This is the day when we honor our Blessed Mother as Our Lady of Mt. Carmel. Mt. Carmel is a mountain in Israel. Elias and Elisha, as we as Jeremiah, went to this mountain to pray and get guidance. They received visions of a cloud when they were there. I'm thinking, that Our Mother was already chosen to conquer the wicked serpent in the book of Genesis, that maybe somehow, her spirit was in this cloud, since she had not been born yet. Our Lady appeared there in person as well in later years. She gave the Brown Scapular to a Simon Stock, an Englishman, in the 13th century. It was given to strengthen those who had built a shrine on Mt. Carmel, and become monks there. This scapular is described as two pieces of wool attached with a double cord, which goes around the neck. It usually has a picture of Our Lady on it as 'Our Lady of Mt. Carmel'. It also has this promise which our Blessed Mother gave to Simon Stock; that "Whosoever dies wearing this scapular will not suffer eternal fire." Pretty neat, huh? There is also what is called the 'Sabbantine' privilege, which comes from the word 'sabbath', which to us is Saturday. She promised that on the first Saturday after our death, that she would herself come to purgatory and take us to eternal happiness. She will strengthen us also by wearing one. I like that. We need all the help we can get. Of course, we have to be in the state of grace to receive this privilege. This only makes sense.
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel, pray for us and for the Church
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