Our Lady' s Feast

Today the Church celebrates the memorial of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. "This feast was instituted in the fourteenth century by the Carmelite Order. It commemorates the anniversary of the day in 1251 when the Blessed Mother gave the brown scapular to Saint Simon Stock. The scapular is an external sign of the filial relationship established between the Blessed Virgin Mary, Mother and Queen of Mount Carmel, and the faithful who entrust themselves totally to her protection, who have recourse to her maternal intercession, who are mindful of the primacy of the spiritual life and the need for prayer" (Directory on Popular Piety and the Liturgy 205) and (Magnificat, 231-32). We thank God for the gift of the Blessed Virgin Mary and her motherly love, protection, and care. May we wear our scapulars with love and devotion and know that our Blessed Mother will protect us and defend us at all times. Our Lady of Mount Carmel, pray for us! Saint Simon Stock, pray for us!!!