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

The Hamptons-The Good Life

I spent sometime in the Hamptons visiting my friend and I'm always struck by the amount of wealth on the South Shore/East End of Long Island. The historic towns are quite pristine, the restaurants serve delicious food, good wine and there are pretty vistas, not to mention the awesome beaches.  Its no wonder that celebrities and wealthy people, from all over,  flock there and spend millions of dollars on homes.  But there's also great (in your face) wealth inequality in the Hamptons. The workers, behind the scenes, who keep the lawns beautiful, and the maids who keep the hotel rooms and inns clean and the huge houses dust-free, are a stark reminder of the income inequality in our country. But to be hopeful,  since this is the land of opportunity (as my own grandparents took advantage of after coming from Italy in the 1920's) there is hope that anyone can climb the ladder of success.......and make it big in the USA.
While in Southhampton we visited the beautiful Basilica Parish of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary. It is a Minor Basilica, a Gothic Revival style church of the Diocese of Rockville Center. On a quiet summer afternoon, it was peaceful and holy inside the sacred space of the Church. There were many intentions I had to pray for and so we sat surrounded by sacred art and beauty and felt at peace. The peace only a union with God can provide.
NJA