Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The Catholic Church will celebrate the feast of Mary under her title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. This is a very special day for all Carmelites as they honor Mary as their Patroness.
This is a very special day for me because this day marks the day I was led to a deeper appreciation of the Mother of God and my Catholic faith. I still vividly remember, and can accurately recall, the words of the priest that gave me my first brown scapular on July 16, 1984, "Wear this and call on the Virgin Mary." Everyone experiences life-changing events, this was mine.

Someone who doesn't have a devotion to Mary will never understand the sentiments I have for her. I can say that even of Catholics. She did something for me that no other Saint in heaven did. She awakened in me a deep sense of being loved and made me understand that the practice of religion is a way of life, a relationship, and not just a collection of pious exercises. She made me want to give more of myself as an act of gratitude, not just to obtain favors. She opened my eyes to the reality that Jesus, her Son, is a person, not just an object of ideology, or a leading character in a book we call Holy Bible. But because he is a person, he is most alive and desires to be known, to be loved, to be talked to and to be listened to.
He is a person who understands us and invites us, even begs us, to know and to understand him better.

I owe a lot to the Mother of God. I would like to publicly acknowledge that and to honor her. I fall short in serving her worthily but I renew my intentions everyday. People who have been touched by Mary will share my sentiments. Our individual experiences will serve to witness her many and particular influence. This was a poem I wrote when I was a Novice to honor Our Lady of Mount Carmel.

To the Blessed Virgin Mary
Of Mount Carmel

A place of beauty and green serenity
Blowing breeze of coolness
Transported from the sea.
Earth’s creation finds abode in thee
With the holy hermits of Elias’ glory
This is Carmel
a mountain most heavenly.

O Virgin Mary, Queen most holy
You are our Lady inspiring many.
Your quiet life, simplicity, purity
All speak to me of Carmel’s story.


Glorious Lady, our mother too!
Who comes to us when life is blue.
In gentle stillness of your ways
You whisper softly, firmly,
“You do exactly as Jesus says.”

To be with us forever,

not to leave us ever
Her Scapular she gave us.
To those with true devotion,

a token of compassion
a garment of salvation.

As Saint Elias beheld your image
God and Father whose Spouse thou art
Behold your image in our lives and hearts.


Dear Lady of Carmel,
Virgin of our solitude,
Teach us how to please the Spirit
Show us God our only good.
To climb life’s mountain heights
In the steep ways of the spirit
Faith, hope and love

Our surest guides.

When life’s burden weighs heavy
And the journey makes me weary
Mother of Carmel, come quickly
With your mantle covering me
I will find repose in thee
Like a child asleep

with confidence
So deep.