My Third Order Carmelite Scapular
July 16 is the day the Catholic Church celebrates the Feast of Mary under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. It is a very special day for all Carmelites as they honor Mary as their Mother, Patroness, and Sister. This date is a particularly joyful one for me because it marks the day in 1996 I was led to a deeper appreciation of the Mother of God and my Catholic Faith. I can still hear Father Edward Heymer’s words as he presented me with my Carmelite Scapular: “Wear this and call on the Virgin Mary.”
Everyone experiences life-changing events and this was one of mine. This Scapular was my “mini-habit” – an outward sign of Mary’s love. and an incentive to become like her by imitating her virtues, above all, humility, chastity, and prayerfulness. It was my yoke of obedience to Our Lady of Mount Carmel. I had total trust in her and consecrated my life to her Immaculate Heart. This powerful, grace-giving sacramental was not only a promise of salvation, but a sign of Mary’s quiet presence close to my heart, and a pledge of her maternal protection in this life and the next. It was, and is, a silent prayer/devotion and a gift from our Heavenly Mother who is the Church’s greatest contemplative.
The Scapular is a constant reminder of the contemplative aspect of my Catholic life and that it is in silence that God best speaks to me. In wearing it, I experience a spiritual intimacy ( in -to -me -you-see ) and allow Mary to peek inside my heart and appreciate what “makes me tick.” and why. Take, for example, the truth that each of my Monastery Belles represents one of my “wounds” – and wounds are wisdom. By God’s grace and Mary’s tender prompting, I chose to take the things in life that broke my heart and often times ripped me apart, and while filling a chalice with my tears, transformed those wounds into something beautiful for others – all while trying to keep alive the purity of an innocent child within. Now, that’s sweet music. And somehow, those wounds made me “bulletproof” and insistent on bringing light and joy to others, because I knew what it felt like to be without them- rejected, denied, ignored, ridiculed, and abandoned. It was Mary who was kneeling beside me when I was in distress. And who better to understand the immense pain of a “crucifixion” than a mother who watched her Baby Boy endure its horror because He loved us! So, this is one way of my surviving the “sword of grief” and living out my vow to become “another Mary for Jesus” everywhere I go.
Someone who doesn’t have a devotion to Mary may find it hard, if not impossible, to understand the feelings I have for her. She did something exquisitely sublime for me in concert with all the saints in Heaven. My “Star of the Sea” awakened a deep sense of being wanted, accepted, and loved – not for what I do, but for who I am and for Whose I am. Our Lady helped me understand that my religion is all about relationships: “mercy and truth meeting and justice and peace kissing.” This imagery spoke to me of a great hope in heralding a beautiful transformation. Mary made see that compassion is where peace and justice kiss. Compassion is at the intersection of all things good, holy, creative, and miraculous. This realization made me want to give more of myself as an act of perpetual gentleness, gratitude, and sacrifice. It opened my eyes to the reality that Jesus, her Son Who died on the Cross for us, is a person with a human heart and He is alive. He desires to be known, to be loved, to be talked to, and to be listened to. He is a person Who understands us and invites us – even begs us – to know and understand Him better. His Cross is the the perfect harmony of Heaven and Earth – where human faithfulness springs forth from the earth and connects with grace looking down from Heaven. The ultimate fulfillment of “meeting together” and “kissing” is found in Christ’s work to reconcile the world to God. Through my consecration to His Holy Mother Mary, Jesus offered me His unmerited grace in spite of who I am and what I’ve done, or failed to do, to participate in and continue His Mission. And so, it is with the acknowledgment that as Mary and Jesus are inseparable, so are my Scapular and Rosary. Through them, I firmly believe Mary will save the world. “When I gaze upon the Cross of branch and rope severe, I cannot gaze too long before my eyes create a tear. And in that tear – a miracle – Love’s mystery has its start. For where the branches intersect, I’ll kiss and nail my heart.”
† The charism for the Third Order Carmelite is prayer and contemplation ( an ever-deepening silence in loving presence to God ), community ( fraternity ), and ministry ( service according to one’s talents ). With a pure heart and good conscience, one is called to follow Christ along the path of trust in God and is inspired by the example and virtues of Mary, the Mother of Jesus and Our Mother too. †