I’ve always loved the Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, primarily because it’s also my mother’s birthday, and thus easy to remember!  More importantly as I grew older in my faith, I realized the beauty of this feast day and how important it is for me to help my children “get it”.

The Feast of Our Lady of Mount Carmel commemorates two important events for the Carmelite Order.  First, this feast celebrates the date of the official approval of the Carmelite Order in 1274 at the Second Council of Lyon, after much oppression and difficulties in establishing the Order.  Second, and the one most often linked to this day, is a commemoration of the apparition of Our Lady to St. Simon Stock on July 16, 1251 where she promised that anyone who wore the brown scapular would “not suffer eternal fire”.

The Brown Scapular became the traditional garb of the Carmelites and in its smaller form, is still worn by Catholics throughout the world.  Two brown bits of felt, brown strings, and a cream-colored image and words on each of the two felt pieces comprise the smaller version worn today. Many in my family wear this scapular daily – or it’s more permanent, medal form – after enrollment by our priest.

To celebrate this feast here’s what we will do this year:

- Pray the novena prayer (we started our novena 10 days before the 16th; but there is no reason why we couldn’t have started on the feast, continuing for eight more days).  This is a beautiful way for my children to pray for their grandmother and her intentions.  This particular novena, from EWTN’s website, helps us focus daily on the different aspects of the scapular, the promises and Our Lady.

-  Color a picture of the Our Lady and Baby Jesus and the souls in purgatory.  This year, we’ll take this picture and make a Shrinky-Dink plaque to add to our Marian plaque collection.

-   Make some Granita di Caffe (iced coffee), following the directions at Catholic Culture’s site.  [Note, this is a GREAT site for ideas for living the liturgical year!]  By the way, this Italian coffee is suggested because the Italian immigrants are the largest group of Americans who still celebrate this feast with large public processions and festivals.  One, the longest running festival (since 1887) is held in Hammonton, NJ.  The Parish of Our Lady of Mount Carmel, in East Harlem, New York has the oldest celebration, dating from 1881.

-  Make a 12x9 pan of brownies, spread butter-cream frosting (leaving a 1/4-1/2 inch brown border) and then piping thinned, melted chocolate on top with the words “a sign of salvation”.

-  Read about St. Simon Stock (whose feast day is May 16th), the Brown Scapular, and discuss the idea that the scapular is not a magical amulet, but rather a sign of our belief and faith in God’s mercy and love and our love of the Blessed Mother who constantly intercedes for us all.

Here are some books that we’ll get for next year’s feastday!

-  The Brown Scapular of Mount Carmel

-  Garment of Grace

-  Brown Scapular Coloring Book

Won’t you join us this year, celebrating this beautiful feast?  Post any suggestions for how you celebrate this lovely day so we can add to our festivities.

Mary C. Gildersleeve is a mom of five with only three still at home where we love, live and learn in a rural county in Virginia.  A hand-knits designer, Gildersleeve has written Great Yarns for the Close-knit Family and most recently, In His Image:  Nurturing Creativity in the Heart of Your Home.  You can track her family’s adventures at Hilltop Farm.

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