to Catholicism who was imprisoned and died in Auschwitz.

Other better known members included St. Teresa of Avila, a Spanish Carmelite nun who lived in the 1500s. She was a mystic and author of spiritual writings and poems. She founded numerous convents throughout Spain and was originator of the Carmelite reform that restored contemplative life to the order. St John of The Cross was another great Carmelite priest and mystic. He was known for his great writings and was a teacher of prayer.

There are many stories of miracles and conversions associated with the wearing of the brown scapular.

In the early nineties, whilst tending to his cattle on his farm in Millstreet, Peter Roche was attacked by one of his bulls. Peter was forced to the ground after the strike from the bull. The assault continued from the bull as he lay struggling in vain on the ground. During the attack, the Brown Scapular that Peter wore around his neck came out from inside his clothing. Peter instantly reached for the Scapular to put it back inside his shirt. At that moment, the attack stopped and the bull walked away from him, allowing him to get to safety. After his miraculous escape, he spent the rest of his life promoting the wearing of the brown scapular for protection.

The priest enrolls a person in the brown scapular.

He invites them to receive the blessed scapular and prays that the most Holy Virgin may guard them from all evil and bring them to everlasting life.

When your scapular gets worn, you can simply replace it.

Prayer to Our Lady of Mt Carmel

O most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, most fruitful vine, Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity.

O Star of the Sea, help me and show me that you are my Mother.

O Holy Mary Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart, to succour me in this my necessity.

There are none that can withstand your power, O show me herein that you are my Mother.

O Mary conceived without sin pray for us who have recourse to thee. (3 times)

Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands. (3 times)