Sunday, July 18, 2010
Friday, July 16, 2010
Our Lady of Mount Carmel July 16
Rejoice in Carmel
Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel,
Imagine our loving Mother Mary standing at the foot of the Cross. She is there, the stoic, incomparable Mother and living altar of sacrifice. Any person of feeling can perceive this, but we come to understand, too, that calmness and silence are the most appropriate response at a time of such intense and crushing emotions. Mary consented to this sacrifice long ago. it was asked of her and she agreed.
And so our Blessed Lady could only stand there in silence. And she prayed. She and her Divine Son were the only ones who knew what was actually happening.
She knew that He was the world’s Redeemer. She knew that He was offering a Sacrifice, the Sacrifice. He was offering the Sacrifice that would once more open to us the gates of Heaven. Being God as well as Man, the price He was paying for our salvation was of infinite worth. So she joined with Him in offering this sacrifice to the Father.
Our Lord told us that we all have to be like little children if we wish to have the right approach to salvation. And little children look to their mother to learn what to do.
"O my Queen," exclaims St. Bonaventure, "Thou art not only standing near the Cross, but thou art with Thy Son on the Cross; Thou dost suffer, thou art crucified with Him, the only difference being that while He suffers in His body, thou dost suffer in thy loving Heart.” St. Lawrence Justinan said "Both Mother and Son were nailed to the Cross, the Son in the body, the Mother in her Heart,"
On Calvary, the only Son of Mary gave us an inestimable gift, when in the excess of His incomprehensible goodness He addressed Himself to each one of us in the person of St. John and speaking of His holy Mother, said to us: "Behold thy Mother" (John 19:27). Jesus gave the Church His own mother, Mary, to be our mother.
On Calvary this love is shown in the gift of a mother, his mother, who thus becomes our mother too.
Mary cares for all of us just as lovingly as she cared for the child Jesus. As a mother gives her child food, clothing, shelter, encouragement, protection and love, Mary gives us all these things.
When she appeared to Saint Simon Stock, Mary presented him with the Brown Scapular. Through the Brown Scapular, Mary has given her children clothing and the hope of the promises she attached to it, promising the salvation of her Son, especially from purgatory.
We’re called to be contemplative and prophetic. These are big words and they may frighten us but they are translated into being people of faith who are willing to follow the footsteps of Jesus according to the need of the time.
Carmelites are all called to be a living sign in the world. How? Be a sign of joy in the world of unhappiness. Celebrate your life every day. As St Paul says in Philippians 4:4 or in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
How to Rejoice Always ?
The Greek word used here for “rejoice” means to be glad, full of cheer, joyful. Paul tells us not only to rejoice, but to rejoice always—to always be full of cheer and gladness.
Just from human nature, it is not natural to be always rejoicing. If we have a flat tire, we grumble. Computer problems bring groans. Being sick brings moans. There is just a lot of stuff that happens that leads us to complaining instead of rejoicing.
Nehemiah said, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
This joy is an inside job; it does not come from outward circumstances. Real joy is not based on what is happening around you, but on what is happening in you. You can have the greatest joy in the worst of situations, and that joy will be the strength you need to prevail in the hardest of adversities. Jesus said that when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything else will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). If you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you; if you have the Holy Spirit, then you already have the fruit of the Spirit at work in you. Be joyful, because you are worth more than many sparrows.
True and lasting joy is all about God. David said, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).
God can help because He knows our every thought, feeling, and fiber in our body. He knows our problem even before we are aware of it. That alone is good reason to trust in the Almighty and happy in life.
God does not love us because of anything “good” that we might have done. God loves us because we have humbly laid all our sins at the foot of the cross.
Rejoice has the word joy as its root. Joy, true joy, is deeper than a painted on smile. Our feelings can be up and down with each passing moment, and happiness can come and go just as quickly. Experiencing true joy, being able to rejoice always, is a gift from God, given in spite of circumstances. No matter what happens – good, bad, and everything in between – Christ is with us to see us through it. This doesn’t mean that life won’t hurt, but that even in the midst of the hurts, we can rejoice because God is still good.
Most of the time our joy gets stolen from the inside out instead of the other way around. Usually we are the ones who isolate ourselves from the joy.
Let me tell you a secret. If you are waiting around for joy to find you, you are going to be waiting for a long time. Do not wait for your life to be perfect in order to open your heart to joy – you’ll never experience joy at that rate.
Preacher Alan Jenkins says, “…If your plan for finding joy is to be rich, healthy, successful, and beloved; if your goal is to have a pain-free, trouble-free life, then get ready for lots of disappointment.”
Most people live a life with a cup that is either half-full or half empty. The people who have a half-full cup are the ones that are typically smiling. You can have a joyful life if you just take a few moments to see the glass as it really exists.
My dear brothers and sisters, Enjoy and celebrate your life in Carmel because you have a place in Jesus’ heart. You are precious to Jesus. God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. He gave His own Mother as our Mother and sister. What more we can ask for!
Rejoice my dear brothers and sisters because we have a mother, who loves us and who knows us and able to help us. Be a living sign in the world as a living Carmelite not as a dead person but alive in Spirit. Celebrating our life everyday because we have a place in Jesus and we have a Mother to look- after.
Remember the words of St. Teresa of Avila: “Now Jesus has no other mouths, eyes, ears, hands and feet than ours.” He counts on us.
May our loving Mother intercede for you.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Dear brothers and sisters in Carmel,
Imagine our loving Mother Mary standing at the foot of the Cross. She is there, the stoic, incomparable Mother and living altar of sacrifice. Any person of feeling can perceive this, but we come to understand, too, that calmness and silence are the most appropriate response at a time of such intense and crushing emotions. Mary consented to this sacrifice long ago. it was asked of her and she agreed.
And so our Blessed Lady could only stand there in silence. And she prayed. She and her Divine Son were the only ones who knew what was actually happening.
She knew that He was the world’s Redeemer. She knew that He was offering a Sacrifice, the Sacrifice. He was offering the Sacrifice that would once more open to us the gates of Heaven. Being God as well as Man, the price He was paying for our salvation was of infinite worth. So she joined with Him in offering this sacrifice to the Father.
Our Lord told us that we all have to be like little children if we wish to have the right approach to salvation. And little children look to their mother to learn what to do.
"O my Queen," exclaims St. Bonaventure, "Thou art not only standing near the Cross, but thou art with Thy Son on the Cross; Thou dost suffer, thou art crucified with Him, the only difference being that while He suffers in His body, thou dost suffer in thy loving Heart.” St. Lawrence Justinan said "Both Mother and Son were nailed to the Cross, the Son in the body, the Mother in her Heart,"
On Calvary, the only Son of Mary gave us an inestimable gift, when in the excess of His incomprehensible goodness He addressed Himself to each one of us in the person of St. John and speaking of His holy Mother, said to us: "Behold thy Mother" (John 19:27). Jesus gave the Church His own mother, Mary, to be our mother.
On Calvary this love is shown in the gift of a mother, his mother, who thus becomes our mother too.
Mary cares for all of us just as lovingly as she cared for the child Jesus. As a mother gives her child food, clothing, shelter, encouragement, protection and love, Mary gives us all these things.
When she appeared to Saint Simon Stock, Mary presented him with the Brown Scapular. Through the Brown Scapular, Mary has given her children clothing and the hope of the promises she attached to it, promising the salvation of her Son, especially from purgatory.
We’re called to be contemplative and prophetic. These are big words and they may frighten us but they are translated into being people of faith who are willing to follow the footsteps of Jesus according to the need of the time.
Carmelites are all called to be a living sign in the world. How? Be a sign of joy in the world of unhappiness. Celebrate your life every day. As St Paul says in Philippians 4:4 or in 1 Thessalonians 5:16 says Rejoice in the Lord always; again I will say, rejoice.
How to Rejoice Always ?
The Greek word used here for “rejoice” means to be glad, full of cheer, joyful. Paul tells us not only to rejoice, but to rejoice always—to always be full of cheer and gladness.
Just from human nature, it is not natural to be always rejoicing. If we have a flat tire, we grumble. Computer problems bring groans. Being sick brings moans. There is just a lot of stuff that happens that leads us to complaining instead of rejoicing.
Nehemiah said, “Do not sorrow, for the joy of the LORD is your strength” (Nehemiah 8:10).
This joy is an inside job; it does not come from outward circumstances. Real joy is not based on what is happening around you, but on what is happening in you. You can have the greatest joy in the worst of situations, and that joy will be the strength you need to prevail in the hardest of adversities. Jesus said that when we seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, everything else will be taken care of (Matthew 6:33). If you know Jesus, you have the Holy Spirit dwelling in you; if you have the Holy Spirit, then you already have the fruit of the Spirit at work in you. Be joyful, because you are worth more than many sparrows.
True and lasting joy is all about God. David said, “In Your presence is fullness of joy; at Your right hand are pleasures for evermore” (Psalm 16:11).
God can help because He knows our every thought, feeling, and fiber in our body. He knows our problem even before we are aware of it. That alone is good reason to trust in the Almighty and happy in life.
God does not love us because of anything “good” that we might have done. God loves us because we have humbly laid all our sins at the foot of the cross.
Rejoice has the word joy as its root. Joy, true joy, is deeper than a painted on smile. Our feelings can be up and down with each passing moment, and happiness can come and go just as quickly. Experiencing true joy, being able to rejoice always, is a gift from God, given in spite of circumstances. No matter what happens – good, bad, and everything in between – Christ is with us to see us through it. This doesn’t mean that life won’t hurt, but that even in the midst of the hurts, we can rejoice because God is still good.
Most of the time our joy gets stolen from the inside out instead of the other way around. Usually we are the ones who isolate ourselves from the joy.
Let me tell you a secret. If you are waiting around for joy to find you, you are going to be waiting for a long time. Do not wait for your life to be perfect in order to open your heart to joy – you’ll never experience joy at that rate.
Preacher Alan Jenkins says, “…If your plan for finding joy is to be rich, healthy, successful, and beloved; if your goal is to have a pain-free, trouble-free life, then get ready for lots of disappointment.”
Most people live a life with a cup that is either half-full or half empty. The people who have a half-full cup are the ones that are typically smiling. You can have a joyful life if you just take a few moments to see the glass as it really exists.
My dear brothers and sisters, Enjoy and celebrate your life in Carmel because you have a place in Jesus’ heart. You are precious to Jesus. God LOVES you and offers a wonderful PLAN for your life. He gave His own Mother as our Mother and sister. What more we can ask for!
Rejoice my dear brothers and sisters because we have a mother, who loves us and who knows us and able to help us. Be a living sign in the world as a living Carmelite not as a dead person but alive in Spirit. Celebrating our life everyday because we have a place in Jesus and we have a Mother to look- after.
Remember the words of St. Teresa of Avila: “Now Jesus has no other mouths, eyes, ears, hands and feet than ours.” He counts on us.
May our loving Mother intercede for you.
In the name of the Father and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Thursday, July 08, 2010
Wednesday, July 07, 2010
Saturday, July 03, 2010
Friday, July 02, 2010
A Journey to Carmel
A Journey to Carmel
Carmel is a journey — a journey within. Carmel is a call to journey into oneself to find oneself and there to find God with one’s truest self. You will encounter problems along the way, but Carmel gives me tools here, in the saints, in the Rule, and with a supportive community and friends. We are traveling to that heritage of Carmel the source of our spirituality and tradition.
The name "Carmel" means, in Hebrew, "Vineyard of God"! The name of the Order is derived from the Mount of Carmel in Palestine where dwelt the disciples of the prophet Elias and after him, Eliseus.It was on Mount Carmel that Elijah made his stand against the many prophets of Baal and Asherah who were corrupting the Israelites at the time.
To stand before the face of the living God is the vocation of all Carmelites. The holy prophet set us an example. He stood before God's face because this was the eternal treasure for whose sake he gave up all earthly goods. The hermits of Carmel lived as sons of the great prophet and as "brothers of the Blessed Virgin."
In the reign of king Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel (874-853 B.C.), the Israelites apostatized after pagan gods called Baal and Asherah (Baal’s consort), and left the living God of their ancestors. As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was distressed and his indignation aroused.
The time had come when God must speak to them by means of judgments. Until they should turn to God with repentance, and acknowledge Him as the source of all blessing, there should fall upon the land neither dew nor rain.
"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand," he declared, "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." True to his words the nature obeyed the prophet and the land began to cry for water.
The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality.
There was nothing left to eat or drink, and the rain would not come yet for many months. Still, Elijah was not greatly troubled. He was hungry, but he knew that God, whom he faithfully served, would feed him in some way.
God sent him to a widow woman in Zarephath to find an asylum in her home. even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.
Wonderful was the hospitality shown to God's prophet by this Phoenician woman, and wonderfully were her faith and generosity rewarded.
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so, that there was no breath left in him. "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. . . . And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord. . . . And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
The widow of Zarephath shared her morsel with Elijah, and in return her life and that of her son were preserved. And to all who, in time of trial and want, give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing. He has not changed. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah. No less sure now than when spoken by our Savior is the promise. "He that receives a (true) prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." Matthew 10:41.
Through the long years of drought and famine, Elijah prayed earnestly that the hearts of Israel might be turned from idolatry to allegiance to God. God Himself was working out His plan, and all that His servant could do was to pray on in faith and await the time for decided action.
And still there was no rain. At last. "after many days," the word of the Lord came to Elijah. "Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth."
In obedience to the command. "Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab."
Standing before Ahab, Elijah demanded that all Israel be assembled to meet him and the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth on Mount Carmel. "Send," he commanded. "and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table."
Carmel overlooked a wide expanse of country; its heights were visible from many parts of the kingdom of Israel. At the foot of the mount there were vantage points from which could be seen much of what took place above. Elijah chose this elevation as the most conspicuous place for the display of God's power and for the vindication of the honor of His name.
Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled hosts of Israel, Elijah stands, the only one who has appeared to vindicate the honor of God. Unashamed, un-terrified, the prophet stands before the multitude, fully aware of his commission to execute the divine command. Looking first upon the broken-down altar of Jehovah, and then upon the multitude, Elijah cries out in clear, trumpet like tones. "How long halt you between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exodus 32:26),
Places of worship to Baal were located on Mount Carmel. The prophet Elijah defeated Baal in its own territory. Baal was the principal god of the Canaanite pagan religion, which used ritual prostitution in its cultic worship practices believing that it may achieve the fertility of the land. Baal both owned and fertilized the land. The Israelites committed the sin of trying to combine the worship of their true living God with that of Baal, the Canaanite false god.
While Israel on Carmel doubts and hesitates, the voice of Elijah again breaks the silence: "I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let the priests of Baal choose one bullock and I will use the other. Let them call on the name of their gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answers by fire, let him be God."
The morning passes, noon comes, and yet there is no evidence that Baal hears the cries of his deluded followers. There is no voice, no reply to their frantic prayers. The sacrifice remains unconsumed. . One suggests one thing, and another something else, until finally they cease their efforts.
Elijah prays as if he knows God is there, a witness to the scene, a listener to his appeal.
"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel," the prophet pleads. "let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again." 1.Kings 18:36,37.
No sooner is the prayer of Elijah ended than flames of fire, like brilliant flashes of lightning, descend from heaven upon the up reared altar, consuming the sacrifice, licking up the water in the trench, and consuming even the stones of the altar.
The people on the mount cry out together as with one voice. "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."
Elijah said to Ahab; "for there is a sound of abundance of rain." Then the prophet went to the top of the mount to pray.
Elijah’s persistence in sending his servant seven times to look for rain was rewarded with his announcement, after those years of drought, "Behold a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea" (1 Kngs 43,44).
While under the inspiration of the Almighty, he had stood the severest trial of faith, Forgetting God, Elijah fled on and on, until he found himself in a dreary waste, alone. Utterly wearied, he sat down to rest under a juniper tree. And sitting there, he requested for himself that he might die. "It is enough; now, O Lord," he said, "take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."
The journey of transformation is normally long with many twists and turns as all that is false within us is gradually transformed into Christ. The dark night is a great blessing from God. It is the time when God is reaching into the hidden places of our hearts in order to transform us completely. The dark night is not dark at all. On the contrary, it is very bright, too bright for us and so it seems to be dark.
God did not forsake Elijah in his hour of trial. God had sent an angel from heaven with food for His servant. "Arise and eat," the angel said.
God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor and co-worker. The faithful Elisha was now with Elijah as his servant, and he was to be prophet after him. Elisha asked that a double portion of his master's spirit might be upon him. He did not ask to be a greater prophet than Elijah, but to have a large, a double gift, such as a father gave to his oldest son. It was promised if he should see Elijah when he was taken from him. He did see him, for “it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder: and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it.” He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and it had the same power in his hands that it had had in the hands of Elijah. Listen and we will read this part of the story. (2 Kings 2:1-8)
Eliseus continued the work of fighting idolatry, working many miracles which surpassed those of his master.
It was also on Mt. Carmel that Elias, deep in prayer, sent his servant to scan the horizon for rain. Finally, after looking seven times, the servant reported "a little cloud...like a man's foot arising out of the sea." (3 Kings 18: 43-44) Tradition holds that Elias knew the cloud to be a sign of the coming of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer. "Henceforward, Carmel was sacred in the eyes of all who looked beyond this world."
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is also known as “Star of the Sea” a title that developed out of the little cloud that rose from the sea as Elijah prayed. Mary is the cloud that rises out of the sea. The sea is saltwater, undrinkable, a vast body of water, next to which the kingdom can still thirst and die. The sea is salty, impure, an image of fallen humanity. Mary rises out of this sea, pure and perfect, laden with the water of grace that will pour out through her to all humanity--not the source of Grace herself, nevertheless the container into which all is poured until it overflows out to all people, limitless, and life-giving. Not God, but human, Mary rises from the sea, pure and Immaculate in her conception, formed as a vessel of God's grace and a place of refuge for His people.
Thus, the Carmelite looking upon the Blessed Virgin sees both the contemplative and the example. She is Queen and Mother of Carmel. She is the chief protector, guide, and example of the Order. But by virtue of her human birth She is our sister as well as our mother in faith.
The continued attacks of the Mohamedans forced the Carmelites in Palestine to send the majority of their friars to Europe in 1244. The following year Saint Simon Stock was chosen to be the 6th general of the Order and the government of the Carmelites was transferred to England. The holy man of Kent was eighty years old by this time, alert, but noticeably weakened by his life-long penances. His primary concern was not for himself but for Mary’s favored Order which was still being racked by an ever increasing variety of persecutions and internal problems.
In 1251, burdened with the weight of his many troubles, Saint Simon repaired to the Monastery in Cambridge. He poured forth fervent prayer in the privacy of his cell asking Heaven again to bestow its graces upon the spiritually parched Carmelites. Just as Elias had obtained through this prayer the end of three years’ draught in Israel, so too did Saint Simon, in a most singular manner receive an answer to his entreaty. Whilst in ecstasy he beheld the Mother of God surrounded by a multitude of angels. Our Lady held in her hands the full scapular of the Carmelite habit and looking upon Saint Simon with utmost compassion she said, “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.” The holy carmelite was filled with unspeakable joy and consolation.
The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a sign approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of commitment to live like her.
The word scapular indicates a form of clothing, which monks wore when they were working. The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.
The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.
On the 750th anniversary of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pope John Paul II wrote to the entire Carmelite Family. He noted that two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: (1) the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; and (2) the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a "habit," which is a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: translating Jesus' gift on the Cross of his Mother to John, and through him to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our Spiritual Mother.
The Brown Scapular is a sacramental of the Catholic Church. A sacramental is, by definition, “a sacred sign which bears resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church.” (CCC 1667). In the case of the scapular, the sacred sign is the scapular itself and the spiritual effect is the protection of one’s souls through the prayers of Mary, as she promised in the vision to St. Simon Stock.
O beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessities. O Star of the Sea, help and protect us. show us that You are our Mother. Amen.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
The acid test of progress on the spiritual journey is whether we are becoming better human beings. How we actually treat other people is the testing ground of the authenticity of the transformation, which is taking place within us. We cannot make progress in the life of prayer unless we progress in the love of God and a very practical love of neighbor. St. John of the Cross said;"In the evening of this life, you will be judged on love!"
The Carmelite Order is the only one in the Church that can trace its origin back to the Old Testament. Elias who lived some 800 years before the birth of Our Lord, was fittingly chosen by God to be its founder. He was the fiery prophet who never died but was carried away from the earth in a blazing chariot, a symbol of the burning zeal and love of God which would prevail among the Carmelites. He was the glowing figure who, together with Moses, appeared with Our Divine Lord at the Transfiguration, a symbol of the eternal glory which will be awarded to those who die clothed in the habit of Carmel.
Carmel is a journey — a journey within. Carmel is a call to journey into oneself to find oneself and there to find God with one’s truest self. You will encounter problems along the way, but Carmel gives me tools here, in the saints, in the Rule, and with a supportive community and friends. We are traveling to that heritage of Carmel the source of our spirituality and tradition.
The name "Carmel" means, in Hebrew, "Vineyard of God"! The name of the Order is derived from the Mount of Carmel in Palestine where dwelt the disciples of the prophet Elias and after him, Eliseus.It was on Mount Carmel that Elijah made his stand against the many prophets of Baal and Asherah who were corrupting the Israelites at the time.
To stand before the face of the living God is the vocation of all Carmelites. The holy prophet set us an example. He stood before God's face because this was the eternal treasure for whose sake he gave up all earthly goods. The hermits of Carmel lived as sons of the great prophet and as "brothers of the Blessed Virgin."
In the reign of king Ahab of the northern kingdom of Israel (874-853 B.C.), the Israelites apostatized after pagan gods called Baal and Asherah (Baal’s consort), and left the living God of their ancestors. As Elijah saw Israel going deeper and deeper into idolatry, his soul was distressed and his indignation aroused.
The time had come when God must speak to them by means of judgments. Until they should turn to God with repentance, and acknowledge Him as the source of all blessing, there should fall upon the land neither dew nor rain.
"As the Lord God of Israel lives, before whom I stand," he declared, "there shall not be dew nor rain these years, but according to my word." True to his words the nature obeyed the prophet and the land began to cry for water.
The earth is parched as if with fire. The scorching heat of the sun destroys what little vegetation has survived. Streams dry up Once-prosperous cities and villages have become places of mourning. Hunger and thirst are telling upon man and beast with fearful mortality.
There was nothing left to eat or drink, and the rain would not come yet for many months. Still, Elijah was not greatly troubled. He was hungry, but he knew that God, whom he faithfully served, would feed him in some way.
God sent him to a widow woman in Zarephath to find an asylum in her home. even in her dire extremity she bore witness to her faith by a compliance with the request of the stranger who was asking her to share her last morsel with him.
Wonderful was the hospitality shown to God's prophet by this Phoenician woman, and wonderfully were her faith and generosity rewarded.
And it came to pass after these things, that the son of the woman, the mistress of the house, fell sick; and his sickness was so, that there was no breath left in him. "And he said unto her, Give me thy son. And he took him out of her bosom, and carried him up into a loft, where he abode, and laid him upon his own bed. . . . And he stretched himself upon the child three times, and cried unto the Lord. . . . And the Lord heard the voice of Elijah; and the soul of the child came into him again, and he revived.
The widow of Zarephath shared her morsel with Elijah, and in return her life and that of her son were preserved. And to all who, in time of trial and want, give sympathy and assistance to others more needy, God has promised great blessing. He has not changed. His power is no less now than in the days of Elijah. No less sure now than when spoken by our Savior is the promise. "He that receives a (true) prophet in the name of a prophet shall receive a prophet's reward." Matthew 10:41.
Through the long years of drought and famine, Elijah prayed earnestly that the hearts of Israel might be turned from idolatry to allegiance to God. God Himself was working out His plan, and all that His servant could do was to pray on in faith and await the time for decided action.
And still there was no rain. At last. "after many days," the word of the Lord came to Elijah. "Go, show thyself unto Ahab; and I will send rain upon the earth."
In obedience to the command. "Elijah went to show himself unto Ahab."
Standing before Ahab, Elijah demanded that all Israel be assembled to meet him and the prophets of Baal and Ashtoreth on Mount Carmel. "Send," he commanded. "and gather to me all Israel unto Mount Carmel, and the prophets of Baal four hundred and fifty, and the prophets of the groves four hundred, which eat at Jezebel's table."
Carmel overlooked a wide expanse of country; its heights were visible from many parts of the kingdom of Israel. At the foot of the mount there were vantage points from which could be seen much of what took place above. Elijah chose this elevation as the most conspicuous place for the display of God's power and for the vindication of the honor of His name.
Facing King Ahab and the false prophets, and surrounded by the assembled hosts of Israel, Elijah stands, the only one who has appeared to vindicate the honor of God. Unashamed, un-terrified, the prophet stands before the multitude, fully aware of his commission to execute the divine command. Looking first upon the broken-down altar of Jehovah, and then upon the multitude, Elijah cries out in clear, trumpet like tones. "How long halt you between two opinions? If the Lord be God, follow Him: but if Baal, then follow him." "Who is on the Lord's side?" (Exodus 32:26),
Places of worship to Baal were located on Mount Carmel. The prophet Elijah defeated Baal in its own territory. Baal was the principal god of the Canaanite pagan religion, which used ritual prostitution in its cultic worship practices believing that it may achieve the fertility of the land. Baal both owned and fertilized the land. The Israelites committed the sin of trying to combine the worship of their true living God with that of Baal, the Canaanite false god.
While Israel on Carmel doubts and hesitates, the voice of Elijah again breaks the silence: "I, even I only, remain a prophet of the Lord; but Baal's prophets are four hundred and fifty men. Let them therefore give us two bullocks; and let the priests of Baal choose one bullock and I will use the other. Let them call on the name of their gods, and I will call on the name of the Lord: and the God that answers by fire, let him be God."
The morning passes, noon comes, and yet there is no evidence that Baal hears the cries of his deluded followers. There is no voice, no reply to their frantic prayers. The sacrifice remains unconsumed. . One suggests one thing, and another something else, until finally they cease their efforts.
Elijah prays as if he knows God is there, a witness to the scene, a listener to his appeal.
"Lord God of Abraham, Isaac, and of Israel," the prophet pleads. "let it be known this day that Thou art God in Israel, and that I am Thy servant, and that I have done all these things at Thy word. Hear me, O Lord, hear me, that this people may know that Thou art the Lord God, and that Thou hast turned their heart back again." 1.Kings 18:36,37.
No sooner is the prayer of Elijah ended than flames of fire, like brilliant flashes of lightning, descend from heaven upon the up reared altar, consuming the sacrifice, licking up the water in the trench, and consuming even the stones of the altar.
The people on the mount cry out together as with one voice. "The Lord, He is God; the Lord, He is God."
Elijah said to Ahab; "for there is a sound of abundance of rain." Then the prophet went to the top of the mount to pray.
Elijah’s persistence in sending his servant seven times to look for rain was rewarded with his announcement, after those years of drought, "Behold a cloud as small as a man’s hand is coming up from the sea" (1 Kngs 43,44).
While under the inspiration of the Almighty, he had stood the severest trial of faith, Forgetting God, Elijah fled on and on, until he found himself in a dreary waste, alone. Utterly wearied, he sat down to rest under a juniper tree. And sitting there, he requested for himself that he might die. "It is enough; now, O Lord," he said, "take away my life; for I am not better than my fathers."
The journey of transformation is normally long with many twists and turns as all that is false within us is gradually transformed into Christ. The dark night is a great blessing from God. It is the time when God is reaching into the hidden places of our hearts in order to transform us completely. The dark night is not dark at all. On the contrary, it is very bright, too bright for us and so it seems to be dark.
God did not forsake Elijah in his hour of trial. God had sent an angel from heaven with food for His servant. "Arise and eat," the angel said.
God told Elijah to anoint Elisha as his successor and co-worker. The faithful Elisha was now with Elijah as his servant, and he was to be prophet after him. Elisha asked that a double portion of his master's spirit might be upon him. He did not ask to be a greater prophet than Elijah, but to have a large, a double gift, such as a father gave to his oldest son. It was promised if he should see Elijah when he was taken from him. He did see him, for “it came to pass, as they still went on, and talked, that, behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder: and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven. And Elisha saw it.” He took up also the mantle of Elijah that fell from him, and it had the same power in his hands that it had had in the hands of Elijah. Listen and we will read this part of the story. (2 Kings 2:1-8)
Eliseus continued the work of fighting idolatry, working many miracles which surpassed those of his master.
It was also on Mt. Carmel that Elias, deep in prayer, sent his servant to scan the horizon for rain. Finally, after looking seven times, the servant reported "a little cloud...like a man's foot arising out of the sea." (3 Kings 18: 43-44) Tradition holds that Elias knew the cloud to be a sign of the coming of the Immaculate Virgin Mary, Mother of the Redeemer. "Henceforward, Carmel was sacred in the eyes of all who looked beyond this world."
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is also known as “Star of the Sea” a title that developed out of the little cloud that rose from the sea as Elijah prayed. Mary is the cloud that rises out of the sea. The sea is saltwater, undrinkable, a vast body of water, next to which the kingdom can still thirst and die. The sea is salty, impure, an image of fallen humanity. Mary rises out of this sea, pure and perfect, laden with the water of grace that will pour out through her to all humanity--not the source of Grace herself, nevertheless the container into which all is poured until it overflows out to all people, limitless, and life-giving. Not God, but human, Mary rises from the sea, pure and Immaculate in her conception, formed as a vessel of God's grace and a place of refuge for His people.
Thus, the Carmelite looking upon the Blessed Virgin sees both the contemplative and the example. She is Queen and Mother of Carmel. She is the chief protector, guide, and example of the Order. But by virtue of her human birth She is our sister as well as our mother in faith.
The continued attacks of the Mohamedans forced the Carmelites in Palestine to send the majority of their friars to Europe in 1244. The following year Saint Simon Stock was chosen to be the 6th general of the Order and the government of the Carmelites was transferred to England. The holy man of Kent was eighty years old by this time, alert, but noticeably weakened by his life-long penances. His primary concern was not for himself but for Mary’s favored Order which was still being racked by an ever increasing variety of persecutions and internal problems.
In 1251, burdened with the weight of his many troubles, Saint Simon repaired to the Monastery in Cambridge. He poured forth fervent prayer in the privacy of his cell asking Heaven again to bestow its graces upon the spiritually parched Carmelites. Just as Elias had obtained through this prayer the end of three years’ draught in Israel, so too did Saint Simon, in a most singular manner receive an answer to his entreaty. Whilst in ecstasy he beheld the Mother of God surrounded by a multitude of angels. Our Lady held in her hands the full scapular of the Carmelite habit and looking upon Saint Simon with utmost compassion she said, “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.” The holy carmelite was filled with unspeakable joy and consolation.
The Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a sign approved by the Church and accepted by the Carmelite Order as an external sign of love for Mary, of the trust her children have in her, and of commitment to live like her.
The word scapular indicates a form of clothing, which monks wore when they were working. The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.
The Scapular came to symbolize the special dedication of Carmelites to Mary, the Mother of God, and to express trust in her motherly protection as well as the desire to be like her in her commitment to Christ and to others. Thus it became a sign of Mary.
On the 750th anniversary of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Pope John Paul II wrote to the entire Carmelite Family. He noted that two truths are evoked by the sign of the Scapular: (1) the constant protection of the Blessed Virgin, not only on life's journey, but also at the moment of passing into the fullness of eternal glory; and (2) the awareness that devotion to her cannot be limited to prayers and tributes in her honor on certain occasions, but must become a "habit," which is a permanent orientation of one's own Christian conduct woven of prayer and interior life, through frequent reception of the sacraments and the concrete practice of the spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The Scapular becomes a sign of the "covenant" and reciprocal communion between Mary and the faithful: translating Jesus' gift on the Cross of his Mother to John, and through him to all of us, and the entrustment of the beloved Apostle and of us to her, who became our Spiritual Mother.
The Brown Scapular is a sacramental of the Catholic Church. A sacramental is, by definition, “a sacred sign which bears resemblance to the sacraments, and by means of which spiritual effects are signified and obtained through the prayers of the Church.” (CCC 1667). In the case of the scapular, the sacred sign is the scapular itself and the spiritual effect is the protection of one’s souls through the prayers of Mary, as she promised in the vision to St. Simon Stock.
O beautiful flower of Mount Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessities. O Star of the Sea, help and protect us. show us that You are our Mother. Amen.
O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to Thee.
The acid test of progress on the spiritual journey is whether we are becoming better human beings. How we actually treat other people is the testing ground of the authenticity of the transformation, which is taking place within us. We cannot make progress in the life of prayer unless we progress in the love of God and a very practical love of neighbor. St. John of the Cross said;"In the evening of this life, you will be judged on love!"
The Carmelite Order is the only one in the Church that can trace its origin back to the Old Testament. Elias who lived some 800 years before the birth of Our Lord, was fittingly chosen by God to be its founder. He was the fiery prophet who never died but was carried away from the earth in a blazing chariot, a symbol of the burning zeal and love of God which would prevail among the Carmelites. He was the glowing figure who, together with Moses, appeared with Our Divine Lord at the Transfiguration, a symbol of the eternal glory which will be awarded to those who die clothed in the habit of Carmel.
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