Ave Maria Meditations

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 you are my mother.

O holy Mary, Mother of God, Queen of heaven and earth,

I humbly beseech you from the bottom of my heart,

to aid me in my need;

there are none that can withstand your power.

O show me herein you are my Mother.

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O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

O Mary, conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee.

(and for those who do not have recourse to thee, especially the enemies of the Holy Church)

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Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands.

(state your petition)

Amen.

Song of Gratitude to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

By St. Therese of Lisieux

From the first moments of my life,

You took me in your arms.

Ever since that day, dear Mother,

You’ve protected me here below.

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To preserve my innocence,

You placed me in a soft nest.

You watched over my childhood

In the shade of a holy cloister.

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Later, in the days of my youth,

I heard Jesus’ call!…

In your ineffable tenderness,

You showed Carmel to me.

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“Come, my child, be generous,”

You sweetly said to me.

“Near me, you’ll be happy,

Come sacrifice yourself for your Savior.”

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Close to you, 0 my loving Mother!

I’ve found rest for my heart.

I want nothing more on earth.

Jesus alone is all my happiness.

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If sometimes I feel sadness

And fear coming to assail me,

Always supporting me in my weakness,

Mother, you deign to bless me.

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Grant that I may be faithful

To my divine Spouse Jesus.

One day may his sweet voice call me

To flyaway among the elect.

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Then, no more exile, no more suffering.

In Heaven I’ll keep repeating

The song of my gratitude,

Lovable Queen of Carmel!

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The Story of the Devotion to Our Lady of Mt. Carmel

OUR LADY of MOUNT CARMEL  (1251)

According to the most ancient Carmelite chronicles, the Order has its origins with the disciples of the prophets Elias and Eliseus. They lived in caves on Mount Carmel. They honored the Queen of Heaven as the Virgin who is to give birth to the Saviour. When the reality replaced the symbol, the pious ascetics of Carmel were converted to the Christian Faith. In the 12th century, many pilgrims from Europe who had followed the Crusaders came to join the solitaries. A rule was established and the Order began to spread to Europe.

Amid the many persecutions raised against the Order of Mount Carmel, newly arrived in Europe, Saint Simon Stock, General of the Order, turned with filial confidence to the Blessed Mother of God. As he knelt in prayer on July 16, 1251, in the White Friars’ convent at Cambridge, She appeared before him and presented him with the well-known brown scapular, a loose sleeveless garment destined for the Order of Carmel, reaching from the shoulders to the knees. It was given as an assurance, for all who died wearing it, of Her heavenly protection from eternal death. An extraordinary promise indeed, but one requiring a life of prayer and sacrifice.

Devotion to the blessed habit spread quickly throughout the Christian world. Pope after Pope enriched it with indulgences, and innumerable miracles put their seal upon its efficacy.

At Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin chose to make Her last apparition on July 16th, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the day the Church commemorates Her apparition to Saint Simon Stock. And at Fatima on October 13, 1917, it is as Our Lady of Mount Carmel that Mary appeared when She said farewell to the three children. Throughout the ages, the Queen of Carmel has always kept a faithful watch over the destinies of Her cherished children on earth.

THE BROWN SCAPULAR – A SIGN OF DEVOTION TO MARY

The Brown Scapular is a Roman Catholic devotion to Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is worn as a sign of love and devotion for the Mother of God. The Carmelite Order, to which the Scapular belongs, originated on Mt. Carmel in the Holy Land and the Scapular is itself a reflection in miniature of the habit (scapular: a sleeveless outer garment falling from the shoulders) which the monks wear as a sign of their vocation and devotion. Over the years the scapular, at least for lay people, became much reduced in size to but small pieces of wool cloth suspended front and back.

MARY’S PROMISE TO THOSE WHO WEAR THE SCAPULAR

Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire …. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace. Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII. In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting.”

CONDITIONS AND RITUALS ATTACHED TO THE SCAPULAR

According to Church tradition, there are three conditions necessary to participate in this Privilege and share in the other spiritual benefits of the Scapular: wear the Brown Scapular, observe chastity according to your state in life, and pray the Rosary. In addition to the Sabbatine Privilege, enrollment in the Brown Scapular also makes a person part of the Carmelite family throughout the world. They therefore share in all of the prayers and good works of the Carmelite Orders. Participation in the Carmelite family also, of course, places you in a special relationship with the Carmelite saints, especially St. Elijah, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Therese of Lisieux, and, most importantly, Our Lady of Mount Carmel. In order to receive the spiritual blessings associated with the 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, the enrollment is for life and need not be repeated. Anyone, adult or infant, who has not previously been enrolled may be enrolled in the Brown Scapular.

VALUE AND MEANING OF THE SCAPULAR

Many popes and saints have strongly recommended wearing, the Brown Scapular to the Catholic Faithful, including St. Robert Bellarmine, Pope John XXII, Pope Pius Xl, and Pope Benedict XV. For example, St. Alphonsus said: “Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God.”  Pope Pius XII went so far as to say: “The Scapular is a practice of piety which by its very simplicity is suited to everyone, and has spread widely among the faithful of Christ to their spiritual profit.” In our own times, Pope Paul VI said: “Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin … the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel” and in another place referred to the Scapular as: “so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors.”

ACT OF CONSECRATION TO OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL

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O Mary, Queen and Mother of Carmel,

I come today to consecrate myself to you,

for my whole life is but a small return

for the many graaces and blessings

that have come from God to me through your hands. Since you look with special kindness

on those who wear your Scapular,

I implore you to strengthen my weakness

with your power,

to enlighten the darkness of my mind

with your wisdom, and to increase in me

Faith, Hope and Charity

that I may repay each day

my debt of humble homage to you.

May your Scapular bring me your special protection

in my daily struggle to be faithful

to your Divine Son and to you.

May it separate me from all that is sinful in life

and remind me constantly of my duty

to imitate your virtues.

From now on, I shall strive t

o live in God’s Presence,

and offer all to Jesus through you.

Dearest Mother, support me by your never-failing love and lead me to paradise

through the merits of Christ

and your own intercession. Amen.