Ruminations of an Irascible Hermit.: Beauty of Carmel, Mary Immaculata

Sunday, July 16, 2023

Beauty of Carmel, Mary Immaculata

The first hermits that settled on Mount Carmel were former crusaders who had given up military life, and instead chose to live in allegiance to Jesus Christ as their Leader. They settled near the fountain of the Prophet Elijah to associate themselves with him and to be successors of the sons of the prophet that used to live there (e.g. 2 Kings 2:3, 5, 7, 15). They wanted to live a life of silence, contemplation and spiritual warfare under the guidance of Our Lady, who they chose as the patroness and Lady of the “place” to be their Sister, Mother, Patroness and Queen.

Mount Carmel represented a garden of God, full of beauty - but also the battle against idolatry and false worship, where the zeal for the true Living God was victorious and the altar of sacrifice that Elijah offered was consumed by the fire of God. The vision that he later had of the little cloud (1 Kings 18:44) was interpreted as a symbol of Mary Immaculate, bringing Jesus the rain of righteousness (Isaiah 45:8).

As a hermit in the Carmelite tradition, I am so blessed to be part of this unique spiritual heritage. We Carmelites are the “Brothers of the Blessed Virgin Mary of Mount Carmel” - she is our sister in the faith who guides us in prayer, leading us up the mountain of faith to her son Jesus. We belong totally to her, because she completely belonged to God so much that she was able to receive the Word made flesh (John 1:14) within her - she became the Theotokos, the Godbearer. So we Carmelites following Elijah and Mary, zealously seek to stand before the Living God (1 Kings 17:1) and meditating always on scripture, keeping and treasuring theses things in our heart (Luke 2:19) - so we can continuously live in the Presence of God around us, among us, and more importantly within us. The Divine Indwelling of the Holy Trinity.

Our Lady of Mount Carmel is not just a devotion, but she is a way of life. As her brethren and children, we are literally clothed in her and by her, through wearing her scapular. We are totally hers, this is why the old saying is that “Carmel is totally Marian”. We seek to be hers, united to her and with her always contemplating the Presence of God. But we also seek to imitate her silence, humility, faith, trust, compassion, love and hope. Even more than that, we seek to imitate her fruitfulness to the point that mysticislly we too can become Godbearers, bringing forth Divine life in our own lives, and sharing it with others. This is why to be Carmelite is to be a mystic.

St Titus Brandsma teaches that authentic Carmelite mysticism is also apostolic - in the sense that our union with God is always fruitful and therefore must be shared with others. The flowers and fruit from the garden of Carmel must always be strewn upon the earth and shared with all. Shared from the heights of the mountain, or other times through descending the mountain and harvesting the wheat of God with the scythe of contemplation and preaching, as was a popular image among the early Carmelites.

Belonging to Mary as a Carmelite is the perfect way for me to live in allegiance to Jesus and follow him as a hermit. It is my vocation and a blessing. Wearing my habit is the symbol of this belonging to Jesus through the hands of His Blessed Mother (Luke 1:48-50). Although I wear a black habit as part of monastic tradition as a hermit, my scapular is the brown Carmelite scapular. Everyday as I put on my scapular, I kiss it, and this is my personal prayer as I start my day:

“Oh Immaculata, Our Lady of Mt Carmel & Queen of hermits - I renew my consecration to
you this day.
Help me to love Jesus with your holy and pure heart,
Help me to desire the Father’s Will as you desired it,
Help me to be full of the Holy Spirit, as you were full of the Holy Spirit,
So that under your mantle and clothed with your virtues - I may be united to the Most Holy Trinity.
Amen”

Mary is the most beautiful flower on Mount Carmel in the garden of God (Song of Songs 4:7, Isaiah 35:2), full of the Divine light. She enlightens by sharing that light with us, showing us how to shine the light and share it onto others too. She leads us up the path of holiness, ascending the Mountain of the Lord (Isaiah 2:3) to Christ Himself, the true Light and Life of the world (John 8:12, 14:16).

All Carmelites around the world whether Ancient Observance, Discalced Teresian, Tertiary and Seculars, affiliates or hermits all sing today (and I sing everyday after praying any of the Divine Office) - this beautiful sequence/hymn called “Flos Carmeli” the Flower of Carmel, in honour of Our Lady of Mount Carmel …

Flos carmeli,

Vitis florigera,

Splendor caeli,

Virgo puerpera

Singularis.

Mater mitis,

Sed viri nescia,

Carmelitis

Esto propitia,

Stella maris.

Flower of Carmel,

Flourishing vine,

Splendor of Heaven,

Virgin after having delivered Child

[Thou art] without equal.

Gentle Mother,

But knowing not man,

To the Carmelites

Bestow thy favor,

Star of the Sea.

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Disclaimer

Please note. I am a Catholic layman, not a qualified theologian or philosopher. What I say and write here are my own personal thoughts and ideas, although I always try to conform my writings to the Magisterium of the Church.

I- with firm faith believe and profess everything that is contained in the symbol of faith: namely,

I believe in one God, the Father, the Almighty, maker of heaven and earth, of all that is seen and unseen. I believe in one Lord, Jesus Christ, the only Son of God, eternally begotten of the Father, God from God, Light from Light, true God from true God, begotten, not made, one in Being with the Father. Through him all things were made. For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven: By the power of the Holy Spirit, he was born of the Virgin Mary, and became man. For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate; he suffered, died and was buried. On the third day he rose again in fulfillment of the Scriptures; he ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. He will come again in glory to judge the living and the dead, and his kingdom will have no end. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life, who proceeds from the Father and the Son. With the Father and the Son he is worshipped and glorified. He has spoken through the Prophets. I believe in the one holy catholic and apostolic church. I acknowledge one baptism for the forgiveness of sins. I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the world to come. Amen.

With firm faith I believe as well everything contained in God's word, written or handed down in tradition and proposed by the church--whether in solemn judgment or in the ordinary and universal Magisterium--as divinely revealed and called for faith.

I also firmly accept and hold each and every thing that is proposed by that same church definitively with regard to teaching concerning faith or morals.

What is more, I adhere with religious submission of will and intellect to the teachings which either the Roman pontiff or the college of bishops enunciate when they exercise the authentic Magisterium even if they proclaim those teachings in an act that is not definitive.