Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Each Marian feast day honor's Mary's role in salvation history one way or another. Today’s feast of Our Lady on this post honor Her intercession by means of a special sacramental (blessings or blessed items) that She has given the Church. The liturgical color for this feast is white or gold for Our Lady's purity and glory, Her powerful intercession. Popular devotion to Mary is to wear blue in Her honor. On the feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel we honor the approval of the Carmelite Order as a religious order in the Church and Mary giving to St. Simon Stock and the whole world the brown scapular.
Brief Explanation of the Scapular
A Desert for Today’s Feast (As today is also National Ice Cream Day, ice cream would be a great desert to enjoy. Dairy free/vegan ice cream abounds at your local store and it’s cruelty free so you can truly honor our Blessed Mother!)
A Message from the Carmelite Order
Our Lady of Mt. Carmel in Artwork (Our Lady of the Scapular)
St. Simon Stock in Artwork (Recipient of the Scapular)
Today also marks 716 Day in my hometown of Buffalo NY it is a day dedicated to supporting local organizations and charities.
July 16th also marks the 31st anniversary of the movie Hocus Pocus, today is a great day to watch the movie and enjoy some Halloween treats, decor and all the things spooky!
Note: A Scapular doesn’t have to be wool (Carmelite Priests, the guardians per se of the scapular say so, this applies also for the red scapular as I asked someone with the Vincentians the “guardians” of the red scapular). It’s sensible to use felt which is similar and acceptable especially as wool has some ethical concerns in its production. You can make your own scapular and have it blessed and be enrolled by a Priest as long as the color of the felt is brown and one piece hangs in front and one in back, the strings can be any material or color. This is only different for the red scapular in the fact that the images are necessary and the bands must be red. The scapular medal can replace the cloth for sufficient reason. In the case of wearing the medal the promise of Mary remains. I personally always wear the medal in case of swimming. There is some historical doubt regarding the private revelations surrounding the scapular and the legends as well but the confidence in Mary’s intercession assisting those in need to die in the state of grace remains. Also note to wear the scapular and intentionally sin is a heinous crime against God and Our Lady. The scapular is not a substitute for Christian living but as the articles above note, as I’ve consulted with the scrupulous and another source, to trust Mary while striving to do what’s right is where we get our confidence. For those stories of those who wore the scapular dying without it or for those in contrast to those below who are open to God’s grace as opposed to trying to skirt His law by wearing the scapular. In a particular way I make this note in regards to my fellow queer Catholics who are scrupulous about living their sexuality. We should not be ashamed as God made us and we have our Lady’s garment to guide us in grace but we need not be afraid to live out our loving relationships fully.
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