Our Lady of Mount Carmel: History, the Scapular, and Marian Mediation

Significance of "Carmel"

Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel can be traced to the Old Testament to the time of the prophet Elijah. Of course the Blessed Virgin Mary was not yet born, yet without an understanding of Mount Carmel so prevalent in the Old Testament one cannot fully grasp the meaning of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through an exploration of the role of the Blessed Virgin Mary in relation to Mount Carmel, we come to develop a deeper understanding of Our Lady’s unique role in the history of salvation, as Mother of the Church. An examination of the history of Carmel, the Carmelite Order, the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and implications for our world today, unveils the unique privileges given to the Blessed Virgin Mary, her maternal mediation, and the qualities she embodies which she wishes to bestow upon her children.

Mount Carmel, situated between Tyre and Caesarea, stretches about 15 miles across Palestine, and is about 20 miles from Nazareth (1). The holiness of this mountain has endured to the present day, and it is revered as a holy mountain by Christians, Jews, and Muslims (2). The word "Carmel" in Hebrew means, "Garden, a beautiful hill, a choice orchard, a high cultivated ground" (3). Carmel (Karmel, Greek) more precisely means "Garden of God" (from Karmel, is derived kerem – garden; and ‘el – the Divine name, meaning "the vineyard or garden of God") (4). To describe the beauty and fruitfulness of Carmel, one author describes, "I have not found in Galilee, nor along the coast, nor in the plain, any flower that I did not find on Carmel" (5).

Carmel so prominent in Scripture bears symbolic meaning for Carmelites and for the world. Elijah, the prophet of Mount Carmel, was a witness to the living God, "As the Lord of hosts lives, before whom I stand, I will surely show myself to him today" (1 Kings 18:15). This message that "one’s life is consecrated to the glory of God" is a primary characteristic of the tradition of Carmel. Carmel is prophetic in that it stands for the "super-eminence" of the life of intimacy with God (6). Before his encounter with God, Elijah first had to come to the awareness and experience of his weakness and helplessness, as he cried to God, "Yahweh, I have had enough. Take my life; I am no better than my ancestors" (1 Kings 19:4). In weakness, God is drawn to His children, as a parent to a helpless infant. When we are aware of weakness and emptiness, we are ready to depend on God and be filled by Him (7). This humility and dependence is central to Carmel.

The Biblical references to Carmel, illustrate the unique beauty of this holy mountain, as well as its spiritual significance. From Scripture there are several themes associated with Mount Carmel, which will be pertinent to understanding its significance. The themes and Scriptural references mentioned briefly will be explored in greater depth at the conclusion of this discussion on Carmel in our present day.

1) Place of gathering of God’s children where He conquers evil and idolatry:

2) Place of fruitfulness and beauty:

3) Place of union with God:

Elijah, Patriarch of Carmel

The Order of Carmel traces its routes to the prophet Elijah who dwelt on Mount Carmel, and is often regarded as the founder and first patriarch of the Order of Carmel dating back to 850 B.C. (8). On Mount Carmel there is a grotto known as the "Grotto of the Prophet" which is believed to have served as an oratory for Elijah, and attached to this grotto is a chapel erected to Our Lady of Mount Carmel which dates back to 83 A.D. (9). Elijah heard the voice of the Lord telling him to go and drink of the stream (1 Kings 17:2-5). He obeyed the voice of the Lord, and was chosen by God as a leader to bring Israelites back to Him (10). According to tradition, Elijah beheld a manifestation of a "type" of the Blessed Virgin Mary, "the little cloud like a man’s hand" arising out of the sea (1 Kings 18:44) (11), and some have traced the title of Mary "Star of the Sea" to this vision of Elijah.

Much can be known about Elijah from his significant role in the history of salvation. According to many saints, he is a model of virtue, and is often referred to as the "chief of Prophets" (12). In the Old Testament Elijah first is mentioned in 1 Kings 17:1 and is last seen in 2 Kings 2:13 when he is taken up to heaven in a fiery chariot. Elijah is a prophet to point the way of the true religion of Israel verses the pagan gods. Elijah was the prophet and instrument of God to preserve the true religion of Israel and to restore the people to the covenant with God. He sought to bring the truth of God’s Word to burn the hardness out of the people’s hearts and he proclaimed the truth, calling them to repentance, to turn from false gods. His life of prayer, contemplation and love of Our Lord, disposed him to bring God’s Word in purity to the Israelites (13).

The conflict between Elijah and Ahab culminated on Mount Carmel. During a long drought, Elijah and the prophets of Ba’al each offered a sacrifice. They determined that the God that answers by fire is the true God. The prophets of Ba’al called upon their god from morning until evening to no avail. Elijah, rebuilt the altar of the Lord with twelve stones, prepared a holocaust and even surrounded it with water. He cried out to the Lord "Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that thou, O Lord, art God, and that thou hast turned their hearts back." In the midst of the drought, the Lord consumed the sacrifice and the true God was revealed. The drought ended and the God of Israel was acknowledged as the true God. After this triumph, which revealed God’s power and glory, Elijah then went up to the top of Mount Carmel, bowed himself down, putting his face between his knees (cf. 1 Kings 18:17-46).

He was told by the Lord, to "Go forth and stand upon the mount before the Lord" (1 Kings 19:11). A great wind passed him by, an earthquake, and a fire; but the Lord was not in these, but rather "…after the fire, a still small voice. And when Elijah heard it, he wrapped his face in his mantle and went out and stood at the entrance of the cave" (1 Kings 19:12, 13). Elijah was told by our Lord that he is not alone and that all of Israel has not forsaken the Lord, that there are 7,000 in Israel who have not bowed to Ba’al. (1 Kings 19:18). This history speaks a great magnitude of the spirit of Elijah, the founder and patriarch of the Order of Carmel. His charism reveals a singular devotion and love for Our Lord, zeal for the salvation of souls and a deep life of prayer.

History of the Order of Carmel ("the Carmelites")

A brief sketch of the history of the Carmelite Order reveals its origins beginning with Elijah and continuing an unbroken tradition throughout history. This continuity demonstrates the heritage of the Order to the Old Testament, and Our Lady’s special protection for her children of Carmel. In tracing the history of the order of Carmel from Elijah, Josephus of Antioch speaks of "pious solitaries" of Mount Carmel following Elijah’s tradition, who through prayer, penance, and evangelization, assisted the Apostles in spreading the faith throughout Palestine, Samaria, Galilee (14). St. John the Baptist bridged the Old to the New Testament, as he lived the spirit of Carmel in the desert as a hermit. In silence and solitude, he prepared the way for the Lord (15). The Spirit of Carmel allows the love of God to increase in us, so that like St. John the Baptist, we can say, "He must increase, I must decrease" (Jn 3:30) (16).

In the year 259, St. Dionysius (who was later raised to the Chair of St. Peter) lived on Mount Carmel and followed the example of the leaders of the religious life, who lived in huts near the Jordan (17). Many other saints embraced the life of Carmel, recognizing Elijah as their spiritual leader and founder devoting themselves to lives of prayer and penance however they were not yet called "Carmelites" (18).

In 847 Pope Leo IV granted special indulgences to all those who assisted the persecuted solitaries of Mount Carmel (those who had fled to the mountain when the Persian army invaded Palestine) (19). Under the Pontificate of Alexander III, Aymeric of Malifay (of France) was sent to the Holy Land as Legate of the Apostolic See, during which time he visited Mount Carmel. He took these monks under his special protection and erected all the monasteries in the Holy Land that were founded by the monks of Carmel, into a unified congregation. He exhorted the religious to a strict observance of the rules they observed (which he translated from Greek to Latin) (20). St. Berthold of Malifay was appointed the first Latin Prior General of the order, followed by St. Brocard (21). The Order spread and St. Brocard petitioned St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem and apostolic delegate in the East, to develop a rule for the Order. In 1207 he presented the monks of Carmel with a rule, addressed to, "the Brethren who dwell on Mount Carmel near the fountain of Elijah," which embodied the traditions of Elijah and his predecessor Elisha (22).

The order spread quickly however, in 1215 Pope Innocent III issued a decree to prevent the establishment of new religious orders in the Church, in order to minimize confusion. Pope Honorius III, who succeeded Innocent III, was asked to suppress the Order, as many believed they followed a new religious rule. He was about to carry this out through a bull, however, he received a vision of the Blessed Virgin Mary who warned him to the take the Order of Carmel under his special protection, to honor and favor "her Order" and to confirm their rule. In obedience to this vision, in a bull dated January 30, 1226, he gave approbation to the order, "The Rule of the Hermits of Mount Carmel" (23). As the order grew in the West, it declined in the East as a result of the attacks of the Saracens, around the year 1244 (24). Upon their establishment in Europe, they were included among the Mendicant friars. St. Simon Stock, an Englishman, was one of the first to join the order newly established in England. Soon after he was ordained a priest he went to Mount Carmel to live for six years, and upon his return he was elected Prior General (25).

In the 16th century, St. Teresa of Jesus (Avila) and St. John of the Cross (both from Spain) inaugurated a reform of the Carmelite Order, aimed at returning to the original observance of the primitive Carmelite rule established by St. Albert. In 1562 St. Teresa established the Monastery of St. Joseph, which was the first monastery of the reform. Between the years of 1567-1582 there were fifteen monasteries for nuns and monks established (26).

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown Scapular

The Scapular was given from Our Lady of Mount Carmel to St. Simon Stock who was the Prior General of the order at the time of the revelation on July 16th, 1251. The Order of Carmel was enduring difficulties, and he prayed fervently to Our Lady for help, "Flower of Carmel, fruitful vine, splendor of Heaven, Mother of the Son of God. Amiable Mother, ever Virgin, give to thy children of Carmel the privilege of thy protection, star of the Sea." At this prayer, Our Lady appeared to him, holding the Brown Scapular in her hands, saying to him, "This will be the sign of the privilege that I have obtained for thee and for the children of Carmel; whoever dies clothed with this habit will be preserved from the eternal flames" (27). Our Lady told St. Simon that he only had to send a deputation to the Holy Father (Pope Innocent IV) and that he would not fail to assist the Order (28).

All the baptized may receive the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through enrollment in the Scapular, one acknowledges that he is called by God to be united in the spiritual family of Carmel, consecrated in love, to the Virgin Mary (29). The Scapular of Mount Carmel is a form of the religious habit of the Carmelite Order and it is a sign of a maternal relationship with the Mother of God. Those who are closed with Scapular and entrust themselves to the Virgin Mary: entrust themselves to her protection, have recourse to her maternal intercession, and are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life. The Scapular garment is a reminder that through baptism we have been "clothed in Christ, with the assistance of the Blessed Virgin Mary, who helps her children to conform our lives to the Word Incarnate, that we may arrive in our heavenly homeland wearing our nuptial garb" (Directory, 205) (30).

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Scapular: Practices, Promises and Consecration

The specific practices associated with the Brown Scapular are 1) to wear the Scapular after enrollment by a priest (following a specific form); 2) Observe chastity according to one’s state in life; and 3) Recite the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or five decades of the Rosary daily. The promises associated with fulfilling these practices include the promise of Our Lady, "…whoever dies clothed with this habit [scapular] will be preserved from eternal flames." In addition, Pope Benedict XV attached a partial indulgence to those who devoutly kiss the scapular (31).

After enrolled in the Scapular Confraternity, the duties include those of any Christian who is baptized a child of God: observance of the Ten Commandments, daily prayer, Mass attendance on holy days of obligation, the reception of the Sacraments of Penance and the Holy Eucharist, and the faithful performance of the duties of one's state. The Scapular devotion, as a sign of consecration to Our Lady, provides an external reminder to perform ordinary daily duties with fervor, with the intention of arriving at our final goal, of union with God in eternity (32).

Pope John Paul II, in his message to the Carmelite family on the 750th Anniversary of the bestowal of the Scapular, expressed that the most genuine form of devotion to the Blessed Virgin is consecration to her Immaculate Heart, which is concretely expressed by the humble sign of the Scapular. This consecration leads to a new way of living for God and of continuing on earth, the love of Jesus for His Mother Mary (33). The Scapular, as a sign of consecration to Our Lady, signifies the spiritual graces and favor offered by Mary in the economy of redemption, that she will actively intercede for those who are clothed in the Scapular. The Scapular represents the spiritual maternity of Mary and an acceptance of the duties necessary as children of Mary (34). Living out one’s consecration of filial service and imitation, could be summarized by three essential actions: 1) Union: Imitation of Jesus and Mary, developing a continual awareness of their presence in our lives; 2) Dependence: Give to Jesus and Mary the right to dispose of everything, temporal and spiritual, depending on them for our needs; 3) Obedience: a willing and obedient heart to do what Jesus and Mary ask of us, with full generosity (35). Pope John Paul II and Pope Pius XII, strong promoters of the Scapular, spoke of the close connection between the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary (36). On February 11, 1950, Pope Pius XII encouraged those who wear the scapular to make their consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary; and in 2001, Pope John Paul II, stated that the "most genuine form of devotion to the Blessed Virgin, expressed by the humble sign of the Scapular, is consecration to her Immaculate Heart" (37).

The Scapular and the Sabbatine Privilege

The "Sabbatine Privilege" (based on the bulla sabatina of 1322) granted by Pope John XXII, is closely associated with the Scapular promise of Our Lady. This privilege based on a vision of Our Lady promises: liberation from purgatory on the first Saturday after death for those who 1) wear the Scapular 2) Observe chastity according to one’s state in life, and 3) Pray the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary, or for those who are illiterate, fast from meat on Wednesday and Friday, in addition to observing the fasts of Church (with the exception of Christmas falling on a Wednesday or Friday) (38). The third requirement can be adapted, in which it is common to substitute the daily Rosary for the Little Office. There is sometimes confusion concerning the Sabbatine Privilege, as the original copy of the bull of Pope John XXII was lost. However, many popes have approved the content of the bulla sabatina in their papal teaching, beginning with Pope Clement VII (+ 1534) (39). Pope Paul V in 1613, authorized and promoted the preaching of the Sabbatine Privilege (although forbade making specific reference to the bulla sabatina of Pope John XXII) (40). This is likely due to the controversy around the historicity of the bull. Nevertheless, this papal teaching indicates that the promise and meaning of the Brown Scapular (so closely linked to the Sabbatine Privilege), is a devotion that his highly esteemed and promoted throughout the centuries, as it teaches the proper understanding of the Virgin Mary’s cooperation in the work of redemption (41).

Many today call into question the historicity of the vision of St. Simon Stock and the Scapular. In recent decades, the Scapular devotion has suffered a "crisis of rejection," along with many other practices and devotional teachings within the Catholic Church. This rejection was manifested in claims that St. Simon Stock never existed, and therefore, if he didn’t exist that the Feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel should not be on the Liturgical Calendar, and of course the Scapular not be promoted as a devotional practice in the Church (42).

Historical Evidence for the Revelations of St. Simon Stock and the Scapular

Fr. William Most writing extensively on the Brown Scapular makes a significant effort to address these claims, in order to establish the historical reality of St. Simon Stock and the Scapular promise given by Our Lady. He explains several facts that point to the historicity of the vision of St. Simon Stock. There are several pieces of factual data which need to be addressed briefly:

1) "The Carmelite Catalogs of the Saints" (of which there are six copies) each point to an earlier original and based on the dating, show that the Catalogs must have been widely circulated in the 1300s (since there are several forms of the Catalog by the end of the 1300s). Therefore, this leads to the conclusion that the original had to be composed well before the end of the 1300s.

2) The third copy of the Catalogs mentions only a Constitution of Pope Boniface VIII in 1298, but does not mention papal documents from 1317 and 1347. This would mean that the third copy would be dated within 50 years of the original vision of St. Simon Stock in 1251.

3) In 1291, a Carmelite in the Holy Land, William of Sanvico, recorded in his writings, reference to a vision of the Blessed Virgin to the Prior of the order (St. Simon Stock). The fact that Sanvico does not give details of the vision helps to confirm that his testimony is not influenced by reading the Catalogs. In addition, Sanvico mentions St. Simon Stock going to the pope for assistance regarding the Order and the Scapular (which the Catalogs do not mention). Therefore, this indicates that Sanvico had a different source for his information, which is consistent with that in the Catalogs.

4) The Carmelite Constitution at an early date (1298) addresses the importance of wearing the Scapular and the gravity of sleeping without it. In another case, we see in the recorded minutes from a Carmelite confraternity, that some laymen came to meet with the officers of the Confraternity, and were wearing "capuches" (which is what the Scapular was once called).

5) In the minutes of another Confraternity meeting (c. 1280-1298) is written what appears to be an allusion to the Scapular, saying that the members met "to render glory to God and to his glorious Mother, the Blessed Virgin Mary, that she may grant and give us the grace that we may be able to persevere in good and to come to a truly good end."

6) Many saints showed their devotion to wearing the Scapular. For instance, St. John Bosco was buried in his Scapular when he died in 1888, and when his body was exhumed in 1929, the Scapular remained intact beneath his rotted and decayed clothing.

7) In addition to this factual data, there is papal support and teaching on the Scapular that is unambiguous. Often when speaking on a vision or private revelation, a pope will say, "it is said" to indicate that there is not a definitive declaration by the Church. However, Pope Pius XII did not give any such qualifier when he spoke so highly and strongly on the Scapular, "…We are concerned namely, with that which is of supreme importance to all and with the manner of achieving it safely" (43). The same pope wrote at another time of the power of the scapular, "… How many souls even in circumstances which, humanly speaking, were beyond hope, have owed their final conversion and their eternal salvation to the scapular which they were wearing! How many more, thanks to it, have experienced the motherly protection of Mary in dangers to body and soul …" (44). Based on the definitive teaching of Pope Pius XII, it is clear that the Church upholds, promotes and strongly encourages Scapular devotion.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Maternal Mediation

In Our Lady’s words given to St. Simon Stock in the Scapular promise, "Whoever dies clothed with this habit [scapular] shall not suffer eternal flames," she conveys to her children that she is directly involved in the work of salvation. One author describes the meaning of this immense promise of Our Lady, "This is the sweet yoke of your obedience to the law of God; this is the sign of your good will – it represents to you the light burden of the Cross of my Son that you must carry after Him; while you wear it you are my most dear children, I will be to you a mother, and I shall plead for you so earnestly that the grace of my Son shall not fail you in the hour of death" (45). These words describe the sweet, motherly tender love of Mary our Mother. The Gospel in the Liturgy on the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, is the Gospel of Calvary, "‘Woman, behold, your Son!’...Then he said the disciple, ‘Behold your mother!’" (Jn 19:26-27). This Gospel reveals Mary’s participation in the offering of her Son, and her spiritual motherhood of all mankind. Carmelite Priest Emanuele Boaga, speaks of Mary’s maternal mediation and the scapular:

While the Scapular was not a specific subject at the Second Vatican Council, the reality and meaning of the promise offered to the faithful through the Scapular, is explicitly discussed in the Constitution on the Church, Lumen Gentium. Our Lady restores supernatural life to the souls of her children, "…in suffering with Him as He died on the cross, she cooperated in the work of the Savior, in an altogether singular way, by obedience, faith, hope and burning love, to restore supernatural life to souls" (emphasis added, n. 61). While Jesus Christ is the "one Mediator" (1 Tim 2:5-6), the Blessed Virgin Mary has a unique role in mediation which, "flows forth from the superabundance of the merits of Christ, rests on His mediation, depends entirely on it and draws all its power from it" (47). She cooperated in the Calvary event itself, enduring and suffering with her Son. Lumen Gentium again instructs that Mary, "associated herself with his sacrifice in her mother’s heart, and lovingly consented to the immolation of this victim which was born of her" (n. 58). Italian Carmelite Antonio Sicari suggests that the text of Lumen Gentium (n. 62) is reflective of the Scapular promise, as he reiterates the Council teaching, "by her repeated intercession she continues to obtain for us the gifts which assure our eternal salvation" (48). The words of St. Irenaeus in the second century parallel this teaching, that Mary, "…became the cause of salvation for herself and the whole human race" (see also Lumen Gentium, 56). It is clear to see that the teaching of the Church is consistent with the words of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, who promises that those who are clothed in the little habit of Carmel, the Scapular, shall not suffer eternal fire.

The papal teaching of Pope John Paul II frequently speaks of Mary’s role and participation in the work of redemption. In Redemptoris Mater, he explains that in His death on the cross, Jesus emptied Himself, becoming obedient even to death. Mary, as His Mother, shared in this self-emptying, kenosis, as she offered her divine Son in obedience to the Father’s will (49). This act of love, this kenosis of the Mother, reveals her sharing in the work of redemption. Pope Pius XI speaks of the power of the Scapular promise in Explorata res, in 1923, "…nor would he incur eternal death whom the Most Blessed Virgin assists, especially at his last hour. This opinion of the doctors of the Church, in harmony with the sentiments of the Christian people,…depends especially on this reason, the fact that the Sorrowful Virgin shared in the work of redemption with Jesus Christ" (50). In this statement, Pope Pius XI is saying that a person wearing the scapular, who is devoted to Our Lady, will not reject the grace of final perseverance at the hour of death. In the words of Pope Benedict XV, she is the "suppliant omnipotence" meaning that what God does through His own inherent power (salvation), Our Lady can obtain by her intercession (51).

Pope John Paul II’s esteem for the Brown Scapular was so great that he called it a "synthesis of Marian Spirituality" (52). The pope explains that the Scapular is a "habit" which signifies that one belongs to the Order of Carmel and is dedicated to the service of Our Lady for the good of the Church:

He further describes how the Scapular is a sign of the "covenant" and communion between Mary her children. Through this covenant, the faithful are offered the protection of the Blessed Virgin on their life’s journey and at the moment of death. This covenant likewise entails tributes in her honor, and an orientation of one’s life as a child of Mary through prayer, nourishment of the interior life, frequent reception of the sacraments, and spiritual and corporal works of mercy. The sign of the covenant, reveals the gift of His Mother, which Jesus bestowed on all of humanity at the foot of the cross, "Woman, behold thy son!...Son behold, thy mother!" (Jn 19:25) (54).

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Pope Pius XII speaks of the Scapular as the "manner of achieving safely" our eternal salvation, and that, "the Holy Scapular, which may be called the Habit or Garment of Mary, is a sign and a pledge of the protection of the Mother of God." He added that, "But nor for this reason, however, may they who wear the scapular think that they can gain eternal salvation while remaining sinful and negligent of spirit" (55). Killian Lynch, Prior General of the Carmelites of the Ancient Observance, in response to the inquiry of the degree of good will which is required to obtain salvation, states, "Eternity alone will answer the question, for we should be careful not to place limits on mercy of her who is the refuge of sinners and the mother of mercy" (56). Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a Mother who mediates the grace of God, and is an advocate for her children before the throne of God.

The biblical story of Rebecca and Jacob (Gen 27) is pertinent in this consideration on the power and promise of the Scapular, related to Our Lady’s maternal mediation. Jacob lived his life in righteousness and he sought the blessing of his father. Yet Esau was the firstborn who was supposed to receive his father’s blessing, yet didn’t care and sold his birthright. Rebecca knowing Jacob’s desire and good will, out of love clothed him his brother’s clothes so that he would receive the blessing of his father (whose eyesight was failing). Jacob asking his mother about this, says to her "perhaps I will bring a curse upon myself and not a blessing" (Gen 27:12) and she responds, "Upon me be your curse, my son, only obey my word …" (Gen 27:13). Can we perhaps look upon Rebecca as prefiguring Mary our Mother, who does not clothes us in our brother’s clothes, but rather in her own clothing, "the habit or garment of Mary" (as Pope Pius XII calls the Scapular). In this way, does she not present her children, who are unworthy, before God the Father to receive His blessing? Mary’s love for her children is so great that she will go to all lengths to clothe us to be presentable to the Lord, so that we may receive His Fatherly blessing. This does not mean that those who wear the Scapular can do so with presumption, but rather, that in striving to live a holy life, one must trust the mercies of God the Father and the tender love of Our Mother who intercedes for her children.

A close look at the Prayer of Enrollment in the Scapular points to the Mary’s maternal mediation in the lives of her children. The words of the prayer read:

These prayers hearken to Genesis 3:15 in which the "woman," the Blessed Virgin Mary, crushes the head of Satan. In this verse, the role of Our Lady mediating God’s grace is explicit: she is implored to crush the head of Satan, and likewise to help her children attain eternal salvation with God in heaven.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and Fatima

In the sixth apparition of Fatima on October 13, 1917, the Blessed Virgin Mary first appeared as Our Lady of the Rosary (58). After Our Lady of the Rosary spoke with the children, she disappeared into the distance. Then followed a series of three visions: St. Joseph with the child Jesus, followed by Our Lady of Sorrows and then Our Lady of Mount Carmel. After this series of visions, approximately 70,000 onlookers witnessed the solar miracle in which the sun "danced in the sky" and appeared to plummet toward the earth (59). Many have speculated that these three visions represent the mysteries of the Rosary, in which the vision of Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Scapular, corresponds to the Glorious Mysteries, pointing to the significance of Our Lady and the Scapular in obtaining Eternal Life (60).

The importance of the Scapular promise is conveyed based on Our Lady’s message to the world, "You have seen hell where the souls of poor sinners go. To save them, God wishes to establish in the world devotion to my Immaculate Heart" (61). In the fourth apparition, Our Lady tells the children again to pray the Rosary daily, for world peace and the end of the First World War, and that "only she can help you" (62). She teaches the children the prayer attached to the Rosary, "O my Jesus, forgive us, save us from the fires of hell. Lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are most in need" (63). In these words, she reveals the parallel importance of the Scapular and consecration to her Immaculate Heart. In the seventh apparition to Sr. Lucia on December 10, 1925, Our Lady appeared with the Child Jesus who said, "Have compassion on the Heart of your most Holy Mother, covered with thorns, with which ungrateful men pierce it at every moment, and there is no one to make an act of reparation to remove them" (64). In this seventh apparition, Our Lady promises Sr. Lucia to "assist at the hour of death, with the graces necessary for salvation" those who on five consecutive first Saturdays fulfill the following conditions: 1) receive sacramental confession; 2) receive Holy Communion; 3) pray five decades of the Rosary; and 4) "keep me company" while meditating for fifteen minutes on any number of the Rosary mysteries, with the intention of making reparation to her Immaculate Heart (65). This promise is in accordance with the Scapular promise, both which emphasize Our Lady’s role, determined by Our Lord, to assist her children in achieving eternal salvation.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Life of the Christian

It is evident in the messages of Fatima, that Our Lady is teaching the world about establishing devotion to her Immaculate Heart. Let us consider, in summary, how consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary is related to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In order to consider this relationship, it is necessary to turn the attention again to the meaning of "Mount Carmel."

In a conference on Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Fr. John Corapi, S.O.L.T., speaks of the mystical yet real relation between Carmel and the Immaculate Heart of Mary. Carmel or "Garden of God," is a place where fruit is brought forth. Thus, Carmel prefigures the perfect Garden of God, Mary’s Immaculate Heart. The Immaculate Heart of Mary is where Jesus, "the Life" (Jn 14:6) is found. Many saints, including St. Leo and St. Augustine, explain that Mary conceived Jesus in her heart before He was conceived in her womb. God dwells in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Garden of God, where He calls us also to dwell and to be nourished with the life of Grace. Mary said "yes" to God and conceived Jesus, "the Life" Himself. Her Immaculate Heart is the perfect environment for supernatural life to flourish, as in her Immaculate Heart the Garden of God is found. Every garden requires a principle of life; in the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the Garden of God, this is God the Father. A garden likewise requires another principle of life: the sun. Jesus the Son of God and Son of Mary gives the Garden warmth, love and sheds the light of truth. Likewise, every garden needs water. The living water of Eternal life, the Holy Spirit, nourishes and gives life to the Garden (and all that is planted in the garden). The Father, Son, and Holy Spirit dwell in Mary’s Immaculate Heart, so we take refuge in this "Garden of God," Mary’s Immaculate Heart, where God dwells. Thus Carmel shows us the way to the preeminent Garden of God, the Immaculate Heart of Mary. It is here that her children are to take refuge and to live in God’s Grace (66).

In returning to the reflection on the meaning of "Carmel" in light of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and the significance for our world today, consider the three Scriptural citations mentioned in the Introduction. These characteristics by no means exhaust the symbolic significance of Mount Carmel, yet they provide the means for a deepened understanding.

Mount Carmel is a place of gathering of God’s children where He conquers evil and idolatry:

The Lord told Elijah to gather His people on Mount Carmel, where a great spiritual battle would take place. Here, Elijah restored the Israelites to the covenant with God, as the false god, Ba’al is defeated and the Lord is again worshiped as the true God. Our Lady of Mount Carmel wishes to gather her children together, in the Spirit of Carmel, assisting her children in offering our lives in the service of Our Lord, through prayer and sacrifice, willing to engage in a spiritual battle which will bring about the ultimate victory of good over evil. The gathering on Mount Carmel in the Old Testament, points to the reality that today we must be united in this battle, under the mantle of Our Lady, the woman who crushes the head of the serpent (Gen 3:15). The Scapular speaks of the Blessed Mother’s victory over evil, as she promises that those who die wearing the Scapular will not suffer eternal fire. In other words, through the protection of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the soul will not be lost to Satan. Our Lord was revealed as the true God on Mount Carmel, conquering the pagan god, Ba’al. As Mount Carmel symbolizes Our Lord’s triumph over evil, this will happen through the maternal intercession of Our Lady of Mount Carmel who promises salvation to her children who strive to remain united to her.

Mount Carmel is a place of fruitfulness and beauty:

Our Lord and Our Lady desire to give us all that is good. The Garden of Eden is described as a place of great beauty and fruitfulness. Likewise, Mount Carmel is a place of beauty and glory. Just as Carmel is abundant and fruitful, Our Lady of Mount Carmel brings about spiritual fruit for souls. She is the Mediatrix of all graces, "restoring supernatural life to souls" (Lumen Gentium, 61). Our Lady of Mount Carmel calls her children to be enclosed in the garden of her Immaculate Heart, where she will nourish her children giving them "the Life" Jesus Christ, and the grace of supernatural life. In Carmel, "the Garden of God," the Immaculate Heart of Mary, the soul is planted and cared for by Our Lady, as she brings her children to God the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit. She nourishes our life of grace and brings it to full flowering in eternal life.

Mount Carmel is a place of union with God:

Carmel is the place where Elijah, Elisha and many hermits lived lives of prayer and sacrifice. It is described as a place where one is alone with God, yet also bearing spiritual fruit for the world. After his battle with Ahaz, in which God was revealed as the true God, Elijah went up the mountain to pray to God. He humbled himself in thanksgiving, praise and adoration of Our Lord. It is on the top of Carmel that Elijah had the vision, "Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea" (1 Kings 18:44), which coincided with the end of a long drought, and is thought to be a symbol prefiguring the Virgin Mary whose Son would be the Messiah and Savior (1 Kings 18:42-45; the first reading for the Carmelite proper Mass for July 16th) (67).

How does Our Lady of Mount Carmel bring her children into union with God? Pope John Paul II spoke of being brought into "the land of Carmel." In the land of Carmel, her children learn and our nourished in the spiritual life. Mary leads her children by the hand, up the mountain of Carmel, to union with God. Not only does she show the way to Our Lord, but she herself leads us and forms us in the way of the Lord. Our Lady helps her children to orient our lives to God, through prayer, nourishment of the interior life, reception of the sacraments and works of mercy. Her heart is a garden of virtues, where her children firmly planted, learn to grow in virtue: humility, silence, trust, obedience, faith, hope and love. Through the maternal care of Mary, her children grow in love and this love leads to union with God and the zeal for the salvation of souls. Love is the "heart" of Carmel, as Our Lady said at Fatima, "in the end, my Immaculate Heart will triumph." It is the heart that loves, and her triumph will be a triumph of love, in which she unites her children with Our Lord for eternity.

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Amy Farrell is a graduate student at Franciscan University of Steubenville.

Notes

(1) Carmel: Its History, Spirit and Saints, compiled from approved sources by the Discalced Carmelites of Boston and Santa Clara (New York: P.J. Kennedy & Sons, 1927), 4.

(2) Peter Slattery, The Springs of Carmel (New York: Alba House, 1991), 1.

(3) Carmel: Its History, 4.

(4) Fr. John Corapi, S.O.L.T., "Mary Garden of God," Conference given to the Discalced Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St. Mary Magdalen, Flemington, NJ, 13 July 1995.

(5) Carmel: Its History, 4.

(6) Michael D. Griffin, O.C.D., ed., Welcome to Carmel, Growth in Carmel Series, (Hubertis, WI: Teresian Charism Press, 1998), 6.

(7) Griffin, ed., 6.

(8) Drink of the Stream, comp. by Penny Hickey, O.C.D.S. (San Francisco, CA: Ignatius Press, 2002), 25.

(9) Carmel: Its History, 4, 5.

(10) Drink, 25.

(11) Carmel: Its History, 15.

(12) Ibid., 7.

(13) Ibid., 26.

(14) Carmel: Its History, 13.

(15) Griffin, ed., 7.

(16) Ibid. 12.

(17) Ibid., 16-17.

(18) Ibid., 17.

(19) Ibid., 21.

(20) Ibid., 22.

(21) Ibid., 23.

(22) Ibid.

(23) Ibid., 24.

(24) Ibid., 28.

(25) Ibid.

(26) Ibid., 110.

(27) Carmel: Its History, 222.

(28) Ibid., 222.

(29) Fr. Etienne Richer, "Marian Devotion, the Rosary, and the Scapular," in Mariology: A Guide for Priests, Deacons, Seminarians and Consecrated Persons, Mark I. Miravalle, ed., (Goleta, CA: Seat of Wisdom Books, A Division of Queenship Publishing, 2007), 713.

(30) Richer, 714; The Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy, 205.

(31) "Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel," World Apostolate of Fatima, St. Paul and Minneapolis Diocesan Division, http://www.fatimaonline.org/html/brown_scapular.htm.

(32) Christian P. Ceroke, O. Carm., "The Scapular Devotion," Catholic Culture, http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?recnum=5863.

(33) "Message of Pope John Paul II to the Carmelite Family on the 750th Anniversary of the bestowal of the Scapular" Secular Order Discalced Carmelites, http://www.helpfellowship.org/ocds%20lessons/Lesson%2012.htm.

(34) Ceroke, "The Scapular Devotion."

(35) Fr. William Most, "Month of the Immaculate Heart: Consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary," http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/liturgicalyear/overviews/months/08_1.cfm.

(36) Richer, 719.

(37) Ibid., 719.

(38) Carmel: Its History, 227-228.

(39) Richer, 715.

(40) Ibid., 716.

(41) Ibid., 716.

(42) Fr. Kieren Kavanaugh, "Carmel Recounts Mary’s Promise to St. Simon Stock," Zenit, http://www.zenit.org/article-23225?l=english.

(43) Fr. William Most, "The Brown Scapular," Catholic Culture, http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/most/getchap.cfm?worknum=170&chapnum=0&id=2296&repos=7&subrepos=0&searchid=355937 Most.

(44) Ceroke, "The Scapular Devotion." (Discorsi e radiomessaggi di Sua Santita Pio XlI Vol. 12 (1950- 1951), 165).

(45) Carmel: Its History, 220.

(46) Richer, 716.

(47) Rev. Jean Galot, S.J., "Mary Co-redemptrix: Controversies and Doctrinal Questions," in Mary Co-redemptrix: Doctrinal Issues Today, ed. Miravalle (Goleta, CA: Queenship Publishing, 2002), 15.

(48) Richer, 715.

(49) Most, "The Brown Scapular."

(50) Fr. William Most, "Marian Devotions and Apparitions," EWTN, http://www.ewtn.com/faith/Teachings/maryd7.htm

(51) Most, "The Brown Scapular."

(52) Richer, 718.

(53) Richer, 718-719 (Pope John Paul II, Letter Il providentiale evento di grazia, March 25, 2001, #5 in Inseg XXIV/1 (2001) 601-602 [ORE 1687:5].

(54) Ibid.

(55) Ibid.

(56) Ibid.

(57) Ibid.

(58) Miravalle, "Marian Private Revelation: Nature, Evaluation, Message," in Mariology, 877. The sixth apparition was the final apparition to all three children at Fatima. There was a seventh apparition on December 10, 1925, in which Our Lady appeared to Sr. Lucia in the Convent at Pontevedra, Spain.

(59) Miravalle, 877.

(60) Ibid., 877.

(61) Ibid., 871 (third Fatima apparition, July 13, 1917).

(62) Ibid., 873 (third Fatima apparition, July 13, 1917).

(63) Ibid., 872 (third Fatima apparition, July 13, 1917).

(64) Ibid., 878 (seventh Fatima apparition, December 10, 1925).

(65) Ibid.

(66) Corapi, "Mary Garden of God," Conference given to the Discalced Carmel of Mary Immaculate and St. Mary Magdalen, Flemington, NJ, 13 July 1995.

(67) Griffin, ed., 117.