Today is the feast of Our Lady of Mt.
Carmel, a most wonderful story filled with promise.
The Story of Our
Lady of Mount Carmel
On July 16, 1251, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon
Stock, the Father of the Carmelite Order, and presented him with the Scapular.
St. Simon's story began as an English hermit that lived in the hollow of a
tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed
trunk or stock of a tree. In time he would become a Carmelite and later the
Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of great struggle.
The Carmelites in the beginning were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in
the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some decided
to no longer be hermits and instead became friars who would work among the
people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition. In the year
1251 a miraculous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to
England, prayed fervently to Our Lady for Her help. Then: To him appeared the
Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in
her blessed hands...
Mary's Promise to
Those Who Wear the Scapular
Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites
with the following promise, saying : 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 .... It shall be a sign of
salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is
the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John
XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He
stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those
who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the
Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall
free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."
Further
Explanation: We call the scapular a sacramental, that is to say
a sacred sign (such as a blessing) or object (like the rosary or holy water)
given us by the Church. Sacramentals “prepare us to receive grace and dispose
us to cooperate with it,” according to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
(CCC1670). It is important to note, however, that we play an important
part in their effectiveness in our lives. Many popes and other religious figures over the centuries
have extolled the virtues of the brown scapular devotion. Still, they caution
that, although our Lady of Mount Carmel promised that the scapular would
protect us from eternal fire, wearing it in itself doesn’t guarantee
our salvation. The Most Rev. Kilian Lynch, a former prior general of the
Carmelite Order, warned that the scapular was not “endowed with some kind of
supernatural power which will save us no matter what we do or how much we sin.”
As he put it, “Fidelity to the commandments is required by those seeking 'the
special love and protection of Our Lady'". The scapular is not to be worn
as a substitute for leading a devout life of love and obedience to our Lord.
This piece of cloth is not to be used as a kind of divine rabbit’s foot that
will guarantee you Eternal Life no matter what you’ve done. If we abuse Our
Lady of Mount Carmel’s scapular promise, we can’t count on her protection. The
good news, however, is that she, like her Son will help us with the graces we
need for our salvation if we ask for her assistance with a sincere and contrite
heart. In 1917 during the apparitions at Fatima, Our Lady of Mount Carmel
appeared to Sister Lucia holding the brown scapular. According to the famous
visionary, who herself became a Carmelite nun, Our Lady wished everyone to wear
it “because it is our sign of consecration to her Immaculate Heart.” Along these lines, Pope Pius XII wrote in 1950
that the scapular should be “your sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart
of Mary, which we are particularly urging in these perilous times." Thus,
in wearing the brown scapular devoutly, in living in love and obedience to God,
we join our hearts to Mary’s and thus, to her divine Son’s Sacred Heart as
well!
Prayer: Prayer to
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel
O, most beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, fruitful vine,
splendor of heaven, blessed mother of the Son of God, immaculate virgin, assist
me in my necessity. O, star of the sea, help me and show me herein, you are my
mother. Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who turn to you. (http://catholic.net/index.php?option=dedestaca&id=640
My thoughts: Mary,
appearing as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, gives St. Simon Stock the scapular, two
brown pieces of cloth connected by a string. Basically, she promises a quick
entry into heaven for those devoted to the scapular. Therein lies the secret to
the scapular. It is not wearing it that protects us from the harm of sin; it is
using it as a reminder that God goes in front of us to show us the way, and
behind us to “have our backs” when tempted in times of danger to our souls.
Wearing the scapular, for me, is a reminder and a sign of my life-long
commitment to Mary and the promises she gives to those who seek to follow her
Son. I feel protected by, and reminded of the love Mary has for me, and how
desperately she wants me to go to heaven. In my world, I have one motto for the
scapular, “Never leave home without it”!! Sweet Mother, I place my life in your
hands.
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