The Carmelites, The Brown Scapular, Our Lady of Fatima and Mary's Protection

We certainly need the inspiration and protection of Jesus and Mary during these uncertain times we are living through. My parish on Long Island was blessed to host the traveling international statue of Our Lady of Fatima and we had masses, talks, litanies and rosary's recited throughout the day, the statue was with us. The statue is very beautiful, carved from oak and though I think there is a sadness and concern on Mary's face, which I find perplexing,  it was an uplifting day.
I was one of the speakers and I spoke on the Importance of the Brown Scapular and the Carmelite Order. As a Lay Carmelite, I have many years of study plus I have great instruction books and so since I always write out my talks (I don't want to forget anything),  I covered a lot of material.   I spoke about the Old Testament prophet Elijah and how he is the spiritual father of Carmelites. It all started when he battled the prophets of Baal on Mt. Carmel and won the day (1st Book of Kings). Holy hermits lived on Mt Carmel for thousands of years, establishing themselves as a Marian order, with a chapel built there dedicated to Mary. The order takes its name, not from a particular founder but from a place-Mt. Carmel on the Mediterranean coast of the Holy Land.  Mt Carmel rises over 1,700 feet above sea level and towers above the Mediterranean coastline. It's limestone rocks form a cliff-like landscape. The name Carmel means, in Hebrew, "the garden," or "vine of God." Elijah also believed that when he prayed for rain after a severe drought, his prayers were answered and he saw, "A little cloud arose from the sea." That little cloud and others brought the rain. I loved that he believed that was a sign of Mary, who was to be the Mother of the Messiah (from the prophecies of Isaiah). In the fifth century, a greeting for Mary was, "Hail Cloud of Rain, that offers drink to the souls of the saints." I had never heard that before or didn't remember hearing it and I just love that Marian title and prayer of faith.

The Brown Scapular is a modified version of Mary's own garment. It has been called a "sleek, minimalist version" of the Carmelite habit. It is a grace-filled sacramental, not a good luck charm or amulet.

The Brown Scapular is a reminder of Mary's commitment to us and our commitment to Mary. It is a reminder of her constant presence in our lives and interest in us. The meaning of the scapular today is summed up in one of the prayers over the people at the end of Mass on the feast of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, "Lord, grant that those who in devotion have put on the habit of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, may put on her virtues and also her unfailing protection."

As stated in one of my Carmelite instruction manuals, a scapular medal is also a sacramental as is the cloth scapular and is an approved substitute for the cloth scapular. The cloth scapular can be replaced with a medal, which has on one side the image of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and the image of the Sacred Heart of Jesus, on the other side.

What does Our Lady of Mt. Carmel have to do with Our Lady of Lourdes and Our Lady of Fatima? Interestingly enough, Mary chose to make her last apparition at Lourdes, France on July 16th, 1858, the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Likewise, Sister Lucia's account while describing the vision of October 13th, 1917 at Fatima, she said, "It seemed to me I saw Our Lady in a form similar to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, holding the brown scapular as if offering it to humankind."

And so I can't cover everything I shared during the talk yesterday but one thing I mentioned is that if the participants didn't remember anything else I said, they should recall that like Elijah they should seek God in silence and solitude. In these uncertain, modern times we are living through, we all need silence and solitude to discern God's will for our lives and to commune with God.  A perfect time to do that is sitting in front of the Blessed Sacrament in stillness.
NJA