Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

It was the superior general of the Carmelites, Simon Stock who was blessed with a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary. Giving him a scapular she told him: "This will be a privilege for you and for all Carmelites, that he who dies in this, will not suffer eternal fire." Since then many religious orders, priests and laity joined the Scapular and different forms of the Carmelite order.

Carmel itself has a very deep meaning. On this mountain, Elijah had a fight with all the prophets of Baal and he won. (Elijah means Jahweh is my God.) God showed his power against all the priests of Baal and proved that He is the One True God. When the entire Israel was slowly rejecting God, Elijah was burning with deep faith and served him by denying himself.

In the XIII century Blessed Virgin Mary didn't have to fight with Baal. Rather, she was very much aware that the power of Satan would come upon her children to destroy them and take them to hell. The scapular is a mantel she placed on those, who by repentance and following her example of life, would imitate Jesus Christ by their lives. This is a beautiful gift offered to all people.

When I think about our Lady of Mt Carmel, I have one question to ask myself. Will I ever be able to understand how amazing the motherly love of our Lady is? She took me to where she was on her hands, under the cross of her Son. "This is your son" seemed to be loud and clear. "This is your mother" was even more powerful. In this very moment she already accepted me as her son. She has hidden me in her protective mantel. She did it for all her children that belong to her Son. There is a spiritual joy that comes to all of us. Our Blessed Mother always intercedes for us to her Son. Today we offer to her our special words of gratitude. Blessed Virgin Mary pray for us.