OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL-FULL BUCK MOON
Exodus, Chapter 2,
Verse 13-14
13The next day he went
out again, and now two Hebrews were fighting! So, he asked the culprit, “Why
are you striking your companion?” 14But he replied, “Who has appointed
you ruler and judge over us? Are you thinking of killing me as you killed the
Egyptian?” Then Moses became afraid
and thought, “The affair must certainly be known.”
Moses was a prince of Egypt and also a Hebrew.
Moses
as a man sought justice for his Hebrew brothers and in a fit of anger killed an
Egyptian that was brutalizing a Hebrew slave and secretly buried him in the
sand. Secrecy is an important element in sinfulness. When we find ourselves
wanting to keep something secret, we should ask ourselves are we going down a
road that we want to go; is this secrecy that we desire really an attempt to
hide our sinfulness from God; who sees all things. Think twice the next time
you seek secrecy.
THE Church celebrates on this day
the feast of the Scapular of Mount Carmel. The scapular, which derives its name
from the Latin word scapulas, meaning shoulders, is a dress which covers the
shoulders. It is mentioned in the rule of St. Benedict as worn by monks over
their other dress when they were at work, and it now forms a regular part of
the religious dress in the old Orders. But it is best known among Catholics as
the name of two little pieces of cloth worn out of devotion to the Blessed
Virgin over the shoulders, under the ordinary garb, and connected by strings.
The devotion of the scapular, now almost universal in the Catholic Church,
began with the Carmelites. The history of its origin is as follows: During the
thirteenth century the Carmelite Order suffered great persecution, and on July
16, 1251, while St. Simon Stock, then general of the Order, was at prayer, the
Blessed Virgin appeared to him, holding in her hand a scapular. Giving it to
the saint, she said,” Receive, my dear son, this scapular of thy Order, as the
distinctive sign of my confraternity, and the mark of the privilege which I
have obtained for thee and the children of Carmel. It is a sign of salvation, a
safeguard in danger, and a special pledge of peace and protection till the end of
time.” “Whosoever dies wearing this shall be preserved from eternal flames.” It
is much to be wished that people should everywhere join this confraternity, for
the honor of Mary and for the salvation of souls, by a life fitted to that end.
In order to have a share in the merits of the sodality every member must:
1.
Shun sin, and, according to his state of life, live
chastely.
2.
Say every day, if possible, seven times, Our Father,
Hail Mary, and Glory Be to the Father.
3.
Strive to serve God by venerating Mary and imitating
her virtues.
These rules, it is true, are not binding under penalty of sin, but the breach
of them deprives us of all merit; and is not this something to be taken into
account? “He who soweth sparingly shall also reap sparingly.” (n. Cor. ix. 6).
Prayer. O God, Who hast
honored the Order of Carmelites with the particular title of the most blessed
Virgin Mary, Thy Mother, mercifully grant that, protected by her prayers whose
commem oration we this day celebrate with a solemn office, we may de serve to
arrive at joy everlasting.
EPISTLE. Ecclus. xxiv. 23-31.
As the
vine, I have brought forth a pleasant odor: and my flowers are the fruit of
honor and riches. I am the mother of fair love, and of fear, and of knowledge,
and of holy hope. In me is all grace of the way and of the truth: in me is all
hope of life and of virtue. Come over to me, all ye that desire me, and be
filled with my fruits. For my spirit is sweet above honey, and my inheritance
above honey and the honeycomb. My memory is unto everlasting generations. They
that eat me, shall yet hunger and they that drink me, shall yet thirst. He that
hearkeneth to me shall not be confounded: and they that work by me shall not
sin. They that explain me shall have life everlasting.
Explanation. The Church applies
this epistle to Mary, thereby encouraging us fervently to honor the blessed
Mother of God, in whom the Eternal Wisdom dwelt bodily, and through whom He was
given to us, that by her intercession our understanding may be enlightened, our
will strengthened, and we be inspired with fresh zeal to practise ourselves,
and to prevail on others to prac tise also, whatever is chaste, becoming, and
holy.
GOSPEL. Luke xi.
27, 28.
And it came to
pass: as He spoke these things, a certain woman from the crowd lifting up her
voice said to Him: Blessed is the womb that bore Thee, and the paps that gave
Thee suck. But He said: Yea rather, blessed are they who hear the word of God,
and keep it.
Things to
Do[2]
·
If
you have not already done so, have a priest enroll you in the
Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, or popularly known as the "Brown
Scapular" and begin wearing it as a sign of your love for Our Lady.
·
Wearing
the Brown Scapular is not an automatic guarantee of salvation. It is not a
magical charm, nor is it an excuse to live in a way contrary to the teachings
of the Church. (see Catechism, no. 1670.)
·
See
the Directory on
Popular Piety
the Brown Scapular is included in the
document as a wonderful pious practice. The history of Marian piety also
includes "devotion" to various scapulars, the most common of which is
devotion to the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Its use is truly
universal and, undoubtedly, it is one of those pious practices which the
Council described as "recommended by the Magisterium throughout the
centuries."
·
Pope
John Paul II has worn the scapular for a long time. See the Holy Father's talk
on the Scapular of
Carmel, A Treasure for the Church.
·
For
the definitive treatment on the brown scapular, read The
Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel: Catechesis and Ritual.
·
The
Blessed Virgin's scapular should remind us that Christians have an apostolate
against current extremes and extravagances in modes of dress. Clothes are a
symbol of the person. Like the Christian heart, dress must be chaste and
simple, for one judges the interior from the exterior. It should not be
necessary to add that special attention be given this matter when preparing for
church attendance. Examine yourself on how well you reflect Christian modesty
in your dress and if you are a parent, how well you ensure that your children
are modestly dressed.
·
In
New York City in East Harlem is one of the
oldest festivals in America for Our Lady of Mount Carmel. See Our Lady of Mount
Carmel Shrine of East Harlem – since 1881. Also Williamsburg in Brooklyn, NY annually
holds the Festival
of Our Lady of Mt. Carmel and St. Paulinus of Nola (Festa Del
Giglio). It is unique to see a scene that one would expect in Europe unfolding
on the street of a major East coast city. You can view a You Tube clip right here. Also look around
your area for Italian parishes, maybe one named after Our Lady of Mount Carmel?
Many times the parish will host wonderful festivals in her honor.
·
From
the Catholic Culture library, the Scapular
Devotion,
a description of Different Kinds of
Scapulars,
The Brown Scapular and information
on the Scapular Medal.
Medals have been part of Catholic life since the early
centuries of the Church. The most popular is the cross; even Protestants wear
crosses minus the corpus while Catholics wear a crucifix. It is also noted that
in the miraculous image of Our Lady of Guadalupe she is wearing a cross about
her neck. We wear scapulars, too, which are mini habits of the religious
orders. Pope John Paul II said that the scapular is a powerful precisely
because it is a “habit” in every sense of the word, both a uniform and a
pattern of good belief and good behavior. Since 1910, Catholics have been
permitted to wear a scapular medal in place of a cloth scapular.
Full Buck Moon
According to the almanac today we are having a Full
Buck Moon; plan to spend some time if you are not a hunter out hiking with your
children or grandchildren.
Daily Devotions
[1] Goffine’s Devout Instructions, 1896
[3] Hahn, Scott, Signs of Life; 40 Catholic
Customs and their biblical roots. Chap. 36 Scapulars and Medals.
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