Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel in the context of the Jubilee of Hope
Mount Carmel, whose beauty is extolled in the Bible, has always been a sacred mountain. The prophet Elijah made it a refuge of fidelity to the one God and a place of encounter with the Lord. It is also the Marian place par excellence where the little cloud announcing the end of the drought prefigured the Virgin Mary, She who, at the foot of the Cross, with unshakeable faith and hope, draws the source of Grace upon the world.
The Carmelite Order has an origin as ancient as it is glorious; it is believed that this Order is merely the continuation of the school of prophets established on Mount Carmel by the prophet Elijah. At that place, during the Crusades, Christian hermits inspired by the life and spirit of the prophet took refuge in the caves of this mountain, gathering around a church they dedicated to the Virgin Mary, taking her as the patron saint of their group. Later, they suffered greatly at the hands of the Saracens and Muslims. It was because of these trials suffered by the Carmelite Order that the Carmelites came to Europe. They established several houses there and even settled in England, where they had the joy of seeing Saint Simon Stock embrace this religious family. This great saint became Superior General of the Carmelites in 1245.
The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel is intended to commemorate a special grace granted by Mary to the Carmelite Order and through it to the whole Church. On the night of 16 July, in the midst of great tribulations, Simon Stock asked with special fervour for the protection of the Blessed Virgin over his Order. At dawn, Mary appeared to him, accompanied by a multitude of angels, surrounded by light and dressed in the habit of Carmel. Her face was smiling; in her hands she held the scapular of the Order, with which she herself clothed the saint, saying: “This is a privilege for you and for all Carmelites. Whoever dies wearing this habit will not suffer eternal fire.”
This habit is the sign of God’s presence in the midst of trials. Mary at the foot of the Cross hides her children in her Heart and becomes the Mother of those redeemed by her Son. She invites us to stand at the foot of the Cross, without faltering, offering ourselves with Christ for the life of all humanity.
O Our Mother… Queen and Beauty of Carmel… Mother of Life… Source of all hope… pray for us!
In this Jubilee Year of Hope, let us ask Mary to teach us to live this deep hope that sustains, inspires and never disappoints, even in the midst of difficulties.