Our Lady of Mount Carmel

July 15, 2022
Author: Hannah DeVivo

Peace be with you! Tomorrow, July 16th is the feast day of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Today we will be talking about the apparitions of Our Lady and the wonders they left behind!

The Carmelites

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the Patroness of the Carmelite order, whose roots can be traced back to the prophet Elijah. He lived as a recluse on Mount Carmel and dedicated his life to prayer and contemplation. Many men became hermits and followed in his example of prayer while living in the caves of Mount Carmel. Together, they formed the order of the Carmelites. In the 13th century, they built a chapel dedicated to the Blessed Virgin whom they regarded as their Patroness.

The Apparitions of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

The first time Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared was on July 16, 1251 to a Prior of the Carmelite Order, Saint Simon Stock. As he was praying in his cell on that night, the room suddenly filled with light. Our Lady appeared surrounded by angels and holding the infant Jesus. She held out a brown scapular to Simon and promised “This shall be the privilege for you and for all Carmelites: that whoever dies piously wearing this scapular shall not suffer eternal flames.” At that time, the Carmelite order was in crisis. Some were already wearing the scapular as a garment of protection. After the Apparition, it became a mandatory part of the Carmelite habit.

The second apparition of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was in the 1300’s to Saint Peter Thomas. He was a Carmelite friar who came to be an official preacher of the Papal Court. Many were highly interested in the Carmelite order at that time. They were highly regarded for their way of life, along with their privileges and graces. Peter Thomas was widely considered a Saint during his lifetime. He was known for his preaching and virtuous way of life. Mary appeared to him saying “Have confidence, Peter, for the Carmelite Order will last until the end of the world. Elijah, its founder, obtained it a long time ago from my Son”.

The Sabbatine Privilege

The third time Our Lady of Mount Carmel appeared was to Pope John XXII. On March 3rd 1322, she told him “I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend into Purgatory on the Saturday after the death of those who wear the scapular with devotion and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory I shall free”. It was during this visitation that the Sabbatine Privilege was established. The Sabbatine Privilege is the promise of early liberation of souls who have a special devotion to Our Lady through the wearing of the scapular from Purgatory the Saturday after their death.

In order for one to enjoy the Sabbatine Privilege, the Blessed Virgin assigned certain conditions which must be fulfilled:

1. Wear the Brown Scapular continuously.

2. Observe chastity according to one’s state in life (married/single).

3. Recite daily the Little Office of the Blessed Virgin OR Observe the fasts of the Church together with abstaining from meat on Wednesdays and Saturdays OR With permission of a priest, say five decades of Our Lady’s Most Holy Rosary OR With permission of a priest, substitute some other good work.

Importance and Legacy of Our Lady of Mount Carmel’s Apparitions

Our Lady appearing to the Carmelites was very significant for them, especially since they regard Her to be the perfect model of virtue and the interior life of contemplation and prayer. Carmelites look to Mary as their Mother who leads them straight to Her Son, Jesus Christ. Just as she said at the Wedding of Cana “Do whatever He tells you”, she continually shows the way to simply and trustingly follow Him. It is believed that the call to the contemplative life is especially Marian in nature. Through what we have learned about Her from the Bible, she possessed a grace and spiritual life that consisted of deep pondering, treasuring, and trusting in her intimate connection to God in all His Persons.

The Scapular

Many Saints have strongly recommended the wearing of the scapular. St. Alphonsus said: "Just as men take pride in having others wear their livery, so the Most Holy Mary is pleased when Her servants wear Her Scapular as a mark that they have dedicated themselves to Her service, and are members of the Family of the Mother of God." Pope Paul VI said: "Let the faithful hold in high esteem the practices and devotions to the Blessed Virgin ... the Rosary and the Scapular of Carmel" and in another place referred to the Scapular as: "so highly recommended by our illustrious predecessors."

The Sisters of Carmel refer to the scapular as a prayer. They write: “As Our Lord taught us to say the Our Father, Our Blessed Mother taught us the value of the scapular. When we use it as a prayer, Our Lady draws us to the Sacred Heart of Her Divine Son. It is good, therefore, to hold the scapular in the hand. A prayer offered while holding the Scapular is as perfect as a prayer can be. It is especially in time of temptation that we need the powerful intercession of God’s Mother. The evil spirit is utterly powerless when the wearer of a scapular faces temptation, calling upon the Holy Virgin in this silent devotion. “If you had recommended yourself to me, you would not have run into such danger,” was Our Lady’s gentle reproach to Blessed Alan de la Roche, one of her devoted servants."

The “Flos Carmeli”

Before we go, let us close with the Flos Carmeli, which is a beautiful medieval hymn associated with Saint Simon Stock and the Scapular of Carmel. it is often set to music or sung in Gregorian chant form.

Flower of Carmel,

Vine blossom-laden,

Spendor of heaven,

Child-bearing maiden,

None equals thee.

O Mother benign,

Who no man didst know,

On all Carmel's children

Thy favors bestow

Star of the sea.

Before You Go

Do you have a special devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel?

Do you know anyone in the Carmelite Order?

Do you wear a scapular?

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