Mount Carmel is the Biblical place where the prophet Elijah dwelt. Still there, it rises to 1,742 feet above sea level and towers above Israel’s Mediterranean coastline. It was there that Elijah prayed to God for the salvation of Israel, which was suffering a terrible drought at the time. He continued to pray and sent his servant up the mountain several times to look for rain. On the seventh try, Elijah’s servant returned with good news: “Behold, a little cloud arose out of the sea.” (1 Kings 1,44) Soon thereafter, torrential rains fell upon the parched land and the people of Israel were saved. Long before the Blessed Virgin Mary was even born, Elijah saw the cloud as a symbol of “the Virgin” mentioned in the prophecies of Isaiah (Isaiah 7,14). The “hermits” who lived on Mount Carmel followed Elijah’s example and prayed for the advent of the much-awaited Virgin, who would become the mother of the Messiah. So, the origins of the Catholic Carmelite Order, still alive and well today, can be traced back to Elijah and his monastic disciples.
In the 12th century, Christian hermits withdrew to Mt. Carmel and founded the Order, devoted to the contemplative life under Mary’s protection. “The Carmelites” were officially known from the start as “Brothers of Our Lady of Mount Carmel.” The title suggests that they saw Mary not only as “mother,” but also as “sister.” The word sister is a reminder that Mary is very close to us. She is a daughter of God and therefore can help us be authentic daughters and sons of God, too. She also can help us grow in appreciation of being sisters and brothers to one another. She leads us to a new realization that all human beings belong to the one family of God. When such a conviction grows, there is hope that the human race can find its way to peace.
“O Beautiful Flower of Carmel, most fruitful vine, splendor of heaven, holy and singular, who brought forth the Son of God, still ever remaining a pure virgin, assist us in our necessity. O Star of the Sea, help and protect us. Show us that you are our Mother. Amen.”
