THE FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL OF THE BROWN SCAPULA.
FEAST OF OUR LADY OF MOUNT CARMEL.
"In the days of Ahaz, king of Judah, son of Jotham, son of Uzziah, Rezin, king of Aram, and Pekah, king of Israel, son of Remaliah, went up to attack Jerusalem, but they were not able to conquer it.
"When word came to the house of David that Aram was encamped in Ephraim, the heart of the king and the heart of the people trembled, as the trees of the forest tremble in the wind.
"Then the Lord said to Isaiah: Go out to meet Ahaz, you and your son Shear-jashub, at the end of the conduit of the upper pool, on the highway of the fuller’s field, and say to him:
"Take care you remain tranquil and do not fear; let not your courage fail before these two stumps of smoldering brands, the blazing anger of Rezin and the Arameans, and of the son of Remaliah, because of the mischief that Aram, Ephraim and the son of Remaliah, plots against you, saying, “Let us go up and tear Judah asunder, make it our own by force, and appoint the son of Tabeel king there.”
"Thus says the Lord: This shall not stand, it shall not be!
"Damascus is the capital of Aram, and Rezin is the head of Damascus; Samaria is the capital of Ephraim, and Remaliah’s son the head of Samaria.
"But within sixty years and five, Ephraim shall be crushed, no longer a nation.
"Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!" (Isaiah 7: 1 - 9).
Tuesday July 16th in the 15th week in Ordinary Time is the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.
What words do we associate with Mount Carmel? The Prophet Elijah, the Carmelite Order, St. Simon Stock.
On July 16, 1251 the Blessed Virgin Mary appeared to St Simon Stock, the Superior General of the Carmelites in England and gave him the brown scapula. Mary promised her protection to all those who wear the scapula. This is the origin of the devotion of Our Lady of Mount Carmel and the Brown Scapula. The brown scapula is one of the numerous sacramentals of the Church.
Some years ago, a friend gave me a Brown Scapula. I hung it on the wall in my Prayer Area. On the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel a couple of years ago, I decided to put on that Brown Scapula for the first time. It was on my neck day and night. Then it fell apart from constant use. I prayed to Our Lady for inspiration on how to replace it. The prayer was answered immediately. That instant answer was a sign for me. Do not neglect Sacramentals like holy water, Rosary, crucifix, holy pictures, etc. They are means of graces and protection from the evil spirits.
Our key Scripture for today from Isaiah 7: 1 - 9 is one of my favorite Scriptures. They contain healing truths:
1. "Thus says the Lord: This shall not stand, it shall not be!"
You can repeat this to yourself when you are under threat and danger from a powerful foe. I have deployed it on a couple of occasions.
2. "Unless your faith is firm you shall not be firm!"
This truth should be obvious to everyone but it is not. Do you know that you are as strong as your belief on anything? To be free from fear, we need faith in a Strong Man who is more powerful than the person threatening you. That Strong Man is Jesus Christ.
The Church honors the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ in July.
Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ purify and heal us.
For Prayers and Prayer intentions for the Most Precious Blood of Jesus Christ click the link below:
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