Live and recent posts from across the Fediverse tagged #our-lady-of-mount-carmel, aggregated by home.social.
How Italian immigrants helped build the Bronx Zoo and Belmont’s Little Italy – Bronx Times
Before Arthur Avenue became known for i…
#Italy #Europe #Europa #EU #arthurave #belmont #bronxlittleitaly #bronxzoo #italianamerican #italianamericanheritagecelebration #Italianimmigrants #italian-american-heritage #littleitaly #lorillards #newyorkbotancialgarden #nybg #ourladyofmountcarmel #thingstodoinlittleitalybronx #tonymurante #wcs #wildlifeconservationsociety
https://www.europesays.com/italy/58432/
https://www.europesays.com/3333750/ How Italian immigrants helped build the Bronx Zoo and Belmont’s Little Italy – Bronx Times #ArthurAve #Belmont #BronxLittleItaly #BronxZoo #ItalianAmericanHeritage #ItalianAmericanHeritageCelebration #ItalianImmigrants #ItalianAmerican #italy #LittleItaly #lorillards #NewYorkBotancialGarden #nybg #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #ThingsToDoInLittleItalyBronx #TonyMurante #WCS #WildlifeConservationSociety
How Italian immigrants helped build the Bronx Zoo and Belmont’s Little Italy – Bronx Times https://www.byteseu.com/2478360/ #ArthurAve #belmont #BronxLittleItaly #BronxZoo #ItalianAmerican #ItalianAmericanHeritageCelebration #ItalianImmigrants #ItalianAmericanHeritage #Italy #LittleItaly #lorillards #NewYorkBotancialGarden #nybg #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #ThingsToDoInLittleItalyBronx #TonyMurante #wcs #WildlifeConservationSociety
How Italian immigrants helped build the Bronx Zoo and Belmont’s Little Italy – Bronx Times
Before Arthur Avenue became known for i…
#Italy #Europe #Europa #EU #arthurave #belmont #bronxlittleitaly #bronxzoo #italianamerican #italianamericanheritagecelebration #Italianimmigrants #italian-american-heritage #littleitaly #lorillards #newyorkbotancialgarden #nybg #ourladyofmountcarmel #thingstodoinlittleitalybronx #tonymurante #wcs #wildlifeconservationsociety
https://www.europesays.com/italy/58428/
Quote of the day, 27 July: St. Titus Brandsma
Now, as never before, the eyes of the world are turned toward Carmel. In its garden a flower has opened its petals, of such ravishing beauty that countless numbers have directed their step hither, wishing to remain in the pleasance where such lovely flowers bloom. They examine anew the secrets of this beauty and once more ask themselves of what the loveliness of Carmel consists. This one flower has in turn drawn attention to so many others that the world has been filled with admiration for life in Carmel and on all sides new convents have been founded in order to fill the world with those sanctuaries in which one may live so saintly a life.
I refer to the flower of Lisieux, Little St. Therese of the Child Jesus and of the Holy Face, whose name has flown over the world, whose life’s story has been translated into all languages, who is called by God to add new lustre to the glory of Carmel.
I should like to mention that her ideal on the ‘Little Way’ was Our Lady. Two words of Mary were deeply impressed on her memory: Ecce ancilla Domini – “Behold the handmaid of the Lord”. From her youth she had a fervent, childlike devotion for Our Lady. Her statue stood in front of her in the small room of her paternal home, and it seemed to her as if it smiled down upon her. She entered the Order of Carmel to be her child and to imitate her especially in her union with Our Lord. Just as the life of Our Lady was ordinary and consisted of a series of the most common, everyday acts, so Therese wishes her own life to be.
If God had looked down with such great complacency on the humility of Our Lady and had even wished to descend into her, then He would also look down with pleasure upon her, if only she tried to grow a little like Mary. Mary surrendered herself unreservedly to God’s wishes through her “Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it done unto me according to Thy Word.” So little Therese gave herself unreservedly to God, wishing to please Him only, to trust Him, to be His alone. Like Our Lady who was not disturbed when Joseph did not understand her condition, but left the explanation of this mystery to God, so little Therese gave everything into God’s hands with a limitless confidence.
God had also descended upon her, she also saw God slumbering in her. She also wanted to taste of union with God with the same delicacy as that with which Mary enjoyed this delight. But just as the descent of God into Our Lady at once incited her to an act of humility, made her go to Elizabeth, Therese likewise wanted her union with God, her surrender to Him, to manifest itself in humble acts of charity. Therefore, she best liked to hear Our Lady praised as the example of all virtues.
Saint Titus Brandsma
The Apostolate of Carmelite Mysticism
Lecture delivered in North America, 1936
Brandsma, T 1936, ‘The Apostolate of Carmelite Mysticism’, Carmelite Mysticism: Historical Sketches, pp. 102–113, viewed 25 July 2026, https://www.titusbrandsmateksten.nl/carmelite-mysticism-historical-sketches-ix/.
Featured image: © Natalie Ewert (All rights reserved), used by permission.
#LittleFlower #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #StThérèseOfLisieux #StTitusBrandsma #theology
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Summer Fest begins in Niles Thursday | Niles News
NILES – If you’ve recently asked yourself when the last time you sunk your teeth into a fried bologna sandwich, there’s another destination for you offering some o…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Italianfood #churchfestival #Italia #Italian #ItalianFood #italiano #italy #niles #OurLadyofMountCarmel #summerfestival
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2731128/our-lady-of-mt-carmel-summer-fest-begins-in-niles-thursday-niles-news/
Quote of the day, 18 July: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
J. M. + J. T.
Darling little Mama,
I’m expecting you on Saturday at the time we arranged; I will go to receive you on foot, without a cane. I’m delighted about it!
I was expecting you today, and here I see my Master wants to unite mother and child in suffering since your dear health is the reason for the delay of your visit; I love you too much to be sad about it, for I understand better than ever how much God loves us when He tries us.
What a relief for me to think of you looked after by our dear Guite; let yourself be cared for by her, obey her completely, won’t you, little Mama.
The Blessed Virgin has not performed the miracle you desired.
When, as you tell me in your dear, kind letter, you’re afraid that I might be a victim marked out for suffering, I beg you not to be sad about it, that would be so beautiful; I don’t feel worthy of it; think now, to have a share in the sufferings of my crucified Bridegroom, and to go with Him to my passion to be a redemptrix with Him. . . .
Saint Paul says that those whom God foreknew, He predestined to be conformed to the image of His Son. Rejoice in your mother’s heart when you think that God has predestined me and has marked me with the seal of the Cross of His Christ…
We’ve had a very beautiful feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, I’ll tell you all about it on Saturday….
A Dieu, darling Mama, I gather all of you together to kiss you as I love you. Be very reasonable, listen well to your Guite to please me.
Your daughter who loves you more than she can say,
M.E. of the Trinity r.c.i.
26 years old today.
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Letter 300, 18 July 1906 (excerpts)
Note: This would be the last letter that St. Elizabeth of the Trinity would write on her birthday to celebrate with her dear mother, Madame Catez. Less than four months later, she would die of acute adrenal failure, directly attributable to her years-long battle with adrenal insufficiency (Addison’s Disease). The initials “r.c.i.” were in common use among Discalced Carmelite nuns in France at the time, meaning “religieuse carmélite indigne” (unworthy Carmelite religious). “Guite” was Elizabeth’s younger sister.
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, Nash, A (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: This profession-era photo of St. Elizabeth of the Trinity features the enclosed terrace of the Carmelite monastery in Dijon. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (by permission).
#birthday #illness #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #StElizabethOfTheTrinity #suffering
Quote of the day, 16 July: St. John Paul II
“Standing by the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother, and the disciple whom he loved standing near, he said to his mother: ‘Woman, behold your son!’ Then he said to the disciple, ‘Behold, your mother!’ And from that hour the disciple took her to his own home” (Jn. 19:25–27).1
Undoubtedly, we find here an expression of the Son’s particular solicitude for his Mother, whom he is leaving in such great sorrow. And yet the “testament of Christ’s Cross” says more. Jesus highlights a new relationship between Mother and Son, the whole truth and reality of which he solemnly confirms…. The Mother of Christ, who stands at the very center of this mystery—a mystery which embraces each individual and all humanity—is given as mother to every single individual and all mankind. The man at the foot of the Cross is John, “the disciple whom he loved.”2
But it is not he alone. Following tradition, the Council does not hesitate to call Mary “the Mother of Christ and mother of mankind”: since she “belongs to the offspring of Adam she is one with all human beings…. Indeed she is ‘clearly the mother of the members of Christ…since she cooperated out of love so that there might be born in the Church the faithful.'”3
And so this “new motherhood of Mary,” generated by faith, is the fruit of the “new” love which came to definitive maturity in her at the foot of the Cross, through her sharing in the redemptive love of her Son.
By his redemptive death, Jesus Christ conquers the evil of sin and death at its very roots. It is significant that, as he speaks to his mother from the Cross, he calls her “woman” and says to her: “Woman, behold your son!” Moreover, he had addressed her by the same term at Cana too (cf. Jn. 2:4).
How can one doubt that, especially now, on Golgotha, this expression goes to the very heart of the mystery of Mary, and indicates the unique place which she occupies in the whole economy of salvation?
The words uttered by Jesus from the Cross signify that the motherhood of her who bore Christ finds a “new” continuation in the Church and through the Church, symbolized and represented by John…. In accordance with the eternal plan of Providence, Mary’s divine motherhood is to be poured out upon the Church, as indicated by statements of Tradition, according to which Mary’s “motherhood” of the Church is the reflection and extension of her motherhood of the Son of God.4
Thus she who is present in the mystery of Christ as Mother becomes—by the will of the Son and the power of the Holy Spirit—present in the mystery of the Church. In the Church, too, she continues to be a maternal presence, as is shown by the words spoken from the Cross: “Woman, behold your son!”; “Behold, your mother.”
Saint John Paul II
Redemptoris Mater, 23–24 (excerpts)
Notes:
John Paul II 1987, Redemptoris Mater: on the Blessed Virgin Mary in the life of the pilgrim Church, The Holy See, viewed 14 July 2026, https://www.vatican.va/content/john-paul-ii/en/encyclicals/documents/hf_jp-ii_enc_25031987_redemptoris-mater.html.
Featured image: Statue of Our Lady and the Child Jesus in Stella Maris Basilica, Haifa, Israel. Photograph by Harvey Sapir. Image credit: Harvey Sapir Photography, PikiWiki Israel, (CC BY 2.5).
#BlessedVirginMary #MotherOfAllTheFaithful #motherhood #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #StJohnPaulII
Quote of the day, 15 July: Pope Benedict XVI
Through a happy coincidence, this Sunday falls on 16 July, the day when the liturgy commemorates Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The slopes of Carmel, a high ridge that runs down the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea at the altitude of Galilee, are dotted with numerous natural caves, beloved by hermits.
The most famous of these men of God was the great Prophet Elijah, who in the ninth century before Christ strenuously defended the purity of faith in the one true God from contamination by idolatrous cults. Inspired by the figure of Elijah, the contemplative order of Carmelites arose. It is a religious family that counts among its members great saints such as Teresa of Avila, John of the Cross, Thérèse of the Child Jesus, and Teresa Benedicta of the Cross (in the world: Edith Stein).
The Carmelites have spread among the Christian people devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, holding her up as a model of prayer, contemplation and dedication to God.
Indeed, Mary was the first, in a way that can never be equaled, to believe and experience that Jesus, the Incarnate Word, is the summit, the peak of man’s encounter with God. By fully accepting the Word, she “was blessedly brought to the holy Mountain” (cf. Opening Prayer of the Memorial), and lives forever with the Lord in body and soul.
Today, I would like to entrust to the Queen of Mount Carmel all contemplative life communities scattered throughout the world, especially those of the Carmelite Order, among which I recall the Monastery of Quart, not far from here, that I have had the opportunity to visit in these days. May Mary help every Christian to find God in the silence of prayer.
Saint John XXII
Angelus, Sunday 16 July 2006
Les Combes d’Introd, Valle d’Aosta)
Featured image: The Apología de la orden del Carmen is a large (288 cm x 376 cm) oil on canvas painting by an anonymous Novohispanic artist, which is part of the collection of the Museo de El Carmen in Mexico City. In sacred art, an apologia offers a visual representation of a theological defense of some concept that the artist or benefactor strongly believes in. In this work, the theme is the Carmelite universe, which is represented by the ancient hermits of Mount Carmel and the Discalced friars of 16th and 17th-century Europe. It includes the holy martyrs and secular clergy who supported the consolidation of the Order. The core of the composition centers on Our Lady of Mount Carmel with the Child Jesus embracing Saint Teresa, who leads the procession of a large contingent of her “daughters.” Image credit: Instituto Nacional de Antropología e Historia de México (Some rights reserved)
#Elijah #hermits #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #PopeBenedictXVI
16 July: BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL, PATRONESS AND TITULAR OF OUR ORDER
July 16
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL
PATRONESS AND TITULAR OF OUR ORDER
Solemnity
The sacred scriptures speak of the beauty of Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the faith of Israel in the living God. There, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel,” the Order of Carmelites had its formal beginning. From the fourteenth century this title, recalling the countless blessings of its patroness, began to be celebrated solemnly, first in England and then gradually throughout the whole Order. It attained its supreme place from the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the General Chapter declared it to be the principal feast of the Order, and Paul V recognized it as the feast of the Scapular Confraternity.
Evening Prayer I
Hymn
Flower of Carmel,
Tall vine blossom laden;
Splendor of heaven,
Child-bearing yet maiden.
None equals thee.
Mother so tender,
Who no man didst know,
On Carmel’s children
Thy favors bestow.
Star of the Sea.
Strong stem of Jesse,
Who bore one bright flower,
Be ever near us
And guard us each hour,
who serve thee here.
Purest of lilies,
That flowers among thorns,
Bring help to the true heart
That in weakness turns
and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armor,
We trust in thy might:
Under thy mantle,
Hard press’d in the fight,
we call to thee.
Our way uncertain,
Surrounded by foes,
Unfailing counsel
You give to those
who turn to thee.
O gentle Mother
Who in Carmel reigns,
Share with your servants
That gladness you gained
and now enjoy.
Hail, Gate of Heaven,
With glory now crowned,
Bring us to safety
Where thy Son is found,
true joy to see.
Flos Carmeli
Tr. unknown
Psalmody
Ant. 1 The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
Psalm 113
Praise, O servants of the Lord, *
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed *
both now and for evermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting *
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord, *
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God, *
who has risen on high to his throne *
yet stoops from the heights to look down, *
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly, *
from his misery he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes, *
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home *
and gladdens her heart with children.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
Ant. 2 You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.
Psalm 147
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! *
Sion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates, *
he has blessed the children within you.
He has established peace on your borders, *
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth *
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool, *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He hurls down hailstones like crumbs. *
The waters are frozen at his touch;
he sends forth his word and it melts them: *
at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.
He makes his word known to Jacob, *
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations; *
he has not taught them his decrees.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.
Ant. 3 You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.
Canticle: Eph 1:3-10
Blessed be the God and Father *
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ *
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him *
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy *
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love *
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, +
to the praise of his glorious grace *
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his Blood, *
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace *
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us +
in all wisdom and insight *
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose *
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him, *
things in heaven and things on earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.
Scripture Reading
Rev 11:19; 12:1
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Short Responsory
R/. How fair you are, * O Virgin Mary. Repeat R/.
V/. Your face is resplendent with grace, * O Virgin Mary.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Mary
Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, glory of Mount Carmel, we are your children and your people, endow us with your own virtues; have pity, and protect us from every danger.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant, *
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me: *
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, glory of Mount Carmel, we are your children and your people, endow us with your own virtues; have pity, and protect us from every danger.
Intercessions
Let us praise our heavenly Father, who gives us the joy of celebrating this solemn feast of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, as we pray:
R/. May Mary, Mother and Beauty of Carmel, intercede for us.
Lord, in your plan the Daughter of Sion was foreshadowed by the prophets and made the heir of all your promises; — by imitating Mary, who is the image of the Church, may your Church on earth be more and more the sacrament of the world’s salvation. R/.
You have honored the family of Carmel with the title and patronage of the Virgin Mary; — may all Carmelites live with her in unswerving allegiance to Jesus Christ. R/.
You have entrusted the whole of mankind, the brothers and sisters of your Son, to the care of Mary’s maternal heart; — may the world see her image in us as we strive to live in your presence and to give ourselves for the salvation of all. R/.
You call the humble family of Carmel, living in the cloister and in the world, to be especially dedicated to the Virgin Mary; — may all who are called to Carmel be of one mind and one heart as they join together in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. R/.
You promise a crown of glory to those who persevere in your love till the end; — may our departed brothers and sisters, who shared Mary’s love for you, rejoice with you forever in heaven. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
INVITATORY
Lord, open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:*
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Forty years I endured that generation. +
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray *
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Office of Readings
Hymn
1. Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel whom in ancient prophecy
God revealed to Saint Elijah by an Oriental sea.
Rise again on God’s creation bring to bloom this arid place
with the white cloud of your beauty and the rainfall of your grace.
2. Blessed cloud of God’s protection and His luminous abode,
light the pathways of your pilgrims to the promised land of God.
On the mount of contemplation be our surety and stay.
In the night a pillar glowing and a cloud of love by day.
3. Mother fair above all mothers, by the scapular we wear
be your own sign of salvation, which our willing shoulders bear.
Shield us from the foes of darkness, we are prey they seek to win.
Guard us as your loving children from the tragedy of sin.
4. Virgin of the Incarnation, in the mysteries of grace,
God has made His habitation in our soul’s most secret place.
Toward that bright and inner kingdom, all our words and ways compel.
For the Father, Son and Spirit in its sacred silence dwell.
5. Lady of the mystic mountain, where the Lord has set His throne,
up its steep way to the Spirit, none can walk save love alone.
Grant us grace to climb Mount Carmel and to learn that love is loss.
Guide us still our ways outdistance all earth’s treasures save the cross.
6. Queen and Beauty of Mount Carmel, Virgin of the solitude,
in the wilderness of Carmel lies the world’s eternal good.
Draw us to its deep seclusion and make God alone our goal.
In the mystical Mount Carmel that lies hidden in the soul.
87.87.D.
Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? The one with clean hands and pure heart.
When the following psalm has been used at the Invitatory, Ps 94 is said here in place of it.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set in on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, +
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
O gates, lift high your heads; +
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory? +
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads; +
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory? +
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? The one with clean hands and pure heart.
Ant. 2 I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Psalm 46
God is for us a refuge and strength *
a helper close at hand, in time of distress:
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, *
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
even though its waters rage and foam, *
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, *
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken; *
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken: *
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord *
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth; +
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps. *
He burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God, *
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Ant. 3 Glorious things are told of you, O city of God; the Lord founded you on his holy mountain!
Psalm 87
On the holy mountain is his city *
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Sion *
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, *
O city of God.
Babylon and Egypt I will count *
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, *
these will be her children
and Sion shall be called “Mother” *
for all shall be her children.
It is he, the Lord Most High, *
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes: *
‘These are her children’
and while they dance they will sing: *
‘In you all find their home.’
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God; the Lord founded you on his holy mountain!
V/. I have brought you into the land of Carmel.
R/. To enjoy the fruits and blessings of it.
The First Reading
1 Kings 18:36-39, 41-45a
A reading from the First Book of Kings
Elijah prayed on the summit of Carmel, and heaven granted rain
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again seven times.” And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
Responsory
R/. You care for the earth, give it water; you fill it with riches; * you bless its growth.
V/. The pastures of the wilderness flow with abundance, and the hills are girded with joy; * you bless its growth.
R/. You care for the earth, give it water; You fill it with riches; * you bless its growth.
V/. The pastures of the wilderness flow with abundance, and the hills are girded with joy; * you bless its growth.
The Second Reading (Alternative 2)
May 10 and June 22, 1967
From the Allocutions of Pope Paul VI
Blessed are all who have believed
We can readily see that the Blessed Virgin Mary was endowed in high measure with a remarkable interior enlightenment, such as might have been anticipated in view of her sinlessness and the nature of her task in the world. The Gospels make abundantly clear that her soul was gifted with an extraordinary insight into the ways of God and a prophetic intuition. Yet above all else it was faith that most characterized the Mother of God — the kind of faith that does not need proof, but accepts a thing as true because God has spoken. The Second Vatican Council declares that “the Blessed Virgin went forward in her pilgrimage of faith,” and the Gospel records how generous and meritorious that pilgrimage was when it cites Elizabeth’s high tribute, which tells us so much about Mary’s psychology and holiness: “Blessed are you, for you have believed.”
We find confirmation of this faith, Our Lady’s foremost virtue, wherever the gospel tells of what she was, or what she said or what she did. Faced with the attitudes that characterize the incomparable figure of Mary in relation to the mystery of Christ realized in herself, we feel compelled to follow her example, and discover patterns for those who have, in conformity with God’s plan for our salvation chosen the religious life. She teaches us how to listen, how to explore, to accept, to make sacrifices; she teaches us how to meditate, to wait, to examine; she teaches us self-possession, and calm, absolute assurance in judgment and action; she teaches us, in short, the fullness of prayer and communion with God. And all these things, though we see them in Mary uniquely realized by that one soul which was full of grace and completely under the sway of the Holy Spirit, are yet all forms of faith, and therefore close to us and available not only for our admiration but for our imitation.
You have chosen the narrow, austere, arduous way of the ascetic life. You are in such a way committed to the pursuit of the supreme art of prayer and an intense spiritual life that you are branded as true searchers after the only fullness, the only peace, the only love: the union of the soul with God.
May the most holy Virgin Mary confirm you in your Carmelite vocation. May she safeguard your love for the things of the spirit. May she obtain for you the graces you need in your holy, laborious ascent towards the knowledge of the divine realm and the ineffable experiences of its dark nights and light-filled days. May she give you the desire for sanctity, the desire to bear eschatological witness to the kingdom of heaven. May she make you models for all the members of God’s Church, and bind you to them in brotherhood. And may she one day lead you into that possession of Christ and His glory which, even now, is the goal towards which your whole life is directed.
Responsory
R/. In faith receive the word of God which is able to save your souls. * Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
V/. Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. * Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Where the Vigil Office is celebrated:
Canticles
Ant. Bring us, O Mary, to the summit of Carmel, to Christ our heavenly life.
Canticle I
Is 2:2-3
All the peoples will come to the house of the Lord
The mountain where God has chosen to dwell (Ps 67:17)
It shall come to pass in the latter days *
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains, +
and shall be raised above the hills, *
and all the nations shall flow to it.
And many people shall come, and say +
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, *
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways *
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Sion shall go forth the law, *
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Canticle II
Is 61:10-62:3
The prophet rejoices in the new Jerusalem
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
as beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband (Rev 21:2)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, *
my soul shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, *
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, *
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, *
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise *
to spring forth before all the nations.
For Sion’s sake I will not keep silent, *
and for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not rest
until her vindication goes forth as brightness, *
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication, *
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name *
which the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty *
in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem *
in the hand of your God.
Canticle III
Is 62:4-7
The glory of the new Jerusalem
Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them (Rev 21:3)
No longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken,’ *
nor your land ‘Abandoned,’
but you shall be called ‘My Delight,’ *
and your land, ‘The Wedded;’
for the Lord takes delight in you *
and your land will have its wedding.
Like a young man marrying a virgin, *
so will the one who built you wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, *
so will your God rejoice in you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, *
I set watchmen.
Day or night *
they must never be silent.
You who keep the Lord mindful *
must take no rest.
Nor let him take rest +
till he has restored Jerusalem, *
and made her the boast of the earth.
Ant. Bring us, O Mary, to the summit of Carmel, to Christ our heavenly life.
Gospel
Lk 1:39-56
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?
Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my savior;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
—according to the promise he made to our ancestors of
his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Te Deum
You are God: we praise you; *
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father: *
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, *
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might, *
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you. +
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. *
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: *
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, *
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory, *
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free *
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death, *
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. *
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people, *
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints*
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
— Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
— We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
— Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy,
— for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
— And we shall never hope in vain.
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Morning Prayer
Hymn
Let us in spirit make our way
to Carmel’s mountain height;
our Virgin Mother calls us there
to gather flowers of light.
This is indeed a holy place
where God has ever reigned;
here hearts are healed in silent prayer,
and strength of mind attained.
This is where living water flowed
to save the thirsting land,
to clothe the desert with fresh grass,
with trees the burning sand.
Cradle of our religious life
is Carmel’s height austere;
wherever Mary turns her gaze
flow waters springing clear.
Let us adore the Trinity
the Father honors her,
the Son embraces her with love,
the Spirit reigns in her!
C.M.
Carmeli ad altos vertices
Tr. unknown
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, for you I long; *
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you *
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary *
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life, *
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life, *
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, *
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you. *
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help; *
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
Ant. 2 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord,
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. *
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord. *
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord. *
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord. *
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord. *
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. *
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. *
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. *
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. *
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. *
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.
Ant. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
Ant. 3 Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Psalm 149
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Reading
Is 35:1-2
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,
let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,
let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,
let it rejoice and sing for joy.
The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they shall see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Short Responsory
R/. Under your protection we take refuge, * Mother of God most holy.
Repeat R/.
V/. Do not turn away from the prayers that spring from our need, * Mother of God most holy.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Zechariah
Ant. Jesus said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple He said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old +
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers*
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Jesus said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple He said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Intercessions
Christ our Savior, the first-born of many brothers, gave us his Mother as our own. On this sacred day let us come to him with thankful hearts and say:
R/. For the gift of your Mother, we give glory to you, Lord.
Christ our Redeemer, you prepared a worthy dwelling place for yourself in the sinless Virgin Mary; — may we work today in your service and hers, poor in spirit and pure in heart. R/.
Only Word of the Father, uttered in eternal silence and lovingly received in the womb of the Virgin, — may our Carmelite vocation lead us, like Mary, to hear the Word of God and put it into practice. R/.
Christ our Teacher, you offer the Virgin Mary as the model of every virtue to those who seek you; — may we, her children, mirror her life, especially in our charity towards all. R/.
Jesus, Son of Mary, you gave your Mother to the apostle John to take into his own keeping; — in our familiarity with Mary may we experience your ineffable love. R/.
Christ, Spouse of the Church, you sent the fire of the Holy Spirit upon Mary when she was joined with the apostles in prayer; — may the whole family of Carmel remain faithful in prayer with Mary, and so be continually renewed by the Holy Spirit. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Daytime Prayer
The complementary psalms are used. If the solemnity falls on Sunday, the psalms of Sunday Week I are used.
Midmorning
Ant. O Mary, you are a mother beyond compare, worthy to be remembered by your children forever.
Psalm 120
To the Lord in the hour of my distress *
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, *
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he repay you in return, *
O treacherous tongue?
The warriors arrows sharpened *
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
(Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, *
dwell among the tents of Kedar!)
Long enough have I been dwelling *
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak, *
they are for fighting.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; *
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord *
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble! *
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, *
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; *
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you *
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil, *
he will guard you soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming *
both now and for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 129
“They have pressed me hard from my youth,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“They have pressed me hard from my youth *
but could never destroy me.
They plowed my back like plowmen, *
drawing long furrows.
But the Lord who is just, has destroyed *
the yoke of the wicked.”
Let them be shamed and routed, *
those who hate Zion!
Let them be like grass on the roof *
that withers before it flowers.
With that no reaper fill his arms, *
no binder makes his sheaves
and those passing by will not say: +
“On you the Lord’s blessing!” *
“We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Prov 8:32-34
And now, my sons, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Happy is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
V/. Whoever finds me finds life.
R/. And will receive salvation from the Lord.
Midday
Ant. Your souls will rejoice in her mercy, and her praise will not bring you to shame.
Psalm 123
To you have I lifted up my eyes, *
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves *
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant *
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God *
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. *
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul +
with the scorn of the rich, *
with the proud man’s disdain.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 124
“If the Lord had not been on our side,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side *
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive *
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us, *
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept *
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us *
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped *
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken *
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, *
who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 125
Those who put their trust in the Lord +
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, *
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her, +
so the Lord surrounds his people *
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest *
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just *
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good, *
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil, *
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Sir 24:15-16
I made Sion my stronghold, the holy city my resting-place, Jerusalem my throne. My roots spread out among the people that enjoys his favor, my God has granted me a share in his own domain; where his faithful servants are gathered I love to linger.
V/. My spirit is sweeter than honey.
R/. My inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.
Midafternoon
Ant. With the fruit of her hands she planted a vineyard; her children stood up and proclaimed her blessed.
Psalm 126
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels *
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat, *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 128
O blessed are those who fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat. *
You will be happy and prosper;
the wife like a fruitful vine *
in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive, *
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed *
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion *
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children *
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
Scripture Reading
Sir 24:23-25
No vine ever yielded fruit so fragrant; the enjoyment of honor and riches is the fruit I bear. It is I that give birth to all noble loving, all reverence, all true knowledge, and the holy gift of hope. From me comes every grace of faithful observance, from me all promise of life and vigor.
V/. Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine.
R/. The vine your right hand has planted.
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Evening Prayer II
Hymn
When thirst broke up the ground stricken at God’s command,
and crops lay on the long baked ridges of the soil,
swiftly Elias went where Carmel towered above,
scaling rough rocks with zeal and toil.
Great soul in fervent prayer, lifting his hands on high,
prophet, he pleaded there, turning God’s wrath again.
Hour after hour he strove for those marked down to die
unless the fields were saved with rain.
Then, far off, where the sea stretched in a distant plain,
a cloud fine as a hand lit in the deep blue cope;
and soon thunderclouds came, and after them the rain
drumming the dust with rhythms of hope.
Mary, we are those crops which drought of grace lays low,
you are that mystic cloud, that fruitful womb are you.
Your son, the God you nurse, is new life’s rain to us
who grow once more as hope comes true.
Spare us, great triune God, as we too bend in prayer,
help us scale the high stars, our mother’s worthy sons;
There, raised by her, we praise you everlastingly
and pour forth love’s unending songs.
12.12.12.8.
Bro. John Leonard Davies, O.C.D.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Behold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city *
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, *
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, *
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment *
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls, *
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends *
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of the Lord *
I will ask for your good.
Ant. Behold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.
Ant. 2 Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat: *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Ant. Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
Ant. 3 The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Canticle: Eph 1:3-10
Blessed be the God and Father *
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ *
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him *
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy *
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love *
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, +
to the praise of his glorious grace *
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, *
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace *
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us +
in all wisdom and insight *
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose *
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him, *
things in heaven and things on earth.
Ant. The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Scripture Reading
Gal 4:4-6
When the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law, to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons. The proof that you are sons is the fact that God has sent forth into our hearts the spirit of his Son, which cries out “Abba, Father!”
Short Responsory
R/. I exult for joy in the Lord, * my soul rejoices in God. Repeat R/.
V/. For he has clothed me in the garments of salvation; he has wrapped me in the cloak of justice. * My soul rejoices in God.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Mary
Ant. Mary, ever Virgin, has been given us as our Mother; she has taken pity on us; today we remember. Today all Carmel sings for joy as we keep a solemn festival in her honor whose name we bear.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant, *
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me: *
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Mary, ever Virgin, has been given us as our Mother; she has taken pity on us; today we remember. Today all Carmel sings for joy as we keep a solemn festival in her honor whose name we bear.
Intercessions
As we honor the holy Mother of God, under whose name and patronage we live, let us pray with confidence to Christ our Lord and say:
R/. Through the intercession of the Mother of Carmel, hear us, O Lord.
You said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;” — may we stand with Mary among the poor and humble of the Lord, so that you may be our only wealth. R/.
You said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God;” — in following the Immaculate Virgin may we come to love that purity of heart which makes us eager to see the Father’s face. R/.
You said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe;” — with Mary at our side, may we never cease to trust in the love you have for us as we journey in this night of faith. R/.
You said, “You ought to pray always and never lose heart;” — teach us to pray like Mary, treasuring your word in our hearts and proclaiming it in our lives. R/.
You said, “A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you;” — united in heart and mind, may we be ready to spend our lives for our brothers and sisters and share with Mary in your work of redemption. R/.
Dying on the cross, you said to John, and through him to all disciples, “Behold your Mother;” — may we always please you by living in the intimate company of the Mother of Grace. R/.
You said, “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am:” — may all those who trusted in your everlasting mercy rejoice one day with you and Mary in our Father’s house. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.
Featured image: A classic statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Image credit: kmiragaya / Adobe Stock
#DiscalcedCarmelite #LiturgyOfTheHours #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #patroness #Solemnity
Springfield’s Italian Feast is back this weekend, with cannoli-eating contest and greased pole
SPRINGFIELD — The Our Lady of Mount Carmel Italian Feast is back, kicking of…
#dining #cooking #diet #food #Italianfood #candlelightprocession #holycannoli #Italia #Italian #Italianfeast #ItalianFood #italiano #italy #MotherMarystatue #OurLadyofMountCarmel #Springfield
https://www.diningandcooking.com/2720454/springfields-italian-feast-is-back-this-weekend-with-cannoli-eating-contest-and-greased-pole/
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2026
Welcome to our annual Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Each day, we will reflect on an antiphon from the Solemnity of the Virgin, Patroness and Head of our Order. The antiphons are paired with a scripture reference and a brief quote from our saints. Our closing novena prayer is found at the bottom of this page. Let’s confidently entrust ourselves to the Blessed Virgin’s intercession that she may bring us to God’s holy mountain, Christ our Lord.
Pray each day with Our Lady
Day One
The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
The wilderness and the dry land shall be glad, the desert shall rejoice and blossom; like the crocus it shall blossom abundantly, and rejoice with joy and singing. The glory of Lebanon shall be given to it, the majesty of Carmel and Sharon. They shall see the glory of the Lord, the majesty of our God (Isaiah 35:1–2).
The Father bending down to this beautiful creature, who was so unaware of her own beauty, willed that she be the Mother in time of Him whose Father He is in eternity. Then the Spirit of love who presides over all of God’s works came upon her; the Virgin said her fiat: “Behold the servant of the Lord, be it done to me according to Your word,” and the greatest of mysteries was accomplished. By the descent of the Word in her, Mary became forever God’s prey.
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Heaven in Faith, Tenth Day
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Two
You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.
“The slaves have tricked us! One Hebrew woman has brought disgrace on the house of King Nebuchadnezzar. Look, Holofernes is lying on the ground, and his head is missing!” Then the high priest Joakim and the elders of the Israelites who lived in Jerusalem came to witness the good things that the Lord had done for Israel, and to see Judith and to wish her well. When they met her, they all blessed her with one accord and said to her, “You are the glory of Jerusalem, you are the great boast of Israel, you are the great pride of our nation! You have done all this with your own hand; you have done great good to Israel, and God is well pleased with it. May the Almighty Lord bless you forever!” And all the people said, “Amen” (Judith 14:18; 15:8–10).
A feminine form (enters, dressed like a pilgrim; speaks):
Peace be with you! Oh, don’t be afraid! What’s approaching you at night is a supplicant who has no other weapons than raised hands.
Mother:
Oh, so speak! I’ll gladly do whatever you ask if it’s within my power. The fear has vanished….
Stranger:
Thank you for your goodness. Yes, I have traveled far from land to land and from door to door. I am seeking lodgings.
Mother:
Looking for lodgings? How the word touches me! I am reminded of that pure one, the Immaculate, who once about this time also sought lodgings (Kneels down). Oh, tell me! Are you she herself, the Virgin Mother?
Stranger (raises her up):
I am not she—but I know her very well, and it is my joy to serve her. I am of her people, her blood, and once I risked my life for this people. You recall her when you hear my name. My life serves as an image of hers for you.
Saint Edith Stein
Conversation at Night
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Three
You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.
Then Tobit said: “Blessed be God who lives forever, because his kingdom lasts throughout all ages. Go, then, and rejoice over the children of the righteous, for they will be gathered together and will praise the Lord of the ages” (Tobit 13:1, 13).
Now we are all at peace, calced and discalced; no one can hinder us from serving our Lord. Hence, my Brothers and Sisters, since His Majesty has heard your prayers so well, let us make haste to serve Him. Let those in the present who are eye-witnesses, consider the favors He has granted us and the trials and disturbances from which He has delivered us. And those who are to come, when they find everything running smoothly, let them, for the love of our Lord, not neglect anything relating to perfection. May that which is said of some orders that praise their beginnings not be said of them. Now we are beginning, and let them strive to advance always from good to better. Let them beware, for the devil, through very small things, drills holes through which very large things enter. May it not happen that those who are to come say: “These things are not important; don’t go to extremes.” Oh, my daughters, everything that helps us advance is important.
Saint Teresa of Avila
The Foundations, 29:32
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Four
Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
“For your love is better than wine, your anointing oils are fragrant, your name is perfume poured out; therefore the maidens love you. Draw me after you, let us make haste” (Song of Songs 1:2b–4).
Since I have two brothers and my little sisters, the novices, if I wanted to ask for each soul what each one needed and go into detail about it, the days would not be long enough and I fear I would forget something important. For simple souls, there must be no complicated ways; as I am of their number, one morning during my thanksgiving, Jesus gave me a simple means of accomplishing my mission. He made me understand these words of the Canticle of Canticles: “DRAW ME, WE SHALL RUN after you in the odor of your ointments.” O Jesus, it is not even necessary to say: “When drawing me, draw the souls whom I love! ” This simple statement: ‘Draw me’ suffices; I understand, Lord, that when a soul allows herself to be captivated by the odor of your ointments, she cannot run alone, all the souls whom she loves follow in her train; this is done without constraint, without effort, it is a natural consequence of her attraction for You.
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Manuscript C, 33v–34r
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Five
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
In the sixth month the angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man whose name was Joseph, of the house of David. The virgin’s name was Mary. And he came to her and said, “Greetings, favored one! The Lord is with you.” In those days Mary set out and went with haste to a Judean town in the hill country, where she entered the house of Zechariah and greeted Elizabeth. When Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb. And Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit and exclaimed with a loud cry, “Blessed are you among women, and blessed is the fruit of your womb” (Luke 1:26–28, 39–42).
“The angel Gabriel was sent by God to a town in Galilee called Nazareth, to a virgin engaged to a man named Joseph; and the virgin’s name was Mary.” The Annunciation places us before a great mystery. The angel entered and said to her, “Hail, full of grace, the Lord is with you.” At these words she was greatly troubled and wondered what this greeting could mean. But the angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. Behold, you will conceive and bear a son.” Mary said to the angel, “How will this be?” Then the angel answered her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you.” The Holy Spirit will come with all his power. “He will overshadow you.” Whenever God manifests himself, he manifests himself with shadow. Let us not think that this shadow is accidental; it is the atmosphere in which God’s manifestations take place. Because of his transcendence, God is surrounded by shadow. The Virgin remained in the darkness of faith. Yes, she lives in darkness; although there is much light, there is always darkness. “Do not be afraid.” Completely at peace, she enters into the powerful grace that holds her. “Let it be done to me according to your word. Fiat.”
Blessed Marie-Eugène of the Child Jesus
Assidus à la prière avec Marie, First Joyful Mystery
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Six
Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you, and the power of the Most High will overshadow you; therefore the child to be born will be holy; he will be called Son of God” (Luke 1:34–35).
Then he called
the archangel Gabriel
and sent him to
the Virgin Mary,
at whose consent
the mystery was wrought,
in whom the Trinity
clothed the Word with flesh.
And though Three work this,
it is wrought in the One;
and the Word lived incarnate
in the womb of Mary.
And he who had only a Father
now had a Mother too,
but she was not like others
who conceive by man.
From her own flesh,
he received his flesh,
so he is called
Son of God and of man.
When the time had come
for him to be born,
he went forth like the bridegroom
from his bridal chamber,
embracing his bride,
holding her in his arms,
whom the gracious Mother
laid in a manger
among some animals
that were there at that time.
Men sang songs
and angels, melodies
celebrating the marriage
of Two such as these.
But God there in the manger,
cried and moaned;
and these tears were jewels
the bride brought to the wedding.
The Mother gazed in sheer wonder
on such an exchange:
in God, man’s weeping,
and in man, gladness,
to the one and the other
things usually so strange.
Saint John of the Cross
Romances, Stanzas 8–9
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Seven
Behold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.
Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word” (Luke 1:38).
Oh! I love you, Mary, saying you are the servant
Of the God whom you charm by your humility.
This hidden virtue makes you all-powerful.
It attracts the Holy Trinity into your heart.
Then the Spirit of Love covering you with his shadow,
The Son equal to the Father became incarnate in you,
There will be a great many of his sinner brothers,
Since he will be called: Jesus, your first-born!…
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Why I Love You, O Mary, Stanza 4
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Eight
Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
All who heard it were amazed at what the shepherds told them. But Mary treasured all these words and pondered them in her heart. A woman in the crowd raised her voice and said to him, “Blessed is the womb that bore you and the breasts that nursed you!’ But he said, ‘Blessed rather are those who hear the word of God and obey it!” (Luke 2:18–19, 11:27–28).
“The Virgin kept all these things in her heart”: her whole history can be summed up in these few words! It was within her heart that she lived, and at such a depth that no human eye can follow her.
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Last Retreat, Fifteenth Day
Novena Prayer ↓
Day Nine
The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Then they returned to Jerusalem from the mount called Olivet, which is near Jerusalem, a sabbath day’s journey away. When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying… All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary, the mother of Jesus (Acts 1:12-14).
Saint John’s home becomes your only refuge.
Zebedee’s son is to replace Jesus
That is the last detail the Gospel gives.
It tells me nothing more of the Queen of Heaven.
But, O my dear Mother, doesn’t its profound silence
Reveal that The Eternal Word Himself
Wants to sing the secrets of your life
To charm your children, all the Elect of Heaven?
Soon I’ll hear that sweet harmony.
Soon I’ll go to beautiful Heaven to see you.
You who came to smile at me in the morning of my life,
Come smile at me again…Mother…. It’s evening now!…
I no longer fear the splendor of your supreme glory.
With you I’ve suffered, and now I want
To sing on your lap, Mary, why I love you,
And to go on saying that I am your child!…..
Saint Thérèse of Lisieux
Why I Love You, O Mary, Stanzas 24–25
Novena Prayer ↓
Novena 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2014, I Have Found God, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity Volume 1: Major spiritual writings, translated from the French by Kane, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
John of the Cross, St 1991, The Collected Works of St. John of the Cross, rev. edn, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Marie-Eugène de l’Enfant-Jésus 2017, Assidus à la prière avec Marie: Méditations sur les mystères du Rosaire, Éditions du Carmel, Toulouse.
Stein, E 2014, The Hidden Life: hagiographic essays, meditations, spiritual texts, Stein, W (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Teresa of Avila, St 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, Kavanaugh, K & Rodriguez, O (trans.), ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Thérèse of Lisieux, S & Kinney, D 1995, The Poetry of Saint Thérèse of Lisieux, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Thérèse & Foley, M 2005, Story of a Soul: The autobiography of St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Study edn, translated from the French by Clarke, J, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
#antiphon #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayerDon’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
Let us unite in prayer
Quote of the day, 3 March: Pope John XXII
It behooveth thee to grant a favor and confirmation to my holy and devout Order of Carmel
For centuries the faithful who held a pious devotion to the Brown Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel believed in an apparition of the Blessed Virgin to Pope John XXII in Avignon. Based on that supposed apparition, the sovereign pontiff issued a Papal Bull, Sacratissimo uti culmine, dated 3 March 1322 from Avignon; it is in the text of the Bull that the pope mentions the apparition. The historical difficulty with this document lies in the fact that the Bull is mentioned nowhere prior to 1752, according to Joseph Hilgers.
Modern-day spiritual descendants of St. Simon Stock also have written and published volumes concerning the Brown Scapular as a sacramental. Former Carmelite Prior General Joseph Chalmers wrote, “In any case, the symbolism of the scapular as a sign of consecration to Mary, the Mother of Carmel, was and remains very important.”
Citing the Carmelite friar, Mathias of St. John, Father Chalmers added one important qualifier: “It would be far better to have holiness under a worldly habit than a worldly heart under a holy habit.” Fr. Chalmers concluded, “wearing the scapular is intended to be an outward reminder of what should be going on within” (Cf. Chalmers J 2009, Mary the Contemplative, Edizione Carmelitani, Rome).
Discalced Carmelite scholar Father Kieran Kavanaugh, O.C.D. discusses the historical problems head-on in his article, Brown Scapular: a Silent Devotion. He reviews the scapular as the habit of the Carmelites from their humble beginnings in the Holy Land to their spread throughout western Europe. In particular, Father Kieran describes the painstaking research undertaken by the Discalced Carmelites in defense of Carmelite Marian devotion following the Second Vatican Council, and how their careful documentation led to the restoration of the feast day of Saint Simon Stock to the Church’s liturgical calendar in 1979, in part thanks to the exhaustive research of Father Nilo Geagea, O.C.D.
But more important, Father Kieran explains with great precision where the Church stands today in regard to the Brown Scapular devotion:
“No mention is made of the vision of St. Simon Stock or of that of Pope John XXII in relation to the Sabbatine privilege, which promises that one will be released from Purgatory on the first Saturday after death.”
Nonetheless, the Carmelites have also been authorized to freely preach to the faithful that they can piously believe in the powerful intercession, merits, and suffrages of the Blessed Virgin, that she will help them even after their death, especially on Saturday, which is the day of the week particularly dedicated to Mary, if they have died in the grace of God and devoutly worn the scapular. But no mention is made of the “first” Saturday after their death.
One particular reflection that this great Discalced Carmelite scholar offers is rather consoling:
“If some day an historian were to prove beyond any reasonable doubt that there are no grounds to the Marian apparition to St. Simon Stock or the scapular promise, the scapular devotion would still maintain its value. The Church’s esteem of it as a sacramental, her appreciation of its meaning and of the good that has come about through its pious use on the part of the faithful is all that is needed.”
Perhaps Saint John Paul II summarized the Church’s teaching and the Carmelite scapular catechesis best in his 2001 Message to the Carmelite Family. The saint wrote, “the scapular is essentially a habit.”
For our readers who are history buffs, we have researched the Bull Sacratissimo uti culmine and found the text in Satolli’s Dictionnaire de Droit Canonique. An English translation is available from blogger Brother Hermenegild.
Brown Scapular worn by Saint John Paul II, a gift to the Discalced Carmelite parish in Wadowice, Poland | Photo credit: Discalced Carmelite Order (by permission)“The professed brethren of the said Order shall be loosed from guilt and punishment; and when they depart this world, they shall swiftly enter purgatory. I, the Mother, will graciously descend on the Saturday after their death; all whom I find there I shall release and lead to the holy mountain of eternal life.”
SACRATISSIMO UTI CULMINE
JOANNES EPISCOPUS SERVUS SERVORUM DEI,
Universis et singulis Christifidelibus, tam praesentibus quam futuris, praesentes literas inspecturis, salutem et apostolicam benedictionem.
Sacratissimo uti culmine Paradisi angelorum tam suavis et dulcis reperitur melodia, modulamine visionis, dum paterno Jesus Numini circumspicitur adumatus, dicendo: Domine, Ego et Pater unum sumus, et qui videt me, videt et Patrem meum, et angelorum chorus non desinit dicere: Sanctus, Sanctus, Sanctus; ita Synodus non cessat laudes effundere celsæ Virgini, dicendo Virgo, Virgo, Virgo, sis speculum nostrum pariter et exemplum. Quoniam munere munitur gratiarum, sicut sancta cantat Ecclesia: Gratia plena et Mater misericordiae. Sic ille mons reputatur de Carmelo Ordine cantibus extollendo, et hanc gratiarum Genitricem commendando et dicendo: Salve Regina, Mater misericordiæ et spes nostra.
Sic mihi flexis genibus supplicanti Virgo visa fuit Carmelita, sequentem effata sermonem:
0 Joannes, o Joannes, vicarie mei dilecti Filii, veluti a tuo te eripiam adversario, te Papam facio solemni dono Vicarium, meis coadjuvantibus supplicationibus, a dulcissimo meo Filio petens, quod gratiose obtinui, ita gratiam et amplam meo sancto ac devoto Carmelitarum Ordini confirmationem debeas praeconcedere, per Eliam et Eliseum in Monte Carmeli inchoato. Quod unusquisque professionem faciens, Regulam a meo servo Alberto, patriarcha, ordinatam observabit et inviolatam obtinebit, et per meum dilectum filium Innocentium approbatam, ut veri mei Filii Vicarius debeas in terris assentire, quod in cœlis meus statuit et ordinavit Filius; quod qui in sancta perseverabit obedientia, paupertate et castitate, vel qui sanctum intrabit Ordinem, salvabitur; et si alii, devotionis causa, in sanctam ingrediantur Religionem, sancti Habitus signum ferentes, appellantes se Confratres et Consorores mei Ordinis prænominati, liberentur et absolvantur a tertia eorum peccatorum portione, a die quo præfatum Ordinem intrabunt, castitatem, si vidua est, promittendo; virginitatis, si est virgo, fidem præstando; si est conjugata, inviolati conservationem matrimonii adhibendo, ut sancta mater imperat Ecclesia.
Fratres proféssi dicti Ordinis supplicio solvantur et culpa, et die quo ab isto se culo recedunt, properato gradu accelerant purgatorium, ego Mater gratiose descendam sabbato post eorum obitum, et quot inveniam in purgatorio liberabo, et eos in Montem sanctum vitæ æternæ reducam.
Verum quod ipsi Confratres et Consorores te neantur Horas dicere Canonicales, ut opus fuerit, secundum Regulam datam ab Alberto; illi, qui ignari sunt, debeant vitam jejunam ducere diebus quos sacra jubet Ecclesia, nisi, necessitatis causa, alicui essent traditi impedimento; mercurio ac sabbato debeant se a carnibus abstinere, præterquam in mei Filii Nativitate. Et hoc dicto, evanuit ista sancta visio.
Istam ergo sanctam Indulgentiam accepto, roboro et in terris confirmo, sicut, propter merita Virginis Matris, gratiose Jesus-Christus concessit in coelis. Nulli ergo omnino hominum liceat hanc paginam nostræ Indulgentiæ, seu statuti, et ordinationis irritare, vel ei ausu temerario contraire. Si quis autem hoc attentare præsumpserit, indignationem Omnipotentis Dei, et Beatorum apostolorum Petri et Pauli se noverit incursurum.
Datum Avenione, tertia die Martii, Pontificatus nostri anno sexto
Saint Simon Stock receives the scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, ceiling fresco, Church of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, Marostica, Italy.
Quote of the day, 14 November: St. Mary of Jesus Crucified
Glory and love to Jesus, to Mary, to Saint Joseph.
Glory to all the Saints…
Glory and love to Jesus, to Mary;
shame and contempt to Satan.
O Holy Virgin,
grant unto all humility, joy, and union with God,
all this for our Holy Order.
I hope that God will grant me these graces this very day.
By Thy Holy Cross, O Lord,
deliver us from the malice of Satan.
Saint Mary of Jesus Crucified (Mariam Baouardy)
Cahiers Réservés, 1
Access to the unpublished Cahiers Réservés courtesy of the Carmels of Bethlehem and Haifa.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Featured image: La Virgen de los Carmelitas by Juan de Valdés Leal (17th century), oil on canvas, Iglesia del Carmen de Córdoba. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons (public domain).
#AllCarmeliteSaints #glory #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StMaryOfJesusCrucified
Quote of the day, 13 October: Venerable Maria Lucia
After Our Lady disappeared into the immense expanse of the firmament, we saw beside the sun St. Joseph with the Child Jesus and Our Lady robed in white with a blue mantle. St. Joseph and the Child Jesus appeared to bless the world, for they traced the Sign of the Cross with their hands. A little later this apparition faded. I saw our Lord and Our Lady; it seemed to me it was Our Lady of Sorrows. Our Lord appeared to bless the world in the same manner as St. Joseph had done. This apparition also vanished, and I saw Our Lady once more, this time resembling Our Lady of Carmel (Memoirs of Sister Lucia, I.4.II.5).
Four years later, in 1921, Lucia experienced the first stirring of a religious vocation as she recalled this scene:
I remembered Our Lady of Mount Carmel, and in that moment, I felt the grace of a vocation to religious life and the attractiveness of the Cloister of Carmel. I took as my protection my dear Therese of the Child Jesus.
Discalced Carmelites of Coimbra
A Pathway Under the Gaze of Mary, chap. III, no. 17; chap. V, no. 2
Carmel of St Teresa 2015, A pathway under the gaze of Mary : biography of Sister Maria Lucia of Jesus and the Immaculate Heart O.C.D., Colson, J (trans.), World Apostolate of Fatima USA, Washington NJ.
Featured image: The crowd looking at the Miracle of the Sun during the apparitions of Our Lady at Fatima, Portugal, 13 October 1917. Image credit: Ilustração Portuguesa via Wikimedia Commons (Public domain)
#apparition #Fatima #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #VenerableMariaLuciaOfJesusAndTheImmaculateHeart #vocation
https://www.europesays.com/2468441/ Springfield’s South End hosts Taste of Italy #italy #LarryPietrucci #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #springfield #TasteOfItaly
Cebu’s new archbishop to be installed September 30
Quote of the day, 16 July: St. Oscar Romero
The Virgin offers us a promise of salvation, but this is not a salvation that occurs only after death. It is a salvation that demands work here in history, among temporal realities. This salvation also demands interior renewal, for the kingdom of God is already beginning on this earth, in our own hearts.
First of all I say that the scapular of the Virgin of Mount Carmel is a sign of the hope for salvation that all persons have in their souls, in their hearts, in their lives. Those who die wearing this scapular will not see the flames of hell. This is a promise of salvation. But I want to tell many people frankly that it is not a false promise; it is not a promise that is unrelated to the reality of each one of us.
The Virgin’s promise is intended to awaken in each person’s heart an eschatological sense, that is, hope in what lies beyond. We should work on this earth with our whole soul and with our heart set on heaven, knowing that no one is permanently installed in this world; we are on a voyage toward eternity.
The realities of earth will pass, but what is eternal remains. This is the meaning of transcendence! The Virgin, like Christ and like the Church, offers us a transcendental message which means that the Church offers something unique, something which no other promise of liberation can offer.
Thus, if the scapular is a message about eternity and the hereafter, an eschatological message, it is also a message about the here and now. The scapular is a message about the demands of this earth, about the fulfillment of our duties in this world, and that is what the Church is stressing at this time.
I pray this morning that the Virgin of Mount Carmel will strengthen her faithful followers who fill this church and so many other churches of Carmelite inspiration.
Saint Oscar Romero
Homily, Solemnity of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, 16 July 1977 (excerpts)
Read more homilies at the Romero Trust website
Featured image: Our Lady of Mount Carmel with Saint Teresa and Saint John of the Cross in an oil on canvas painting created by Juan Rodríguez Juárez (1675–1728). It comes from the collections of the Museo Nacional del Arte, Mexico (Public domain).
#BrownScapular #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #promises #salvation #StOscarRomero
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 9
Day 9
Glory of Carmel
Scripture Reading
John 20:30–31
Now Jesus did many other signs in the presence of his disciples, which are not written in this book. But these are written so that you may come to believe that Jesus is the Messiah, the Son of God, and that through believing you may have life in his name.
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sint Michael,” 13 June 1942
“Glory of Carmel, teach us to love Christ alone,
to follow Christ and to love his cross,
to listen to the Word who took flesh from your flesh…”
What About My Own Life?
The Word of God that the Gospel has left us is the treasure to which we can constantly return—to see, in Jesus, our God at work in the lives of people. Learning from Mary, today I can choose to open the Bible and softly repeat the word that seems most important to me in the passage I’ve just read. Perhaps an inspiration may flow from meditating on this passage: to act, or speak, or make a connection between that reading and my life.
May you all have a beautiful journey with Mary under the guidance of the Holy Spirit!
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#GloryOfCarmel #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
16 July: BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL, PATRONESS AND HEAD OF OUR ORDER
July 16
BLESSED VIRGIN MARY OF MOUNT CARMEL
PATRONESS AND HEAD OF OUR ORDER
Solemnity
The sacred scriptures speak of the beauty of Mount Carmel where the prophet Elijah defended the faith of Israel in the living God. There, at the beginning of the thirteenth century, under the title of “Saint Mary of Mount Carmel,” the Order of Carmelites had its formal beginning. From the fourteenth century this title, recalling the countless blessings of its patroness, began to be celebrated solemnly, first in England and then gradually throughout the whole Order. It attained its supreme place from the beginning of the seventeenth century, when the General Chapter declared it to be the principal feast of the Order, and Paul V recognized it as the feast of the Scapular Confraternity.
Evening Prayer I
Hymn
Flower of Carmel,
Tall vine blossom laden;
Splendor of heaven,
Child-bearing yet maiden.
None equals thee.
Mother so tender,
Who no man didst know,
On Carmel’s children
Thy favors bestow.
Star of the Sea.
Strong stem of Jesse,
Who bore one bright flower,
Be ever near us
And guard us each hour,
who serve thee here.
Purest of lilies,
That flowers among thorns,
Bring help to the true heart
That in weakness turns
and trusts in thee.
Strongest of armor,
We trust in thy might:
Under thy mantle,
Hard press’d in the fight,
we call to thee.
Our way uncertain,
Surrounded by foes,
Unfailing counsel
You give to those
who turn to thee.
O gentle Mother
Who in Carmel reigns,
Share with your servants
That gladness you gained
and now enjoy.
Hail, Gate of Heaven,
With glory now crowned,
Bring us to safety
Where thy Son is found,
true joy to see.
Flos Carmeli
Tr. unknown
Psalmody
Ant. 1 The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
Psalm 113
Praise, O servants of the Lord, *
praise the name of the Lord!
May the name of the Lord be blessed *
both now and for evermore!
From the rising of the sun to its setting *
praised be the name of the Lord!
High above all nations is the Lord, *
above the heavens his glory.
Who is like the Lord, our God, *
who has risen on high to his throne *
yet stoops from the heights to look down, *
to look down upon heaven and earth?
From the dust he lifts up the lowly, *
from his misery he raises the poor
to set him in the company of princes, *
yes, with the princes of his people.
To the childless wife he gives a home *
and gladdens her heart with children.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. The glory of Lebanon is given to her, the beauty of Carmel and Sharon.
Ant. 2 You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.
Psalm 147
O praise the Lord, Jerusalem! *
Sion, praise your God!
He has strengthened the bars of your gates, *
he has blessed the children within you.
He has established peace on your borders, *
he feeds you with finest wheat.
He sends out his word to the earth *
and swiftly runs his command.
He showers down snow white as wool, *
he scatters hoarfrost like ashes.
He hurls down hailstones like crumbs. *
The waters are frozen at his touch;
he sends forth his word and it melts them: *
at the breath of his mouth the waters flow.
He makes his word known to Jacob, *
to Israel his laws and decrees.
He has not dealt thus with other nations; *
he has not taught them his decrees.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. You are the glory of Jerusalem, the joy of Israel, the highest honor of our race.
Ant. 3 You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.
Canticle: Eph 1:3-10
Blessed be the God and Father *
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ *
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him *
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy *
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love *
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, +
to the praise of his glorious grace *
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his Blood, *
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace *
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us +
in all wisdom and insight *
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose *
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him, *
things in heaven and things on earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. You will rejoice in your children, for they will be blessed through you and gathered together by the Lord.
Scripture Reading
Rev 11:19; 12:1
God’s temple in heaven was opened, and the ark of his covenant was seen within his temple. And a great portent appeared in heaven, a woman clothed with the sun, with the moon under her feet, and on her head a crown of twelve stars.
Short Responsory
R/. How fair you are, * O Virgin Mary. Repeat R/.
V/. Your face is resplendent with grace, * O Virgin Mary.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Mary
Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, glory of Mount Carmel, we are your children and your people, endow us with your own virtues; have pity, and protect us from every danger.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant, *
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me: *
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Bounteous Mother of God, glory of Mount Carmel, we are your children and your people, endow us with your own virtues; have pity, and protect us from every danger.
Intercessions
Let us praise our heavenly Father, who gives us the joy of celebrating this solemn feast of the Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, as we pray:
R/. May Mary, Mother and Beauty of Carmel, intercede for us.
Lord, in your plan the Daughter of Sion was foreshadowed by the prophets and made the heir of all your promises; — by imitating Mary, who is the image of the Church, may your Church on earth be more and more the sacrament of the world’s salvation. R/.
You have honored the family of Carmel with the title and patronage of the Virgin Mary; — may all Carmelites live with her in unswerving allegiance to Jesus Christ. R/.
You have entrusted the whole of mankind, the brothers and sisters of your Son, to the care of Mary’s maternal heart; — may the world see her image in us as we strive to live in your presence and to give ourselves for the salvation of all. R/.
You call the humble family of Carmel, living in the cloister and in the world, to be especially dedicated to the Virgin Mary; — may all who are called to Carmel be of one mind and one heart as they join together in prayer with Mary, the Mother of Jesus. R/.
You promise a crown of glory to those who persevere in your love till the end; — may our departed brothers and sisters, who shared Mary’s love for you, rejoice with you forever in heaven. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
INVITATORY
Lord, open my lips.
— And my mouth will proclaim your praise.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Psalm 95
Come, let us sing to the Lord *
and shout with joy to the Rock who saves us.
Let us approach him with praise and thanksgiving *
and sing joyful songs to the Lord.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
The Lord is God, the mighty God, *
the great king over all the gods.
He holds in his hands the depths of the earth *
and the highest mountains as well
He made the sea; it belongs to him, *
the dry land, too, for it was formed by his hands.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Come, then, let us bow down and worship, *
bending the knee before the Lord, our maker,
For he is our God and we are his people, *
the flock he shepherds.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Today, listen to the voice of the Lord:*
Do not grow stubborn, as your fathers did in the wilderness,
when at Meriba and Massah they challenged me and provoked me, *
Although they had seen all of my works.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Forty years I endured that generation. +
I said, “They are a people whose hearts go astray *
and they do not know my ways.”
So I swore in my anger, *
“They shall not enter into my rest.”
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Come, ring out our joy to the Lord, as we thank him for the favors we have received through Mary, the Virgin Mother of Carmel.
Office of Readings
Hymn
1. Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel whom in ancient prophecy
God revealed to Saint Elijah by an Oriental sea.
Rise again on God’s creation bring to bloom this arid place
with the white cloud of your beauty and the rainfall of your grace.
2. Blessed cloud of God’s protection and His luminous abode,
light the pathways of your pilgrims to the promised land of God.
On the mount of contemplation be our surety and stay.
In the night a pillar glowing and a cloud of love by day.
3. Mother fair above all mothers, by the scapular we wear
be your own sign of salvation, which our willing shoulders bear.
Shield us from the foes of darkness, we are prey they seek to win.
Guard us as your loving children from the tragedy of sin.
4. Virgin of the Incarnation, in the mysteries of grace,
God has made His habitation in our soul’s most secret place.
Toward that bright and inner kingdom, all our words and ways compel.
For the Father, Son and Spirit in its sacred silence dwell.
5. Lady of the mystic mountain, where the Lord has set His throne,
up its steep way to the Spirit, none can walk save love alone.
Grant us grace to climb Mount Carmel and to learn that love is loss.
Guide us still our ways outdistance all earth’s treasures save the cross.
6. Queen and Beauty of Mount Carmel, Virgin of the solitude,
in the wilderness of Carmel lies the world’s eternal good.
Draw us to its deep seclusion and make God alone our goal.
In the mystical Mount Carmel that lies hidden in the soul.
87.87.D.
Sr. Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? The one with clean hands and pure heart.
When the following psalm has been used at the Invitatory, Ps 94 is said here in place of it.
Psalm 24
The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness, *
the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set in on the seas; *
on the waters he made it firm.
Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord? *
Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart, +
who desires not worthless things, *
who has not sworn so as to deceive his neighbor.
He shall receive blessings from the Lord *
and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him, *
seek the face of the God of Jacob.
O gates, lift high your heads; +
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is the king of glory? +
The Lord, the mighty, the valiant, *
the Lord, the valiant in war.
O gates, lift high your heads; +
grow higher, ancient doors. *
Let him enter, the king of glory!
Who is he, the king of glory? +
He, the Lord of armies, *
he is the king of glory.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord, and who shall stand in his holy place? The one with clean hands and pure heart.
Ant. 2 I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Psalm 46
God is for us a refuge and strength *
a helper close at hand, in time of distress:
so we shall not fear though the earth should rock, *
though the mountains fall into the depths of the sea,
even though its waters rage and foam, *
even though the mountains be shaken by its waves.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
The waters of a river give joy to God’s city, *
the holy place where the Most High dwells.
God is within, it cannot be shaken; *
God will help it at the dawning of the day.
Nations are in tumult, kingdoms are shaken: *
he lifts his voice, the earth shrinks away.
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Come, consider the works of the Lord *
the redoubtable deeds he has done on the earth.
He puts an end to wars over all the earth; +
the bow he breaks, the spear he snaps. *
He burns the shields with fire.
“Be still and know that I am God, *
supreme among the nations, supreme on the earth!”
The Lord of hosts is with us: *
the God of Jacob is our stronghold.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. I will lead them to my holy mountain and make them joyful in my house of prayer.
Ant. 3 Glorious things are told of you, O city of God; the Lord founded you on his holy mountain!
Psalm 87
On the holy mountain is his city *
cherished by the Lord.
The Lord prefers the gates of Sion *
to all Jacob’s dwellings.
Of you are told glorious things, *
O city of God.
Babylon and Egypt I will count *
among those who know me;
Philistia, Tyre, Ethiopia, *
these will be her children
and Sion shall be called “Mother” *
for all shall be her children.
It is he, the Lord Most High, *
who gives each his place.
In his register of peoples he writes: *
‘These are her children’
and while they dance they will sing: *
‘In you all find their home.’
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Glorious things are told of you, O city of God; the Lord founded you on his holy mountain!
V/. I have brought you into the land of Carmel.
R/. To enjoy the fruits and blessings of it.
The First Reading
1 Kings 18:36-39, 41-45a
A reading from the First Book of Kings
Elijah prayed on the summit of Carmel, and heaven granted rain
And at the time of the offering of the oblation, Elijah the prophet came near and said, “O Lord, God of Abraham, Isaac, and Israel, let it be known this day that you are God in Israel, and that I am your servant, and that I have done all these things at your word. Answer me, O Lord, answer me, that this people may know that you, O Lord, are God, and that you have turned their hearts back.” Then the fire of the Lord fell, and consumed the burnt offering, and the wood, and the stones, and the dust, and licked up the water that was in the trench. And when all the people saw it, they fell on their faces; and they said “The Lord, he is God; the Lord, he is God.”
And Elijah said to Ahab, “Go up, eat and drink for there is a sound of the rushing of rain.” So Ahab went up to eat and to drink. And Elijah went up to the top of Carmel; and he bowed himself down upon the earth, and put his face between his knees. And he said to his servant, “Go up now, look toward the sea.” And he went up and looked, and said, “There is nothing.” And he said, “Go again seven times.” And at the seventh time he said, “Behold, a little cloud like a man’s hand is rising out of the sea.” And he said, “Go up, say to Ahab, ‘Prepare your chariot and go down, lest the rain stop you.’” And in a little while the heavens grew black with clouds and wind, and there was a great rain.
Responsory
R/. You care for the earth, give it water; you fill it with riches; * you bless its growth.
V/. The pastures of the wilderness flow with abundance, and the hills are girded with joy; * you bless its growth.
R/. You care for the earth, give it water; You fill it with riches; * you bless its growth.
V/. The pastures of the wilderness flow with abundance, and the hills are girded with joy; * you bless its growth.
The Second Reading (Alternative 2)
May 10 and June 22, 1967
From the Allocutions of Pope Paul VI
Blessed are all who have believed
We can readily see that the Blessed Virgin Mary was endowed in high measure with a remarkable interior enlightenment, such as might have been anticipated in view of her sinlessness and the nature of her task in the world. The Gospels make abundantly clear that her soul was gifted with an extraordinary insight into the ways of God and a prophetic intuition. Yet above all else it was faith that most characterized the Mother of God — the kind of faith that does not need proof, but accepts a thing as true because God has spoken. The Second Vatican Council declares that “the Blessed Virgin went forward in her pilgrimage of faith,” and the Gospel records how generous and meritorious that pilgrimage was when it cites Elizabeth’s high tribute, which tells us so much about Mary’s psychology and holiness: “Blessed are you, for you have believed.”
We find confirmation of this faith, Our Lady’s foremost virtue, wherever the gospel tells of what she was, or what she said or what she did. Faced with the attitudes that characterize the incomparable figure of Mary in relation to the mystery of Christ realized in herself, we feel compelled to follow her example, and discover patterns for those who have, in conformity with God’s plan for our salvation chosen the religious life. She teaches us how to listen, how to explore, to accept, to make sacrifices; she teaches us how to meditate, to wait, to examine; she teaches us self-possession, and calm, absolute assurance in judgment and action; she teaches us, in short, the fullness of prayer and communion with God. And all these things, though we see them in Mary uniquely realized by that one soul which was full of grace and completely under the sway of the Holy Spirit, are yet all forms of faith, and therefore close to us and available not only for our admiration but for our imitation.
You have chosen the narrow, austere, arduous way of the ascetic life. You are in such a way committed to the pursuit of the supreme art of prayer and an intense spiritual life that you are branded as true searchers after the only fullness, the only peace, the only love: the union of the soul with God.
May the most holy Virgin Mary confirm you in your Carmelite vocation. May she safeguard your love for the things of the spirit. May she obtain for you the graces you need in your holy, laborious ascent towards the knowledge of the divine realm and the ineffable experiences of its dark nights and light-filled days. May she give you the desire for sanctity, the desire to bear eschatological witness to the kingdom of heaven. May she make you models for all the members of God’s Church, and bind you to them in brotherhood. And may she one day lead you into that possession of Christ and His glory which, even now, is the goal towards which your whole life is directed.
Responsory
R/. In faith receive the word of God which is able to save your souls. * Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
V/. Mary treasured all these things, pondering them in her heart. * Blessed are those who hear the word of God and keep it.
Where the Vigil Office is celebrated:
Canticles
Ant. Bring us, O Mary, to the summit of Carmel, to Christ our heavenly life.
Canticle I
Is 2:2-3
All the peoples will come to the house of the Lord
The mountain where God has chosen to dwell (Ps 67:17)
It shall come to pass in the latter days *
that the mountain of the house of the Lord
shall be established as the highest of the mountains, +
and shall be raised above the hills, *
and all the nations shall flow to it.
And many people shall come, and say +
‘Come, let us go up to the mountain of the Lord, *
to the house of the God of Jacob,
that he may teach us his ways *
and that we may walk in his paths.’
For out of Sion shall go forth the law, *
and the word of the Lord from Jerusalem.
Canticle II
Is 61:10-62:3
The prophet rejoices in the new Jerusalem
I saw the holy city, the new Jerusalem,
as beautiful as a bride prepared to meet her husband (Rev 21:2)
I will greatly rejoice in the Lord, *
my soul shall exult in my God;
for he has clothed me with the garments of salvation, *
he has covered me with the robe of righteousness,
as a bridegroom decks himself with a garland, *
and as a bride adorns herself with her jewels.
For as the earth brings forth its shoots, *
and as a garden causes what is sown in it to spring up,
so the Lord God will cause righteousness and praise *
to spring forth before all the nations.
For Sion’s sake I will not keep silent, *
and for Jerusalem’s sake, I will not rest
until her vindication goes forth as brightness, *
and her salvation as a burning torch.
The nations shall see your vindication, *
and all the kings your glory;
and you shall be called by a new name *
which the mouth of the Lord will give.
You shall be a crown of beauty *
in the hand of the Lord,
and a royal diadem *
in the hand of your God.
Canticle III
Is 62:4-7
The glory of the new Jerusalem
Here God lives among men. He will make his home among them (Rev 21:3)
No longer are you to be named ‘Forsaken,’ *
nor your land ‘Abandoned,’
but you shall be called ‘My Delight,’ *
and your land, ‘The Wedded;’
for the Lord takes delight in you *
and your land will have its wedding.
Like a young man marrying a virgin, *
so will the one who built you wed you,
and as the bridegroom rejoices in his bride, *
so will your God rejoice in you.
On your walls, Jerusalem, *
I set watchmen.
Day or night *
they must never be silent.
You who keep the Lord mindful *
must take no rest.
Nor let him take rest +
till he has restored Jerusalem, *
and made her the boast of the earth.
Ant. Bring us, O Mary, to the summit of Carmel, to Christ our heavenly life.
Gospel
Lk 1:39-56
A reading from the holy Gospel according to Luke
Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord?
Mary set out at that time and went as quickly as she could to a town in the hill country of Judah. She went into Zechariah’s house and greeted Elizabeth. Now as soon as Elizabeth heard Mary’s greeting, the child leaped in her womb and Elizabeth was filled with the Holy Spirit. She gave a loud cry and said, “Of all women you are the most blessed, and blessed is the fruit of your womb. Why should I be honored with a visit from the mother of my Lord? For the moment your greeting reached my ears, the child in my womb leaped for joy. Yes, blessed is she who believed that the promise made her by the Lord would be fulfilled.”
And Mary said:
“My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord
and my spirit exults in God my savior;
because he has looked upon his lowly handmaid.
Yes, from this day forward all generations will call me blessed,
for the Almighty has done great things for me.
Holy is his name,
and his mercy reaches from age to age for those who fear him.
He has shown the power of his arm,
he has routed the proud of heart.
He has pulled down princes from their thrones and exalted the lowly.
The hungry he has filled with good things, the rich sent empty away.
He has come to the help of Israel his servant, mindful of his mercy
—according to the promise he made to our ancestors of
his mercy to Abraham and to his descendants for ever.”
Mary stayed with Elizabeth about three months and then went back home.
Te Deum
You are God: we praise you; *
You are the Lord: we acclaim you;
You are the eternal Father: *
All creation worships you.
To you all angels, all the powers of heaven, *
Cherubim and Seraphim, sing in endless praise:
Holy, holy, holy, Lord, God of power and might, *
heaven and earth are full of your glory.
The glorious company of apostles praise you. +
The noble fellowship of prophets praise you. *
The white-robed army of martyrs praise you.
Throughout the world the holy Church acclaims you: *
Father, of majesty unbounded,
your true and only Son, worthy of all worship, *
and the Holy Spirit, advocate and guide.
You, Christ, are the King of glory, *
the eternal Son of the Father.
When you became man to set us free *
you did not spurn the Virgin’s womb.
You overcame the sting of death, *
and opened the kingdom of heaven to all believers.
You are seated at God’s right hand in glory. *
We believe that you will come, and be our judge.
Come then, Lord, and help your people, *
bought with the price of your own blood,
and bring us with your saints*
to glory everlasting.
Save your people, Lord, and bless your inheritance.
— Govern and uphold them now and always.
Day by day we bless you.
— We praise your name for ever.
Keep us today, Lord, from all sin.
— Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy.
Lord, show us your love and mercy,
— for we have put our trust in you.
In you, Lord, is our hope:
— And we shall never hope in vain.
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Morning Prayer
Hymn
Let us in spirit make our way
to Carmel’s mountain height;
our Virgin Mother calls us there
to gather flowers of light.
This is indeed a holy place
where God has ever reigned;
here hearts are healed in silent prayer,
and strength of mind attained.
This is where living water flowed
to save the thirsting land,
to clothe the desert with fresh grass,
with trees the burning sand.
Cradle of our religious life
is Carmel’s height austere;
wherever Mary turns her gaze
flow waters springing clear.
Let us adore the Trinity
the Father honors her,
the Son embraces her with love,
the Spirit reigns in her!
C.M.
Carmeli ad altos vertices
Tr. unknown
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
Psalm 63
O God, you are my God, for you I long; *
for you my soul is thirsting.
My body pines for you *
like a dry, weary land without water.
So I gaze on you in the sanctuary *
to see your strength and your glory.
For your love is better than life, *
my lips will speak your praise.
So I will bless you all my life, *
in your name I will lift up my hands.
My soul shall be filled as with a banquet, *
my mouth shall praise you with joy.
On my bed I remember you. *
On you I muse through the night
for you have been my help; *
in the shadow of your wings I rejoice.
My soul clings to you; *
your right hand holds me fast.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Fragrant is the scent of your perfume, Immaculate Virgin. Let us follow in your footsteps.
Ant. 2 Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
Canticle – Daniel 3:57-88, 56
Bless the Lord, all you works of the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Angels of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
You heavens, bless the Lord,
All you waters above the heavens, bless the Lord. *
All you hosts of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Sun and moon, bless the Lord. *
Stars of heaven, bless the Lord.
Every shower and dew, bless the Lord. *
All you winds, bless the Lord.
Fire and heat, bless the Lord. *
Cold and chill, bless the Lord.
Dew and rain, bless the Lord. *
Frost and chill, bless the Lord.
Ice and snow, bless the Lord. *
Nights and days, bless the Lord.
Light and darkness, bless the Lord. *
Lightnings and clouds, bless the Lord.
Let the earth bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Mountains and hills, bless the Lord. *
Everything growing from the earth, bless the Lord.
You springs, bless the Lord. *
Seas and rivers, bless the Lord.
You dolphins and all water creatures, bless the Lord. *
All you birds of the air, bless the Lord.
All you beasts, wild and tame, bless the Lord. *
You sons of men, bless the Lord.
O Israel, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Priests of the Lord, bless the Lord. *
Servants of the Lord, bless the Lord.
Spirits and souls of the just, bless the Lord. *
Holy men of humble heart, bless the Lord.
Hananiah, Azariah, Mishael, bless the Lord. *
Praise and exalt him above all forever.
Let us bless the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. *
Let us praise and exalt him above all for ever.
Blessed are you, Lord, in the firmament of heaven. *
Praiseworthy and glorious and exalted above all for ever.
Ant. Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with you; you are the most blessed of all women.
Ant. 3 Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Psalm 149
Sing a new song to the Lord, *
his praise in the assembly of the faithful.
Let Israel rejoice in its maker, *
let Zion’s sons exult in their king.
Let them praise his name with dancing *
and make music with timbrel and harp.
For the Lord takes delight in his people. *
He crowns the poor with salvation.
Let the faithful rejoice in their glory, *
shout for joy and take their rest.
Let the praise of God be on their lips *
and a two-edged sword in their hand,
to deal out vengeance to the nations *
and punishment on all the peoples;
to bind their kings in chains *
and their nobles in fetters of iron;
to carry out the sentence pre-ordained; *
this honor is for all his faithful.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Blessed are you, O Virgin Mary: you gave birth to him who made you, yet remain a virgin forever.
Reading
Is 35:1-2
Let the wilderness and the dry-lands exult,
let the wasteland rejoice and bloom,
let it bring forth flowers like the jonquil,
let it rejoice and sing for joy.
The glory of Lebanon is bestowed on it
the splendor of Carmel and Sharon;
they shall see the glory of the Lord,
the splendor of our God.
Short Responsory
R/. Under your protection we take refuge, * Mother of God most holy.
Repeat R/.
V/. Do not turn away from the prayers that spring from our need, * Mother of God most holy.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Zechariah
Ant. Jesus said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple He said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Blessed be the Lord, the God of Israel; *
he has come to his people and set them free.
He has raised up for us a mighty savior, *
born of the house of his servant David.
Through his holy prophets he promised of old +
that he would save us from our enemies, *
from the hands of all who hate us.
He promised to show mercy to our fathers*
and to remember his holy covenant.
This was the oath he swore to our father Abraham: *
to set us free from the hands of our enemies,
free to worship him without fear, *
holy and righteous in his sight all the days of our life.
You, my child, shall be called the prophet of the Most High; *
for you will go before the Lord to prepare his way,
to give his people knowledge of salvation *
by the forgiveness of their sins.
In the tender compassion of our God *
the dawn from on high shall break upon us,
to shine on those who dwell in darkness and the shadow of death, *
and to guide our feet into the way of peace.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Jesus said to His Mother, “Woman, this is your son,” and to the disciple He said, “This is your Mother;” and from that hour the disciple took her as his own.
Intercessions
Christ our Savior, the first-born of many brothers, gave us his Mother as our own. On this sacred day let us come to him with thankful hearts and say:
R/. For the gift of your Mother, we give glory to you, Lord.
Christ our Redeemer, you prepared a worthy dwelling place for yourself in the sinless Virgin Mary; — may we work today in your service and hers, poor in spirit and pure in heart. R/.
Only Word of the Father, uttered in eternal silence and lovingly received in the womb of the Virgin, — may our Carmelite vocation lead us, like Mary, to hear the Word of God and put it into practice. R/.
Christ our Teacher, you offer the Virgin Mary as the model of every virtue to those who seek you; — may we, her children, mirror her life, especially in our charity towards all. R/.
Jesus, Son of Mary, you gave your Mother to the apostle John to take into his own keeping; — in our familiarity with Mary may we experience your ineffable love. R/.
Christ, Spouse of the Church, you sent the fire of the Holy Spirit upon Mary when she was joined with the apostles in prayer; — may the whole family of Carmel remain faithful in prayer with Mary, and so be continually renewed by the Holy Spirit. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Daytime Prayer
The complementary psalms are used. If the solemnity falls on Sunday, the psalms of Sunday Week I are used.
Midmorning
Ant. O Mary, you are a mother beyond compare, worthy to be remembered by your children forever.
Psalm 120
To the Lord in the hour of my distress *
I call and he answers me.
“O Lord, save my soul from lying lips, *
from the tongue of the deceitful.”
What shall he repay you in return, *
O treacherous tongue?
The warriors arrows sharpened *
and coals, red-hot, blazing.
(Alas, that I abide a stranger in Meshech, *
dwell among the tents of Kedar!)
Long enough have I been dwelling *
with those who hate peace.
I am for peace, but when I speak, *
they are for fighting.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 121
I lift up my eyes to the mountains; *
from where shall come my help?
My help shall come from the Lord *
who made heaven and earth.
May he never allow you to stumble! *
Let him sleep not, your guard.
No, he sleeps not nor slumbers, *
Israel’s guard.
The Lord is your guard and your shade; *
at your right side he stands.
By day the sun shall not smite you *
nor the moon in the night.
The Lord will guard you from evil, *
he will guard you soul.
The Lord will guard your going and coming *
both now and for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 129
“They have pressed me hard from my youth,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“They have pressed me hard from my youth *
but could never destroy me.
They plowed my back like plowmen, *
drawing long furrows.
But the Lord who is just, has destroyed *
the yoke of the wicked.”
Let them be shamed and routed, *
those who hate Zion!
Let them be like grass on the roof *
that withers before it flowers.
With that no reaper fill his arms, *
no binder makes his sheaves
and those passing by will not say: +
“On you the Lord’s blessing!” *
“We bless you in the name of the Lord.”
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Prov 8:32-34
And now, my sons, listen to me:
happy are those who keep my ways.
Hear instruction and be wise,
and do not neglect it.
Happy is the man who listens to me,
watching daily at my gates,
waiting beside my doors.
V/. Whoever finds me finds life.
R/. And will receive salvation from the Lord.
Midday
Ant. Your souls will rejoice in her mercy, and her praise will not bring you to shame.
Psalm 123
To you have I lifted up my eyes, *
you who dwell in the heavens;
my eyes, like the eyes of slaves *
on the hand of their lords.
Like the eyes of a servant *
on the hand of her mistress,
so our eyes are on the Lord our God *
till he show us his mercy.
Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy. *
We are filled with contempt.
Indeed all too full is our soul +
with the scorn of the rich, *
with the proud man’s disdain.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 124
“If the Lord had not been on our side,” *
this is Israel’s song.
“If the Lord had not been on our side *
when men rose up against us,
then would they have swallowed us alive *
when their anger was kindled.
Then would the waters have engulfed us, *
the torrent gone over us;
over our head would have swept *
the raging waters.”
Blessed be the Lord who did not give us *
a prey to their teeth!
Our life, like a bird, has escaped *
from the snare of the fowler.
Indeed the snare has been broken *
and we have escaped.
Our help is in the name of the Lord, *
who made heaven and earth.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 125
Those who put their trust in the Lord +
are like Mount Zion, that cannot be shaken, *
that stands for ever.
Jerusalem! The mountains surround her, +
so the Lord surrounds his people *
both now and for ever.
For the scepter of the wicked shall not rest *
over the land of the just
for fear that the hands of the just *
should turn to evil.
Do good, Lord, to those who are good, *
to the upright of heart;
but the crooked and those who do evil, *
drive them away!
On Israel, peace!
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Scripture Reading
Sir 24:15-16
I made Sion my stronghold, the holy city my resting-place, Jerusalem my throne. My roots spread out among the people that enjoys his favor, my God has granted me a share in his own domain; where his faithful servants are gathered I love to linger.
V/. My spirit is sweeter than honey.
R/. My inheritance sweeter than the honeycomb.
Midafternoon
Ant. With the fruit of her hands she planted a vineyard; her children stood up and proclaimed her blessed.
Psalm 126
When the Lord delivered Zion from bondage, *
it seemed like a dream.
Then was our mouth filled with laughter, *
on our lips there were songs.
The heathens themselves said: “What marvels *
the Lord worked for them!”
What marvels the Lord worked for us! *
Indeed we were glad.
Deliver us, O Lord, from our bondage *
as streams in dry land.
Those who are sowing in tears *
will sing when they reap.
They go out, they go out, full of tears, *
carrying seed for the sowing:
they come back, they come back, full of song, *
carrying their sheaves.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat, *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
— as it was in the beginning, is now, and will be for ever. Amen.
Psalm 128
O blessed are those who fear the Lord *
and walk in his ways!
By the labor of your hands you shall eat. *
You will be happy and prosper;
the wife like a fruitful vine *
in the heart of your house;
Your children like shoots of the olive, *
around your table.
Indeed thus shall be blessed *
the man who fears the Lord.
May the Lord bless you from Zion *
all the days of your life!
May you see your children’s children *
in a happy Jerusalem!
On Israel, peace!
Scripture Reading
Sir 24:23-25
No vine ever yielded fruit so fragrant; the enjoyment of honor and riches is the fruit I bear. It is I that give birth to all noble loving, all reverence, all true knowledge, and the holy gift of hope. From me comes every grace of faithful observance, from me all promise of life and vigor.
V/. Look down from heaven and see, and visit this vine.
R/. The vine your right hand has planted.
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Evening Prayer II
Hymn
When thirst broke up the ground stricken at God’s command,
and crops lay on the long baked ridges of the soil,
swiftly Elias went where Carmel towered above,
scaling rough rocks with zeal and toil.
Great soul in fervent prayer, lifting his hands on high,
prophet, he pleaded there, turning God’s wrath again.
Hour after hour he strove for those marked down to die
unless the fields were saved with rain.
Then, far off, where the sea stretched in a distant plain,
a cloud fine as a hand lit in the deep blue cope;
and soon thunderclouds came, and after them the rain
drumming the dust with rhythms of hope.
Mary, we are those crops which drought of grace lays low,
you are that mystic cloud, that fruitful womb are you.
Your son, the God you nurse, is new life’s rain to us
who grow once more as hope comes true.
Spare us, great triune God, as we too bend in prayer,
help us scale the high stars, our mother’s worthy sons;
There, raised by her, we praise you everlastingly
and pour forth love’s unending songs.
12.12.12.8.
Bro. John Leonard Davies, O.C.D.
Psalmody
Ant. 1 Behold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.
Psalm 122
I rejoiced when I heard them say: *
“Let us go to God’s house.”
And now our feet are standing *
within your gates, O Jerusalem.
Jerusalem is built as a city *
strongly compact.
It is there that the tribes go up, *
the tribes of the Lord.
For Israel’s law it is, *
there to praise the Lord’s name.
There were set the thrones of judgment *
of the house of David.
For the peace of Jerusalem pray: *
“Peace be to your homes!
May peace reign in your walls, *
in your palaces, peace!”
For love of my brethren and friends *
I say: “Peace upon you!”
For love of the house of the Lord *
I will ask for your good.
Ant. Behold the handmaid of the Lord: let it be done to me according to your word.
Ant. 2 Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
Psalm 127
If the Lord does not build the house, *
in vain do its builders labor;
if the Lord does not watch over the city, *
in vain does the watchman keep vigil.
In vain is your earlier rising, *
your going later to rest,
you who toil for the bread you eat: *
when he pours gifts on his beloved while they slumber.
Truly sons are a gift from the Lord, *
a blessing, the fruit of the womb.
Indeed the sons of youth *
are like arrows in the hand of a warrior.
O the happiness of the man *
who has filled his quiver with these arrows!
He will have no cause for shame *
when he disputes with his foes in the gateways.
Ant. Mary heard the Word of God and kept it, treasuring it in her heart.
Ant. 3 The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Canticle: Eph 1:3-10
Blessed be the God and Father *
of our Lord Jesus Christ,
who has blessed us in Christ *
with every spiritual blessing in the heavenly places.
He chose us in him *
before the foundation of the world,
that we should be holy *
and blameless before him.
He destined us in love *
to be his sons through Jesus Christ,
according to the purpose of his will, +
to the praise of his glorious grace *
which he freely bestowed on us in the Beloved.
In him we have redemption through his blood, *
the forgiveness of our trespasses,
according to the riches of his grace *
which he lavished upon us.
He has made known to us +
in all wisdom and insight *
the mystery of his will,
according to his purpose *
which he set forth in Christ.
His purpose he set forth in Christ, *
as a plan for the fullness of time,
to unite all things in him, *
things in heaven and things on earth.
Ant. The apostles persevered in prayer together with Mary, the Mother of Jesus.
Scripture Reading
Gal 4:4-6
When the designated time had come, God sent forth his Son born of a woman, born under the law, to deliver from the law those who were subjected to it, so that we might receive our status as adopted sons. The proof that you are sons is the fact that God has sent forth into our hearts the spirit of his Son, which cries out “Abba, Father!”
Short Responsory
R/. I exult for joy in the Lord, * my soul rejoices in God. Repeat R/.
V/. For he has clothed me in the garments of salvation; he has wrapped me in the cloak of justice. * My soul rejoices in God.
Glory . . . R/.
Canticle of Mary
Ant. Mary, ever Virgin, has been given us as our Mother; she has taken pity on us; today we remember. Today all Carmel sings for joy as we keep a solemn festival in her honor whose name we bear.
My soul proclaims the greatness of the Lord, *
my spirit rejoices in God my Savior;
for he has looked with favor on his lowly servant, *
and from this day all generations will call me blessed.
The Almighty has done great things for me: *
holy is his Name.
He has mercy on those who fear him *
in every generation.
He has shown the strength of his arm, *
he has scattered the proud in their conceit.
He has cast down the mighty from their thrones,*
and has lifted up the lowly.
He has filled the hungry with good things, *
and has sent the rich away empty.
He has come to the help of his servant Israel*
for he has remembered his promise of mercy,
the promise he made to our fathers, *
to Abraham and his children for ever.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, *
and to the Holy Spirit:
as it was in the beginning, is now, *
and will be for ever. Amen.
Ant. Mary, ever Virgin, has been given us as our Mother; she has taken pity on us; today we remember. Today all Carmel sings for joy as we keep a solemn festival in her honor whose name we bear.
Intercessions
As we honor the holy Mother of God, under whose name and patronage we live, let us pray with confidence to Christ our Lord and say:
R/. Through the intercession of the Mother of Carmel, hear us, O Lord.
You said, “Blessed are the poor in spirit, for theirs is the kingdom of heaven;” — may we stand with Mary among the poor and humble of the Lord, so that you may be our only wealth. R/.
You said, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God;” — in following the Immaculate Virgin may we come to love that purity of heart which makes us eager to see the Father’s face. R/.
You said, “Blessed are those who have not seen, and yet believe;” — with Mary at our side, may we never cease to trust in the love you have for us as we journey in this night of faith. R/.
You said, “You ought to pray always and never lose heart;” — teach us to pray like Mary, treasuring your word in our hearts and proclaiming it in our lives. R/.
You said, “A new commandment I give you: love one another as I have loved you;” — united in heart and mind, may we be ready to spend our lives for our brothers and sisters and share with Mary in your work of redemption. R/.
Dying on the cross, you said to John, and through him to all disciples, “Behold your Mother;” — may we always please you by living in the intimate company of the Mother of Grace. R/.
You said, “I want those you have given me to be with me where I am:” — may all those who trusted in your everlasting mercy rejoice one day with you and Mary in our Father’s house. R/.
Our Father …
Prayer
Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honor of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honor her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God, for ever and ever.
Or:
Father,
may the prayers of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother and Queen of Carmel,
protect us, and bring us to your holy Mountain,
Christ our Lord,
who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
God for ever and ever.
Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.
Featured image: A classic statue of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Image credit: kmiragaya / Adobe Stock
#DiscalcedCarmelite #LiturgyOfTheHours #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #patroness #Solemnity
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 8
Day 8
With You Today
Scripture Reading
John 19:25–27
Meanwhile, standing near the cross of Jesus were his mother, and his mother’s sister, Mary the wife of Clopas, and Mary Magdalene. When Jesus saw his mother and the disciple whom he loved standing beside her, he said to his mother, “Woman, here is your son.” Then he said to the disciple, “Here is your mother.” And from that hour the disciple took her into his own home.
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sint Michael,” 13 June 1942
“At the foot of the Cross I stood with you today
and I felt clearly as never before
that at the foot of the Cross you became our Mother!”
What About My Own Life?
Everything is a gift… And even when the Son dies, He still gives Mary another son: not to replace him, but so she might become the mother of all humanity. Today, I can look at whether I truly receive my life as a gift: whether I understand that I am first and foremost a son or daughter who has received everything, or whether I seek primarily to be in control of my own life.
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#CrossOfChrist #Mother #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Quote of the day, 15 July: St. Elizabeth of the Trinity
You can guess how much I am praying for our dear Marie-Louise during the great novena in preparation for Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
Besides, I have been discussing Marie-Louise’s concerns [about marriage] with the Blessed Virgin [for] a long time now, and you know that we never invoke her in vain; but God’s thoughts are deep and are not our thoughts [Cf. Is 55:8]; may we know how to wait for His hour and may our faith grow, if this were possible, to the height of His love.
He is Father, and even if a mother would forget her child, He would never abandon us [Cf. Is 49:15].
Saint Elizabeth of the Trinity
Letter 296 to Madame Sourdon (excerpt)
15 July 1906
Elizabeth of the Trinity, S 2003, The Complete Works of Elizabeth of the Trinity volume 2: Letters from Carmel, translated from the French by Nash, A, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: St. Elizabeth is seen in this 1902 photograph along with an image of the old double cloister at the former monastery in Dijon. Image credit: Discalced Carmelites (By
#faith #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #patience #prayer #StElizabethOfTheTrinity
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 7
Day 7
Your Most Pure Heart
Scripture Reading
Acts 1:13–14
When they had entered the city, they went to the room upstairs where they were staying, Peter, and John, and James, and Andrew, Philip and Thomas, Bartholomew and Matthew, James son of Alphaeus, and Simon the Zealot, and Judas son of James. All these were constantly devoting themselves to prayer, together with certain women, including Mary the mother of Jesus, as well as his brothers.
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, Tagzeiten von der Allerseligsten Jungfrau Maria, Königin des Friedens
“All-powerful Queen, Queen of peace,
by your prayers protect from all evil
those who are consecrated to you.
Engrave them faithfully in your most pure heart!”
What About My Own Life?
Even if Jesus was deeply active, traveling the roads of Galilee to proclaim and heal, he was also deeply contemplative: from those moments of solitude with his Father, Jesus found the right words to preach and the strength to act. Do we truly believe in the concrete efficacy of prayer that first transforms our own hearts? Today, I can decide to take fifteen minutes, doing nothing else, just to talk with God and open myself to the action of the Holy Spirit…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #QueenOfPeace #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 6
Day 6
A Heart That Loves Much
Scripture Reading
Luke 1:45–49
And blessed is she who believed that there would be a fulfillment of what was spoken to her by the Lord. And Mary said, “My soul magnifies the Lord, and my spirit rejoices in God my Savior, for he has looked with favor on the lowliness of his servant. Surely, from now on all generations will call me blessed; for the Mighty One has done great things for me, and holy is his name.”
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O Mary…
Yes, give me a heart that loves so much
that it wants only Jesus’s greater glory and honor,
a heart that can find no rest except in heaven.
What About My Own Life?
Sometimes, the work ahead of us can seem overwhelming… Yet ever since Genesis, God has established us as guardians of his creation (Gen 2:15), entrusting us to continue his work with him, so that his plans for humanity made in his image might be fulfilled. Today, I can see how God’s plans become mine: as concrete, active, and joyful participation in the Father’s work…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#heart #love #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 5
Day 5
A Noble and Resilient Heart
Scripture Reading
Luke 2:41–48
Now every year his parents went to Jerusalem for the festival of the Passover. And when he was twelve years old, they went up as usual for the festival. When the festival was ended and they started to return, the boy Jesus stayed behind in Jerusalem, but his parents did not know it. Assuming that he was in the group of travelers, they went a day’s journey. Then they started to look for him among their relatives and friends. When they did not find him, they returned to Jerusalem to search for him. After three days they found him in the temple, sitting among the teachers, listening to them and asking them questions. And all who heard him were amazed at his understanding and his answers. When his parents saw him they were astonished; and his mother said to him, “Child, why have you treated us like this? Look, your father and I have been searching for you in great anxiety.”
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O Mary, give me…
A noble and resilient heart
that isn’t cast down by disappointments;
that isn’t resentful, isn’t easily angered;
that isn’t paralyzed by trials;
that doesn’t take offense when overlooked,
that doesn’t lose courage in the face of indifference.
What About My Own Life?
Humiliation often discourages us, or makes us defensive… How can we endure it with Christ? He was misunderstood by his parents and his people, even unto death on the cross; how can we endure it with Mary, who was helpless before this surprising son who would end up condemned? Today, I can believe that God always leads us to victory in our struggles: the Resurrection has revealed it…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#heart #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta #struggle
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 4
Day 4
A Meek and Humble Heart
Scripture Reading
Luke 8:19–21
Then his mother and his brothers came to him, but they could not reach him because of the crowd. And he was told, “Your mother and your brothers are standing outside, wanting to see you.” But he said to them, “My mother and my brothers are those who hear the word of God and do it.”
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O Mary…
Give me a meek and humble heart
that loves without expecting anything in return;
that joyfully makes space in another’s heart
for your Son.
What About My Own Life?
God’s folly is wiser than human wisdom (1 Cor 1:25): to gain your life, you must dare to lose it… Today, I can choose to freely give of myself—my time, my love, my effort—for those who have been given to me as brothers and sisters…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#heart #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #selfGiving #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Quote of the day, 10 July: Jessica Powers
Mother fair above all mothers,
by the scapular we wear
be your own sign of salvation,
which our willing shoulders bear.
Shield us from the foes of darkness,
we are prey they seek to win.
Guard us as your loving children
from the tragedy of sin.
Virgin of the Incarnation,
In the mysteries of grace
God has made his habitation
In our soul’s most secret place.
Toward that bright and inner kingdom
All our words and ways compel,
For the Father, Son and Spirit
In its sacred silence dwell.
Sister Miriam of the Holy Spirit, OCD
(Jessica Powers)
Hymn: Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel, sts. 3–4
Hymn at the Office of Readings, Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.
#JessicaPowers #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #poetry #salvation #scapular #SrMiriamOfTheHolySpirit
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 3
Day 3
A Deep and Grateful Heart
Scripture Reading
John 2:1–5
On the third day there was a wedding in Cana of Galilee, and the mother of Jesus was there. Jesus and his disciples had also been invited to the wedding. When the wine gave out, the mother of Jesus said to him, “They have no wine.” And Jesus said to her, “Woman, what concern is that to you and to me? My hour has not yet come.” His mother said to the servants, “Do whatever he tells you.”
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O Mary, give me…
A heart that knows what weakness is
and can truly sympathize with it;
a deep and grateful heart
that doesn’t neglect the little things.
What About My Own Life?
If the Word, the Logos, became flesh, he wanted to be fully within us–in our beautiful achievements as well as in our humble daily routines and problems. Today, I can choose to be attentive to people and events, welcoming them as signs that God gives me so as not to leave me alone, even in the time of trial…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#gratitude #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta #trials
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 2
Day 2
A Noble Heart
Scripture Reading
Matthew 2:13–14
Now after they had left, an angel of the Lord appeared to Joseph in a dream and said, “Get up, take the child and his mother, and flee to Egypt…” Then Joseph got up, took the child and his mother by night, and went to Egypt.
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O Mary…
Give me a noble heart
that does not brood over troubles
or keep obsessing over them;
a heart that nothing can chill
and that gives itself joyfully.
What About My Own Life?
God’s plans aren’t always ours, and his ways are far above our ways (cf. Is 55:9)… Each day, inevitably, life contradicts my plans in one way or another: I can try not to get irritated, not to be stubborn, but to open my heart to discover the specific ways God’s presence appears in my life today…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#heart #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #selfGiving #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Day 1
Day 1
The Heart of a Child
Scripture Reading
Luke 1:30–38
The angel said to her, “Do not be afraid, Mary, for you have found favor with God. And now, you will conceive in your womb and bear a son, and you will name him Jesus…” Mary said to the angel, “How can this be, since I am a virgin?” The angel said to her, “The Holy Spirit will come upon you…” Then Mary said, “Here am I, the servant of the Lord; let it be with me according to your word.”
Pray with St. Edith Stein
ESGA 20, “Sub tutela Matris”
O sweet Mother Mary, give me a heart
candid and open like the heart of a child,
transparent like the water of a clear spring.
What About My Own Life?
To give thanks and praise—this is the first movement of prayer. Today, I can thank God for his gifts: the gift of life, the joy of knowing him and being able to love him, and the unexpected gifts that will come through those I encounter throughout the day…
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references in this novena are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#gifts #Mother #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta #thanksgiving
Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel 2025: Introduction
On this day we give thanks that our dear Lady has clothed us with the “garment of salvation.”
Saint Edith Stein
“On the History and Spirit of Carmel”
Saint Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Edith Stein (1891-1942)
Poetry by St. Teresa Benedicta of the Cross
Daily reflections by the Discalced Carmelite Friars, Paris Province
Edith was born on October 12, 1891, in Prussia to a Jewish family from Breslau (Wrocław). The youngest of seven children, she was less than two years old when her father died. As a teenager, Edith stopped believing and praying altogether.
In 1913, she studied philosophy at Göttingen under Edmund Husserl, who’d just started a new philosophical movement called phenomenology. This approach gave her an answer to her endless search for truth. She went on to complete her thesis and became the first woman in her country to earn a doctorate in philosophy.
In 1917, while visiting the widow of her friend Adolph Reinach, she experienced the strength that comes from the Risen Christ. Then in 1921, reading Saint Teresa of Avila’s autobiography, she realized that the truth she’d been seeking had a face—the face of Christ. Edith was baptized in the Catholic Church in 1922, even though her family couldn’t understand her decision. While teaching with the Dominican sisters in Speyer, she gave many talks throughout Germany and Europe on education, women’s roles, and religious calling.
In 1933, Nazi laws banned her from teaching entirely. She decided it was time to answer the call she’d felt at her baptism—she entered the Carmel of Cologne, taking the name Sister Teresa Benedicta of the Cross. She was 42 years old. In 1939, to protect her community from danger, she moved to the Carmel in Echt, Holland. But the Nazis invaded there too, and in 1942, Edith was arrested with her sister, Rosa—also a Catholic convert—along with thousands of other converts, including Dominican and Trappist religious. On August 9, the train carrying her, Rosa, and hundreds of others arrived at Birkenau extermination camp (Auschwitz II). Edith and Rosa were killed immediately, along with most of the others.
Canonized in 1998, this great intellectual and spiritual figure was declared co-patron of Europe the following year. Her many writings—philosophical, theological, and spiritual works like Life in a Jewish Family and Science of the Cross—continue to guide those who, like her, are searching for the Truth. Her feast day is August 9.
Pray each day with St. Edith Stein
Join us every day as our novena unfolds
Day One
The Heart of a Child
Day Two
A Noble Heart
Day Three
A Deep and Grateful Heart
Day Four
A Meek and Humble Heart
Day Five
A Noble and Resilient Heart
Day Six
A Heart That Loves Much
Day Seven
Your Most Pure Heart
Day Eight
With You Today
Day Nine
Glory of Carmel
Novena 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our gratitude to the Discalced Carmelite Friars of the Paris Province and the Discalced Carmelite Nuns of Le Havre for their gracious permission to translate and publish their 2025 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Translation from the French text is the blogger’s own work product and may not be reproduced without permission.
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
#novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StEdithStein #StTeresaBenedicta
Marie du jour, 28 May: St. Teresa of the Andes
From the solitude of my cell, I will pray for you to the Virgin so idolized, that she may reveal herself as a true Mother for the brother I love so much.
United in thought here on earth, our united souls will find themselves together again forever there in heaven after this sorrowful exile has ended.
Then we’ll understand the value of our separation during this time of exile, which will have won our eternal communion there in that homeland where there’s true life.
Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes
Letter 81 to her brother, Luis
14 April 1919
Note: Luis (affectionately known as “Lucho”) was the beloved brother and confidant of St. Teresa of the Andes. The two were inseparable during childhood and adolescence, and he cherished her deeply. Lucho was also a friend of St. Alberto Hurtado, the renowned Chilean Jesuit. Luis testified at two sessions during his sister’s beatification process, offering vivid personal memories that many found moving. The three surviving letters Teresa wrote to him are considered among her most beautiful and profound.
Griffin, M D & Teresa of the Andes, S 2023, The Letters of Saint Teresa of Jesus of the Andes, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
Featured image: This striking image of Chile’s national patroness, Our Lady of Mount Carmel, was taken on her feast day, 16 July 2010. The feast is celebrated at the Votive Temple of Maipú, beloved by Chileans. The statue of the Virgin of Carmel is the focal point of the basilica, consecrated by St. Paul VI on 23 November 1974—nearly 70 years after the original votive church, commissioned by General Bernardo O’Higgins, was destroyed in the 1906 earthquake. Image credit: Municipalidad de Maipú / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
⬦ Reflection Question ⬦
How do I entrust those I love to the care of the Blessed Virgin—especially in times of separation or suffering?
⬦ Join the conversation in the comments.
#CarmelOfLosAndes #familyLife #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #solitude #StTeresaOfTheAndes #vocation
https://open.spotify.com/episode/11UHyBDiXR8gjWOOgxfCBW?si=6c869e423f5e4a8b
I can say that I feel very, very happy to be living and experiencing this moment in my life, in the midst of so many difficulties in society. I feel that this is a moment of hope. I think faith means to believe in the Holy Spirit, who is now doing something new even if we don’t understand what is happening. I believe in this creativity of the Holy Spirit because I feel and know that the principal moments in the history of Carmel were apparently the worst.
I believe in opening history to newness—to something new. I would like to tell people that authenticity and fidelity to God are something we need to discover now. We need to be in love.
I believe and I am very, very close to our Mother Mary. You see, if we also enter into this example of being born in Mary, there is something new that society, the Church, and Carmel are going through, and we know nothing of it. It’s not in intelligence; it’s not in our strength; it isn’t found in geniality. It is simply something that we need to receive humbly and experience.
So this is a moment of hope for me, even in the midst of difficult things. I can’t explain clearly why I feel this. People speak about the end times and there are so many announcements about the apocalypse.
But for God, it’s always a beginning.
Father Miguel Márquez Calle, o.c.d.
Excerpt from interview with Carmelite Quotes (edited for clarity)
In times of great challenge, where difficulties seem to overshadow everyday life, finding hope can often feel like a daunting task. Father Miguel Márquez Calle, Superior General of the Discalced Carmelite Order, stands as a beacon of light amidst these challenges, embodying hope and strength. His insights offer a unique perspective on navigating the sorrows and joys that life presents.
A Life Dedicated to Service
Father Miguel is a native of Plasencia, Spain, who has dedicated his life to the Discalced Carmelite Order. Elected as Superior General three years ago, he has since embraced the role with a sense of joy, presence, and adventure. As a former soccer player who has undergone multiple knee surgeries, he understands the intricacies of pain and recovery, both physically and spiritually, enabling him to bring comfort and consolation to others in difficult situations. His personal journey through hardship has given him profound empathy and insight, allowing him to connect deeply with those who are suffering and to offer genuine support and understanding.
Father Miguel’s travels have taken him to some of the most difficult places in the world, where he has stood in solidarity with those facing hardship. His visits to countries like Ukraine, Burkina Faso, and Lebanon are driven by a desire to be present with his brothers and sisters during times of need, embodying the true spirit of the Carmelite mission.
Sorrows and Joys in the Midst of Conflict
Reflecting on his experiences, Father Miguel shares, “First of all, when people ask if there are lots of sorrows or problems or difficulties, I say that there are more blessings, more joys than sorrows. But it is true that I found sorrows, and I went to meet people who were suffering in special situations of difficulty.”
One of his poignant memories comes from his visit to Ukraine, during the early stages of the war. Despite the destruction and loss, he encountered a profound sense of joy among the faithful. “In Ukraine, the faithful were singing joyfully, like I had never heard at the Easter Vigil,” he recalls. “So it was so nice to listen to the Alleluia. In that way, it was so meaningful for me.”
Father Miguel’s presence in war-torn regions is not just a testament to his courage but also to his belief in the power of community and faith. “We try to be close and be a family,” he explains. “In the sorrow, you find that they also experience a special joy in the midst of these difficult situations.”
A Moment of Hope
As the interview progresses, Father Miguel’s message of hope becomes even more profound. He states, “I can say that I feel very, very happy to be living and experiencing this moment in my life, in the midst of so many difficulties in society. I feel that this is a moment of hope.”
For Father Miguel, hope is rooted in faith and the belief in the Holy Spirit’s work, even when circumstances seem bleak. “I think faith means to believe in the Holy Spirit, who is now doing something new even if we don’t understand what is happening,” he explains. “I believe in this creativity of the Holy Spirit because I feel and I know that the principal moments in the history of Carmel were apparently the worst.”
His connection to the Virgin Mary, our Mother, also plays a significant role in his perspective. “I believe and I am very, very close to our Mother Mary,” he says. “You see, if we also enter into this example of being born in Mary, there is something new that society, the Church, and Carmel is going through, and we know nothing of it.”
Embracing New Beginnings
Father Miguel’s insights remind us that challenges often precede renewal and growth. He encourages us to embrace authenticity and fidelity to God, allowing ourselves to be open to newness. “This is a moment of hope for me, even in the midst of difficult things,” he shares. “I can’t explain clearly why I feel this… But for God, it’s always a beginning.”
In a world filled with uncertainty, Father Miguel Márquez serves as a messenger of hope, inspiring us to find joy and courage amid life’s trials. His faith, determination, and dedication to serving others remind us that even in the darkest times, there is always the potential for new beginnings.
Featured image: Father Miguel Marquez, o.c.d. was a featured speaker during the 2024 Carmelite Symposium at the Catholic University of America, sponsored by the Carmelite Institute of North America. Members of the Carmelite family from throughout North America—O.Carm. and O.C.D., friars, nuns, and laity—gathered for days of study and fellowship from 28 July through 1 August 2024. Image credits: Carmelite Quotes (Some rights reserved)
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/08/03/ep17-marquezhope/
#DiscalcedCarmelite #friars #history #HolySpirit #hope #love #MiguelMárquezCalle #new #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #SuperiorGeneral
Day 2 of our Novena to Our Lady of Mt Carmel: Reflect on St. Teresa's humility in wearing the Scapular. #novena #ourladyofmountcarmel
Join Day 1 of our Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Reflect with St. Teresa of Avila on fortitude and strength in the face of trials. #Novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel
Join our 2024 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel! Reflect daily with St. Teresa of Avila on the Flos Carmeli hymn. Deepen your devotion and seek Mary's intercession. 🌸🙏 #novena #ourladyofmountcarmel
SEQUENCE HYMN
Flos Carmeli,INTRODUCTION
The hymn Flos Carmeli, which translates to “Flower of Carmel,” is a beloved tribute to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, deeply woven into our Carmelite tradition. We especially sing it on July 16th, the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. The hymn’s imagery portrays Mary as the flower of Carmel, the light of heaven, and the pure mother of God’s dear Son.
As Carmelites, we see Mary not only as the Mother of God but also as our model of contemplative life. The opening lines, Flower of Carmel, blossoming, bearing one, light of heaven, mother of God’s dear Son, vine and virgin, highlight her purity and fruitfulness, reminding us of her role in bringing forth Christ.
The hymn continues with titles like pure beyond human love and star shining far above this world’s ocean, reflecting her exalted status and tender care. As our gentle mother, Mary intercedes for us, bringing our prayers to Jesus. We have always trusted in Our Lady’s intercession, believing she helps us draw closer to Christ.
Another beautiful title is Stella Maris, the star shining far above this world’s ocean. the Virgin stands as a steady beacon, guiding us safely through life’s storms. Beginning in the 13th century, Carmelites have lived on Mount Carmel overlooking the Mediterranean Sea, and Mary has always been our guiding star.
The Carmelite Order, with its roots in Mount Carmel, has always had a special devotion to the Virgin since the days of our hermit ancestors. These early Carmelites built a chapel dedicated to the “Lady of the Place,” as commanded by the Rule of Life we received from St. Albert of Jerusalem. The Brown Scapular symbolizes her protection and our consecration to her. The Flos Carmeli hymn beautifully expresses our trust in the maternal care of Mary, the “Beauty of Carmel,” and our commitment to a life of prayer and service under her patronage.
In the Carmelite Rite of the Mass, this hymn was the sequence for the feast day of Saint Simon Stock and, since 1663, for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel on July 16th. Said to have been written by Saint Simon Stock, the novena prayer is taken from the first two stanzas of the hymn.
In this novena, we will turn to Saint Teresa of Avila to guide us in our daily meditations on the Flos Carmeli hymn. Join us each day as we ask Our Lady of Mount Carmel to intercede for us: “there are none that can withstand your power.”
Day One
Armatura Fortis
Day Two
Praesidium Scapularis
Day Three
Prudens Consilium
Day Four
Mater Mitis
Day Five
Inter spinas
Day Six
Paradisi clavis et janua
Day Seven
Carmelitis da privilegia
Day Eight
Per adversa
Day Nine
Flos Carmeli
NOVENA 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 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 succor me in this necessity.
There are none that can withstand your power!
O help me and show me herein that you are my Mother.
(Here mention your requests)
Our Lady, Queen and Beauty of Carmel,
pray for me and obtain my requests!
Sweet Mother, I place this cause in your hands!
Our Father…
Hail Mary…
Glory be…
Queen, Beauty of Carmel, pray for us.
Join us for the 2024 Novena to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, inspired by the Flos Carmeli hymn. Each day, we reflect on the hymn’s verses with insights from St. Teresa of Avila. Discover the beauty of Carmelite spirituality and seek Mary’s powerful intercession.Catholic Church 1993, Proper of the Liturgy of the Hours of the Order of the Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel and the Order of Discalced Carmelites (Rev. and augm.), Institutum Carmelitanum, Rome.
Teresa of Avila, St. 1985, The Collected Works of St. Teresa of Avila, translated from the Spanish by Kavanaugh, K; Rodriguez, O, ICS Publications, Washington DC.
All scripture references are from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition, copyright © 1989, 1993 the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America as accessed from the Bible Gateway website.
Featured image: Photographer Ángel Cantero captured this breathtaking image of a 16th-century statue of the Virgin of Carmel, which was featured in the 2014 exhibit, Santa Teresa de Jesús y San Juan de la Cruz: El encuentro at the Museo de las Ferias in Medina del Campo, Spain. Image credit: Ángel Cantero, Iglesia de Valladolid / Flickr (Some rights reserved)
Don’t become discouraged and give up prayer, says St. John of the Cross. We offer varying novenas to Our Lady of Mount Carmel, as well as novenas to St. Joseph, St. Teresa of Avila, St. John of the Cross, St. Thérèse of Lisieux, Sts. Louis and Zélie Martin, St. Elizabeth of the Trinity, and St. Edith Stein.
https://carmelitequotes.blog/2024/07/06/olmcnovena24-int/
#FlosCarmeli #novena #OurLadyOfMountCarmel #prayer #StAlbertOfJerusalem #StTeresaOfAvila
The Archdiocesan #Gay and #Lesbian #Outreach of #Chicago celebrates its 35th #anniversary
Hundreds filled #OurLadyofMountCarmel #Church in #LakeView for a #Mass celebrated by #Cardinal #BlaseCupich, who #honored the #group as a ‘#covenant of people.’
#Women #Transgender #LGBTQ #LGBTQIA #Illinois #Chicago #Religion
https://chicago.suntimes.com/2023/6/18/23765585/archdiocesan-gay-and-lesbian-outreach-of-chicago-celebrates-its-35th-anniversary
Do you wear the Brown Scapular? On 3 March 1322 Pope John the 22nd issued the Papal Bull that decreed the Sabbatine Privilege from Avignon. Or did he? Historians have cast doubt on this claim. Visit our blog to learn why the historians argue a moot point here.
👉🏼 https://carmelitequotes.blog 👈🏼
#carmelites #brownscapular #sabbatineprivilege #catholic #avignonpapacy #ourladyofmountcarmel