Hello all, Happy feast day to all born, baptized and married today. Happy feast day to all Priests, Deacons, Seminarians, Monks, Nuns, Rev Brothers and Sisters in Christ Jesus Happy feast day to all devoted to Our Lady of Mount Carmel and all who wear the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Happy feast day to all the Carmelites throughout the world, especially for those who are cloistered and praying for the world! Happy feast day to all Children of the Blessed Virgin Mary, especially all who recite the Holy Rosary in her honour with true devotion Happy feast day to all clerics of the’ Order of the Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel’ The Order is also known as the “Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel” Happy feast day to all Catholic Missionaries Today July 16 marks the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel Today is the Feast of the Blessed Virgin Mary under the title “Our Lady of Mount Carmel” The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was first instituted in commemoration of the approval of the rule of the Carmelite Order a hundred years earlier. This is the mountain overlooking the Mediterranean Sea on which the prophet Elijah successfully challenged the priests of Baal and won the people to the true God. Sacred Scripture celebrated the beauty of Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the purity of Israels faith in the living God. In the twelfth century, hermits withdrew to that mountain and later founded the Carmelite order devoted to the contemplative life under the patronage of Mary, the Holy Mother of God. Today is the principal Feast day of the Carmelite Order. Catholic History tells us that a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel were organized into an Order about the year 1150. They were oppressed by the Saracens, the monks slowly emigrated to Europe. During the night preceding the 16th of July, 1225, the Blessed Virgin is said to have commanded Pope Honorius III (who was the 177th Bishop of Rome and Head of the Roman Catholic Church since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) to approve the foundation. Since the Carmelites were still under constant harassment, the sixth General of the Order, Saint Simon Stock, pleaded with the Blessed Virgin for some special sign of her protection. On July 16, 1251, Mary designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. Catholic History tells us that Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, and gave him the scapular with the following words, which are preserved in a fourteenth century narrative: This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire. The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted for the Carmelites in 1332 That is why today’s Feast is also known as the Feast of the Scapular. The scapular, as part of the habit, is common to many Catholic Religious Orders, but it is a special feature of the Carmelites. A smaller form of the scapular is given to lay persons in order that they may share in the great graces associated with it. Such a grace is known as the Sabbatine privilege. --------------------------------------------------- Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is worldwide, and most Catholics are familiar with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. In 1726, the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was extended to the whole Church by Pope Benedict XIII (who was the 245th Servant of God and Vicar of Christ since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) For centuries the Carmelites have seen themselves as specially related to Mary. Their great saints and theologians have promoted devotion to her and often championed the mystery of her Immaculate Conception. Saint Teresa of Avila called Carmel “the Order of the Virgin.” Saint John of the Cross credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel and helping him escape from prison. Saint Theresa of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness. On her First Communion she dedicated her life to Mary. During the last days of her life she frequently spoke of Mary. There is a tradition (which may not be historical) that Mary appeared to Saint Simon Stock, a leader of the Carmelites, and gave him a scapular, telling him to promote devotion to it. The scapular is a modified version of Mary’s own garment. It symbolizes her special protection and calls the wearers to consecrate themselves to her in a special way. Obviously, no magic way of salvation is intended. Rather, the scapular is a reminder of the gospel call to prayer and penance—a call that Mary models in a splendid way. In the Bulla Sabbatina Pope John XXII (who was the 196th Bishop of Rome since the pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle) affirmed that wearers of the scapular are soon freed from the flames of purgatory, at least by the Saturday after death. The confirmation of the Bulla Sabbatina was promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, on the 4th of July, 1908. --------------------------------------------- Today (16th of July) is the Patronal Feast of the Carmelites. The Order of Carmelites takes its name from Mount Carmel in Israel, which was the first place dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and where a chapel was erected in her honor before her Assumption into heaven. By the 13th century they became known as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” They soon celebrated a special Mass and Office in honor of Mary. In the Old Testament, Mount Carmel was a holy place sanctified by the memory of Elijah and his followers - who fought for the rights of the true God over 900 years before Christ. Christians would interpret Elijahs vision of the cloud rising from the Mediterranean sea as a symbol of the Blessed Virgin Mary whose Son would be the Messiah and Savior (1 Kings 18, 42-45). After the days of Elijah and Elisha other holy hermits lived on Mount Carmel and led solitary and contemplative lives, praying and fasting. Along with the austere figure of Elijah, they looked for inspiration to the Mother of God. Her Latin title was Virgo Dei Genitrix, which means Virgin Mother of God. July 16th is also the feast of the Scapular of Mount Carmel. On this day in 1251, pious tradition says, the Blessed Virgin appeared to Saint Simon Stock, General of the Carmelites at Cambridge, England, showed him the scapular and promised supernatural favors and her special protection to his Order and to all persons who would wear her scapular. When Mary presented the scapular to him, she told him, This is your privilege: whoever dies in it will be saved. To obtain the indulgences and other benefits promised to those who wear the Carmelite scapular, a person must be invested by a priest and must lead a consistent Christian life. Saint Simon Stock entered the Carmelite Order in Kent, England, when he was 40 years old. He was sent to Mount Carmel in the Holy Land where he led a life of prayer and penance until he and most of his brother Religious were forced to leave by the victorious infidels. The group sailed for England. At a General Chapter which was held in Aylesford, England, in 1245 A.D., Saint Simon was unanimously elected Prior General of the Carmelite Order. Saint Simon Stock had great devotion to Our Blessed Mother. In response to his appeal to Our Blessed Mother for help for his oppressed Order, on July 16, 1251 A.D. (he was 86 years old at the time), Mary appeared to him holding a Brown Scapular in her hand. Mary said to him: Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire. This was truly a great gift and a great promise from the Mother of God. After this apparition, Friar Stock also known as Saint Simon Stock went on to establish Carmelite communities near university towns in England, France and Italy. He became the Superior-General of his order several years after the apparition. Until very recently, the brown scapular was one of the most widely used religious symbols of personal dedication to the mission of Mary found in her last recorded words in the Bible (John 2:5). For over 700 years, the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel has been one of the most precious gifts and highly-indulgenced Sacramentals of our Holy Catholic and Apostolic Church. The Scapular is more than that, however; it is in reality a garment, given to us by Our Blessed Mother which makes us her special children. Blessing and clothing with the Scapular of the Blessed Virgin of Mount Carmel enrolls the individual in the Scapular Confraternity and admits him to a share in all the spiritual works performed by the Religious of Mount Carmel. At Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin chose to make her last apparition on July 16th, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the day the Church commemorates her apparitions to Saint Simon Stock. And at Fatima on October 13, 1917, it is as Our Lady of Mount Carmel that Mary appeared when she said farewell to the three children. Throughout the ages, the Queen of Carmel has always kept a faithful watch over the destinies of her cherished children on earth. -------------------------------------------------------- Prayer to our Lady of Mount Carmel O Most Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, Ornament and Beauty of Mount Carmel, thou who beholdest with thy special kindness those who wear thy blessed Scapular, look lovingly upon us, and cover us with the mantle of thy motherly protection. Fortify my weakness with thy power, enlighten the darkness of our understanding with thy wisdom, increase Faith, Hope and Charity in us, adorn our soul with the graces and virtues that will make us pleasing to thee and thy divine Son. Assist us during our life, and console us at the hour of our death and present us to the Most Blessed Trinity as thy devoted servant, to praise and bless thee in heaven forever. Amen. ------------------------------------------------------- Act of Consecration to Our Lady of Mount Carmel O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel, we come today to consecrate ourself to you, for our whole life is but a small return for the many graces and blessings that have come from God to us through your hands. Since you look with special kindness on those who wear your Scapular, we implore you to strengthen our weakness with your power, to enlighten the darkness of our mind with your wisdom, and to increase in us Faith, Hope and Charity that we may repay each day our debt with humble homage to you. May your Scapular bring me your special protection in our daily struggle to be faithful to your Divine Son and to you. May it separate us from all that is sinful in life and remind me constantly of our duty to imitate your virtues. From now on, we shall strive to live in Gods Presence, and offer all to Jesus through you. Dearest Mother, support us by your never-failing love and lead us to paradise through the merits of Christ and your own intercession. Amen. -------------------------------------------------------- The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel entered the Calendar of the universal Church in the early 18th century. Although there is no historical evidence for the pre-Christian Carmelite community, references in the 12th century record a community of monks on the holy mountain. Saint Louis, King of France, had visited Mount Carmel in 1254, and brought back six French hermits for whom he built a convent near Paris. Despite continual difficulties, the community built a monastery and church dedicated to the Virgin Mary on Mount Carmel in 1263. Mount Carmel was taken by the Saracens in 1291, and the brothers were killed and the convent burned. The spread of the Carmelites in Europe is largely attributable to the work of Saint Simon Stock (1247-65). The Carmelite Order was formally approved in 1274 at the Council of Lyon. Among the best known Carmelites today are two women: Saint Theresa of Jesus (popularly called Saint Theresa of Avila – 1515-1582) who despite many difficulties reformed the Carmelite Order (the Discalced Carmelites) Saint Edith Stein (popularly known as Saint Theresa Benedicta of the Cross – 1891-1942), a Jewish convert and philosophy professor, who was killed at Auschwitz, canonized in 1998, and proclaimed “co-patroness” of Europe in 1999. The charism, or spiritual focus, of the Carmelite Order is contemplative prayer. The Carmelite Order is considered by the Church to be under the special protection of the Blessed Virgin Mary and thus has a strong Marian devotion. As in most of the orders dating to medieval times, the First Order is the friars (who are active/contemplative) The Second Order is the nuns (who are cloistered) The Third Order consists of Lay-Catholic Faithful who continue to live in the world, and can be married, but participate in the charism of the order by liturgical prayers, apostolates (ministries), and contemplative prayer. There are also offshoots such as active Carmelite sisters. A miniature version of the Carmelite scapular is very popular among Roman Catholics; it is one of the most popular devotions in the Church. Wearers of the scapular usually believe that if they faithfully wear the Carmelite scapular (also called the brown scapular or simply the scapular) and die in a state of grace, they will be saved from eternal damnation. Catholics who decide to wear the scapular are usually enrolled by a priest, and some choose to enter the Scapular Confraternity. The Lay Carmelites of the Third Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel wear a scapular which is smaller than the shortened scapular worn by some Carmelite religious for sleeping, but still larger than the devotional scapulars. The original way of life of the order was changed to conform to that of the mendicant orders on the initiative of Saint Simon Stock and at the command of Pope Innocent IV (who was the 180th Pope of the Roman Catholic Church on earth since the Pontificate of Saint Peter the Apostle). Their former habit of a mantle with black and white or brown and white stripes--the black or brown stripes representing the scorches the mantle of Elijah received from the fiery chariot as it fell from his shoulders--was discarded and they wore the same habit as the Dominicans, except that the cloak was white. They also borrowed much from the Dominican and Franciscan constitutions. Their distinctive garment was a scapular of two strips of dark cloth, worn on the breast and back, and fastened at the shoulders. Catholic Tradition holds that the scapular was given to Saint Simon Stock by the Blessed Virgin herself, who appeared to him and promised that all who died clothed in it would be saved. -------------------------------------------------- Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel Thou who, with special mercy, look upon those clothed in thy beloved Habit, cast a glance of pity upon me. Fortify my weakness with thy strength; enlighten the darkness of my mind with thy wisdom; increase my faith, hope and charity. Assist me during life, console me by thy presence at my death, and present me to the August trinity as thy devoted child, that I may bless thee for all eternity in Paradise. Amen. ----------------------------------------------- O beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a Pure Virgin, assist me in this necessity. O Star of the Sea, help and protect me! Show me that thou art my Mother. O Mary, Conceived without sin, Pray for us who have recourse to thee! Mother and Ornament of Carmel, Pray for us! Virgin, Flower of Carmel, Pray for us! Patroness of all who wear the Scapular, Pray for us! Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular, Pray for us! Saint Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us! Saint Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary, Pray for us! Saint Joseph, Our Patron, Pray for us! O sweet Heart of Mary, be my Salvation! ---------------------------------------------- A PRAYER TO THE BLESSED VIRGIN OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine,Splendour of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein 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 necessity; there are none that can withstand your power. O, show me herein 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) -------------------------------------------- Reflection of the Day The commemoration of Our Lady of Mount Carmel calls for a rediscovery of the contemplative dimension of life. Nothing indeed is more foreign to Carmel and to Mary than an exteriority bereft of any intimate union of love with God…. There is no more profound and urgent need for people today – who are in danger of losing themselves in a frenetic chaos without a definitive meaning – than the need to experience God in their own lives. The great mystical Carmelite authors have had an acute sense of the spiritual life as a ‘way of perfection’…On this journey Mary is present as Mother and Model of contemplatives, that is, of Christians attuned to the filial listening to the Father through Christ in the Spirit.” ---------------------------- Let us pray (oremus) God our Father, may the venerable intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary come to our aid, we pray, O Lord, so that, fortified by her protection, we may reach the mountain which is Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God, forever and ever. +Amen. --------------------------- Let us pray that by the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel we may in this group find the spiritual motivation to win our souls for God. Amen May we all in this group and beyond this group, Christians and non Christians alike, Catholics and non Catholics alike, be saved from the fires of hell and lifted up into heaven after our stay here on this exile. Amen May our Lord Jesus Christ, through the intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and through Gods Divine Mercy strengthen our souls, open out the way for us all, and above all, intoxicate us with HIS love. Amen May Christ make us into blazing fires to enkindle the earth with the heavenly fire HE brought us. Amen Summary of the history, of Our Lady of Mount Carmel can be viewed by clicking the photo of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in our groups photo section Feast of the day would be communicated to you as promptly and consistently as humanly possible, by Gods grace. Jesus we love you, all we have is yours, yours we are and yours we want to be, please do with us whatever you will. Amen Jesus, Mary and Joseph, we give you our lives and our salvation. Amen Jesus, Mary we love you, please save our souls. Amen God bless you and grant your hearts desire. Amen Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pray for us. Amen ----------------------------------------------- For homily and a short documentary of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Please click on the links below: youtube/watch?v=6rszgQQnX5k youtube/watch?v=qwNLMja5VlA youtube/watch?v=pAkpN5kgh90&feature=player_embedded For Novena prayers and Litany of our Lady of Mount Carmel: Please click the link below: 2heartsnetwork.org/MtCarmel.htm
Posted on: Wed, 16 Jul 2014 13:30:51 +0000
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