As we celebrate the “scapular feast” of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, we are invited to draw closer to the Lord Jesus through the Blessed Virgin Mary. The Brown Scapular is one of many sacramentals in the life of the Church that are meant to help us in the spiritual life.
In the early Church, Christian hermits followed the example of the Old Testament prophets and prayed and fasted on Mount Carmel in the Holy Land.
Mount Carmel, which is actually a full mountain range of multiple peaks, caves and springs, is revered for its significance in salvation history. The battle there between the prophet Elijah and the priests of Baal inspired many early believers to abandon all things and live the eremitical life in supplication for God’s people.
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