Our Lady of Mount Carmel
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The early hermits on Mount Carmel quickly became known as The Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel because their little chapel was dedicated to her. The Marian title has meant a great deal to the brothers and influenced the spirit by which they tried to live the Gospel message. Many of the older orders pick out a special facet of Jesus’ life or teaching which they want to emphasise and keep alive. From early in their history the Carmelites took on the role of emphasising the love that Jesus has for His mother, and they have tried to keep that love alive and active in the world. In doing so, they are true to the simplicity of the Gospel where we find that because Jesus loved her he listened to the implicit prayer of Mary at Cana; and again, because he loved her, almost his last words on earth were words of love and concern for her. Mary loved and ministered to Jesus while he was on earth. She is also the mother of the Body of Christ which is the Church and since we are the Church, she is our mother. As our mother she intercedes for us in heaven, showing the same love and concern for the Church as she did for Jesus.
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At the Annunciation, this ordinary young Jewish girl is confronted with her extra-ordinary vocation. After her prudent concern has been laid to rest, she responds with tremendous faith, hope and love. Faith enabled her to live each day with its worries and fears without doubting the providence of God. Hope filled her with supreme confidence that the promises of God would be fulfilled even when she stood at the foot of the cross. Love possessed her so completely that she was full of grace, full of love, and this impelled her to give a loving service to others – to her cousin Elizabeth and to the couple at their wedding in Cana.
For Carmelites, therefore, Mary is the mother who continues to love and care. She is the model of unobtrusive, gentle, loving service to others. In a very special way she is also the model of quiet, intimate prayer for she pondered all these things in her heart and she persevered in prayer with the disciples.
The fact that Carmelites are a band of brothers with Mary for their mother has given the Church its distinctive family spirit. Visitors who come to live in Carmelite houses for a few days expecting to meet austere remote ‘monks’ are surprised to find very ordinary, approachable men, living a fairly
ordinary family life with its joys and sorrows and sometimes family tensions which have to be resolved in a spirit of Christian love.
The Church sees the wearing of the brown scapular as an outward sign that the person wearing it wants to try and live the Gospel message taking Mary as mother and model and being united with others as members of the family of Carmel. The desire to love Mary as Jesus loved her, the desire
to take her as the model Christian and the desire to live a simple, sincere, unselfish family life are factors which play a very significant part in the life of a Carmelite.
Questions for Reflection.
· What kind of image do you have of Mary?
· What role does she play in your life?
For Carmelites, therefore, Mary is the mother who continues to love and care. She is the model of unobtrusive, gentle, loving service to others. In a very special way she is also the model of quiet, intimate prayer for she pondered all these things in her heart and she persevered in prayer with the disciples.
The fact that Carmelites are a band of brothers with Mary for their mother has given the Church its distinctive family spirit. Visitors who come to live in Carmelite houses for a few days expecting to meet austere remote ‘monks’ are surprised to find very ordinary, approachable men, living a fairly
ordinary family life with its joys and sorrows and sometimes family tensions which have to be resolved in a spirit of Christian love.
The Church sees the wearing of the brown scapular as an outward sign that the person wearing it wants to try and live the Gospel message taking Mary as mother and model and being united with others as members of the family of Carmel. The desire to love Mary as Jesus loved her, the desire
to take her as the model Christian and the desire to live a simple, sincere, unselfish family life are factors which play a very significant part in the life of a Carmelite.
Questions for Reflection.
· What kind of image do you have of Mary?
· What role does she play in your life?
Carmelite wisdom
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"Mary, overshadowed by the Spirit of God, is the Virgin of the new heart, who gave a human face to the word made flesh. She is the Virgin of wise and contemplative listening who kept and pondered in her heart the events and the words of the Lord. She is the faithful disciple of wisdom, who sought Jesus - God's Wisdom - and allowed herself to be formed and moulded by his Spirit, so that in faith she might be conformed to his ways and choices. Thus enlightened, Mary is presented to us as one able to read 'The great wonders' which God has accomplished in her for the salvation of the humble and of the poor."
Constitutions of the Carmelite Friars, 1995 |