Mangalore: Carmelites celebrate the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel
Report by Bro John M alfonso OCD
Pics Stany Bantwal
Mangalore, Jul 19: “Mary as a bright shining Star shows us a way to God through her deeds and words” said Fr. Joseph Martis,Dean of Studies (philosophy) at St. Joseph’s Inter-diocesan Seminary Mangalore.
Fr. Martis was delivering a homily for the Festal mass of Our Lady of Mount Carmel at Infant Jesus Shrine ,Mangalore. Fr. Martis highlighted different virtues of Mary to show Mary as the bright shining star.
“ Mary as a mother, is a treasure who gave her only son for the salvation of humankind.” He opined further. He also said that the brown Scapular is the external sign of her presence,love, intercession and way to God .
Refering to the other vitues of Mary like her willingness to do the will of God,faith, humilty,appealed to the congregation to take her model and shine like a shining Star in the society
Our Lady of Mount Carmel is a patroness of the Carmelites. The Episcopal Vicar for Religious of the Diocese of Mangalore Fr. Ronnie Prabhu S.J.presided over the solemn Eucharistic celebration. 30 priests concelebrated the Solemn Eucharistic celebration. There were other three masses on the feast day.
During the days of novena, as a preparation for the feast,the preachers reflected on the various virtues of Mary. The devotees of Our Lady of Mount Carmel participated in the feast masses in large numbers.
It is recalled that towards the end of the twelth century A.D., near a spring called after Elijah, a group of hermits established themselves on Mount Carmel and built an oratory in honour of Our Lady, whom they chose as their titular and patroness. They became known as ‘the Brothers of Saint Mary of Mount Carmel’. They regarded as Blessed Virgin as their Mother, and their model first of all in leading the contemplative life, and later in sharing the fruits of their contemplation with others.
The Solemn Commemoration of our Lady of Mount Carmel was first celebrated in England in the fourteenth century, but was gradually adopted throughout the order as an occasion of thanksgiving for the countless blessings which Our Lady had bestowed on the Carmelite family.