Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Tall, majestic, strong and spacious, this Palestinian promontory,

rising out of the edge of the blue Mediterranean,

was the site of many Biblical events.

It was the place of seclusion for early Christian monks who lived and prayed in its caves.

It was also the scene of battle and bloodshed for marauding armies -Saracens, Turks, and even Napoleon's French troops- who climbed its heights and left their destructive mark.

Both mountain and symbol, it stands as an enduring and tangible testimony that the spirit of the great realities enacted there -Judaic and Christian-will never be lost.

In Hebrew Carmel means "garden" and expresses  not only the richness of the natural verdure which covers the mountain like a multicolored tapestry, but also the grace and excellence of the many saints who flourished and flowered on its mystical summit...

It was to St. Simon Stock, in a moment of ardent petition for the preservation of the Order, that "the most glorious Mother of God appeared... holding in her blessed hand the Scapular of Carmel…

" and assured him of her predilection for those who would wear it piously.

Mary's continuing influence on the development of Christianity becomes apparent again with her appearance to Simon Stock, who became a member of the religious order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel while on a pilgrimage to the Holy Land.

In her appearance to Friar Stock,

Mary entrusted him

with the brown scapular

                                                                                                        MaryT's Scapular

(two pieces of brown woolen cloth, usually embroidered with an outline of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and tied together by string and worn over the shoulders) :

"My beloved son receive this    scapular for your Order."

"It is the special sign of a privilege which I have obtained for you and for all God's children who honor me as

Our Lady of MountCarmel."

"Those who die devotedly clothed with this scapular shall be preserved from eternal fire."

"The brown scapular is a badge of salvation. The brown scapular is a shield in time of danger. The brown scapular is a pledge of peace and special protection, until the end of time."

 

After this apparition, Friar Stock went on to establish Carmelite communities near university towns in England, France and Italy.

He became the Superior-General of his orderseveral years after the apparition.

The Brown Scapular is perhaps the most deeply rooted symbol in the Carmelite tradition.

Its authenticity has been confirmed by numerous miracles throughout the centuries.

In contemporary piety it is looked upon as a sure and visible sign of consecration to Mary's Immaculate Heart and an impenetrable shield assuring her maternal protection.

In a way no other devotion can, it reminds the wearer of Our Lady's promise to help in a special way all those who live according to her spirit and who have confidence in her mission of Mediatrix of all Grace.

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). The promotion and use of all types of Marian devotional symbols has declined dramatically since the 1960's. This Apostolate offers the Brown Scapular, as well as other sacramentals, free of charge to any who request them.  To learn more about the Brown Scapular and to request a free Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mt Carmel, click on the image of Our Lady below: