NV-OL of Mount Carmel

NOVENA FOR THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL, JULY 16TH

What is a Novena?
A novena is a traditional devotion consisting of specific prayers recited on nine successive days. Besides being a form of praise, a novena is frequently offered for a particular intention. The first novena took place in the Cenacle, during the nine days preceding Pentecost, or the coming of the Holy Ghost. As a regular popular custom, this practice began in 12th century Christianity and continues to be beneficial today as a way of praying for healing, protection or other blessings for ourselves or others.

This particular novena is prayed to God in honor of and thanksgiving for Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the generous Scapular Promise that she gave to St. Simon Stock, to whom she gave the Scapular of Carmel as sign of her special protection for the Carmelite Order.

In praying this Novena, as in the case of all prayer, it is good to begin by opening ourselves wholeheartedly to God's will, offering a simple act of trust in God's wisdom and in His providential love for us all, that disposes all things for the ultimate benefit of our souls and their salvation.

How to Pray This Novena
This novena is based on the history of the Carmelite Order and the Scapular Promise. Each day of the novena is divided into the following parts: (1) a quote from Holy Scripture, (2) something of the history of the Carmelites or the Brown Scapular, (3) an occasional quote from a saint or a pope; (4) an occasional account of miracles concerning Our Lady of Mount Carmel or the Brown Scapular (5) a Meditation; (6) a Prayer; (7) after mentioning your intention, pray the Our Father and the Hail Mary; (8) a Closing Prayer.

CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL
JULY 16TH

O Mary, Queen of all Saints, who art the beauty of Carmel, how sweet it is for me to venerate thee under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Even from the days of the Apostles, thou hast been honored under this mystic title; I am filled with joy as I consecrate myself to thee, O holy Mary, most unworthy though I am to be thy servant, yet touched by thy motherly care for me and longing to serve thee, in the presence of my Guardian Angel and the court of Heaven, I choose thee this day to be my Queen, my Advocate, and my Mother, and I firmly purpose to serve thee ever more and to do what I can that all may render faithful service to thee.

Therefore, most devoted Mother, through the Precious Blood thy Son poured out for me, and through the promises of thee as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I beg thee, deign to take me among thy clients and receive me as thy servant forever.

O beauty of Carmel, glory of Libanus, thou purest of lilies, mystic rose in the garden of the Church, I salute thee! O Virgin of virgins, be mindful of me in my misery, and show thyself my Mother.

Shed upon me ever more and more the living light of that faith which made thee blessed; inflame with that Heavenly love wherewith thou didst love thy dear Son, Jesus Christ.

Do thou, Mother of God, who hast such power and might, obtain for me from blessed Jesus, the Heavenly gifts of humility, chastity, and meekness, which were the fairest ornaments of thine Immaculate soul.

Do thou grant me to be strong in the midst of the temptations and bitterness which so often overwhelm my spirit. Aid me in every action, and beg for me the grace, never, by word or deed or thought, to be displeasing in thy sight and that of thy most holy Son. Think of me my dearest Mother, and desert me not at the hour of death. Amen.

(Here, you kiss your Scapular)

Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Scapular,
pray for us!
Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Scapular,
protect us!
Holy Virgin of Mount Carmel, Our Lady of the Scapular,
save us!

"FLOS CARMELI" sung by monks (music & words below)
To play, just click on the delta (►) on the left of the bar below.

FLOS CARMELI
Ancient Carmelite Hymn to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

1. Flower of Carmel,
Vine blossom-laden,
Splendor of Heaven,
Child-bearing maiden,
None equals thee.

2. O Mother meek,
Who no man didst know;
On all Carmel’s children
Thy favors bestow,
Star of the Sea.

3. Root of Jesse
Who bore one bright flower,;
Be ever near,
To me, thy servant,
Suffering.

4. Among thorns
Thou art the purest of lilies;
Keep pure our fragile minds,
That trust in thee.

5. Armor of the strong in the fight,
And those hard pressed in battle;
Let us find refuge
Under thy mantle.

6. With our way uncertain,
Grant prudent counsel;
In all adversities,
Graciously grant solace.

If you wish, you can listen to and follow (or even sing) the
ancient Carmelite hymn, Flos Carmeli, sung by monks.

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Lord, have mercy on us.
Christ, have mercy on us.
Lord, have mercy on us. Christ, hear us.
Christ, graciously hear us.
God the Father of Heaven, Have mercy on us.
God the Son, Redeemer of the world, Have mercy on us.
God the Holy Ghost, Have mercy on us.
Holy Trinity, One God, Have mercy on us.

Holy Mary, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Queen of Heaven, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, vanquisher of Satan, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most dutiful Daughter, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most pure Virgin, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most devoted Spouse, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, most tender Mother, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, perfect model of virtue, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, sure anchor of hope, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, refuge in affliction, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, dispenser of God’s gifts, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, tower of strength against our foes, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our aid in danger, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, road leading to Jesus, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our light in darkness, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, our consolation at the hour of death, pray for us sinners.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, advocate of the most abandoned sinners, pray for us sinners.

For those hardened in vice, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those who grieve thy Son, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those who neglect to pray, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those who are in their agony, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those who delay their conversion, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those suffering in Purgatory, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.
For those who know thee not, With confidence we come to thee, O Lady of Mount Carmel.

Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Spare us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Graciously hear us, O Lord.
Lamb of God, Who takest away the sins of the world, Have mercy on us.

V. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Hope of the Despairing,
R. Intercede for us with thy Divine Son.

Let Us Pray
Our Lady of Mount Carmel, glorious Queen of Angels, channel of God’s tenderest mercy to man, refuge and advocate of sinners, with confidence I prostrate myself before thee, beseeching thee to obtain for me (pause to mention request silently).

In return I solemnly promise to have recourse to thee in all my trials, sufferings and temptations, and I shall do all in my power to induce others to love and reverence thee and to invoke thee in all their needs. I thank thee for the numberless blessings which I have received from thy mercy and powerful intercession. Continue to be my shield in danger, my guide in life, and my consolation at the hour of death. Amen.

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

FIRST DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: Going Back to the Time of Elias

Holy Scripture
“Elias went up to the top of Carmel, and casting himself down upon the earth put his face between his knees” (3 Kings 18:42).

Meditation
The prophet Elias rose as a champion of the monotheism of Jahweh (meaning that there is only one God); his very name — which means “Jahweh is God” or “Jahweh is my God” — expresses his character and his function in the story of the Bible. He strenuously defended the rights of God and preserved faith in God among the people. What goes around, comes around—and today we increasingly find ourselves in the same position that Elias found himself 29 centuries ago. The true religion of God is fading, and the acceptance of false religions and the worship of false gods is increasing.

His struggle to the bitter end against any religious syncretism (union or merging of religions) makes of this prophet, a man of fire, whose words were like a burning furnace: “And Elias the prophet stood up, as a fire, and his word burnt like a torch. He brought a famine upon them, and they, that provoked him in their envy, were reduced to a small number, for they could not endure the commandments of the Lord. By the word of the Lord, he shut up the heavens, and he brought down fire from Heaven thrice. Thus was Elias magnified in his wondrous works. And who can glory like to thee? Who raised up a dead man from below, from the lot of death, by the word of the Lord God. Who brought down kings to destruction, and broke easily their power in pieces, and the glorious from their bed” (Ecclesiasticus 48:1-6).

Originally of Tisbe (el-Istib), Elias the Thesbite exercised his ministry in the northern kingdom, during the 9th century before Christ and in the times of King Achab and King Ochozia. He saw the true religion being watered down and destroyed, especially as King Achab had taken a non-Israelite as a wife—Jezabel of Tyre—who brought along to the marriage her false gods, including Baal. Elias spoke out against this sinful false worship and Jezabel, who ruled King Achab, slaughtered many of Elias’ fellow prophets.

Elias retaliated by calling down from Heaven a drought that was to last three years, during which he took refuge, first, in the “torrent of Carith” (Wadi Yabis), in Trans-Jordan, where he was miraculously fed by ravens. Then he went to Sarepta (Sarafand), about nine miles south of Sidon, where he was maintained by a widow, for whom he miraculously multiplied her oil and meal and raised her son to life (1 Kings ch. 17).

The incontrovertible proof, that “the Lord is the true God,” was had in the confrontation that Elias arranged with Jezabel’s prophets of Baal, on Mount Carmel. While, at the prayer of Elias, a stroke of lightning consumed his holocaust to Jahweh by fire, the shouts, the dances, and the mutilations of the four hundred and fifty prophets of Baal did not bring any result; and thus they were killed, at the command of Elias, near the torrent of Cison (1 Kings ch. 18). In order to avoid the revenge of Jezabel, Elias had to flee to the south, where he was miraculously reinvigorated and so came to Mount Horeb.

The stature of Elias is such that, when Our Lord was transfigured on Mount Tabor, it was Elias and Moses that appeared alongside Him. Like Moses, Elias had been favored with a vision of God on Sinai and was considered as working hand in hand with Moses in regard to the Old Covenant: Moses was the legislator, who concluded the Covenant; Elias was the prophet, who preserved it pure and intact.

The monastic movement in the fourth century took Elias as its model, emphasizing his continence, his poverty, his dwelling in the desert, his fasting, and his prayer. Their frequent cry was: “Our leader is Elias!” The Fathers of the desert willingly harked back to the example of our forefathers in the faith, especially of Elias, as the Epistle to the Hebrews (11: 37-38) presents him; he is an exemplar who inspires their spiritual life—which is the noblest form of life. In the writings of the Father of the Church, we read: “Such also was Elias, who fled the tumult of men and enjoyed living in the deserts... Look at Elias! After how much solitude, after how much silence, after how much sweat did he merit to see God?” (Commentarium in Isaiam, proemium 7, PG 30, col. 129 b)

The place of the prophet Elias, not only in the Old Testament and in Jewish tradition, but also in the New Testament, has caused him to appear in the works of the Fathers many times. Some Church Fathers insist on the relationship between Elias and St. John the Baptist; others fix their attention on the taking up of Elias and on his return at the end of the world. It is perhaps more than coincidental that Elias’ connection with fighting the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel is somehow also connected with his return at the end of the world, together with Henoch, to fight against the ‘prophets’ or followers of the Antichrist. Is this somehow connected to Our Lady’s promise that, one day, through the Rosary and Scapular, she would save the world? We cannot be certain, but there are most certainly clear connections to be found.

Both Elias and Henoch were taken up to the heavens without dying: “And as they [Elias and Eliseus] went on, walking and talking together, behold a fiery chariot, and fiery horses parted them both asunder: and Elias went up by a whirlwind into Heaven. And Eliseus saw him, and cried: ‘My father, my father, the chariot of Israel, and the driver thereof!’ And he saw him no more” (4 Kings 2:11-12). As regards Henoch: “No man was born upon earth like Henoch: for he also was taken up from the earth” (Ecclesiasticus 49:16). “Henoch pleased God, and was translated into paradise, that he may give repentance to the nations” (Ecclesiasticus 44:16).

The three years of drought, brought about by Elias as a punishment for people abandoning the true God, could well be likened to the three years (and six months) of rule by the Antichrist, whereby there will be a spiritual drought—with little or no grace raining down from Heaven, as God does the worst thing possible, which is abandoning mankind to itself, as a punishment for mankind increasingly turning its back on the one true God—just a in the time of Elias.

What do we learn from this pillar and exemplar of the Carmelite Order and inhabitant of Mount Carmel? We learn from Elias to fight and flee. He would speak out against kings and people concerning their increasing abandonment of the true religion, and then he would flee before retribution could be wreaked upon him. We learn from Elias to trust in the Providence of God—Who arranged that Elias be fed by His creation and creatures: the ravens fed Elias in the desert; the widow fed him in Sarepta. We are called to flee the world in the End Times and have no part with the world: “And when you shall see the abomination of desolation, standing where it ought not: he that readeth let him understand: then let them that are in Judea, flee unto the mountains” (Mark 13:14). The mountain being a symbol of God, and, in this case, perhaps Mount Carmel, or more precisely, Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

Origen calls attention to the example of Elias for the confidence to be placed in prayer. St. John Chrysostom exalts the poverty of Elias: “Elias had nothing; and still nothing hindered him from reaching the peak of virtue.” St. Ambrose writes of him: “The most outstanding leader from among the prophets.”

In the same vein, the Order of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (the Carmelites) is “the most outstanding leader among the religious orders.” It is the apple of Our Lady’s eye. As Sister Lucia said at Fatima, Our Lady was never so beautiful as she was when she appeared as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in the last of her six apparitions, on October 13th, 1917. At Lourdes, Our Lady’s final apparition was on July 16th, 1858, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. This saving of herself, as Our Lady of Mount Carmel, to the end, is reminiscent of her promising to save the Church, in the End Times, through the Rosary and the Scapular.

Resolution
Elias preserved his Faith, and those of others, by withdrawing from the world and living in the presence of God. This is nothing else than what the New Testament Scriptures tell us. Jesus said: "“You are from beneath, I am from above. You are of this world, I am not of this world” (John 8:23). Of His followers He says: “They are not of the world, as I also am not of the world” (John 17:16). To them He says: “If you had been of the world, the world would love its own: but because you are not of the world, but I have chosen you out of the world, therefore the world hateth you” (John 15:19) “... and the world hath hated them, because they are not of the world; as I also am not of the world” (John 17:14). “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

SECOND DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: Learning from the "Cave-Man"

Holy Scripture
“And the angel of the Lord came again the second time and said to him: Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go. And he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God ... And when he was come thither, he abode in a cave: and behold the word of the Lord came unto him, and He said to him: 'What dost thou here, Elias?' And he answered: 'With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant: they have thrown down Thy altars, they have slain Thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away'” (3 Kings 19:7-10).

Meditation
The Carmelites have a very unique background. Unlike most Religious Orders, they have no founder. So, they have no St. Francis or St. Dominic or St. Benedict (or even a St. Teresa, as have the Discalced Carmelites) to whom they can look as a founder. This means that God's founding gift to the Order (which is called the “Charism”) is not found in a person, or a particular book, but in a community of people. Being without a founder, the Carmelites have continually looked to the great figures of Elias and Mary for inspiration—remember that they settled by the Well of Elias on Mount Carmel and dedicated the first chapel to the Mother of God.

Earliest historical accounts find the first Carmelites already settled as hermits on Mount Carmel some 800-900 years ago, living near the fountain of the prophet Elias. They believed themselves to be the spiritual sons of Elias the Prophet and Elias’ successor, Eliseus the Prophet, and the life they led on Mount Carmel was patterned on his life of contemplation. As early as the times of the Prophet Samuel (around 1,000 BC), there existed in the Holy Land a body of men called Sons of the Prophets, who in many respects resembled the religious institutes of later times.

With the downfall of the Kingdom of Israel, the Sons of the Prophets disappear from history. In the third or fourth century after the birth of Christ, Mount Carmel was a place of pilgrimage, as is proved by numerous Greek inscriptions on the walls of the School of the Prophets. Several of the Church Fathers, notably St. John Chrystostom, St. Basil, St. Gregory Nazianzen, and St. Jerome, represent Elias and Eliseus as the models of religious perfection and the patrons of hermits and monks.

The first Carmelites or Mount Carmel’s hermits, led a kind of community life, and, though not belonging to the Tribe of Levi (the priestly tribe), dedicated themselves to the service of God; above all they owed obedience to certain superiors, the most famous of whom were the prophet Elias and his successor Eliseus (around 800 BC), both of whom were connected with Mount Carmel — Elias by his encounter with the prophets of Baal on Mount Carmel; and Eliseus by his prolonged residence on the holy mountain.

As human models, Elias and Mary provide Carmelites with an example to imitate. Not unlike Carmelites of any era, they struggled with fear, stood in the face of very difficult questions, and felt deeply the pains of human life. Being human, they appear like us, as fragile and vulnerable. Yet they were filled with a deep conviction. It is a conviction that lies at the heart of the Carmelite spirit: God is alive! God is present! God is with us! — in the words of the Prophet Elias "God lives in whose presence I stand."

The Elian tradition, however, was not the only one to influence the Carmelites, for, long before they came to Europe, they were known for their devotion to God's Mother. The chapel, which stood in the midst of their cells, was dedicated to Mary, the Mother of Jesus. So devoted were they to her that they became known as "The Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel," a title they cherished and defended down through the years.

The earliest documents we have bear eloquent witness to their love for Mary; for in her they found the fulfillment of the Elian ideal. She, too, kept all the things that God said to her, pondering them in her heart and making her life their incarnation; and it was by following her that they found the pure or clean heart that sees God, even in this life. When they made their profession, they vowed their lives to God and to Our Lady, and it was in her honor that the homage of their lives of contemplation was offered to their Lord. Mary was the Queen and Mistress of the holy Mount; and Carmel was her land, her vineyard, where they worked in the hope of her guidance and protection. As a matter of fact, Mount Carmel would have been clearly seen by Our Lady from her home in Nazareth, being only about 12 to 15 miles to the east.

Throughout their history, these key figures, of Our Lady and Elias, have helped the Carmelites clarify their identity and renew their spirit. They provide a wonderful integration of the two streams of the Carmelite tradition — contemplative and active; prayerful and prophetic; reflective and apostolic.

The process of change, from a small band of hermits to a world wide family, did not happen overnight. The present-day Constitutions of the Carmelite Order give the basic steps:

“At the time of the Crusades to the Holy Land, hermits settled in various places throughout Palestine. Some of these, following the example of Elias, a holy man and a lover of solitude, adopted a solitary life-style on Mount Carmel, near a spring called Elias's Fountain. In small cells, similar to the cells of a beehive, they lived as God's bees, gathering the divine honey of spiritual consolation. Later, St. Albert, Patriarch of Jerusalem brought the hermits together, at their request, into a single collegium; he gave them a formula (a rule) for living which expressed their own eremetical ideals (propositum) and reflected the spirit of the so-called pilgrimage to the Holy Land and of the early community of Jerusalem. Moved by "their love of the Holy Land", these hermits consecrated themselves in this Land to the One who had paid for it by the shedding of His blood, in order that they might serve Him, clothed in the habit of religious poverty, persevering in holy penance and forming a fraternal community” (The Constitutions of the Carmelite Order).

However, all good things come to an end, and the Carmelites, or hermits, living on Mount Carmel in Palestine, would soon be forced to flee their historic and beautiful home. As a result of the Saracen invasion of the Holy Land, the Carmelites finally decided to leave Mount Carmel. It was a difficult decision to make for their ancient home had many memories for them.

An old tradition holds that, before their departure, Our Lady appeared to them as they were singing the Salve Regina and promised to be their Star of the Sea. Fortunately they found staunch friends among the Crusaders who brought the Carmelites with them on their return journey to Europe. Some settled in Cyprus, others in Italy, while others continued their journey to France and England. The English group found a benefactor in Lord de Grey, who gave them land and buildings in Aylesford in Kent. It was in England that Our Lady would appear to the Carmelite Superior General, Simon Stock, in 1251, to give him the Scapular—as a pledge and sign of her protection. This Scapular is the one that is today popularly called “The Brown Scapular.”

Resolution
The Carmelites were living in the world, but they lived apart from the world. Their world consisted of little caves that were found around Mount Carmel. Our Lady's house at Nazareth was thought to be built onto a cave. Our Lord was born in a cave and His tomb was a cave. We need our own cave, where we can invite or find Our Lord and Our Lady. Elias, Our Lady and Jesus lived thus, to teach us not to "cave-in" to the world and become attached to its allurements. “Love not the world, nor the things which are in the world. If any man love the world, the charity of the Father is not in him. For all that is in the world, is the concupiscence of the flesh, and the concupiscence of the eyes, and the pride of life, which is not of the Father, but is of the world” (1 John 2:15-16). “Know you not that the friendship of this world is the enemy of God? Whosoever therefore will be a friend of this world, becometh an enemy of God” (James 4:4).

Jesus loved the rich young man, who had come to Him asking Jesus how to be perfect; and Jesus told him: "If thou wilt be perfect, go sell what thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in Heaven: and come follow Me. And when the young man had heard this word, he went away sad: for he had great possessions. Then Jesus said to His disciples: 'Amen, I say to you, that a rich man shall hardly enter into the Kingdom of Heaven! And again I say to you: It is easier for a camel to pass through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the Kingdom of Heaven!' And when they had heard this, the disciples wondered very much, saying: 'Who then can be saved?' And Jesus beholding, said to them: 'With men this is impossible: but with God all things are possible'" (Matthew 19:21-26). Where do I stand?

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

THIRD DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: Fleeing the World for the 'Cave'

Holy Scripture
“And the angel of the Lord came again the second time and said to him: Arise, eat: for thou hast yet a great way to go. And he arose, and ate, and drank, and walked in the strength of that food forty days and forty nights, unto the mount of God ... And when he was come thither, he abode in a cave: and behold the word of the Lord came unto him, and He said to him: 'What dost thou here, Elias?' And he answered: 'With zeal have I been zealous for the Lord God of hosts: for the children of Israel have forsaken Thy covenant: they have thrown down Thy altars, they have slain Thy prophets with the sword, and I alone am left, and they seek my life to take it away'” (3 Kings 19:7-10).

Meditation
Though hermits existed on Mount Carmel long before written historical accounts recorded their existence, surviving historical records only go back to the 12th and 13th centuries. The Carmelites of that time must be located in the context of the lay hermit movements that arose in Europe during the late 12th and early 13th centuries. These movements of lay persons becoming hermits, which were typified by the disciples of St. Francis of Assisi and by the various hermit groups of central Italy, that were later united in 1256 to form the Augustinian Hermits, were a product of the great 12th century renewal of the Church called the Vita Apostolica (the Apostolic Life) movement, in which devout men and women strove to live in imitation of Christ and his twelve apostles. Central to this way of life was a radical poverty in which the hermit imitated the Apostles,who were sent out to preach with no bag, no spare tunic, no walking stick (Matthew 10:10).

Although the lay hermits were essentially contemplative, their life cannot be separated from a mission of witnessing to the Gospel by both deeds and words. The medieval imagination did not separate or create an opposition between the apostolic and contemplative life; the overflow of prayer was seen to be apostolic preaching. In fact, the great St. Thomas Aquinas wrote that, if one compares contemplation with the active life, contemplation is superior to the active life; but, there is something more perfect than contemplation, and that is putting into practice what one has contemplated. The hermits’ zeal to imitate the poverty of Christ led them to a spirituality by which they approached the Divine Mystery through the humanity of Christ, a feature that has always remained central in the Carmelite tradition.

The life of a hermit, a life of solitude away from the world, was by no means a new phenomenon in the Middle Ages. We can cast a glance 900 years or so before the 1200’s to the time of the Desert Fathers, who lived in the deserts of Egypt. These were Christians who, during the persecution of Decius in the mid-third century, sought refuge in the desert to escape torture and death. According to St Jerome, this was the case with Paul the Hermit, who of necessity fled to the desert to save his life, then remained there, even when the persecution stopped, for reasons of virtue. But most of the refugees were able to return to their villages after the persecution ended. During this era, the Egyptians converted en masse to Christianity and, for Christians nourished by the Bible, the desert could appear less fearsome and even, to a certain extent, attractive. “Be not delighted in the paths of the wicked, neither let the way of evil men please thee. Flee from it, pass not by it: go aside, and forsake it” (Proverbs 4:14-15).

It was to the desert that God took His people, after freeing them from Egyptian captivity, to lead them to the Promised Land. John the Baptist had grown up in the desert and Jesus himself had gone there to confront the Devil. Many fervent Christians decided to remain celibate for the Lord and lead an ascetic life, first of all among their families, then somewhat cut off from the confines of the villages, that is, on the borders of the desert. Thus, at the end of the third century, there were, all along the Nile Valley and the branches of the Delta, monks who lived either in grottoes on the slopes of the cliffs above the river, or in huts built nearby. Mount Carmel is merely a replica of what was going on elsewhere. Perhaps this will be our destiny in the future, when God lets “all Hell break loose”!

As Our Lord both warns and counsels: “When therefore you shall see the abomination of desolation, which was spoken of by Daniel the prophet, standing in the holy place—he that readeth let him understand—then they that are in Judea, let them flee to the mountains. And he that is on the housetop, let him not come down to take any thing out of his house. And he that is in the field, let him not go back to take his coat. And woe to them that are with child, and that give suck in those days. But pray that your flight be not in the winter, or on the sabbath. For there shall be then great tribulation, such as hath not been from the beginning of the world until now, neither shall be” (Matthew 24: 15-21).

“Flee away, O my beloved, and be like to the roe, and to the young hart upon the mountains” (Canticles 8:14). “And such of them as shall flee shall escape: and they shall be in the mountains like doves of the valleys, all of them trembling” (Ezechiel 7:16).

To flee to the mountain is also symbolic of turning or fleeing to God, for the mountain is a figure of God and it comes repeatedly into the God’s communication with man, as well as in the life of Christ: God first appears to Moses on a mountain; the Ten Commandments are given on a mountain; Abraham is to sacrifice Isaac to God on a mountain; Our Lord is transfigured on a Mount Tabor; He prays on the Mount of Olives; He dies on Mount Calvary; and He ascends to Heaven from Mount Tabor.

Prophecies concerning the End-Times speak of mountains descending and the valleys rising, and all kinds of other unsavory prospects! Yet the bottom line, to which Our Lady always comes back to, is one of prayer. Not just token prayer, or occasional prayer, or a five-minute chat with Heaven—but serious, fervent, frequent, heart-felt prayer! Besides Holy Scripture telling us in no uncertain terms. Our Lord says “we ought always to pray, and not to faint” (Luke 18:1). St. Paul insists: “Pray without ceasing” (1 Thessalonians 5:17). While Our Lord warns that He will not accept any old kind of prayer: “Well did Isaias prophesy of you hypocrites, as it is written: ‘This people honoureth Me with their lips, but their heart is far from Me” (Mark 7:6).

Prayer is the heart of Carmel! The Constitutions of the Carmelites have this to say on the subject of prayer: “Religious communities must be seen in the Church as prayerful … From the beginning, the Carmelite Order has taken on both a life of prayer and an apostolate of prayer. Prayer is the centre of our lives … We are to pray with perseverance … in constant prayer … totally dedicated to a prayerful attention to the Word … to share the experience of prayer … Prayer can assume a variety of forms, it is nourished by the constant search for God, supported by lectio divina (praying the Divine Office or Breviary), by study, by meditation and by the sacraments.”

Which is nothing other than what Our Lady’s apparitions have asked for repeatedly. At La Salette, Our Lady asked the children: Do you say your prayers properly, my children?" They both replied: "Oh! No, Madame, not so much!" Our Lady then chided them, saying: "Oh, my children, you must!” At Fatima, while the three children were playing games at Fatima, the Angel suddenly appeared at their side and admonished them, saying: “What are you doing? Pray! Pray a great deal!” Our Lady of Fatima herself insisted at EVERY apparition: “Pray the Rosary each day!” When Lucia asked if Francisco would go to heaven too, Our Lady said, "Yes, but first he must say many Rosaries." Learning this, Francisco cried out excitedly: "O, Our Lady, I will say all the Rosaries you wish!" She promised that Heaven would grant peace to all the world if Her requests for prayer, reparation and consecration were heard and obeyed. Sister Lucia, in later years, said: “Prayer and penitence, accompanied by an immense faith in God, will save the world.”

Our Lady of Fatima, referring to herself as Our Lady of the Rosary, said: “Only she can help you!” At Akita, in 1973, Our Lady repeats the same message: “The only arms which will remain for you will be the Rosary and the Sign left by my Son. Each day, recite the prayers of the Rosary … Pray the Rosary often. Only I can prevent the disaster. Whoever entrusts themselves to me will be saved.”

When, after the attempted assassination on May 13th, 1981, the Pope John Paul II had been very close to death, and he himself explained his survival in the following words: “... it was a Mother's hand that guided the bullet's path…” (May 13th, 1994). The fact that “a Mother's hand” had deflected the fateful bullet, only goes to show show, once more, that there is no destiny that cannot be changed, and that faith and prayer are forces which can influence history and that in the end prayer is more powerful than bullets and faith more powerful than armies.

Resolution
The Carmelite's are said to be Our Lady's first-born and her most beloved. Their prayers are immensely powerful. They say the same prayers as other Orders say; they say prayers that we say; so what is the difference. Elias was one of many prophets, but his prayer power was phenomenal. What was the difference between his prayer and that of the other prophets that he lived amongst? It was the spirit with which the prayer was said; it was the sacrifice that accompanied the prayer. Elias was detached from the world; the Carmelites are detached from the world. He lived, and the Carmelites live, in their own desert. They have given up everything, unlike the rich young man who could not bear to give up his possessions and went away from Jesus, filled with sadness (Matthew 19:21-26).

The more I turn away from the world, the more powerful my prayer will be. The more I turn to God throughout the day, the more powerful my prayer will be. The more I do penance for my past sins, the more powerful my prayer will be. The more I force myself to slow down and pray with my heart, rather than my lips, the more powerful my prayer will be. The answer is found in the spirit with which I say my prayers.

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

FOURTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: What is in it for me?

Holy Scripture
“Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy reward is exceeding great.'” (Genesis 15:1).

Meditation

Although the Carmelites found many favorably disposed to them in the West, they also encountered much opposition, so much so that, about the middle of the 13th century, it seemed as if their days were numbered as an Order. However, in 1246, at a Chapter held in Aylesford, they elected Simon Stock as their General. As he saw the waves of opposition mounting higher and higher, Simon realized that Our Lady was his only hope. The Habit he wore spoke for itself for it was in her honor he had taken it. It had always reminded him that he was hers. Carmel was not his, but hers; and now that it was in danger of being destroyed forever, he went to her as the vassal would go to his lord and asked her to give it her protection. Saluting her as the Flower of Carmel (Flos Carmeli) and the Star of the Sea, he asked her for the “privilegium” -- that is, the protection a lord would give his vassals. In answer to his fervent prayer she appeared to him, and giving him the Scapular of his Order she said: “This shall be a sign to you and to all Carmelites--whosoever dies wearing this shall not suffer eternal fire.” The Promise Mary attached to the Scapular went far beyond Simon’s expectations. It saved the Order; confirmed its Marian character; and made Mary more a Mother than a Queen to it.

Some people are inclined to exaggerate the importance of visions and private revelations; and, in assessing the spiritual value of the Scapular Devotion, one must keep in mind the teaching of the Church regarding them. It is the constant teaching and practice of the Church that devotions must be founded on revealed truth and that visions and private revelations have relative value only; they serve to focus attention on some truth God has revealed and thus, private revelations, must be interpreted in the light of Divine Public Revelation and the teaching of the Church. The popular devotion to the Sacred Heart is not based on the revelations to St. Margaret Mary, but on the Incarnation of the Word (which is found in the Bible). The same must be said about the Lourdes and Fatima devotions. The visions of Our Lady called attention to her role in the economy of Redemption and to the old Christian doctrine of prayer and penance (which are also found in the Bible).

It is in this context that one must see the Scapular Devotion. It is based on the spiritual Motherhood of Mary in the setting of Carmelite history. The total dedication of the Order to her, made the Scapular a sign of consecration to her. And what more fitting sign could one find of her spiritual motherhood than a garment. When she brought forth her Firstborn, she wrapped Him up in swaddling clothes; and it was she who wove the seamless Garment, by which He was later known, as the Roman soldiers cast lots on Calvary for that seamless garment. The Carmelite Habit has always drawn minds and hearts to her and been a sign of her loving protection.

When isolated from the inner life of Carmel, the Scapular loses much of its spiritual significance, for it is much more than a sacramental of the Church. This is exactly what has happened today. Millions are enrolled in it and wear it without ever knowing what it should mean to them in their daily lives.

It is evident that the Blessed Mother wishes to call our attention to the Scapular, for Lucia, later called Sister Mary of the Immaculate Heart, assures us that when she appeared to her at Fatima, she wore on one occasion the Carmelite Habit and held the Scapular in her hand. Sister Mary of the Immaculate Heart (Lucia) also tells us that Mary was never so beautiful as she was on that occasion. This latest expression of love, for the Habit of Carmel, should focus the attention of the faithful upon it and bring all true lovers of Mary to wear it worthily.

In His relations with us, God shows a preference for the simple things of life. What could be simpler than the manger of rough straw, in which His life here below began! That same simplicity went with Him to the grave. He instituted a sacramental system, in which seven simple elements become the efficient signs of divine grace. Since the natural function of water is to wash, He chose it to show us what His grace does for the soul stained by Original Sin. Since bread is the "staff of life", He chose it to reveal how the grace of the Eucharist nourishes our souls. The symbolism of the whole sacramental system is designed to lead us into the knowledge of what divine grace is doing in the hidden depths of our souls.

The spiritual significance of a simple garment is, perhaps, as old as human society itself. A garment has always signified something more important than itself. After the Fall, God clothed our first parents, the garments He gave them were the sign of His forgiveness. Jacob made a coat of divers colors for his favorite son, Joseph; and Anna also made a coat for her son, Samuel. A garment was also the mark of that extraordinary friendship which knit the souls of Jonathan and David: “And Jonathan stripped himself of the coat, with which he was clothed, and gave it to David” (1 Kings 18:4). The priestly vestments, designed by God, were an outward sign of the high office entrusted to the priests of the Old Law.

From the time of Elias, the prophet, a garment has had tremendous significance in Carmel. When the time came for the great prophet to retire from the spiritual combat of his day, God sent Elias to anoint Eliseus to be prophet in his place. And when Elias came to him, he cast his mantle upon him. Eliseus immediately understood the significance of the gesture, for the sacred text adds, “And rising up he went away, followed Elias and ministered to him” (3 Kings 19:21). And when the time came for the ascent of Elias in the fiery chariot, his successor asked Elias to leave him his double spirit. Elias informed him that he had asked for a very difficult thing, but promised it would be his, and, as he ascended into the clouds, his mantle fell upon Eliseus, bringing him the double spirit of his master (4 Kings 2:9-15). [Note that the term "double-spirit" does not mean "two-faced", but double in proportion to the spirit that God had given other prophets, as in the sense of over-abundance].

St. Paul does not hesitate to call the human nature of Christ a Habit. The Redeemer Himself compared grace to a wedding-garment, and the Apostle of the Gentiles loved to use the same metaphor of a garment, when exhorting us to put on Christ and to clothe ourselves with His virtues.

The garment, perhaps, that has the greatest significance for us, is the one made by the Blessed Mother for the Infant Jesus. We can easily imagine our Blessed Mother making the swaddling clothes, in preparation for the birth of her Son; and when she set out for Bethlehem, she made sure to bring them with her, that she might wrap Him up and lay Him in the manger. Later, during the quiet hours of Nazareth, she prepared the seamless garment that He wore to Calvary. She was always mindful of her duty to clothe her Child, and we may be sure that Christ’s eye never fell upon the garments his Mother made for Him, without Him thinking of the love and the solicitude she had for Him. Our Blessed Lady’s motherhood extends to all the redeemed. She is the Mother of the “whole Christ,” that is, of the whole Mystical Body. The active part, which her Son gave her in our regeneration, made her the Mother of the life of grace that is in our souls. Before He died on the Cross, Christ proclaimed her our Mother; and one would almost expect her to have a Garment for us.

The Scapular is a sign of our special adoption by the Mother of God. The first and the greatest privilege it brings is that it envelops us in the special love of our Blessed Mother. It makes us “hers” in a very special way. She repeats to us the words of the prophet Ezechiel: “And I passed by thee and saw thee: and behold thy time was the time of lovers: and I spread my garment over thee and covered thy ignominy. And I swore to thee, and I entered into a covenant with thee . . . and thou becamest mine” (Ezechiel 16:10). All, who were reborn on Calvary, are the children of her love and she is the Mother of grace to all of them, but what mother is there that does not have her favorites? As Fr. Le Jejune says: “Mary’s love is boundless and her mercy extends to all. Nevertheless, she has her favorites. There is no one in the world for whom she prays more readily, than for the religious of Mount Carmel and all who are affiliated to them, because she has a particular tenderness for them. The reason is that the religious of Carmel were the first to consecrate themselves to her. They are her eldest.”

The special adoption by which, as the preface of the Scapular Mass says, we became “the sons of her choice” is the foundation of all the spiritual value the Scapular possesses. And what a privilege this is! “And thou becamest mine.” These words spring from the very depths of her tender Mother’s heart. She brought us forth into the life of grace, wrapped us up in the garments of her special love and we became hers forever. We can easily understand the love that led Our Lady to wrap up her firstborn Son in the swaddling clothes, but that she should cover the ignominy of our spiritual nakedness is something that only her most merciful love can explain.

The thought that, from the moment she spreads her garment over us, her special love envelops our whole being should be the greatest force for good in our daily lives. It should inspire us with the profoundest sentiments of love and gratitude and bring us to dedicate ourselves to her in time and in eternity. Life itself is all too short to thank her. Her special love is like a ray of shining light, which shows us her face in the midst of the heartless world of our banishment from God.

Resolution
The Scapular is Mary's Heaven sent clothing for me! How much care don't we take of our best and most expensive clothes! Do I carry that same attitude towards my Scapular? Do I look for good worthy Scapulars to wear, or am I happy with the cheap variety? Do I look after my Scapular as I would look after a fine set of clothes? How we treat our Scapular could possibly reflect on the attitude we have to our heavenly Mother.

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

FIFTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: The Contract we make through the Scapular

Holy Scripture
“Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy reward is exceeding great” (Genesis 15:1).

Meditation
In 1950, in preparation for the Seventh Centenary of the institution of the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1251), the then Superior General of the Order, Father Kilian Lynch, wrote a booklet explaining the meaning of the Brown Scapular, showing it to be a sign of the pact between the Mother of God and God’s devout children. Mary pledges to protect them. They pledge to profess her and serve her, as they wear the little brown mantle—Mary’s mantle—with which she covers and protects her children.

Like many other good and holy things, that have come down to us from the past, the Scapular (to be understood properly) has to be seen in the light of its historical setting; to take it away from the century of its origin is to lose its significance and meaning, robbing it of its value and purpose as a religious symbol.

Since the rise of monasticism a Scapular, consisting of two pieces of cloth joined at the shoulders and hanging down one’s front and back, has been a part of the monastic Habit. The fact that it hung from the shoulders immediately suggested a spiritual meaning, for Christ spoke of the Faith in terms of a burden to be carried. “My yoke,” He said, “is sweet and my burden light” As the monk rose in the morning to begin a new day, the putting on of the Scapular reminded him that he had taken the sweet burden of divine service upon himself and that the day ahead was to be all for God.

When one is acquainted with the desire of the Church, that we put our Faith into our daily lives and sanctify even the little things of life, one can easily see how the wearing of a Scapular could be a strong incentive to a faithful and generous service in the vineyard of the Master. Even the sight of the Scapular could be a reminder of a promise made, but easily forgotten, by the ordinary person.

The birth and ascendancy of the Mendicant Orders (which were Religious Orders that survived by begging) served to strengthen the spiritual significance of the religious Habit, of which the Scapular was the principal part. Coming as it did in the 13th century, the Friar Movement of Mendicants was bound to be affected by the feudal system, which flourished between the 9th and 15th centuries, and was at its height in the 13th century. The Feudal System hinged upon the concept of rights and obligations; of give and take; of loyalty and rewards. The King offered protection to the Lords immediately beneath him; and the Lords returned the grace by supporting and looking after the King's interests. The same interaction took place all the way down the Feudal ladder.

The Friars were—by profession, if not by origin—poor men, who identified themselves with the poorer classes and worked among them. Their Habit, even though similar to that of the monk, was that of the common folk. It was inevitable that the relation of Knight or Vassal to Lord that dominated the whole economic, social and political life of the Middle Ages would affect their religious outlook and that the timeless relation of creature to Creator would be expressed in terms of it.

Living as we do in an age very different from that of the Middle Ages, we find it hard to visualize the dependence of the Knight or Vassal upon his Lord. While Feudalism held sway, it was a matter of life and death to belong to a Lord. Before the rise of towns, commerce and industry, land was the only means of livelihood; and since it belonged to the Lord, one had to have the right to till the land in order to live. The Knight's or Vassal’s act of homage gave him the right as well as that of protection, which was as important then as it is now.

Knowing how much Faith and actual living were interwined in the Middle Ages, one can see how feudal ideas influenced religious ideas and practices; and how the Religious Habit, of which the Scapular is the principal part, took on a new meaning. Being a man of God, the Friar was keenly aware that God is our one and only Master; but, after the manner of the Feudalism in his time, he presented himself before his Divine Master as the Knight or Vassal presented himself before his Lord, “to pay his homage” and to receive the investiture from his hands.

The religious ceremony of receiving the Religious Habit, although different in meaning, was the same as that of feudal investiture. Just as the vassal placed his hands in, or between, his Lord’s and pronounced his oath of fealty (loyal service) or homage, so did the Friar present himself before a Religious Superior, who took the place of God, to make his vows. The Scapular, hanging from the shoulders, was an outward sign that the friar was “God’s man,” that he belonged entirely to God and that he would pay Him the homage of his whole life.

It is in this medieval setting that one must see the brown Scapular that is the Habit of the Carmelite Friars in miniature form. Christ the King has entrusted all His graces and gifts to the Blessed Virgin, who is entitled to distribute them further. As St. Louis de Montfort writes: "He has chosen her to be the dispenser of all He possesses, in such wise that she distributes to whom she wills, as much as she wills, as she wills and when she wills, all His gifts and graces" (True Devotion to Mary). However, love is reciprocal. It is not just taking, but giving too! To refuse a gift would be bad; not to repay in some way would also be bad.

Many people are very selfish in regard to the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. They only see in it something for themselves—protection and salvation. Very few make some return to Our Lady for what she gives to us. She is the Mediatrix of all grace. She is generous beyond description. Yet how many people abuse her generosity by doing very little in return for the graces and gifts she gives? In both Justice and Charity we need to do far more for Our Lady than we have done until now!

Resolution
I will frequently remind myself that the Scapular is a sign of a contract that I have with the Blessed Virgin Mary. She will do her part if I do my part. How can I expect her to protect and save me, if I do not protect and look after her interests? Her chief interest is twofold: (1) That her Son and God be offended less; (2) That her Son and God be loved more. If I continue to sin, even though it may only be venial sins, without much regret, then I cannot really say that I am working for Our Lady's interests. If I continue to spend more time on worldly preoccupations rather than spiritual preoccupations, then I cannot really say that I am loving God more. It is all about give and take. Our Lady gives, but how much do we give in return?

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

SIXTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: The Benefits of a Rule of Life

Holy Scripture
“Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy reward is exceeding great.'” (Genesis 15:1).

Meditation
A "Rule of Life" is almost indispensable for an effective and successful spiritual life. God exists in order, not in chaos. If our spiritual life is chaotic, hit and miss, "don't-know-what's-coming-next" kind of existence, then we will be lucky to save our souls. Every self-respecting organization, business, army, hospital, or whatever else you care to mention, has rules and follows an orderly pattern in its everyday, non-exceptional, existence.

Holiness (and, through it, salvation) is not an optional extra to the process of creation, but rather the whole point of it. When we think of holiness, we tend to think of saints and immediately dissociate ourselves from it and them, admiring both from a distance. But if we have been baptized, we are already “saints-in-the-making”, as someone has called us and St. Paul addresses all Christians as saints. So how do we become holy, how do we encourage our Christian life to grow and mature into holiness? Yes, by prayer, by taking our part in the Mass, by receiving Holy Communion, by good works and so on. The list is easy to make, not so easy to practice.

Our wills are often weak; we allow so many other things to get in the way and take priority. This is where a personal Rule of Life can be invaluable. “But surely,” you may say, “we don’t want to reduce our living faith, our love for God, our discipleship of Christ, to a list of rules?” No, of course not; but remember that the word “rule” really means “regular” and so a Rule of Life is something to help us live our lives in regular contact with God. A school has bells that ring throughout the day to keep a regular order. We set alarms to help us keep a regular order. Our work place has rules to help us keep a regular order. Everywhere it is the same! Even evil men and evil organizations have a rule of life to keep everyone in check and in order!

Because of human frailty we need reminders, we need practical help, we need guidance in doing this. Above all, we need to acquire good habits to live out the Christian life. It was St. Bernard who said, “Take care of order and order will take care of you.” The word “disciple” and the word “discipline” both come from the same Latin word meaning “to learn”. So our personal discipline helps and encourages our 'discipleship'.

A Rule of Life is usually regarded as a very personal aid to Christian living, but there is no reason why it should not be drawn up for a married couple or even a whole family. After all, we are used to “Family Fast Days”, and monastic rules (foe example, the Rule of St Benedict) are always for a religious family. A family rule needs the consultation and acceptance of all the members of the family, if they are old enough to contribute. Elementary school-aged children will probably enjoy feeling part of such decision-making. Individual members of the family may want to make some personal resolutions of their own, of course. It may prove a means of bringing married couples closer to one another and indeed whole families. To know that others in the family are all making that special effort can give real support to each individual. After all, every family, every household is what is sometimes called “the domestic Church.”

What we must not do is to allow our Rule to become our master. It should always be a good servant, never ruling our lives and never becoming an end in itself. The “end” or purpose is our loving service of God and neighbor and therefore we must always allow room for the Holy Ghost to be our ultimate guide, our ultimate leader on the pilgrimage to holiness and so to Heaven. As we know from the Gospels, Our Lord had harsh words for those who put rules before their love for God and their fellows.

Having said that, perhaps we could think of our Rule as a good companion, adaptable when necessary, helpful at all times, and ready to keep us going when we tend to flag. When we draw it up, we need to avoid fussiness, overmuch detail, anything impractical or complicated. The Church herself of course, has given us some very basic rules for our Christian lives such as: Mass on all Sundays and Holy Days of Obligation, the need to make a sacramental confession and receive Holy Communion at least once a year; with fasting and abstinence of some kind on certain days of the year. These, however, are minimal and if we did nothing more, our love for Our Lord would seem rather cold and almost formal.

Preparing to make our Rule
Before making a Rule of Life we need to pray for the guidance of the Holy Ghost and for His wisdom. It should never be so demanding that we often fail to keep it, nor so undemanding that it is hardly worth having. We could take our guide from St. Benedict, who advocates moderation, so far as his monks are concerned. Some other religious orders would have much tougher Rules. It is true that some lay Christians are called to make, what seem, heroic efforts in their daily living out of the Christian life, and all of us might be called to these from time to time, but for the great majority this is not so. So what should we include? One thing we need to watch is our use of time, so we need to keep that in mind and guard against the wasting of time in our daily lives.

We often hear that expression “quality time” these days, and a good parent knows how he or she must make quality time for their children. Each spouse (whether parents or not) must do the same for the other. Likewise with our friends - we need to ensure that we make time for them and not always expect them to make the time for us. Relationships and friendships are not intended to be static. Indeed, they cannot be, for they will either grow or deteriorate depending upon how each party manages them. Our relationship with God is - or should be - a very close one and therefore we need to set aside quality time for Him every day as well as make special times during the week, month or year. This is what we are setting out in our Rule of Life, well aware of how our relationship with Him can either grow or deteriorate.

Inevitably, there is something very personal about a Rule of Life and it could give the impression that it is all about “me and my God” with concern for neighbor thrown in as an afterthought. If this is how it seems, then let us remind ourselves that we are members of the Body of Christ and if one member suffers then all the other members suffer with it, as St Paul puts it. It is also true that if one member is weak through lack of perseverance, then all the other members are weakened. By trying to give God our very best and doing so in a disciplined and loving way, we are strengthening the whole Body, as our fellow-Christians, we trust, are doing the same thing. It should go without saying that the Rule of the single person living alone is going to be somewhat different from that of those who live as members of a household.

Indeed, some parts of a Rule can be undertaken by a family together. One still sees families, if not so common as at one time, coming to confession at regular intervals and many undertake a family practice on Fridays - some shared act of self-denial or even fasting. Of course, a Rule of Life is personal but it helps greatly when we know others are keeping or trying to keep theirs too. One reason why we usually manage to do something special or extra during Lent is because we know we are not alone. Christians all over the world are trying to do something special too and that is both encouraging and supportive, as we were suggesting in the previous paragraph. Here, then, are some suggestions with comments which might help in drawing up our personal Rule of Life.

Resolution
I seriously think about making a concrete set of rules for my daily life. If we are to love God first and foremost, above all things, with our whole mind, heart, soul and strength, then I need to make sure I have a concrete plan on how I am going to achieve that. The devil is all about chaos; God is all about order. The devil hates a Rule of Life and will do all in his power to discourage it; or if that fails, then will seek to make us overdo it, so that we break ourselves by trying to do what becomes impossible. Let us ask for the light and grace of God in constructing a Rule of Life that will be both, according to the Divine Will and one that will truly aid my sanctification and salvation. There is no religious order without a rule, and the rule of the Carmelites is, in many ways, stricter than most other rules. Our Lady, too, had a Rule of Life, and hers was very strict!

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

SEVENTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: How to Make of a Rule of Life

Holy Scripture
● “Embrace discipline, lest at any time the Lord be angry, and you perish from the just way.'” (Psalm 2:12).
● "Thou hast given me the protection of thy salvation: and thy right hand hath held me up: And thy discipline hath corrected me unto the end: and thy discipline, the same shall teach me" (Psalm 17:36).
● "He that rejecteth wisdom, and discipline, is unhappy: and their hope is vain, and their labors without fruit, and their works unprofitable" (Wisdom 3:11).
● “Her discipline is the gift of God ... My children, keep discipline!” (Ecclesiasticus 26:17; 41:17).

Meditation
In the previous day's meditation, we said that a "Rule of Life" is almost indispensable for an effective and successful spiritual life. God exists in order, whereas the devil prefers a lack of order so that he can better do his work. Love requires order, thus Our Lord says: "If you love Me, keep My commandments!" (John 14:15) — the keeping of commandments necessarily means keeping an order. We have an order or rules in our home; in our workplace; in the school; in the Church — then why not have order and rules for our spiritual life, which is the most important form of life that there is?

As Fr. Garrigou-Lagranges says: "The interior life is for all the one thing necessary. It ought to be constantly developing in our souls; more so than what we call our intellectual life, more so than our scientific, artistic or literary life" (The Three Conversions of the Spiritual Life). If order is required for our intellectual life, our biological-physical life, etc., then all the more is order or a rule required for our spiritual life. Yet most people, even the most ordered people, fail to bring order or a set of rules into their spiritual lives—to the great delight of the devil; for an army that has no order and is in disarray, is easily overcome!

It should go without saying that the Rule of the single person living alone is going to be somewhat different from that of those who live as members of a household. Indeed, some parts of a Rule can be undertaken by a family together. One reason why we usually manage to do something special or extra during Lent is because we know we are not alone. Christians all over the world are trying to do something special too and that is both encouraging and supportive.

GOING TO MASS: All Catholics are expected to go to Mass every Sunday of the year and every Holyday of Obligation unless prevented by sickness, infirmity or some urgent duty. Let us get this straight from the start: there is no greater devotion than devotion to the Mass; there is no prayer more powerful than the Mass; there is nothing that takes away temporal punishment for sin than the Mass. It should, of course, be our joy and delight to attend the offering the Holy Sacrifice of Christ to His Father, and receiving the wonderful gift of Himself.

The saying, "absence makes the heart grow fonder" is absolutely false with regard to our prayer-life and Mass attendance. Absence makes the heart grow colder! Our Blessed Lord said “Do this...” and if we don’t, then surely our love for Him is growing colder! If we allow tiredness, or bad weather, or a late night, or even that voice that comes straight from the Evil One saying “You’re not worthy, after doing so and so...” It’s amazing how clever the Evil One is at finding us excuses, which sound so reasonable and even pious!

It is good to attend Mass also on weekdays and so in working out our Rule, we should see how and when this is possible. Why not aim for a mid-week Mass, or perhaps one on Friday which, as we are reminded later, has a special character, being the day when we remember Christ’s sacrificial death for us? Some parishes find their Saturday Mass well-attended, because it is for many a non-working day. Of course, for those who are able to do so, there is nothing better than daily Mass!

PRAYER: The Gospels show us that Jesus was a man of prayer; it was an essential part of his daily life. He would rise early in the morning and go to a place where he could be as solitary as possible. We see some key moments such as His prayer during His Agony in the Garden, when His prayer was so intense that sweat poured down his face mixed with drops of blood. St John (chapter 17) gives an account of His prayer at the Last Supper, when, amongst other things, He prayed for His Apostles. Earlier on, the Apostles, seeing Our Lord at prayer, asked Him to teach them to pray and so He taught them the Our Father. So it goes without saying that prayer will have a key place in our Rule of Life.

‘Absence makes the heart grow colder?” With regard to our prayer, yes it does! The less we pray, the less we want to pray and so our love for God cools. This is why regular, daily prayer is so important. Yet, before we jump into thinking about how long we will pray, it is best to think about how well we will pray! Quality before quantity — always! Then, we need to decide when and how long to pray each day. We need to decide what we are going to do during that time of prayer. Everyone has a time of preference for praying—yet no day should begin without greeting God first! "Seek ye first the kingdom of God!" says Jesus. Once we become accustomed to praying, we will readily and easily fall in with the Scriptural recommendations of "We ought always to pray, and not to faint" (Luke 18:1) and "Pray without ceasing" (1 Thessalonians 5:17).

We should also cover different aspects or goals in our prayers—just as we eat different foods for our physical health. Prayer needs to be balanced, which is why the older books used to advocate a structure of prayer based on the mnemonic word ALTAR, which is a reminder and a shortcut to bringing to mind what chief focal points of our prayer life should cover.

<A> is for adoration (which means to give praise, honor and glory to God); <L> is for love (whereby we profess our love for God in whichever way it may please us); <T> is for thanksgiving (whereby we should recall some of the limitless mercies, graces and favors God has granted us); <A> is for asking (no explanation needed, since that is all most people do!);<R> is for reparation (whereby we think of our many sins—mortal or venial—which have offended God and make acts of contrition and firm purposes of amendment mingled with promises to do penance for those sins). All these different focal points of prayer should be regularly visited—and just not merely the asking side of them.

DEVOTIONS: The Catholic Church has a rich store of devotional practices, some of which may want to incorporate into a Rule of Life. The most obvious, as it springs directly from the Mass, is Adoration of the Blessed Sacrament. Our Blessed Lord is always present in the tabernacle and we can adore Him and pray to Him there. This would be especially recommended to those who cannot attend weekday Masses, they could make a commitment to visit Our Lord at least once a week, making sure that the church will be open.

After the Mass, the most powerful prayer is that of the Divine Office or the Liturgy of the Hours often referred to as the Breviary) can also be prayed—you don't have to be a priest or a religious to do so. Before spending money buying hard-copies of the Divine Office or Liturgy of Hours, there are several sites online that you can use to pray the Divine Office to see if it works for you.

The Holy Rosary is a must for any Rule of Life, in light of what Our Lady has said of the Holy Rosary in her recent apparitions. The important thing here is to really make efforts to MEDITATE and not just SAY the Rosary. Our Lady has said that the meditation of the mysteries is the SOUL of the Rosary. What is a body without a soul?

Almost every Catholic church has, around its walls, the Stations of the Cross. Though many Catholics do the Station of the Cross during Lent, why not do them at other times as well, perhaps as a Friday devotion. Monks would pray as a community in church in the middle of the night. If you tend to wake during the night and find it difficult to get to sleep again. Rather than tossing and turning, why not have a period of prayer? It could be the Rosary, a Litany, or part of the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin Mary or even the Office of Readings in the Divine Office.

CONFESSION: Confession is one of the most powerful weapons against the devil and our ever-recurring weed of pride. Regular confession, like regular gardening, keeps the weeds of the spiritual life in check and at bay. No Rule of Life should omit a regular practice of confession. If sin is frequent, then confession should be more frequent. If sin is less, then one should at least keep to a minimum of going to confession of AT LEAST once a month. Confessions will improve immeasurably if you practice a serious DAILY examination of conscience. All it would cost you is three to five minutes a night.

Resolution
No matter how repugnant a Rule of Life may seem to me, I will endeavor to create one. The repugnance comes from both the disordered tendencies wounded by Original Sin; and the repugnance comes from the devil, who fears that any order or Rule of Life will weaken his work in seeking the damnation of my soul.

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

EIGHTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: Protection Policy

Holy Scripture
“Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy reward is exceeding great.'” (Genesis 15:1).

Meditation
It is the teaching of our holy faith that no one can merit the gift of final perseverance. We have no lease upon the state of grace, no insurance against its loss. It does not follow that, because we are in the state of grace today, tomorrow will find us the friends of God and heirs to his Kingdom. We carry our treasure of divine grace in the earthen vessel of a fallen human nature which is easily broken. To continue the metaphor, one might say that it has been broken ever since the Fall and that our personal sins have weakened its powers of resistance.

Even though the Good Samaritan has left us his medicinal grace to heal the wounds left by sin, He has not restored to us the gift of immunity from concupiscence, which Adam had, and which insured the divine treasure of grace against loss. In our redeemed human nature, there is an inherent weakness which places sanctifying grace in constant danger of being lost. This moral weakness has led to the formation of bad habits and inclinations to sin which have their roots deep in our nature. Bad habits are not easily rooted out and, while they remain, the state of grace is in peril.

Another factor that enters into final perseverance is that of the time of our death. We could never merit that death will come when we are in the state of grace. This depends upon Divine Providence and lies outside the order of merit. Strictly speaking, a person could live for years in the state of grace and have the misfortune to fall into grievous sin. If death overtook him before he had a chance to go to confession or to make an act of perfect contrition, he would be lost.

This doctrine of the Church disturbs our complacency and brings us to throw ourselves more and more upon the mercy of God. He who made us knows what is in man; He knows the clay of which we are formed and has promised that if we rely upon Him we shall not be tempted above our strength. Moreover, He has given his word that if we use the means of salvation, which He has left, the crowning grace of final perseverance will be ours.

One of the greatest means of final perseverance we have is devotion to our Blessed Mother. It is the constant teaching of the Church that devotion to God’s Mother is not only a means, but a pledge of eternal salvation. Those who shelter their weakness in the motherly Heart of the Mother of our redemption “shall draw salvation from the Lord.” That Heart, into which the tenderest mother-love drew all the agony of the Passion and Death of our Redeemer, is a tower of strength for the weak. she is our life, our sweetness and our hope; in her we may find the beauty of eternal life.

To whom shall we go for an assurance of salvation if not to her who, in order to save us, offered both her Only‑Begotten and Herself to the cruel death of the Cross? “It is not near the Cross,” says St. Bernard, “that Mary is found but on it, nailed to its beams as Jesus is.” she loves us with the same love she has for her Firstborn, and the double‑edged sword that pierced his Heart, opened wide her Heart, that it might be the refuge to sinners to the end of time, and the gate to Heaven for those who hope in her. Her love embraces every child of Adam and there is no power that will snatch a soul from her protecting love. She was made to be the Mother of mercy, and her mission, on earth and in Heaven, is not to judge, but to show mercy and to open her pierced Heart wider and wider to the poor banished children of Eve, who cry to her for help. The Eternal Father made her “full of grace,” that her love might bestow it where justice would deny it. As St. Bernard says: “She is impetuous in mercy, she is resistless in mercy. The duration of her mercy is unto the end of the sinner’s life. The broadness of her mercy is unto the limits of the earth. The height of her mercy is unto Heaven. The depth of her mercy is unto the lowest abyss of sin and sorrow--she is always merciful, she is only merciful. she is our Mother of mercy.”

If it is the property of God to be merciful and to spare, surely it is also the very nature of the Mother of mercy to pour forth her mercy--even where there are no merits. The quality of her mercy is never strained; and the devil, into whose heart a ray of hope can never shine, is the only one excluded from her love. she sees in every soul, even in that of the most wretched, the image of her Son, and, if necessary, she would become again the Queen of Martyrs to save the least of her children.

Our Blessed Mother holds such a place in the economy of our redemption that some do not hesitate to state that devotion to her is a necessary condition of salvation. “They who are not thy servants, O Mary,” says St. Albert the Great, “shall perish.” St. Bonaventure repeats the same thought when he says: “They who neglect the service of Mary shall die in their sins.” And again: “For them from whom Mary turns away her face, there is not even a hope of salvation.” St. Ignatius of Antioch, a martyr of the second century, writes: “A sinner can be saved only through the holy Virgin, who, by her merciful prayers, obtains salvation for so many who, according to strict justice, would be lost.”

If a lack of devotion to her is a mark of eternal reprobation a constant love for her must be a sign of eternal salvation. Many spiritual writers state that devotion to Mary is a sign of predestination. St. Alphonsus Liguori says: “It is impossible that a servant of Mary be damned, provided he serves her faithfully and commends himself to her maternal protection.” St. Anselm writes: “He who turns to thee and is regarded by thee cannot be lost.” St. Antonine is of the same opinion. He says: “As it is impossible for them from whom Mary turns away her eyes of mercy to be saved, so it is necessary that they--to whom she turns her eyes of mercy and for whom she intercedes--to be saved and glorified.”

The Scapular makes us not only the servants of Mary, but also the “sons of her choice.” From the moment we are enrolled in it, we are dedicated to her in a special way and have a special claim upon her protection and intercession. The Scapular is her garment of salvation; wherever it is, there is the shadow of her maternal protection and her redeeming love, which disposes all things wisely and makes them work sweetly for the eternal welfare of those whom she has adopted through her Habit. Her pursuing love will follow us to the end of life, enabling us to live and die in the state of grace. In virtue of the alliance she has entered into, with those who wear the Scapular, she will never cease to do them good until they need her help no longer.

Let us not conclude, however, that the Scapular is endowed with some kind of supernatural power, which will save us, no matter what we do, or how much we sin. We might apply here what St. Alphonsus says about devotion to Mary in general: “When we declare that it is impossible for a servant of Mary to be lost, we do not mean those who, by their devotion to Mary, think themselves warranted to sin freely. We state that these reckless people, because of their presumption, deserve to be treated with rigor and not with kindness. We speak here of the servants of Mary who, to the fidelity with which they honor and invoke her, join the desire to amend their lives. I hold it morally impossible that these be lost.”

Resolution
No matter how repugnant a Rule of Life may seem to me, I will endeavor to create one. The repugnance comes from both the disordered tendencies wounded by Original Sin; and the repugnance comes from the devil, who fears that any order or Rule of Life will weaken his work in seeking the damnation of my soul.

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!

LITANY TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

Our Lady presents St. Simon Stock with a scapular, on July 16th, 1251, that will signify her protection for the Carmelite Order.

NINTH DAY OF THE NOVENA (new meditations posted each day)
Topic to Contemplate: Mary is There to Save Us

Holy Scripture
“Fear not, I am thy protector, and thy reward is exceeding great.'” (Genesis 15:1).

Meditation
Our Lady held her Scapular out of as she disappeared into the skies at her very last appearance at Fatima. Lucia explained that Our Lady did so because “she wants everyone to wear it.” Lucia further said: “The Rosary and the Scapular are inseparable” and that the reason for wearing the Scapular is because it is our “Sign of consecration to the Immaculate Heart of Mary.” The whole notion of "consecration" carries with it the idea of "service." When we consecrate ourselves to Mary, we enter her service.

Too many people expect Mary to serve them, rather than them having to serve Mary! As we sow, so shall we reap! Scripture tells us: "For what things a man shall sow, those also shall he reap. For he that soweth in his flesh, of the flesh also shall reap corruption. But he that soweth in the spirit, of the spirit shall reap life everlasting" (Galatians 6:8). "He who soweth sparingly, shall also reap sparingly: and he who soweth in blessings, shall also reap blessings" (2 Corinthians 9:6). and also "They that sow in tears shall reap in joy" (Psalm 125:5). Our Lady did not promise to make St. Bernadette happy in this life, but in the next. The same applies to us.

If you wear Mary’s Brown Scapular you should know something about St. Simon Stock, because you have worn his picture along with Our Lady’s picture on your scapular. It was to him—St. Simon of England—that Our Blessed Mother gave the great Scapular Promise, in 1251, saying, “Whosoever dies wearing this Scapular shall not suffer eternal fire.”

When a priest enrolled you in the Scapular he said, “Receive this blessed Scapular and ask the most Holy Virgin that, by her merits, it may be worn with no stain of sin and may protect you from all harm and bring you into everlasting life." If we sincerely resolve to and actually do battle sin, then what follows in these stories below, will give you a very brief idea of how Our Blessed Mother keeps her promise.

Not many years ago, a priest was called to the bedside of a man who had fallen away from the Sacraments for many years. He did not want to see the priest; he would not even talk to him. The priest asked him to look at the little Scapular that he was holding, “Will you wear this if I put it on?” He asked nothing more. The man reluctantly agreed to wear it. Within the hour he wanted to go to confession and make his peace with God. For over 700 years Our Lady has been working in this way through her Scapular.

On the very day that Our Lady gave the Scapular to St. Simon Stock, he was hurriedly called by the Lord Peter of Linton: “Come quickly, Father, my brother is dying in despair!” St. Simon Stock placed his large Scapular over the dying man; He repented immediately and died a friend of God. That night the dead man appeared to his brother: “I have been saved through the most powerful Queen and the habit of that man as a shield.”

St. Alphonsus tells us: “Modern heretics make a mockery of wearing the Scapular. They decry it as so much trifling nonsense.” Yet we know that Pontiffs have approved it. It is remarkable that just 25 years after the vision of 1251; Pope Gregory X (1210-1276) was buried wearing the Scapular. When his tomb was opened 600 years after his death, his Scapular was found intact.

The Scapular was also found LIKE NEW in the graves of St. John Bosco and St. Alphonsus Liguori, although everything else in their graves, that was corruptible, had decayed. St. Alphonsus Liguori says: “It is impossible that a servant of Mary be damned, provided he serves her faithfully and commends himself to her maternal protection.” Notice, however, that he says: “Serves her faithfully and commends himself to her protection.” If we look upon the Scapular as a ‘good-luck-charm’ or a license or dispensation to sin, then we are insulting Our Lady and risking our salvation. St. Alphonsus says about devotion to Mary in general: “When we declare that it is impossible for a servant of Mary to be lost, we do not mean those who, by their devotion to Mary, think themselves warranted to sin freely. We state that these reckless people, because of their presumption, deserve to be treated with rigor and not with kindness. We speak here of the servants of Mary who, to the fidelity with which they honor and invoke her, join the desire to amend their lives. I hold it morally impossible that these be lost.”

You will understand why the devil works against those who promote the Scapular when you hear the story of Venerable Francis Ypes. One day his scapular fell off. As he replaced it, the devil howled, “Take it off! Take off the habit which snatches so many souls from us.” Then Francis made the devil admit that there are 3 things of which the demons are most afraid: the Holy Name of Jesus, the Holy Name of Mary, and the Holy Scapular of Carmel.

Every month a shipment of 1000 slaves would arrive at Cartegena, South America. St. Peter Claver—Apostle of the Negroes—used the Scapular to insure the salvation of his converts. Peter Claver organized catechists to give them instruction, and before they were sold, he saw that they were baptized. Many ecclesiastics accused the Saint of indiscreet zeal, but Peter reminded them that he had baptized and enrolled all in Our Lady’s Scapular. He was confident that Mary would watch over each one. Imagine! St. Peter Claver was responsible for over 300,000 converts.

In 1845, the English ship, King of the Ocean, was lashed by a wild hurricane. The Rev. Fisher, a Protestant minister, together with his wife and children and other passengers, struggled to the deck to pray for mercy and forgiveness, as the end seemed at hand. Among the crew was a young Irishman, John McAuliffe. He opened his shirt—took off his Scapular—made the Sign of the Cross over the angry waves, then threw the Scapular into the ocean. At that very moment the wind calmed, only one more waved washed over the deck, bringing with it the Scapular which landed at the boy’s feet. The Rev. Fisher and his family had observed what he had done. They questioned the boy. He told them about the Virgin and Her Scapular and Her Promise of protection in time of danger. So impressed were they that they determined to enter the Church and enjoy a like protection.

A French priest on pilgrimage to Our Lady's shrine in Einsiedeln, Switzerland, was on his way to Mass when he remembered that he had forgotten his Scapular. Although late, he returned to his room for it. While saying Mass, a young man approached the altar, pulled out a revolver and shot him in the back … but the priest continued to say Mass. In the sacristy the abbot exclaimed, “I thought the man missed you.” When the vestments were removed, the bullet was found, adhering to his little brown Scapular.

In May of 1957, a Carmelite priest in Germany published the unusual story of how the Scapular saved a home from fire. An entire row of homes had caught fire in Westboden, Germany. The pious inhabitants of a two-family home, seeing the fire, immediately fastened a Scapular to the main door of the house. Sparks flew over it and around it but stayed unharmed. Within 5 hours 22 homes were reduced to ashes and ruins. This one stood unharmed midst the destruction. Hundreds of people came to see the place Our Lady had saved.

In 1951, the ancient home of St. Simon Stock, at Aylesford, England, was rededicated and the relics of the Scapular saint were returned to England from France. Since then thousands of Scapular wearers have gone there on pilgrimage. In 1957 little Peter came. He was suffering with leukemia. His arms and legs were covered with ugly sores. He had been told that he had only a few days left to live. When he returned that very evening, the sores were gone and his strength had returned. His family realized that he was cured. Doctors confirmed his complete cure.

One day in 1944, a Carmelite missionary, in the Holy Land, was called to an internment camp, not too far from Mt. Carmel, to give the Last Rites. The Arab bus driver made Father get off 4 miles from the camp, because the road was dangerously muddy. After 2 miles had been covered, his feet sank deeper and deeper in the mud. Trying to get solid footing he slipped into a muddy pool. Sinking to death in a desolate place, he thought of Our Lady and her Scapular, for he was wearing the full Carmelite habit, and looked towards Mt. Carmel. There, in the distance, was the holy mountain of Carmel, the birthplace of devotion to God’s Mother. He cried out, “Holy Mother of Carmel, help me! Save me!” A moment later he found himself on solid ground. He said to a fellow priest later: “I know I was saved by the Blessed Virgin through her Brown Scapular. My shoes were lost in the mud, and I was covered with it, but I walked the 2 miles more through that desolate country praising Mary.”

In October of 1952, an Air Force officer in Texas wrote the following: “Six months ago, shortly after I started wearing the Scapular, I experienced a remarkable change in my life. Almost at once I started going to Mass every day. After a short time I started to receive Holy Communion daily. I kept Lent with a fervor I had never experienced before. I was introduced to the practice of meditation and found myself making feeble attempts on the way to perfection. I have been trying to live with God. I credit Mary’s Scapular.”

Mary promises to make easy by grace that which is difficult to nature and to help with more than ordinary graces as long as we wear the sign of our consecration to her. Mary herself said: “Take this Scapular, whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a SIGN OF SALVATION – a protection in danger and pledge of peace.” Yet, by accepting the Scapular, we enter into a contract with Our Lady—she promises to help us save our soul, but we must play our part in that salvation. As one saint once said: “God will not save man without man!” Meaning that God expects our cooperation, even though He doesn’t really need anyone’s cooperation to do anything. Hence the phrase, “God helps those who help themselves.” Likewise, Our Lady will not save our souls without our cooperation. We have to desire to leave sin behind; we have to desire a fidelity in her service; we have to do whatever is in our power to do—then Our Lady will take care of the rest. If Holy Scripture can say: “God is not mocked!” (Galatians 6:7), then we can also say: “Our Lady is not mocked!” nor will God allow His Mother to be mocked without consequences being suffered. Let us be sincere and faithful, and always carry in our minds and hearts the words of St. Alphonsus: “It is impossible that a servant of Mary be damned, provided he serves her faithfully and commends himself to her maternal protection.”

Resolution
I will always wear my Scapular, no matter what it costs, no matter what people might think or say. Yet wearing my Scapular is not enough! I must be resolved to fight against and avoid sin. The Scapular is a sacramental that draws down graces upon its wearer; it will draw down the graces I need to fight and avoid sin, but this is something I must sincerely desire and pray for.

Our Prayer
O most beautiful Flower of Mount Carmel, Fruitful Vine, Splendor of Heaven, Blessed Mother of the Son of God, Immaculate Virgin, assist me in this my necessity. O Star of the Sea, help me and show me herein that thou art my Mother. O Holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of Heaven and Earth, I humbly beseech thee, from the depth of my heart, to help me in this my necessity; there are none that can withstand thy power. O show me herein that thou art my Mother.

[Mention Intention]

Let us pray:
O all Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and glory of Mount Carmel. Thou who dost look with most gracious countenance on those who have been clothed with thy venerable livery, look kindly also on me and take me under the mantle of thy maternal protection. Strengthen my weakness with thy might; enlighten the darkness of my heart with thy wisdom; increase in me Faith, Hope and Charity. So adorn my soul with graces and virtues, that it may be always dear to thy Divine Son and thee. Assist me during life, comfort me in death with thy most sweet presence, and present me, as thy child and faithful servant, to the Most Holy Trinity, that I may be enabled to praise and extol thee in Heaven forever. Amen.

Say the Our Father and the Hail Mary.

Final Invocation:
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Pray for us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Protect us!
Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Save us!