Today is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and also the birthday anniversary of my late mother, Carmen Miranda Calara. So to me this day is doubly significant! My devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel stemmed from what I have seen and observed from my mother during my growing-up years till the time of her passing. She lived a life truly devoted to our Virgin Mary and in every possible way imitated her virtues especially of humility, generosity, and a vibrant prayer life.In one of my older blogs, I narrated my mother's remarkable affinity to Our Lady of Lourdes and the extent to which she managed to hand down to her family especially her daughters said devotion. To this day, our profession of faith is as strong as ever!
Mount Carmel is a coastal mountain range in Northern Israel stretching from the Mediterranean Sea towards the southeast. On the sloped mountainside is luxuriant vegetation and laurel trees. The steep sides are covered with rocks and many caves. In ancient Canaanite culture, high places were considered sacred. Mount Carmel was held sacred since the 15th Century. The prophet Elijah is associated with this mountain in Jewish, Christian and Islamic thought. In 1 Kings:18 Elijah challenges 450 prophets of Baal to a contest on Mount Carmel to determine whose deity was in control of Israel. The challenge was to see which deity could light a sacrifice by fire. After the Baal prophets failed to achieve this, Elijah had water poured over his sacrifice several times and then prostrated himself in prayer. Then fire fell from the sky and consumed the sacrifice. Afterwards, the clouds gathered, the sky turned black and rain fell heavily ending a long drought.
A Catholic religious order was founded on Mount Carmel in the 12th Century by a man named Berthold who was either a crusader or a pilgrim. It was located at the site which was known to be Elijah's Cave - a place where Jewish hermits were supposed to have lived in holy penitence.
Later, a Carmelite monastery was built dedicated to our Blessed Mother in her attribute as "Star of the Sea" - Stella Maris. Elijah's Cave forms the crypt of this monastic church. Inside this grotto is a statue of Elijah and an altar. Right above on a higher level, in fact, the Chapter Room of the Carmelite Monastery, sits the beautiful image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with Baby Jesus and the Brown Scapular. It was a total surprise for me to see the image of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in a sitting position! In the many churches I have so far visited in Asia, Europe and America, She is represented standing with her Baby in her arms with the Brown Scapular. Yes, my daughter, Marissa, and I along with my cousin Joe (God bless his soul), his wife Tina and sister-in-law Nieves had gone on a pilgrimage to Rocamadour, France where our Blessed Virgin sits, enthroned and venerated but not in her title as Lady of Mount Carmel.
The Brown Scapular is a sacramental signifying the wearer's devotion to Mary. Tradition says, that St. Simon Stock, a Prior General of the Carmelite Order had a vision of the Blessed Mother in which She gave him the Brown Scapular promising that those who died wearing it would be saved. In 1996, a doctrinal statement approved by the the Congregation of Divine Worship states that, "The Scapular is both a sign and a pledge - a sign belonging to Mary and a pledge of her motherly protection not only in this life but also after death. It is a sign signifying three elements: firstly, belonging to a religious family consecrated to Mary; secondly, consecration to Mary especially a devotion to her Immaculate Heart; thirdly, a desire to become like Mary by imitating her virtues especially her humility, chastity and spirit of prayer."
The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel every July 16th was instituted in 1376.
My visits to the Carmelites' Stella Maris Church on Mount Carmel have always been exceptionally soul-stirring and edifying because of the magnificent setting of the place. It is situated on the highest mountain terrain which happens to be a promontory. As such, it shoots out into the lovely Mediterranean Sea. Looking at the slow rolling waves of the royal blue waters of this fabled sea in rhythmic cadence with the soft caress of a gentle breeze on my dry, wrinkled face lifts me up into heavenly bliss! To me, it is a touch of heaven on earth! I inevitably associate the scenery with Jesus as He says, "I am the Spring of Living Water!"
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