The Story of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

On July 16, 1251, Our Lady appeared to St. Simon Stock, the Father of the Carmelite Order, and presented him with the Scapular. St. Simon's story began as an English hermit that lived in the hollow of a tree. He received the name "stock" because he lived in the hollowed trunk or stock of a tree. In time he would become a Carmelite and later the Father General of the order. He led the order during a time of great struggle.
The Carmelites in the beginning were hermits on Mount Carmel, near Nazareth in the Holy Land. When they migrated to Europe, in this case England, some decided to no longer be hermits and instead became friars who would work among the people. St. Simon guided them through this state of transition.
In the year 1251 a miraculous vision took place. St. Simon Stock, newly transplanted to England, prayed fervently to Our Lady for Her help. Then: To him appeared the Blessed Virgin with a multitude of angels, holding the Scapular of the order in her blessed hands.

Mary's Promise to Those Who Wear the Scapular

Our Lady gave St. Simon a scapular for the Carmelites with the following promise, saying : 
Receive, My beloved son, this habit of thy order: this shall be to thee and to all Carmelites a privilege, that whosoever dies clothed in this shall never suffer eternal fire .... It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger, and a pledge of peace.

Another important aspect of wearing the Scapular is the Sabbatine Privilege. This concerns a promise made by Our Lady to Pope John XXII ( 22 not the red 23 ). In a papal letter he issued, he recounted a vision that he had had. He stated that the Blessed Virgin had said to him in this vision, concerning those who wear the Brown Scapular: "I, the Mother of Grace, shall descend on the Saturday after their death and whomsoever I shall find in Purgatory, I shall free, so that I may lead them to the holy mountain of life everlasting."

Let us pray :

Flos Carmeli

This is the prayer of St. Simon Stock, to whom the Scapular devotion with its promise was given. It has for seven centuries been called a prayer to the Blessed Mother which has never been known to fail in obtaining her powerful help.

O beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful Vine,

Splendor of Heaven, holy and singular,

who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining

a Pure Virgin, assist me in this necessity.

(here we present our prayer intention)

O Star of the Sea, help and protect me!

Show me that thou art my Mother.

O Mary, Conceived without sin,

Pray for us who have recourse to thee!

Mother and Ornament of Carmel, Pray for us!

Virgin, Flower of Carmel, Pray for us!

Patroness of all who wear the Scapular, Pray for us!

Hope of all who die wearing the Scapular, Pray for us!

St. Joseph, Friend of the Sacred Heart, Pray for us!

St. Joseph, Chaste Spouse of Mary, Pray for us!

St. Joseph, Our Patron, Pray for us!

O sweet Heart of Mary, be my Salvation!

another Prayer to Our Lady of Mount Carmel

O Most Blessed and Immaculate Virgin, ornament and beauty of Mount Carmel, thou who beholdest with thy special kindness those who wear thy blessed Scapular, look lovingly upon me, and cover me with the mantle of thy motherly protection. 

Fortify my weakness with thy power, enlighten the darkness of my understanding with thy wisdom, increase Faith, Hope and Charity in me, adorn my soul with the graces and virtues that will make me pleasing to thee and thy divine Son. 

Assist me during my life, and console me at the hour of my death and present me to the most blessed Trinity as thy devoted servant, to praise and bless thee in heaven forever. Amen

Our Lady of Mount Carmel Feast

According to the most ancient Carmelite chronicles, the Order has its origins with the disciples of the prophets Elias and Eliseus. They lived in caves on Mount Carmel. They honored the Queen of Heaven as the Virgin who is to give birth to the Saviour. When the reality replaced the symbol, the pious ascetics of Carmel were converted to the Christian Faith. In the 12th century, many pilgrims from Europe who had followed the Crusaders came to join the solitaries. A rule was established and the Order began to spread to Europe.

Amid the many persecutions raised against the Order of Mount Carmel, newly arrived in Europe, Saint Simon Stock, General of the Order, turned with filial confidence to the Blessed Mother of God. As he knelt in prayer on July 16, 1251, in the White Friars’ convent at Cambridge, She appeared before him and presented him with the well-known brown scapular, a loose sleeveless garment destined for the Order of Carmel, reaching from the shoulders to the knees. It was given as an assurance, for all who died wearing it, of Her heavenly protection from eternal death. An extraordinary promise indeed, but one requiring a life of prayer and sacrifice.

Devotion to the blessed habit spread quickly throughout the Christian world. Pope after Pope enriched it with indulgences, and innumerable miracles put their seal upon its efficacy. The first of them was worked at Winchester on a man dying in despair, who when the scapular was laid upon him by Saint Simon Stock at once asked for the Sacraments.

In the year 1636, a certain gentleman, member of a cavalry regiment, was mortally wounded at the battle of Tehin, a bullet having lodged near his heart. He was then in a state of grievous sin, but he had time to make his confession. Afterwards a surgeon probed his wound, and the bullet was found to have driven his scapular into his heart. When it had been withdrawn he soon expired, making profound acts of gratitude to the Blessed Virgin who had prolonged his life miraculously, thereby preserving him from the irremediable death of his soul.

At Lourdes in 1858, the Virgin chose to make Her last apparition on July 16th, feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, the day the Church commemorates Her apparition to Saint Simon Stock. And at Fatima on October 13, 1917, it is as Our Lady of Mount Carmel that Mary appeared when She said farewell to the three children. Throughout the ages, the Queen of Carmel has always kept a faithful watch over the destinies of Her cherished children on earth.

Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Day 5 -

Traditional Novena Prayer

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke Thy most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let Thy Name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on Thee, for, in all my temptations, in all my needs,
I shall never cease to call on Thee, ever repeating Thy Sacred Name, Mary, Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fill my soul when I utter Thy sacred name, or even only think of Thee.
I thank God for having given Thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name.
But I will not be content with merely uttering Thy name; let my hope for Thee prompt me ever to hail Thee,Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen

( 3 Hail Mary )

Concluding prayer

Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence
we come before your holy picture to be inspired
by the example of your life.

We think of you at that moment when, full of faith and trust,
you accepted God's call to be the Mother of His Son.
Help us, your children, to accept with joy our own calling in life.

When you learned that your cousin Elizabeth was in need,
you immediately went to serve her and offer your help.
Help us, like you, to be concerned for others.

We think of you, Mother, at the foot of the Cross.
Your heart must have bled to see your Son in agony.
But your joy was great when He rose from the dead,
victorious over the powers of evil.

Mother of Sorrows, help us through the trials and disappointments
of life. Help us not to lose heart.
May we share with you and your Son the joy of having faced
up to all the challenges of life.Amen

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Day 4 -

Traditional Novena Prayer

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke Thy most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let Thy Name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on Thee, for, in all my temptations, in all my needs,
I shall never cease to call on Thee, ever repeating Thy Sacred Name, Mary, Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fill my soul when I utter Thy sacred name, or even only think of Thee.
I thank God for having given Thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name.
But I will not be content with merely uttering Thy name; let my hope for Thee prompt me ever to hail Thee,Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen

( 3 Hail Mary )

Concluding prayer

Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence
we come before your holy picture to be inspired
by the example of your life.

We think of you at that moment when, full of faith and trust,
you accepted God's call to be the Mother of His Son.
Help us, your children, to accept with joy our own calling in life.

When you learned that your cousin Elizabeth was in need,
you immediately went to serve her and offer your help.
Help us, like you, to be concerned for others.

We think of you, Mother, at the foot of the Cross.
Your heart must have bled to see your Son in agony.
But your joy was great when He rose from the dead,
victorious over the powers of evil.

Mother of Sorrows, help us through the trials and disappointments
of life. Help us not to lose heart.
May we share with you and your Son the joy of having faced
up to all the challenges of life.Amen

Novena in Honor of Our Lady of Perpetual Help - Day 3 -

Traditional Novena Prayer

O Mother of Perpetual Help, grant that I may ever invoke Thy most powerful name,
which is the safeguard of the living and the salvation of the dying.
O Purest Mary, O Sweetest Mary, let Thy Name henceforth be ever on my lips.
Delay not, O Blessed Lady, to help me whenever I call on Thee, for, in all my temptations, in all my needs,
I shall never cease to call on Thee, ever repeating Thy Sacred Name, Mary, Mary.
O what consolation, what sweetness, what confidence, what emotion fill my soul when I utter Thy sacred name, or even only think of Thee.
I thank God for having given Thee, for my good, so sweet, so powerful, so lovely a name.
But I will not be content with merely uttering Thy name; let my hope for Thee prompt me ever to hail Thee,Mother of Perpetual Help. Amen

( 3 Hail Mary )

Concluding prayer

Mother of Perpetual Help, with the greatest confidence
we come before your holy picture to be inspired
by the example of your life.

We think of you at that moment when, full of faith and trust,
you accepted God's call to be the Mother of His Son.
Help us, your children, to accept with joy our own calling in life.

When you learned that your cousin Elizabeth was in need,
you immediately went to serve her and offer your help.
Help us, like you, to be concerned for others.

We think of you, Mother, at the foot of the Cross.
Your heart must have bled to see your Son in agony.
But your joy was great when He rose from the dead,
victorious over the powers of evil.

Mother of Sorrows, help us through the trials and disappointments
of life. Help us not to lose heart.
May we share with you and your Son the joy of having faced
up to all the challenges of life.Amen