FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL AND MEMORIAL OF SAINT MARIE MAGDALEN POSTEL, RELIGIOUS ~ FEAST DAY: JULY 16TH: Today, we celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Also known as the feast of the “Scapular of Mount Carmel”. On this day, we also celebrate the Memorial Saint Marie Magdalen Postel, Religious. Through the intercession of our Blessed Mother Mary on this special feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we humbly pray for the sick and dying, especially those suffering from terminal diseases, we pray for God’s divine healing upon them. We pray for those going through difficulties during these challenging times, for the poor and the needy, for peace, love, and unity in our families and our world. And we continue to pray for the Church, the Clergy, for persecuted Christians, for the conversion of sinners, and Christians all over the world.🙏
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL: The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel (1251 A.D.), also known as the feast of the “Scapular of Mount Carmel” is one of the Marian feasts and celebrations of the year, a title of the Blessed Virgin Mary associated with the Carmelite Order. Today is the principal feast day of the Carmelite Order. The Order of Carmelites takes its name from Mount Carmel, which was the first place dedicated to the Blessed Virgin and where a chapel was erected in her honor before her Assumption into heaven. The first Carmelites lived as hermits on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land beginning in the 12th century. In the middle of their hermitages, they built a chapel dedicated to the Virgin Mary, who became the protectress of the Carmelites under the title of Our Lady of Mount Carmel. Through the efforts of the crusader Berthold, a group of hermits living on Mount Carmel were organized into an Order after the traditional Western type about the year 1150. Oppressed by the Saracens, the monks slowly emigrated to Europe. During the night preceding the sixteenth of July, 1225, the Blessed Virgin is said to have commanded Pope Honorius III to approve the foundation. Since the Carmelites were still under constant harassment, the sixth General of the Order, St. Simon Stock, pleaded with the Blessed Virgin for some special sign of her protection. The Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to the Carmelite hermit, St. Simon Stock, under this title and gave him a piece of cloth—the brown scapular—as a sacramental to be worn by the faithful to whom she promised her special protection. On July 16, 1251, she designated the scapular as the special mark of her maternal love. That is why the present feast is also known as the feast of the Scapular. The scapular, as part of the habit, is common to many religious Orders, but it is a special feature of the Carmelites. A smaller form of the scapular is given to lay persons in order that they may share in the great graces associated with it. Such a grace is the “Sabbatine privilege.” In the so-called Bulla Sabbatina John XXII affirmed that wearers of the scapular are soon freed from the flames of purgatory, at least by the Saturday after death. The confirmation of the Bulla Sabbatina was promulgated by the Sacred Congregation of Indulgences, July 4, 1908.
Devotion to Our Lady of Mount Carmel is worldwide, and most Catholics are familiar with the Scapular of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, also known as the Brown Scapular. When our Mother Mary appeared to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251, she gave him the scapular with the following words, which are preserved in a fourteenth century narrative: “This will be for you and for all Carmelites the privilege, that he who dies in this will not suffer eternal fire.” To obtain the indulgences and other benefits promised to those who wear the Carmelite Scapular, a person must be invested by a priest who has the requisite faculties and must lead a consistent Christian life. The feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel was instituted for the Carmelites in 1332, and extended to the whole Church by Benedict XIII in 1726. Our Lady of Mount Carmel is the Patron Saint of the Carmelites.
“Take this Scapular. Whosoever dies wearing it shall not suffer eternal fire. It shall be a sign of salvation, a protection in danger and pledge of peace.”
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee; blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen. Behold the handmaid of the Lord: Be it done unto me according to Thy word.🙏
PRAYER: May the venerable intercession of the glorious Virgin Mary come to our aid, we pray, O Lord, so that, fortified by her protection, we may reach the mountain which is Christ. Who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever… Amen🙏
SAINT MARIE MAGDALEN POSTEL, RELIGIOUS: St. Marie Magdalen Postel (1756–1846) was born in a fishing village in Normandy, one of seven children of a middle class family. As a child she became famous for her generosity; she would often give her food and belongings to the needy, acts for which she was often rebuked. She was educated by Benedictine nuns and decided to devote her life to the service of God. She took a private vow of chastity, and at the age of 18 opened her own school for girls. This began her life mission dedicated to the education of children. The school ran for five years until the French Revolution shut it down. During that time of great turmoil she used the school to house fugitive priests. She also encouraged the faithful amidst the terrible persecution, and was granted special permission to keep in her possession the Blessed Sacrament to give to those who were in immediate danger of death.
She continued her work in education after the unrest subsided, founding a religious community called ‘The Poor Daughters of Mercy’ living under the rule of the Third Order of St. Francis. The community was later renamed ‘Sisters of the Christian Schools of Mercy’ taking the rule of St. John Baptist de la Salle, founder of the Christian Brothers, a religious order dedicated to the education of children. St. Marie Magdalen’s school for girls was so effective that it was declared the best-run organization of its kind. St. Marie Magdalen Postel died at the age of 90 after seeing her community grow and spread. Her feast day is July 16th.
Saint Marie Magdalen Postel, Religious ~ Pray for us 🙏
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