July 16
Carmelmeans “vineyard,” “orchard,” or “garden” and reflects the fertile beauty of Mount Carmel’s picturesque slopes. The mountainous ridge starts on the Mediterranean coast in the northwest part of Israel, at the south shore of the Bay of Acre. From there, the range runs southeast down to the plain of Dothan. Running along the northeast side of the ridge is the Valley of Jezreel. At its highest point, Mount Carmel reaches 1,742 feet above sea level.
Recall that Mount Carmel is the scene of a spectacular head-to-head confrontation between the false prophets of Baal and the One True God of Israel. The episode takes place during one of Israel’s worst times of crisis under King Ahab. To please his wife, Jezebel, Ahab set up an altar to Baal at the top of Mount Carmel. Baal, the favorite deity of Jezebel, was reputed to be the god of rain and vegetation.
In 1 Kings 17: 1-24, Elijah enters the story as an emissary of the Lord. The prophet confronts Ahab and predicts a drought in response to Ahab and Jezebel’s unholy devotion to Baal. (An interesting pattern—frequently in the Bible—the sins of the leaders result in the people under them being punished! But that’s another Reflection!) When the end of the drought neared, to prove that the Lord God was the only true God, Elijah proposes a contest. All of Israel was summoned to Mount Carmel to witness the confrontation between Elijah and the false prophets of Baal (1 Kings 18:19). The match would show whose god was able to send fire from heaven to consume their offerings.
The prophets of Baal prayed all day and cut themselves violently to get Baal’s attention, but Baal does not answer (1 Kings 17:28‑29).
By evening it was Elijah’s turn. He rebuilt the ruined altar of God that had been on Mount Carmel. He set the offering on top of the wood and then drenched the whole pyre with water and prayed aloud: “LORD, the God of Abraham, Isaac and Israel, let it be known today that you are God in Israel and that I am your servant and have done all these things at your command. Answer me, LORD, answer me, so these people will know that you, LORD, are God, and that you are turning their hearts back again” (1 Kings 18:36‑37). God answered with a spectacular display of fire from heaven, consuming the offering, the sodden wood and even the very rocks of the altar! The people fell on their faces, proclaiming, “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God” (1 Kings 18:39)]. Elijah then ordered the people to execute the 850 false prophets according to the Mosaic Law (Deuteronomy 13). Later, Elijah’s protégé, Elisha, also used Mount Carmel as a home base (2 Kings 4 25).
From ancient times, Mount Carmel has been regarded as a holy place and a symbol of beauty and fertility. Isaiah associates God’s glorious restoration of redeemed humanity with the “splendor of Carmel” (Isaiah 35:2). Solomon compares the head of his beloved with the beauty and nobility of Mount Carmel (Song of Solomon 7:5).
Carmel has long been associated with the Blessed Virgin. It was here where Elijah prayed to God for the salvation of Israel, which was suffering a terrible drought. He continued to pray and sent his servant up the mountain several times to look for rain. On the seventh try, Elijah’s servant returned with good news. “Behold a little cloud arose out of the sea like a man’s foot (1 Kings 1:44). Soon after, the rains began to fall, and the people of Israel were saved. Elijah saw the cloud as a symbol of the Virgin mentioned in the prophesies of Isaiah (Isaiah 5: 14). Elijah’s followers, who continued to live on Mount Carmel, followed his example and prayed for the advent of the much-awaited Virgin who would become the mother of the Messiah.
This tradition of hermits living on Mount Carmel, devoted to praying for and to the Blessed Virgin, continues even until today. By the 13th century they became known as Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. By 1726 their devotions became a celebration of the universal Church under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
The great Carmelite saints and theologians have promoted devotion to Mary and have championed the mystery of her immaculate Conception. St. Teresa of Avila called Carmel, “the Order of the Virgin.” St. John of the Cross credited Mary with saving him from drowning as a child, leading him to Carmel, and later helping him escape from prison. St. Thérèse of the Child Jesus believed that Mary cured her from illness and in thanksgiving, dedicated her life to Mary.
In the 13th century, during the Crusades, St. Simon Stock joined a group of hermits on Mt. Carmel during a pilgrimage to the Holy Land. In 1247 he was elected the 6th Superior General of the Carmelites in England. The order had difficulty gaining general acceptance and suffered much persecution and oppression from secular clergy and other religious orders. The legend has it that on Sunday, July 16, 1251, as Simon Stock knelt in prayer, Our Lady appeared to him holding the Child Jesus in one arm and the Brown Scapular in the other. She told him, “This shall be the privilege for you and for all the Carmelites, that anyone dying in this habit shall be saved.” A short time later, on January 13, 1252, the order received a letter of protection from Pope Innocent IV, defending them from further harassment.
The scapular of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular, is one of the most popular and celebrated Roman Catholic devotions. The sacramental is a miniature derivative of the sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders to their feet that is worn by the Carmelites as a sign of their vocation and devotion.
Attached to the wearing of the Brown Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This privilege originates from the apocryphal Bull Sacratissimo uti culmine promulgated by Pope John XXII on March 3, 1322. According to the Pope, the Blessed Virgin gave him the following message in a vision related to those who wear the Brown Scapular: “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Sabbath after their death and whomever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of everlasting life.”
Based on Church tradition, three conditions need to be fulfilled to obtain the benefits of this Privilege:
- Wear the Brown Scapular
- Observe chastity according to one’s state in life
- Pray the Rosary
In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the Brown Scapular, it is necessary to be formally enrolled in the Brown Scapular by either a priest or a lay person who has been given this faculty. Once enrolled, no other Scapular need be blessed before wearing. The blessing and impositions are attached to the wearer for life.
Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Feast Day is July 16, the same day she appeared to St. Simon Stock.
May God Bless You and Grant You His Peace!