Our Lady of Mount Carmel

Mary is a model of receptivity to God and of contemplative prayer. She was the first disciple of Jesus. The early hermits on Mount Carmel dedicated their chapel to her and Carmel remains a Marian order.

The following prayer is for the Solemnity of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, celebrated on 16 July:

Lord God,
you willed that the Order of Carmel
should be named in honour of the Blessed Virgin Mary,
Mother of your Son.
Through her prayers, as we honour her today,
bring us to your holy Mountain, Christ our Lord,
Who lives and reigns with you and the Holy Spirit,
One God, forever and ever.
Amen

The icon shown here is written by a sister at Quidenham Carmel, based on an icon of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Harissa Carmel, Lebanon.

Icon courtesy of Quidenham Carmel
Icon courtesy of Quidenham Carmel

May the most holy Virgin Mary confirm you in your Carmelite vocation. May she safeguard your love for the things of the spirit. May she obtain for you the graces you need in your holy, laborious ascent towards the knowledge of the divine realm and the ineffable experiences of its dark nights and light-filled days...And may she one day lead you into that possession of Christ and his glory which, even now, is the goal towards which your whole life is directed.
Extract from Addresses by Pope Paul VI